By eating a hearty breakfast, you’ll give your metabolism a jumpstart and be in better control of your cravings. When we miss this important meal, we are more likely to engage in mindless snacking and overcompensating for any calories “missed” by skipping breakfast. After your healthy serving of greens in LIV Vibrant Green Smoothie, it’s important to get a good dosage of protein and healthy fats to keep you full and satiated throughout the morning. Eggs are a great breakfast, and have been coined the “perfect food,” loaded with vitamins, minerals, high quality proteins and good fats.

What I love is making a breakfast vegetable “fritatta” which is an egg based Italian dish - similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, by combining eggs, cheese, leftover vegetables in a large skillet. The fritatta can be cut into 6 or 8 pieces, and voila, you have a high quality breakfast for the next four days.

My Mom and I made this vegetable frittata after getting home from the farm on a hot Sunday in August. Since it was August, my dad and I picked fresh zuchinni and tomatoes for this recipe. But the beauty of this recipe is that it can be made year-round with different seasonal ingredients. In the spring we use mushrooms or asparagus, and in the fall or winter we use squash, eggplant, broccoli or cauliflower.

Ingredients

· 1 yellow onion, finely diced

· 3 small zucchini finely chopped into circle shaped discs

· 3 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes cut into ½ inch discs, lightly salted on each side

· 6 eggs

· One container of 16 oz ricotta cheese

· ½ cup pecorino romano grated cheese

· ½ tsp sea salt

· ½ tsp pepper

· ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

· ½ bunch finely chopped mint

· ½ cup finely chopped basil

· 1 small sized block of Tellegio or Fontina cheese, chopped into ¼ inch strips. If you can’t find these Italian cheeses, grated cheddar or monteray jack are also very good

Directions

· Add chopped onions and zucchini to large skillet and sauté until lightly browned

· Meanwhile, in mixing bowl, add ricotta cheese, grated pecorino romano cheese, whisked eggs, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly

· Take skillet off stove and add mixture covering onions and zuchinni

· Carefully fold in tellegio or fontina cheese strips to cooking mixture so they are fully covered

· Add, sliced tomatoes, mint, and basil evenly over top and place on stove again for 10 minutes

· After 10 mins, place skillet in oven and broil till browns on top. Take out of stove, let cool for 10 mins and serve.