Veggie Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but also the one that gets skipped the most. Lack of time? Too busy? Gotta rush? Not hungry? Not hungry ...? After spending at least 8 hours in bed with nothing to eat, as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, I got to make my tea and get some breakfast. Only then can I function fully. And I always have some veggie breakfast ideas.

Tali’s Masala Chai Tea Eco Pyramid Teabags-50CT – $42.00
from: Art of Tea

Fun fact: most of my ideas and improvised recipes are created when I have hardly anything to eat. That’s when I start getting creative 😉 Put something together that is filling, tasty, and nutritious with the few leftovers or items in the fridge. Although I prefer to cook with the reassurance that I have a large stack of food stored, I have often made some good meals out of few ingredients.

And so, breakfast, even though it is a very important meal, can be prepared quickly and with no fuss. Whether you have fresh fruits, a smoothie, or something fried, making any of those three does not take much time.

Let’s start frying something up. The other day I had a potato and some vegan bacon leftovers. Yep, one potato and a little veggie bacon. What in the world was I going to make with that …? And not just a potato, but only one potato. I can see you sitting at your laptop (or reading on your phone) and thinking: “Seriously? Is she really going to get me to read this? A recipe based on one potato?” Well, yes, I am. I’ll take the risk 😉 If you’re still here, you are probably curious what I concocted with those few ingredients and you decided to keep on reading 🙂

Of course, I added a few things here and there. Let’s see what I did 🙂

Veggie Breakfast Idea Nr. 1

Ingredients: nope, I shouldn’t list them. You already know what they are, lol. Let’s skip the ingredients list and go straight to preparation. This recipe is for one person, and it is a small meal, perfect for when you want to get something filling but don’t have the time to spend more than 5 or 10 minutes at the breakfast table.

Preparation:

• Pour 5 tablespoons of canola oil into a frying pan.
• While the oil is heating, cut up your one and only potato into small squares. (if there are other people depending on your cooking skills and waiting for breakfast, by all means, multiply the potatoes 😉 )
• Put the chopped potato pieces into the frying pan and spread them out over the surface, so they all fry equally.
• Add a pinch of salt, half a tea spoon of pepper, and 1/4 paprika
• Mix in the spices, and let it fry until it is half tender (but not ready yet)
• In the meantime, chop your vegan bacon into bits and pieces and add them to the potatoes.
• Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or until the potatoes are ready and the bacon is crispy (or however you like).

You know the potato pieces are ready when you can easily stick your fork through them. Just pick the biggest piece and stick the fork through.

Vegan Bacon?

OK, so, now we’re talking about vegan bacon. What’s the point, you ask? What does it taste like?

It tastes like bacon, at least the one I use, Lightlife Smart Bacon. The taste, as it is with most meat, does not come from just frying a slab of flesh, but by adding herbs, spices, and marinades. The flavor of bacon is achieved by adding exactly those ingredients. And so, vegan bacon has this same awesome taste, with the same herbs, spices, and marinades. That’s all. It’s cruelty-free, and it is definitely less risky for your cholesterol levels and your heart.

Veggie Breakfast Idea Nr. 2

I live in Mexico, and right now it is mango season! Mangoes are everywhere! They drop down in the gardens, smash on the sidewalks, are stacked in high heaps on trucks … you see them all over the place. It’s mangoes galore. My dogs love mangoes, and when they fall off my tree, getting there in time to pick up those mangoes often turns into a race between me and my dogs, lol (and sometimes I win, even though they’re much faster than me). My furry companions are just crazy about them. Lucky for me, those mango trees give a lot of fruit, so there is plenty for everyone 🙂

What to do with those mangoes? You can make sorbets, ice cream, smoothies, freeze them for the winter, make mango pies and mango cakes, mango salads, chutney, jam, juice, flavored water, and how about a mango margarita? That last one is not for breakfast though 😉 That would be better enjoyed in the evening.

So, for breakfast I recommend a delicious mango smoothie.

Ingredients? Again, no list. You need … mangoes, yes, you guessed correctly! (and some water)

Preparation? Peel and chop the mangoes (3 – 4), put them in the blender, add some water (a little if you want a thick mixture, and more if you want it more liquidy), and blend.

Personally, I wouldn’t add anything else, because mangoes are already so rich in flavor and texture. With those two ingredients, you have the perfect mix, a healthy dose of vitamin C, A, and E, fiber, folate, B6, iron, some calcium, and antioxidants. It is easy and quick to make.

Peeling and chopping mangoes can be a messy business though, lots of juice on your fingers, be warned 😉

Breakfast Can Be Quick, Filling, Healthy, and Inexpensive

So, these are two breakfast ideas that will save you time and money. Recipes don’t have to be long and complicated. Sometimes you see these recipes that look like long, difficult formulas, discouraging newbie cooks or occasional cooks from even trying. Those things can be simplified and still come out great. And with a nice cup of coffee or tea, you’ll be ready to start the day 🙂

I hope you liked these ideas. Have you ever had those moments when you opened the fridge and stared at some lonely items on empty shelves, wondering how on Earth you’re going to make a meal out of that? I think this probably happens mostly to people like me, living by themselves, right? 😉 Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.