Savoury vegan-friendly breakfasts on the go?
November 2, 2015 11:49 AM Subscribe
Shepherd and I are trying to wean ourselves off the sugary or sweeter breakfasts during the week. Difficulty: early risers and exercisers.
We get up early, we leave early to go work out at our respective gyms, so nothing that needs to be eaten fresh or immediately. (Toast is out, for example, as who wants soggy-ass bread after they've worked out like fiends?) We'd prefer things that can be made in a slow cooker, or the night before. A big one we usually go for during the winter is slow cooker steel cut oats, but if anyone has any savoury recipes for that, BRING IT. We don't mind stepping out of the Western breakfast mold either. We are severely cutting down on our processed sugar intake for the month as a gesture to support a friend who is doing that very thing, so nothing involving that, please.
So: definitely vegan, nutritious for post work out eating, portable, could be reheated in microwave if necessary. Rightly assume we have some excellent kitchen gadgets and very good knowledge of how to cook.
Let's do this, Hive Mind!
We get up early, we leave early to go work out at our respective gyms, so nothing that needs to be eaten fresh or immediately. (Toast is out, for example, as who wants soggy-ass bread after they've worked out like fiends?) We'd prefer things that can be made in a slow cooker, or the night before. A big one we usually go for during the winter is slow cooker steel cut oats, but if anyone has any savoury recipes for that, BRING IT. We don't mind stepping out of the Western breakfast mold either. We are severely cutting down on our processed sugar intake for the month as a gesture to support a friend who is doing that very thing, so nothing involving that, please.
So: definitely vegan, nutritious for post work out eating, portable, could be reheated in microwave if necessary. Rightly assume we have some excellent kitchen gadgets and very good knowledge of how to cook.
Let's do this, Hive Mind!
Best answer: Rice balls w/ umeboshi are a regular make-ahead lunch treat for our kids that doesn't need refrigeration for a day or two. Here's a decent guide on making them and you can use whatever filling you want if you don't like super sour plums. The filling is usually just a tiny bit of flavor anyways and most of the calories come from the rice.
posted by mattamatic at 12:08 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by mattamatic at 12:08 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: Beans and brown rice is my favorite. +/- some good hot sauce.
posted by teragram at 12:09 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by teragram at 12:09 PM on November 2, 2015
One portable breakfast thing I like is a yogurt parfait: fruit (apples/bananas/grapes) + peanut or almond butter + yogurt. Really nutritious and filling, and it's sweet without any kind of added or processed sugar. You could use coconut yogurt or another vegan yogurt.
posted by the_blizz at 12:10 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the_blizz at 12:10 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've been a broken record stuck on mini quiches, but they'd be a great option.
Vegan Richa's new book also has some great savory breakfast recipes (tofu scramble - shown in the amazon preview, chella, and savory french toast).
posted by snaw at 12:11 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Vegan Richa's new book also has some great savory breakfast recipes (tofu scramble - shown in the amazon preview, chella, and savory french toast).
posted by snaw at 12:11 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've been wanting to make these ~forever, but homemade pastry is NOT MY THING: super easy DIY pockets, tofu hashbrown breakfast pockets. You can bake up a bunch, freeze them, and reheat in the microwave or toaster oven. Ditto for breakfast burritos.
Otherwise, maybe a savory muffin, scone, or popover with some tempeh bacon bits folded in? Or socca? And yes to FFV mini quiche!
posted by divined by radio at 12:21 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, maybe a savory muffin, scone, or popover with some tempeh bacon bits folded in? Or socca? And yes to FFV mini quiche!
posted by divined by radio at 12:21 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: BREAKFAST LENTILS, as introduced to me here. I cook up a mess of brown/green lentils with some asafoetida/turmeric/fenugreek and often add a bunch of chard or kale (if the former, I saute the stems and spices in a bit of fat before adding the lentils/water). You can add raw peanuts to the boil about 10 minutes before it's done, or add walnuts later on. Excellent heated up and, i think, better at room temp/cold. I usually add a dollop of yogurt (not necessary, obviously), and some hot sauce (more necessary). Fun to play around with the flavors and figure out what you like. I HATE oatmeal but this somehow really works for me.
