Spiced Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls with Crispy Eggs #30MinuteMondays

Spiced beef and sweet potato bowls with crispy eggs, fresh figs, and goat cheese:

a unique and satisfying grain-free breakfast or dinner in less than 30 minutes.

This may seem like a strange combination of foods, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it. This quick spiced beef with sweet potatoes is delicious all on its own, but adding a crispy egg, a few fresh figs, and a generous dollop of goat cheese kicks things up several levels.

The spiced beef and sweet potatoes is a fast, pared-down version of my bacon and sweet potato chili, with a few slightly more exotic spices added in. Microwaving the sweet potato chunks for a few minutes while the meat is browning saves times and ensures even cooking. Coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and allspice give the beef and sweet potatoes just the right amount of fragrance and spice.

In case you haven't had the pleasure of indulging in a crispy egg, let me sell you on it. It has perfectly cooked whites, a runny yolk, and irresistible crunchy browned lacy bits all around the edges.

Breakfast Casserole with Bacon, Sausage, Sweet Potato, and Kale

When I make a recipe, I always expect it to turn out great. Of course, sometimes it doesn't, but if I weren't expecting delicious results, why would I bother making the recipe at all?

On the other hand, sometimes there's a qualifier. I might say to myself, "These cookies will be great--for sugar-free cookies." Or in this case, "This will be wonderful--for a dairy-free breakfast casserole."

You may have already guessed that this recipe blew that qualifier right out of the water (especially since only recipes that are amazing without qualifiers end up on the blog at all!). This breakfast casserole is so delectable that I do not think anyone will notice or care that it's dairy free.

I found this recipe over at Susan's blog, Food.Baby.Life, which was my assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. Susan is a busy mom of three boys under age five, and still finds time to study, cook, and share delicious recipes on her blog! I, for one, am very impressed. Susan's recipe index includes a huge selection of allergy-friendly baked goods along with lots of family-friendly main dishes like this one.

Kale and Bacon Quiches with Hash Brown Crust + A Giveaway

It's my second blog birthday! I feel like I've come a long way since my very first post, but last year's blogiversary feels like it was just yesterday. Time flies when you're eating well!

At the risk of sounding sappy, I want to say thank you for stopping by my site. Reading your comments and connecting with you on social media makes my day, and turns the often solitary activities of cooking, photographing, and writing into something that's actually meaningful.

To celebrate the occasion, I made grain-free kale and bacon quiches with hash brown crust. They're like little crispy nests of savory goodness. This was my first time making a potato crust, and I'm totally hooked. I'm even thinking it might work in some sort of a dessert pie (is that too radical?). Here, the crunchy potato tangles hold a filling of eggs, kale, shallots, crisp bacon, and crumbled goat cheese. These are perfect for Easter brunch or any weekend morning (or a blogiversary, of course).

As I embark on my third year of blogging, I'd love to hear from you. What would you like to see more of here on A Calculated Whisk? For example, are you looking for quick and easy recipes, Whole30 meals, desserts, vegetarian meals, or something else? Would you like to see more non-recipe posts (reviews, giveaways, perhaps travel stories)? Whatever it is, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Pesto Frittata

I'm finished with the first week of my Whole30, and feeling pretty great.  You can see almost every delicious thing I've eaten over on Instagram--I've been having so much fun trying out new recipes and revisiting old favorites.  Doing a challenge like this really gets the creativity flowing!

So far I'm breezing through each day without craving any off-plan foods--I even survived a friend's birthday party last night without any serious yearnings for the cake, cookies, booze, or tortilla chips that everyone else was enjoying.  I sipped on seltzer with lime, snacked on mixed nuts, and felt pretty darn virtuous.

Squash Noodles with Everything Pesto (and an egg on top)

It has been a very long time since I've posted a recipe, and I'm hoping these squash noodles with everything pesto and a fried egg on top will at least partly make up for it.  Things have been busy at school, and it's getting harder and harder to blog often and stay on top of my readings and projects.  However, I am sure you do not want to hear about that.  I bet you'd rather hear about this brunch (dinner? lunch? midnight snack?) recipe that's paleo, grain-free, vegetarian, and ridiculously delicious.

I have to admit that I was unsatisfied with zoodles (zucchini + noodles = zoodles) for a long time, due mostly to unrealistic expectations.  Anyone who tells you that zoodles taste just like regular pasta is either totally lying or has a vastly different palate from mine.  You can't expect these to taste like linguine.

