(NewsUSA) – Restaurant owners spend countless hours fretting over food stock and prices, catering to customers, negotiating with suppliers and supervising staff. How does a super-busy food entrepreneur stay on top of business and make time for a healthy meal?

We asked Megan Walhood and Jeremy Daniels, co-owners of the popular Portland, Oregon-based Viking Soul Food, and the answer was: Plan ahead and eat a good breakfast!

“Hunger can lead to overeating, so breakfast is important. We’ll prepare a vegetable and cheese gratin or frittata, using eggs from pasture-raised chickens. This makes a tremendous difference in taste, not to mention nutritional value. We shop daily at a local farm stand and buy seasonal,” says Walhood.

The gratin recipe can be prepped the night before and the frittata version — found at www.vikingsoulfood.com — wrapped in pita or flatbread for a delicious on-the-go breakfast treat.

 

VIKING SOUL FOOD GRATIN

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped into thumb-size pieces

1-2 parsnips (or carrots), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

1 bunch EACH kale and chard, stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped

1/2 head garlic, about 5-6 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt, ground black pepper

1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese

Dash of vinegar

4 farm eggs, preferably from pasture-raised chickens

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and parsnip and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add kale/chard stems to pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic slices and stir until they become aromatic. Add kale/chard leaves. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and cover; cook about 4-5 minutes. Lay veggies in a roasting pan and top with grated Jarlsberg. You can stop here, cover and refrigerate, to finish the next morning.

Preheat broiler to medium. Heat a pot of water to just below a simmer; add a dash of vinegar. Gently crack 4 eggs into hot water and poach about 3-4 minutes. Do not let water boil. While eggs are poaching, heat vegetable dish in broiler until cheese is melty and golden.

Remove gratin from broiler. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove eggs from water and place atop the gratin. Season with coarse grating of salt and black pepper. Serves 4.