Getting Started Ideas for Vegetarian Breakfast

 

Grits with Cheese and Tomatoes (Personal Photo)

Just starting to dabble in moving toward a diet with less meat, and more vegetables and grains?  It could be helpful to do some brainstorming on meatless dishes and meals that you already enjoy, or basic ingredients that you like.  I’ve compiled a list of vegetarian options for meatless breakfasts to get you started thinking. 

 

  Grits, Eggs, and Biscuits with Tomato Gravy (Personal Photo)

Grits & eggs:  This is our weekend favorite breakfast.  I cook grits, which I like with cheese.  Sometimes I make tomato gravy to serve over grits and biscuits.  We also like “scrambled eggs and stuff” at our house.  I sauté vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and scramble eggs into them. 

Oatmeal and cream of wheat:  This one is not for me.  I like grits, but with butter or cheese, not with sugar.  I don’t like hot cereals other than grits, but I do realize some people really enjoy other hot cereals for breakfast.  Dress up your oatmeal or cream of wheat with some fruit. 

Cereal and milk:  Need to eat quickly?  What’s faster than a bowl of cereal with milk, and maybe some fruit?  And there are scores of choices in breakfast cereals. 

Granola, muesli, and breakfast bars:  To me, granola and muesli are in a category of their own, and not merely breakfast cereal.  Make a nice mix of your favorite grains, seeds, nuts and fruits.  I like breakfast bars that are reminiscent of granola.  I have a great recipe from TV.  Next time I make them I’ll be sure to share! 

Toast and Bagels:  Try toasting your bread with a slice of cheese, or put an open faced pimento cheese under the broiler until bubbly.  Smear your toast or bagel with your favorite jam, jelly, or cream cheese.  Spread butter on your bread, sprinkle with cinnamon, and toast for classic cinnamon toast. 

Biscuits and Croissants:  You could make some really fabulous and delicious vegetarian breakfasts with bread.  Place some scrambled eggs and hash browns on refrigerated croissant sheets.  Roll up and bake according to package directions.  Chocolate chips or Nutella would also be good baked in a croissant.  Press refrigerated biscuits into a muffin tin.  Top with scrambled eggs and cheese, and favorite vegetables such as mushrooms, broccoli, or asparagus and bake.  You could use a vegetarian sausage crumble, but I personally stay away from texturized vegetable protein (TVP).

 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes (Personal Photo)
 

Pancakes, Waffles, and French toast:  For me this is another weekend breakfast.  There are endless tasty options here.  I enjoy the occasional chocolate chip pancakes.  When I was a kid, Mom made pear preserves every few years.  One year there were a couple pints of extra liquid, which made fabulous pancake syrup.  You can dress up pancakes, waffles, or French toast with fresh fruit, syrup, or whipped cream.  Try dipping apple rings in pancake batter, sprinkle with cinnamon, and cook on the griddle. 

When I was visiting in Holland, I had some of their famous pancakes a couple times.  They served a single huge pancake, which must have had extra eggs, because they almost had a crepe texture.  There were a couple dozen choices, but I always liked the ones with vegetables, like mushrooms and onions, over the fruity ones. 

 

Egg and Cheese Sandwich with Baby Spinach (Personal Photo)

Breakfast sandwich:  Grilled cheese would be a good breakfast sandwich.  My favorite breakfast sandwich is a fried egg sandwich with Swiss or cheddar cheese.  I also like sliced tomatoes, avocado, or baby spinach on my egg sandwich.  For a sweet treat, try a Panini made with bananas and Nutella. 

When I need to grab a fast food breakfast, my favorites are Wendy’s artisan egg and cheese sandwich, without the bacon, or their Panini, also without bacon.  The Panini has egg, cheese, and tomato. 

 

Panini with Banana and Nutella (Personal Photo)

Breakfast tacos:  Breakfast tacos were my mainstay for my vegetarian breakfast last fall when I was teaching.  I’d get potato, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos from Taco Cabana, which are relatively inexpensive. 

Fruit:  Fruits like grapefruit, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe make a good light breakfast. 

Quiche and Frittata:  The possibilities are endless for these classic egg pies.  Add a few of your favorite vegetables, and vary vegetables every time you make one.  

For ideas and pictures, visit my Breakfast and Brunch board at Pinterest.  Look for vegetarian options, and recipes that could easily be adapted into meatless versions. 

 

It’s Easy to Eat Vegetarian at Indian Restaurants!

 

My delicious Indian lunch:  Starting at 12:00 and going clockwise:  Potato Curry with Peas & Carrots, Lentil Daal, zucchini, Saag Paneer (Spinach with Cheese), chickpeas, and in the center, cabbage. 

Indian restaurants may be the absolute easiest international cuisine of which to eat vegetarian.  Many Indians are vegetarians, as part of their Hindu faith.  I went to my favorite Indian restaurant this week.  It has a relatively small lunch buffet daily.  I like this restaurant because the food is not too hot-spicy, as is often the case with Indian food.  I’m just a light-weight when it comes to hot-spicy food.  Anyway, this visit I made a special point to pay attention to the vegetarian selections.  The majority of the food was vegetable or bean dishes.  To my recollection, there were four selections that were meat or contained meat.  I’ve listed below some of the many vegetarian menu or buffet offerings common at Indian restaurants. 

