Robert Irvine is a busy man. His popular show Restaurant: Impossible is in its 17th season on the Food Network, and now he has a brand-new competition show called Restaurant Express.

Despite Irvine’s hectic calendar—and a hip replacement surgery last April—he keeps his body in top form.

“I’m in the best shape of my life,” he says. We believe him. Have you seen his biceps?

Working out is a big part of his life, he says, so the chef also sees food as fuel for fitness. “I’m a fitness nut. I’m married to a pro wrestler. Protein is a big thing in my house,” Irvine says. (His wife is TNA wrestler Gail Kim.)

In the recipe below, Irvine shares a muscle-building breakfast. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s built on three main principles. Don’t have time to follow every step? You can upgrade any breakfast by adding one of the components below.

Steak and eggs with bubble and squeak

Courtesy of Robert Irvine

Breakfast building block #1: eggs

Eggs are great no matter which way you crack ‘em, but poached eggs offer a soft, delicate flavor that’s perfect for this dish. Plus, by cooking the eggs in water, you avoid adding calories.



How to make it:

In a large pan, heat 9 cups of water and 1 Tbsp vinegar over medium until the water shimmers. Then, carefully crack 4 eggs into the water and cook untll the whites set, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate until you’re ready to serve.

Breakfast building block #2: meat

Bacon is awesome, but for the ultimate muscle-building breakfast, beef is better. You’d have to eat eight slices of bacon to consume the amount of protein in flank steak—a choice that would add an extra 200 calories to your dish. And this steak doesn’t skimp on flavor. The citrus marinade adds a “tangy sweetness,” Irvine says, while the Sriracha pan sauce “cuts through any fattiness on the steak.”

What you’ll need:

1 1-lb. flank steak, cut into 4 pieces

1 lemon, juiced

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper (or substitute black pepper)

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp grapeseed oil

How to make it:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Place the steak in a shallow dish and coat with the marinade mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat a cast-iron skillet or thick-bottomed pan over high heat until it smokes. Then reduce to medium heat and add the steaks. Cook the steaks until well caramelized on both sides, flipping once, about 6 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a plate to rest for two minutes.

4. As the steak rests, add the Sriracha and oil to the pan and stir to create a pan sauce. Slice each steak on the bias into three or four slices. Serve with eggs.

Breakfast building block #3: The starch

Pancakes are delicious, but their base ingredients—refined flour and sugar—won’t keep you full for long. The following fiber-packed cake is a nutritious, delicious upgrade. Bonus: If you have leftover mashed potatoes, squash or cabbage in the fridge, it’s a great way to use them up. In fact, that’s how this component’s inspiration, called bubble and squeak, originated. It’s a British dish traditionally made with extra vegetables from Sunday dinner.

What you’ll need:

2 cups boiled and mashed potatoes

1 cup cabbage or collard greens, rough cut and boiled*

1 cup roasted butternut squash**

How to make it:

Mix the potatoes, cabbage and squash together in a bowl. Form them into four cakes, each about one-inch think. Then, warm a sauté pan over medium-high heat with a pat of butter. Add cakes and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Then flip and cook on the second side until golden brown, another 4 minutes.

*Simmer and boil cabbage or collards with chicken stock for 1 hour.

** Cut the squash down the center and season with salt, pepper and oil. Then roast at 350°F until soft, 45 to 60 minutes.

Put it all together:

Place the potato cake on a plate and top it with the sliced steak. Then, layer on the egg and finish with the pan sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Julie Stewart Julie Stewart is a writer and content strategist whose work has also appeared in Health, and Women’s Health, Everyday Health, Vice, and Shape.

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