posted by kickingthecrap at 12:30 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kickingthecrap at 12:30 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I eat these sweet potato lentils for lunch pretty often and I think they'd make a lovely breakfast. They reheat well but are not terrible cold.
posted by hydropsyche at 12:43 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by hydropsyche at 12:43 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Congee! You can make it with white or brown rice and its flavors are infinitely variable. It's also really comforting, even if you didn't grow up with it being part of your culture.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by mudpuppie at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2015
Grits! First day as traditional spoonable texture ina tupperware, pour the other half of the batch into a tall glass to congeal overnight, slide it out and slice into polenta disks.
Super-plain grits are not enticing, and most people's default of butter and cheese is not vegan, but you've got options. You can add small veg to that: corn, diced onion, garlic, greens (yum, collards or spinach!). Or do the ground-cashew approach to vegan creaminess. Or plenty of other things I'm sure, but that's what I've thought of.
posted by aimedwander at 1:01 PM on November 2, 2015
Super-plain grits are not enticing, and most people's default of butter and cheese is not vegan, but you've got options. You can add small veg to that: corn, diced onion, garlic, greens (yum, collards or spinach!). Or do the ground-cashew approach to vegan creaminess. Or plenty of other things I'm sure, but that's what I've thought of.
posted by aimedwander at 1:01 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: I fry drained canned green lentils in salt and pepper and (well, I use ghee or bacon fat, but oil should work) and sometimes just like.. one single drop of liquid smoke. They're delicious, hot or cold or now or later. you must love lentils, though.
I also really like fried rice with green peas for breakfast, and I just put a buttloaf of cinnamon and a chopped up apple in my steelcut oats, which is refined sugar free.
Processed sugar is super easy to cut out, because it doesn't actually really involve cutting out sugar. Just use honey or maple syrup (for the record, maple syrup is SUPER processed, but that's not usually what people mean) in place of sugar, and sometimes cut down the moistener a bit. So muffins and stuff aren't out just because sugar is.. if you're a muffin lover, throw me a DM and I'll get back to you with a recipe for pumpkin raisin muffins that don't use processed sugar and are seasonal and probably one of the best muffins ever. We didn't eat any meat or processed sugar growing up, so I have a ton of sweet recipes that don't use it. You'd have to veganize them though, because we were only vegetarian, so they probably have eggs.
oh, and a messed up version of huevos rancheros is good too.. a little salsa, some black beans, some refried beans, like half an avocado.. mash it together and eat it out of something dark where no one will see how gross it looks :P
posted by euphoria066 at 1:04 PM on November 2, 2015
I also really like fried rice with green peas for breakfast, and I just put a buttloaf of cinnamon and a chopped up apple in my steelcut oats, which is refined sugar free.
Processed sugar is super easy to cut out, because it doesn't actually really involve cutting out sugar. Just use honey or maple syrup (for the record, maple syrup is SUPER processed, but that's not usually what people mean) in place of sugar, and sometimes cut down the moistener a bit. So muffins and stuff aren't out just because sugar is.. if you're a muffin lover, throw me a DM and I'll get back to you with a recipe for pumpkin raisin muffins that don't use processed sugar and are seasonal and probably one of the best muffins ever. We didn't eat any meat or processed sugar growing up, so I have a ton of sweet recipes that don't use it. You'd have to veganize them though, because we were only vegetarian, so they probably have eggs.
oh, and a messed up version of huevos rancheros is good too.. a little salsa, some black beans, some refried beans, like half an avocado.. mash it together and eat it out of something dark where no one will see how gross it looks :P
posted by euphoria066 at 1:04 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: I might do corn muffins...you could add some vegan cheese or sausage for more protein if you wanted, or maybe experiment with tofu in the mix. I think green smoothies could also be a good option if you get an insulated thermos or pack with an ice pack to keep things cold. I make one with almond milk and almond butter that has a good amount of protein for post-workout (almond milk + ice + 1/2 frozen banana + handful of spinach + small handful of other frozen or raw fruit - blueberries or peaches are really good).
posted by rainbowbrite at 1:44 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by rainbowbrite at 1:44 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: Chia seeds! Put a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds in a cereal bowl with 150ml unsweetened non-dairy milk plus a handful of berries, stir thoroughly and refrigerate overnight.
