Hash-tag, brunch.

Here’s my confession: I use food as a reward system. I have done this since I was a child. If I did my chores, I could get ice cream at Friendly’s. If I got good grades, I could order whatever I wanted off the menu at Perkins. I hit dean’s list, pizza and drinks in the city. This tradition has carried into my adult life. If I do well at work and have a good week, I get a bottle of wine and takeout. Promotion, birthday, any celebration: food. Before I was diagnosed with thyroiditis, I still used food as my reward. I would eat well all week long to have that brunch on Sunday. It made it easier for me to say “no” to treats during the week, when I knew I was going to cash in that caloric lottery ticket on Sunday afternoon. But after my diagnosis I was told by doctors, nutritionists, and anyone else who offered health advice that my problem was using food as a reward system.

The truth is- I’m not into fashion. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. I don’t collect shoes. I enjoy Coach purses, but buying one every week would get expensive (and make me homeless); so food has always been the natural go-to. And for 18 months I had people tell me I needed to change that mentality in order to get healthy. It made me miserable. It made dieting a punishment. It made me long for and crave certain foods even more because I knew I was banned from having them. So of course I would break and eat a medium pizza by myself, or an entire batch of cookies. Then I would shame spiral for the next 3 or 4 days. This was when I was in weight-gain purgatory. It was the most unhappy 18 months of my life. Then I met a little lady called 21-Day Fix, and my-oh-my did my life change. You see, food can be, and is encouraged to be, a reward system. The zings, with the wine and the chocolate, the coveted blue container a day, the amount of food I was required to eat- this was heaven. And guess what- I lost weight. The best part is I can reward myself with food without even deviating from the plan! Brunch is back, no shame spiral necessary.

I love a good runny egg, and poaching is my favorite method to achieve that! I used to think poaching an egg was this really hard, time consuming process- turns out restaurants have tricked us all, they are super easy to make. This hash is my favorite recipe I’ve discovered since joining the 21-Day Fix, I made it by accident when trying to use veggies that were about to go bad. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch- this recipe is great for anytime of the day! Enjoy!

21-Day Fix Hash with Poached Egg and Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15-20 min

21-Day Fix Guide: 1- yellow, 1-red, 1-green, ¼ blue, 2 teaspoons

Ingredients:

1-2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (small)

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (small)

1 green pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 oz of Canadian bacon or lean ham

Crumbled goat cheese to sprinkle on top

1 large organic egg per serving (makes 3-4)

1 tablespoon white vinegar, for the egg water

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Pro Tip: Want to cut cooking time in half? Boil potatoes for 3-4 minutes, just until the fork goes in, but with a little force. Take out and drain in a colander under cold running water to stop cooking and viola, you just saved about 10 minutes.

In a large pan, or flat griddle, heat 2 teaspoons of EVOO (cooking spray works as well) over med/high heat and start cooking the potatoes. These take the longest to cook, so start them first (unless you boiled, then add them after the onion and peppers). When they start to brown and fork can easily enter, add the onion and peppers. When the onions start to turn translucent, add the ham/bacon and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce heat and keep stirring until eggs are done, about 5-6 minutes.

For the eggs: in a small saucepan heat about 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of vinegar. You don’t want the water to boil, but get right to the slow simmer point before the boil begins. So keep the stove heat to medium and when you see slow, small bubbles coming to the surface and wasps of steam come off the water, you’re ready to poach your eggs. One at a time, crack your eggs into a small bowl or cup. Then gently slide the eggs into the water, by placing the bowl/cup right at the waters edge and gently tip egg into water. Using a slotted spoon (again) gently coax the egg to fold onto its self. Cook for about 3 minutes and remove onto a plate with paper towel. Here is a great video that shows the “whirlpool” process for those who are more brave than I: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/technique/how-poach-egg

When the egg is done, remove the hash from heat and scoop into a bowl or deep plate and place egg on top. Sprinkle with goat cheese (a little goes a long way, I only add a pinch) and fresh parsley.

Need a brunch idea? Here is a picture of a 21-Day Fix themed brunch I threw for a bunch of our couple friends. I didn’t announce until the end that it was all 21-day fix and not a cheat. Everyone loved it! The menu was:

21-Day Fix Hash with Poached Egg and Goat Cheese

Whole Grain Waffles with Fresh Fruit and Honey

Grilled Strawberry and Peach Skewers with Balsamic Reduction

Fauxmosas with Blood Orange Juice and Grapefruit La Croix