Sweet Potato & Crispy Kale Breakfast Skillet

It took me a really long time to jump on the kale bandwagon, but now I'm hooked.  I see it at the grocery store and it's so affordable, so curly, and so healthy looking that I have to buy it.  The flavor of kale takes a little getting used to, but I've found that when it's crispy and/or cooked with garlic, even haters will happily chomp on it.  This recipe delivers on both counts, and also offsets the leafy kale with sweet potatoes and perfectly-cooked eggs.  You start the breakfast skillet on the stove, pan-roasting the sweet potatoes with chopped red onion until they're tender.  The garlic and kale are tossed in and stir-fried just for a minute.  Next, you make four little wells amongst the veggies, crack an egg into each one, and then pop the skillet into the broiler.  In just a few minutes, the eggs cook and the kale crisps up just like kale chips.  You are going to love it!

Easy French Frittata

This omelette is inspired by the best breakfast I ever had, which was at a little French cafe in Montreal two summers ago.  Ben and I drove up there and stayed for about a week, and this meal has been stuck in my head ever since.  The whole trip was pretty great (it was our first vacation together), but this omelette was a definite highlight, and I've been trying to recreate it ever since.  I'm really mad at myself because I can't remember the name of the cafe--I didn't have a blog back then, so there wasn't an easy place to store my restaurant ramblings.  If it comes to me, I'll be sure to update this post with a link.

Here's a picture of our breakfasts that day: my omelette had Brie and spinach, and Ben's had duck confit and gruyere.  Both were deliciously creamy, with eggs cooked to perfection and thick slices of cheese that were barely melted in the middle.  They were amazing.  The sides of hash browns, buttery baguette, and breakfast beans were also ridiculously tasty.

Cherry Clafoutis (Gluten-free, Grain-free)

I really missed baking during my Whole30.  As soon as my 30 days were up, I wanted to bake something with dairy (the first food I'm reintroducing) that was still gluten-free and on the lighter side.  I've found that it's much easier to make gluten-free versions of baked goods that call for a relatively small amount of flour as compared to the other ingredients.  So when I came across this classic cherry clafoutis from Saveur, which only calls for 3/4 cup flour, plus 6 eggs and over a cup of milk, I figured it would be a good candidate.  Guess what?  I was right.

Mini Quiches with Duxelles & Baby Broccoli (Whole30 Day 15)

I've only been back at school for two days, and I'm already ready for another vacation!  On my first day back, I accidentally left my computer at school.  Luckily a friend was still on campus and was able to find it and stash it in her locker, so nothing happened to it.  I was stuck without it at home, though, which meant I had to break my blogging streak.  It was a little disappointing, but I figure it's more important to keep up the healthy eating than to blog about it everyday, right?  Tuesday was the longest day ever with class from 8 to 1:30 and back-to-back sessions in the clinic from 3 to 5.  Today, I finally made it into the kitchen.

My Whole30 is officially half over, and I'm so happy to be eating such great food.  I have almost no cravings for off-plan foods, although there was one rough evening when I was getting ready to go to dinner at a friend's and Ben had my favorite kind of pizza delivered.  To his credit, he thought it would arrive after I'd left.  I was starving and I would have loved a slice of that pizza...but I love having my pants fit better even more.  I stayed strong, made it to my friend's house, and enjoyed a delicious Whole30-compliant meal there.  I even managed to sit calmly at the table while everyone else had cake and ice cream!

Prepping a Week of Paleo Breakfasts (Whole30 Day 9)

To receive new posts in your inbox, subscribe via email here.  I'd also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and/or Twitter.  Thank you for reading!

-Becky

Looking for something to bring to a cookout?  Check out these 10 Paleo Recipes for Summertime Celebrations.

Guys, I am going back to school next week!  Part of the reason I picked January for my Whole30 is that I knew having the first two weeks of the month off would help me get myself on track with my new eating plan before having the stress of school, work, and clinic added on.  Everything has been going smoothly so far, but it's about to get a lot harder.

The key to sticking with the Whole30 throughout a busy work week is planning and preparation.  This weekend I'm planning to make big batches of a few different meals so I can bring leftovers to school for lunch, and even eat leftovers some nights for dinner if I'm too tired to cook.  However, even though I occasionally enjoy a good dinner for breakfast, most mornings I want something a little more traditional.

So, today I'm sharing my plan for prepping a week of paleo breakfasts.  These ideas are perfect if you're doing a Whole30, but are also just great if you have a goal to start each day with a healthy breakfast.  Most of these ideas do require you to get up and cook, but it should only take about 10 minutes, and for a nutritious & tasty breakfast, it's worth it.

Creole Hash & Eggs (Whole30 Day 2)

It's Day 2 of my Whole30, and I'm feeling great so far!  Yesterday I had quite a headache, which I think was because I tried to replace my morning coffee with tea.  It was too soon for that--I need to take my changes one at a time!  Since I don't like black coffee very much, I did a little research and found this recipe for bulletproof coffee.  It's basically hot coffee mixed with some ghee and coconut oil.  I made some using my immersion blender, and it was pretty good!  Not quite as delicious as my regular cup of joe (with copious amounts of grassfed milk, a splash of maple syrup, and a few drops of vanilla extract--none of which are allowed on the Whole30), but much more palatable than plain coffee.