I like to add a tablespoon of vegan yoghurt and a glob of agave nectar as well, but if you're avoiding processed sugar then you may want to give these a miss.
The chia swells during the night to make a super-healthy 'porridge'. I thought it sounded horrible until I tried it, then I tried it. Now it's one of my go-to breakfasts if I know I'll be rushed in the morning.
posted by doornoise at 1:58 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
I like to add a tablespoon of vegan yoghurt and a glob of agave nectar as well, but if you're avoiding processed sugar then you may want to give these a miss.
The chia swells during the night to make a super-healthy 'porridge'. I thought it sounded horrible until I tried it, then I tried it. Now it's one of my go-to breakfasts if I know I'll be rushed in the morning.
posted by doornoise at 1:58 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: OK, these are labor-intensive up front but you can make a whole bunch of them at once and they are SO GOOD. Vegan sausage or bacon & egg breakfast sandwiches zomg zomg zomg zomg zomg
posted by divined by radio at 2:24 PM on November 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
- Bake a bunch of VWAV baking powder biscuits. Or just use store-bought English muffins because sometimes free time tastes better than homemade biscuits.
- Fry up a bunch of Lightlife Gimme Lean (although I am not sure if Lightlife is available in Canada?), Yves Veggie Breakfast Patties, or Yves Canadian Veggie Bacon.
- Whip up a big pan of vegan 'eggs': omelet, omelette, quiche, or frittata.
- Cut out 'egg' rounds with a biscuit cutter.
- Assemble sandwiches, let cool, wrap each one in foil or plastic wrap, and freeze them all together in a Ziploc bag.
- Reheat and nom.
posted by divined by radio at 2:24 PM on November 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
For something a little different, Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz includes a really cool tortilla scramble recipe. Haven't tried it yet (I just found the cookbook in a host's house on tour, so haven't had access to a full kitchen to make it), but it looked awesome. Lots of other cool ideas in that cookbook, too.
posted by Gymnopedist at 2:33 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by Gymnopedist at 2:33 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: Also, I just stumbled upon this lazy thing, which seems like a good idea.
posted by Gymnopedist at 2:45 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by Gymnopedist at 2:45 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: Inari (tofu pockets) filled with sushi rice might fit. Lots of recipes on the net, can be made at night and refrigerated.
The tofu pockets are ever so slightly sweet, savoury, and can be eaten heated or cold. You can stuff "filling" into the pocket, then fill with rice. I'm not vegan so usually use stuffing like finely sliced teriyaki beef/chicken (or Chinese pork fluff) but preserved (Chinese style, the giant yellow Japanese ones are a little too vinegary for me) radishes (savoury, can be slightly spicy-hot) or flavoured textured vegetable protein works well, too.
posted by porpoise at 4:46 PM on November 2, 2015
The tofu pockets are ever so slightly sweet, savoury, and can be eaten heated or cold. You can stuff "filling" into the pocket, then fill with rice. I'm not vegan so usually use stuffing like finely sliced teriyaki beef/chicken (or Chinese pork fluff) but preserved (Chinese style, the giant yellow Japanese ones are a little too vinegary for me) radishes (savoury, can be slightly spicy-hot) or flavoured textured vegetable protein works well, too.
posted by porpoise at 4:46 PM on November 2, 2015
I eat rice cakes and peanut butter for breakfast every morning. It's a quick to assemble breakfast with a fair amount of protein.
posted by yarntheory at 5:05 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by yarntheory at 5:05 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: Seconding both congee and grits. I'm vegan and have essentially no sweet tooth in the morning, so I've never been a fan of cereal or pancakes or whatnot.
