Two [Vegan] Unconventional Breakfasts that I Love

What do you eat for breakfast?

I get asked that a lot, believe it or not. I have written here before about my kale and eggs breakfast, but I haven't eaten it in a couple of years. I don't eat eggs anymore. (And in case you read this kale post, I no longer cook it in bacon fat. Oh, how things chance.)

So what DO you eat? People want to know, for some reason.

There are lots of vegan breakfasts that don't require too much imagination--oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, avocado toast. To name three. But what about if we dropped our cultural rules about what foods can be breakfast foods and what foods cannot? Because these rules often just don't make any sense.

I'll be honest. It took me a long time. When I saw Jeremy eating salad for breakfast, I was both rolling my eyes at the unabashed virtue of nearly everything this man does and the ridiculousness of lettuce at breakfast. But when I could coax myself into actually doing it, eating green stuff in the morning again--like I had when I ate kale and eggs--felt great. I know you are not going to do it, but if you do, here's my advice: go slow. There will be a morning when you are sick of your regular breakfast fare or when you have extra time to make something different. Jump on that opportunity!

So, today, I share two breakfasts I eat with some regularity. And how I made them work.

1. Whole wheat pita stuffed with hummus and veggies.

You start with a whole wheat pita round. I can buy a bag of six pitas for $1.09. I keep several bags in the freezer. I know--you all thought you would read that I was making my own pitas, but I buy them for cheap. Cut your pita in half and gently open the two pockets.

Spread the inside of the two halves with a generous amount of hummus. This could be homemade if you are blessed to have a hummus maker in your home, or just any kind of store bought hummus that you like.

Now fill the rest of the pita with chopped or sliced raw veggies. Bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes are a good place to start. Whatever you like or have available. Kalamata olives or sun-dried tomatoes are excellent. This is a great way to use up leftover cooked vegetables.

If you have space leftover in your pita add greens, as much as that little pita will hold. Spinach, lettuce, mixed baby greens, or arugula (my favorite).

And there you have it. Breakfast. This is obviously also a good lunch.

2. Kale with other stuff

You start with kale and a nonstick skillet that has a lid. You can start with some chopped onion or scallion, if you want or have them ready. Heat the skillet and put in a couple of handfuls of chopped kale. I buy big bags of already chopped curly kale. The bags say "great for smoothies," but why waste perfectly good kale in a place there you can't even TASTE it? Madness. Ignore what the bag says.

Next, take your skillet lid and turn it upside down. Put some water in that little space and then carefully tip that water into your skillet and put the lid on. Let the kale steam in there for a few minutes. You might have to add a little more water so the kale doesn't stick to the pan--you'll figure it out.

While the kale steams, figure out what else you want to put in. My basic plan in kale+beans+grain. I might commonly add black beans (from a can) and leftover brown rice. If I'm doing that, I might season it with salt and cumin and then add some salsa when it's all heated through.

Or, maybe I have chickpeas. Or leftover cooked lentils. I season it up however I want depending on my mood. I keep it mild because I don't like a spicy breakfast, but salt and cumin are standbys. And Mrs. Dash.

About the grains. We eat a lot of brown rice. We cook a large batch of it once or twice a week and eat it when a meal needs it. If you have a rice cooker or an instant pot, you can start rice on a delay timer to have it ready in the morning for your breakfast or whenever you want it. There are a lot of other grains you could be eating. I know a lot of people who eat quinoa. We don't eat quinoa around here because I am allergic to it. Anytime you have leftover grains in the fridge, breakfast!

If you are nervous about trying this, try it for the first time when you have an avocado hanging around ready to be eaten. Avocado on top of the whole thing is a pretty safe bet (unless you are my brother Paul. He's allergic.).

Two more things: First, if you're not into kale you can also do this with...wait for it...collard greens. I know. But don't be afraid.

Second, this is an even easier recipe if you are cool with just cooking greens and then throwing in whatever leftovers you have in the fridge. For example, I made a thick stew the other night with sweet potatoes and peppers and black beans and a tomato-y sauce. That with my collard greens and a little rice this morning was killer.

Like I said, I know you probably won't do this. It even seems a little weird to me. But this is what I do. Not every day. I still eat oatmeal with fruit. Toast with peanut butter. Come over for breakfast one day, though, and I'll feed you greens.