Cranberry Orange Tart (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free) & Pompeian Grapeseed Oil

I had this bag of cranberries left over from Thanksgiving that was begging to be used up, and it had been far too long since I'd made any kind of a curd.  The folks at Pompeian sent me a bottle of their grapeseed oil spray, and it gave me the perfect idea: a cranberry orange tart that would give me the chance to use up my cranberries, make a curd, and finally do something with my tart pan.

I am so pleased with how this tart turned out!  Just looking at it makes me really happy.  The cranberry orange curd is just tart enough, but still plenty sweet thanks to the honey.  The crust is a delicious combination of almonds and pecans with a touch of Pompeian olive oil.  The whipped cream on top seals the deal.  Also, how gorgeous are those cranberries and those orange zest curls?  I'm obsessed with looking at pictures of this tart.  And also with eating it.  I did share some with my mom, though, and she said it was one of the best things I've ever made!  If you don't have cranberries on hand, this tart would also be fabulous with any other kind of curd--try classic lemon, dairy-free lemon, or strawberry.  The curd possibilities are endless!  This cranberry orange curd would be equally delicious on pancakes, toast, scones or ice cream if you don't feel like making a tart.  A jar of curd also makes a wonderful homemade gift!

Baked Eggs in Squash Rings (Paleo, Gluten-free)

There is a lot going on right now!  I have three final exams next week, holiday parties are starting to pop up everywhere, and I've decided to put together a little e-cookbook for my email subscribers (click here to subscribe to make sure you get it as soon as it comes out!).  Don't ask me why I started a new project right before finals week--I just couldn't help myself.  Once I think of a fun idea, I need to get started as soon as possible.

With so much happening, it's important to start the day off with a good, healthy breakfast.  This one is elegant enough for a weekend brunch, but simple enough to make any day of the week.  I don't know about you, but I think these squash-framed baked eggs are pretty much the most gorgeous thing ever.  They taste great, too!  Buy some squash today so you can make these tomorrow for Sunday brunch.  That's it from me--I'm off to study!

Pumpkin & Pecorino Soufflé (Gluten-free)

Me and pumpkin--it's not over!  Whenever I have leftover pumpkin in the fridge, I can't stop myself from adding it to almost all things.  This past weekend, I went to see my little sister, who's 15, cheer at her high school's last home game of the regular season.  The game fell on my dad's birthday, so I wanted to bring a little something sweet for the post-game celebration.  Unfortunately, in addition to her dairy and soy allergies, my sister is also currently avoiding nuts, citrus, and chocolate as part of an anti-migraine diet.  And, of course, I wanted whatever I made to be gluten-free.

Well, what was left that COULD go in these treats?  Pretty much just pumpkin (and a few coconut products).  I ended up making gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free pumpkin cupcakes, and while I didn't think they were good enough to share with all of you, my sister really liked them.

The cupcakes only used a cup or so of pumpkin, so I was left with some extra, which was burning a hole in my pocket/fridge... Can that expression apply to food you really want to use up?  Or is it only for money you're dying to spend?

Dutch Babies Brûlée (Paleo, Gluten free)

It's almost time for me to go back to school!  This isn't just any back-to-school, though, because after six years of leading my own classroom, I'm starting as a student again, working on a master's in speech and language pathology.  I have orientation next week, and classes start the week after that.  Then, in October, I'll start working with my very first client.  It's going to be different, and I'm relishing my last week of sleeping in and making myself (and Ben, on the days he works from home) a nice breakfast.

Carnitas con huevo

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  I like to start with a hearty, hot, and delicious breakfast--no bowls of cereal, please.  Since I've started my whole30, I've made lots of great egg dishes, but now I'm having a problem.  I'm tired of eggs.

Veggie Hash & Eggs

This morning when I woke up, I wanted to do something a little different with my eggs.  When I saw the vegetables we had in the fridge (asparagus and Brussels sprouts), I started to wonder why some vegetables are a common find at breakfast time, while some are not.  Mushrooms, peppers, and onions are often seen as omelette fillings, but Brussels sprouts not so much.

Asparagus Bundles with Bacon & Poached Eggs

Can you think of a non-dessert ingredient that isn't better wrapped in bacon?  It's hard, right?  Ever since making these shrimp, I have been wanting to wrap all things in bacon.  Here is a great way to start.

This recipe is paleo, and dairy and gluten-free.  It's got a lot of asparagus and some good protein, so I'm calling it healthy.  Besides, it's beautiful, delicious, and easy.  The hardest part is waiting for it to roast.

