Building a Better Breakfast

Since becoming vegan, breakfast has become the lightest and simplest meal of the day for me: my green juice.  Mainly, this is because traditional non vegan foods like eggs, bacon, and pancakes take a bit of work, time and some expense if I am going to make whole based vegan versions without using a lot of processed foods.  Another reason I stick to just my green juice is that it is good for cleaning out my body first thing in the morning after "fasting" for 7 hours in my sleep, and is also great for the waistline.  

Then, I read the article, "Make Over Your Morning Meal" in this month's issue of Vegetarian Times, and it got me thinking that maybe I should mix things up and at least, indulge in a non liquid breakfast a couple of days of the week.  I really like this article because it breaks down just how much protein a person needs a day (less than you would think) and equivalents of what that breaks down to in terms of food items.

The article includes several breakfast recipes.  I especially love the Spicy Tempeh Hash recipe. That will be showing up on my breakfast plate on an upcoming Sunday.

Check out the article by clicking on the link above and re-think your morning meal.  I am going to start mixing it up on the weekends for a change of pace and see where it takes me.  Happy breakfast!  

Serves 2

30 minutes or fewer

• 8 oz. cubed tempeh
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 2 tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Spread tempeh in bottom of large nonstick skillet. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain in colander, and wipe out skillet. Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Return tempeh to pan along with onion, green bell pepper, and potatoes. Sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Sauté 7 to 8 minutes, or until potatoes are browned and tender.