I especially err on the side of grits when I need breakfast that will travel with me easily (since it firms up when you get the good stuff--the big chunky kind you cook in a saucepan for a few minutes, not the couscous-scale instant stuff). Boil water (or broth), toss in a handful of chopped veg (green bell pepper, mushroom, shallot for me), stir in grits, simmer covered over low heat. Boom, that's it. Scoop out into a tupperware and eat whenever you're ready.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 6:05 PM on November 2, 2015
I especially err on the side of grits when I need breakfast that will travel with me easily (since it firms up when you get the good stuff--the big chunky kind you cook in a saucepan for a few minutes, not the couscous-scale instant stuff). Boil water (or broth), toss in a handful of chopped veg (green bell pepper, mushroom, shallot for me), stir in grits, simmer covered over low heat. Boom, that's it. Scoop out into a tupperware and eat whenever you're ready.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 6:05 PM on November 2, 2015
Best answer: I'm a fan of miso in steel cut oats... lots of recipes are available, but I often just add in 1-2 T of miso at the end of cooking. Tip: To preserve the probiotics, you don't want to boil/cook the mixture after the miso goes in to the pot. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, some nuts for protein, and some scallions and you have a great savory breakfast.
posted by jenquat at 12:20 AM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jenquat at 12:20 AM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I love tofu scramble. With a tortilla wrapped in aluminum foil is a great breakfast on the go. This is my favorite tofu scramble recipe.
posted by slogger at 6:58 AM on November 3, 2015
posted by slogger at 6:58 AM on November 3, 2015
Response by poster: Seriously, this is amazing!
A quick note: we are huge Isa Chandra fans so we have all her books. As a transplanted Southerner in the Great White North, they don't really have grits. Hell, I am having trouble finding hominy for a pozole recipe. Polenta would be more do-able. Lightlife is not available here, but Yves is as well as Field Roast. We don't have as many awesome ethnic markets as TO or MTL does, but where would I find tofu pockets for inari (cuz I loves me some inari)? Can they be ordered?
posted by Kitteh at 8:30 AM on November 3, 2015
A quick note: we are huge Isa Chandra fans so we have all her books. As a transplanted Southerner in the Great White North, they don't really have grits. Hell, I am having trouble finding hominy for a pozole recipe. Polenta would be more do-able. Lightlife is not available here, but Yves is as well as Field Roast. We don't have as many awesome ethnic markets as TO or MTL does, but where would I find tofu pockets for inari (cuz I loves me some inari)? Can they be ordered?
posted by Kitteh at 8:30 AM on November 3, 2015
Best answer: It looks like you can order the pre-made pockets from Amazon.ca for... $70 a can?!?!?!?!! Or $11 for 25 from Amazon US. You can rinse them with boiling water to get some of the sweetness and oil out.
If you do have a Japanese market nearby, you might be able to find pre-made inarizushi there -- sometimes I find it near all the gluten stuff like mock duck and mock abalone, other times it's tucked in with the canned pickled veg, other times it's alongside the glass jars of fermented bean curd (i.e.). Otherwise, check the refrigerated or frozen section for plain aburaage, which you can simmer in dashi, soy, sake, and mirin to make your own inarizushi. SO TASTY.
posted by divined by radio at 8:57 AM on November 3, 2015
If you do have a Japanese market nearby, you might be able to find pre-made inarizushi there -- sometimes I find it near all the gluten stuff like mock duck and mock abalone, other times it's tucked in with the canned pickled veg, other times it's alongside the glass jars of fermented bean curd (i.e.). Otherwise, check the refrigerated or frozen section for plain aburaage, which you can simmer in dashi, soy, sake, and mirin to make your own inarizushi. SO TASTY.
posted by divined by radio at 8:57 AM on November 3, 2015
Best answer: I made this curry oatmeal with caramelized onions yesterday and it was great. I didn't add any oil and I used this no oil way of cooking the onions, if that matters to you.
posted by katinka-katinka at 2:10 PM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by katinka-katinka at 2:10 PM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Also Mark Bittman's oatmeal with scallions and soy sauce.
posted by katinka-katinka at 2:12 PM on November 3, 2015
posted by katinka-katinka at 2:12 PM on November 3, 2015
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I don't have a recipe for this, but I have had curried oatmeal before, and while the one I ate probably wasn't vegan, I don't see why it couldn't be.
Obviously I don't follow a vegan diet, but my breakfast is frequently leftovers from the night before, and there's no rule that says you have to eat designated "breakfast" foods.
posted by Diagonalize at 12:05 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]