You can make this without the eggs for an elegant side dish that would go well with a steak or almost any dinner I can think of.  This would also be great for a weekend brunch, and I just enjoyed it immensely for my Monday lunch.  Try it!  It looks fancy, and everyone you feed it to will love you for wrapping their veggies up in bacon.

Ingredients (serves 4; adapted from How Sweet It Is):

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
4 eggs, poached or fried (I use these adorable poach pods)
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, coconut oil, and sesame oil.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and place a rack on top.  Divide the asparagus spears into four equal bundles, and wrap each one with a piece of bacon.  Place the bundles on the rack with the ends of the bacon underneath so it stays put.

Brush the garlic and oil mixture over the bundles, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.  Top with the eggs, sprinkle with a little salt, and serve.

You might also like:

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives

Paleo Poached Eggs with Creamy Spinach

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Creamy Rutabaga

This post contains an affiliate link.

Paleo Poached Eggs with Creamy Spinach

Okay, big news. A Calculated Whisk is going paleo for one month. There. I said it. Now if I go and try to post some kind of insane ice cream cupcake cookie sandwich, you guys will call me out on it. Right?

Nobody tells you this, but the ugly downside of starting a food blog is you EAT so much of the delicious food you make that your figure kind of falls by the wayside. I love desserts, obviously, but you can only have so much. It's time for a change. In the past I've lost a lot of weight following the Zone diet, but this time I wanted to try something different.

I've been hearing so much about paleo, and it makes sense to me that eating the foods we evolved eating would be the healthiest way to go. I checked out this website for the Whole 30, and thought I would give it a try. I got The 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking: Entire Month of Paleo Meals, and I'm ready to go. The book is great, but I always think it's more fun to create my own recipes. So, here it is! My first paleo breakfast. It tastes great, and I didn't feel like anything was missing since it's so filling, rich, and creamy.

Oh, and by the way! I'm on an exercise program, too. I've started barre3's 28 to Great. That's six days of workouts a week (they have an awesome online library of 10, 30, 40, and 60 minute videos) for four weeks. I've done two workouts so far, and they are exhausting. It's really targeted muscle work and I can tell it's going to have an impact.

Phew.  This is a lot of changes, but I hope you guys will support me and try some of the recipes.  Let's start with the most important meal of the day.

Ingredients (serves one):

2 teaspoons coconut oil, plus extra

2 eggs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby spinach (or more!)

2 teaspoons coconut milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium low heat.  Add the garlic and saute until it starts to brown.  Turn the heat up to medium high, add the spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the spinach, tossing frequently, until just wilted, 3-5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk or cream.

Meanwhile, poach your eggs.  See this post about how to do it on Smitten Kitchen, or use an egg poacher.  I greased the cups of my egg poacher with a little bit of coconut oil.

When the spinach is ready, make it into a nest on your plate.  Slide the finished eggs into the nest, sprinkle with more salt if desired, and serve hot.

You might also like:

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives

Breakfast Arepas with Guacamole

Spinach & Parmesan Soufflé

Cowboy Carbonara

Have you heard of cowboy caviar?  It's a thing.  I've never really tried it, but it's a lot like this salsa, which is fabulous.  What's Gaby Cooking has several versions, including vegetarian cowboy caviar, cowboy caviar quinoa, and cowboy caviar chopped salad.  They all look delicious, but it's the catchy name that really stuck with me.

So today I had bacon, pasta, and three pattypan squashes that my mom gave me (aren't they the prettiest squashes ever?).  I wanted to make some sort of pasta carbonara, but I didn't have any parmesan.  I came up with this version using cheddar cheese and called it cowboy carbonara.  My boyfriend laughed at me, but he ate seconds.  No cowboy can resist.

I think it might even be fun to add some black beans, tomatoes, and avocado here.  Everything goes with pasta, bacon, and cheese, right?  Go crazy.  I was also going to add cilantro but I froze it in my fridge AGAIN.  Fail.

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 slices bacon

1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)

2-3 pattypan squash, zucchini, or summer squash, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

2-3 scallions, sliced, plus extra for garnish

1 egg

4 ounces freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a large dry skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Set aside to drain on paper towels.  Once the bacon cools, roughly chop it.

Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the grated cheese.

Pour off all but one teaspoon or so of the bacon grease, and return the pan to the heat.  Add the squash and cook for about ten minutes, until tender.  Add the corn and saute for another 2-3 minutes until heated through.  Stir in the scallions and chopped bacon and reduce the heat to low.

When the pasta is done, add it to the skillet with the vegetables.  Add the egg and cheese and cook, tossing with pasta water to thin out the sauce as needed, for 2-3 minutes.  This is to make sure the egg gets cooked.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot, with additional cheese and/or scallions on top.

You might also like:

Mushroom & Fontina Pasta

Pasta with Shrimp & Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Linguine Rustico with Whole Cloves of Garlic