When you’re on the trail, it’s great to have a plethora of food options. When I was signing on a radio network in college at 5 AM, my breakfast at 9 AM was a quarter-pounder, fries and a Coke. Years later, when I was running campaigns or building start-ups, my “go to” graduated to a Snickers bar and a Coke. I once had a client who couldn’t pay me so I bartered for the pallet of Coca Cola he had been saving in his garage for an upcoming party. Well, thanks to Chris, I’ve gone a much healthier route over the last 36 years. We are not the “fast food” types. In fact, I’ve grown pretty spoiled to her gourmet cooking, but on the road, she can’t always get that fancy from the RV. But she’s got some great options.
Two of my favorites are her “Toad in the Hole” and “Chris’ Breakfast Burrito.” Chris explains, “Toad in the hole is toasted bread with an egg cooked in the middle. It is a simple breakfast classic, and my dad’s “go-to” recipe for an easy, satisfying breakfast—perfect for the road! It’s super fun for kids to make their own “toads!” All you need is bread, eggs, some butter and some salt and pepper to your liking. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or even a small cup, to cut a hole in each slice of bread. Save the holes to toast in the pan! Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. After the butter has melted, place the bread in the pan and crack an egg into the hole. Cook the egg/bread in the pan for about 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Flip the toast over and cook until the egg yolk is almost set and the bread is toasted. Season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!”
Chris’ Breakfast Burrito is also a robust, but easy fixin’ for starting your day on the trail. All you need is 4 eggs, beaten;1c protein of choice, or none; 1 c Pepper Jack cheese shredded; 1/2 c white onion finely chopped, or green onions; 1/2 c green, red, or chili peppers finely chopped; 1 avocado, diced or mashed; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 1/4 tsp chili powder; 1/8 tsp cumin; 4 corn or flour tortillas (I like almond flour tortillas). Just Chop vegetables and sauté, shred cheese; Season eggs with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin; Scramble eggs over low heat until just set (keep warm); Heat tortillas in pan or directly on the gas burner on low, about 20 seconds per side; Spoon about 3 tablespoons of scrambled egg onto tortilla, 2 tablespoons meat, if using, vegetables, avocado, tomato, and desired embellishments (sour cream, salsa etc), and then tuck ends of tortilla in, roll it into a log shape, and chow down!
Whether you are out camping or at home, these breakfast meals give you the energy to take on touring, hiking, biking or just watching nature. As you can see from the pictures, Chris whips these up into a fine meal pretty quickly and Service Dog Charlie is waiting for any ingredient to drop to the floor or ground. He knows how good they taste and stands guard so no one dare steal a bite before they are ready. He really likes the toad “holes” that are cut out as Chris spreads her homemade strawberry, peach or blueberry jams on them for an extra sweet punctuation to finish the meal. Chris says our Blackstone grill heats up fast and is a great way to cook outside. Happy trails!
