“Keep on the sunny side,
Always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day,
It will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life”
— “Keep On The Sunny Side,” originally by Ada Blenkhorn and J. Howard Entwisle in1899, made famous by the Carter Family in 1928, and performed here by The Low Anthem on their 2007 album What The Crow Brings

http://listen.grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf

THE DISH
Spinach, onions and quinoa topped with a sunny-side-up egg (recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
I never skip breakfast. Ever. My everyday morning meal isn’t usually super elaborate, but I always need something to wake me up and get my day going. More often than not, I eat homemade granola with Greek yogurt and berries, but in a recent effort to use up what’s on my shelf and in my fridge (more on that later this week), I’ve been changing it up this week. This classic song (performed above by The Low Anthem, though it dates back to 1899) is about keeping on “the sunny side of life” — which made my sunny-side-up egg an obvious pick, but living every day on the sunny side, to me, also means having energy and feeling great. Quinoa is known as a superfood because it’s a complete protein, a good source of fiber, gluten free, and easy to digest — not to mention it’s tasty, it cooks quickly (in about 15 minutes), and can be used in a bajillion different dishes. You really can’t go wrong with spinach (tons of vitamins, iron, and calcium), and topped off with a runny egg, sunny side up? Yeah, that’ll keep me on the sunny side for the rest of the day.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
The Low Anthem are an indie-folk group from Providence, Rhode Island, made up of musicians who switch instruments with nearly every song — guitar, string bass, organ, bells, clarinet, strings … One of my favorite live folk bands.
The Low Anthem on MySpace

THE RECIPE
Serves one

Ingredients:
1/2 c to 1 c cooked quinoa
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp chopped red onion (or more, depending on your taste)
2 c uncooked spinach
1-2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Cook quinoa according to package.

• While quinoa is cooking, cook minced garlic and red onions in a little bit of olive oil, about 2 minutes.

• Add spinach and a couple tablespoons of water. Cover and let steam, about 1-2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

• Melt about 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a small frying pan. Crack egg(s). Use a hard spatula to poke holes in the whites to spread the egg out and let more of it touch the pan, then cover until whites are cooked and yolk is to your liking (I like mine runny but not totally uncooked).

• Layer your bowl with quinoa, spinach, and the egg(s) on top. Add salt and/or pepper to taste.