Four-Egg Breakfast with Red Pepper, Onion, and Spinach

There are breakfast people and then there are those who skip breakfast entirely. I’m in the first camp. I also love brunch. Maybe it’s because I have an excuse to eat savory and sweet things in any order I like. If I want pancakes first, and then fried eggs—so be it, who’s to stop me?

But with breakfast, I do often adhere to a routine: I start with four eggs cooked over sauteed vegetables, and then I finish my breakfast with toast slathered in jam and a mug of black coffee. I eat this exact same breakfast almost every day. It’s what fuels me for the day, and it’s often what gets me through a long workout that comes later in the morning.

To make this dish of four eggs even more interesting, I season the eggs with a Japanese seven-spice seasoning called Nanami togarashi, or shichimi togarashi. It features ingredients like yuzu citrus peel, seaweed, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, and ginger. It adds this nice umami element that I love. Sometime, if I want to shake things up, I top the eggs with hot sauce, my favorite being Tapatio! And I enjoy half an avocado alongside.

As you can see this dish can be customized any which way you like. In addition to the red pepper, onion, and spinach, I sometimes add mushrooms. It’s really often up to what I happen to have on hand or what’s in season. In spring, I like to add ramps instead of the onion and spinach. You could even make this same dish with some shredded kale or chard.

Four-Egg Breakfast with Red Pepper, Onion, and Spinach

Note: If you’re looking to make this dish for a brunch for two people, increase the ingredients and use a larger skillet. I like to count on three to four eggs per person.

olive oil
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
sea salt
handful baby spinach
4 large eggs
freshly ground black pepper
Nanami togarashi/shichimi togarashi

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a little bit of oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the red pepper and yellow onion, and a large pinch of salt. Sautee until the vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach, and continue sauteing until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.

Spread around the vegetables in the skillet so that they are evenly distributed. Make four indentations in the vegetables into which you’ll want to crack the eggs.

Crack the eggs into the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Steam the eggs until the yolks are set but still slightly jiggly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with additional salt, freshy ground black pepper and the togarashi. Yield: 1 hearty serving.