 

Saag Paneer:  Hands down my favorite Indian dish is saag paneer, or spinach with cheese.  It’s like creamed spinach, with Indian spices such as coriander, cumin, ginger, and turmeric.  The Indian cheese looks like cubes of tofu. 

Potato Curry with Peas and Carrots:  My second favorite vegetarian Indian dish is potato curry.  Usually it’s prepared with peas and carrots, but sometimes other vegetables are substituted. 

Channa Masala is a dish featuring chickpeas in a rich, thick sauce. 

Lentil Daal is a thick stew made with lentils, tomatoes, and Indian spices like cumin, paprika, and ginger.  It often includes cilantro. 

Cabbage:  Indian cabbage is another of my favorite vegetarian options when I eat Indian food.  When I cook it at home I often add peas.  Spices include mustard seed, turmeric, garam masala, ginger, and garlic. 

Vegetable Pakoras:  Pakoras are deep fried vegetable balls, made of chopped vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, or cauliflower, dipped in a spicy flour batter. 

Malai Koftas are vegetable dumplings resembling meatballs, made of potatoes and cheese.  They are served in a thick, rich sauce. 

Vegetable Samosas are small fried pastries filled with vegetables, such as a potatoes, peas, and onions. 

Bengan Bharta is a dish made of roasted and mashed eggplant, with onions, tomatoes, and garlic. 

 

VegetableBiryani is a rice dish made with mixed vegetables such as cauliflower, peas, and carrots, with mint leaves and saffron. 

My favorite Indian restaurant always has steamed broccoli, and this week also had seasoned zucchini.

Enjoy all those rich sauces with basmati rice, or Peas Pullao (peas and rice). 

 

Chicken-less Entrées- Meatless Versions of Classic Chicken Dishes

Here are three of my favorite chicken-less recipes- classic chicken entries, but without the chicken!  Chicken pot pie, chicken & dumpling soup, and chicken & dressing casserole are among my top favorite chicken dishes.  I have chosen these because they can be easily adapted to meatless versions. 

You can use a variety of vegetables, and switch them up.  I think the key is not to overuse the same vegetables in everything.  I have therefore developed these recipes with very little overlap or repetition of vegetables between recipes. 

 

 

Vegetable Pot Pie

2 cans cream of potato soup

2 soup cans milk
1 butternut squash, cubed
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
2 cups corn
8-12 asparagus spears, cut in 1 ½ inch pieces
1 cup sliced leeks
1 frozen deep dish pie shell, thawed, or 1 refrigerated (rolled) pie crust

1.  Empty soup into 11” X 13” casserole dish.  Fill cans with milk, and empty into dish.  Use spatula to scrape sides of can if necessary.  Stir or whisk to blend. 

2.  Stir in vegetables. 

3.  Top with pie shell.  There will probably be gaps.  Cut off excess to sides, if any.  Add pieces to gaps. 

4.  Bake at 350° for 60 minutes. 

 

 

Vegetable & Dumpling Soup

1/3 package of frozen flat dumpling strips, such as Annie’s Old Fashioned

1 bag frozen green beans, 10-16 oz
1 bag frozen lima beans, 10-16 oz
1 can sliced carrots, drained
2 cups frozen corn
2 boxes vegetable broth, about 1 liter
1 can cream soup
1 can water

1.  Empty broth into 5-6 quart Dutch oven pan, or stock pot.  Bring to a boil. 

2.  Break frozen dumpling strips into 1” pieces, and drop into boiling broth.  Cook at low boil for about 15 minutes.

3.  Add green beans and limas.  When mixture returns to a boil, time and cook another 30 minutes. 

4.  Add corn, carrots, soup and water.  Continue cooking at a low boil until all vegetables and the dumplings are cooked done. 

 

 

Cornbread Dressing & Vegetable Casserole

1 14-oz bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix, herb flavored

1 can cream of celery soup
3 cups hot vegetable broth
3 eggs, beaten
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 medium sweet onion, diced

 

1.  Empty stuffing mix into a greased 11” X 13” casserole dish.  Pour broth on stuffing and stir to moisten. 

2.  Add eggs and cream soup.  Scrape can with spatula if necessary.  Stir into stuffing.  Stuffing should be well moistened, and loose.  Add additional broth if necessary.

3.  Stir in mushrooms, onions, and artichoke hearts. 

4.  Bake at 350° for 60 minutes. 

 

Meatless Mondays

I think these meatless versions of favorite chicken dishes make great family entrees.  Why not consider having Meatless Monday at your house? 

Meatless Mondays were introduced during World War I, and backed by President Hoover as an initiative to support the war effort by conserving staples.  Meatless Monday was resurrected in 2003 as a movement to promote better health.  Many medical experts and nutritionists now endorse less meat and more vegetables in our diet.  Environmentalists also endorse reducing meat consumption, as a measure to be kinder to the environment.  This is all a simplification of course.  The issues are more complex. 

Regardless, if you have decided to reduce your own meat consumption like I have, for whatever reason, you’ve come to the right place. 

 

Barbecued Tofu

 

I had barbecued tofu in Austin at Mother’s Café.  It was too hot spicy for me, but I liked the idea of it.  I tried my hand at barbecued tofu, using a mild, but flavorful BBQ sauce.  I think the secrets to success are pressing the tofu, and choosing a barbecue sauce you really like.  Great for a vegan friendly meal with the barbecued tofu as the centerpiece. 

Ingredients

1 lb block of firm or extra firm tofu or 1 ½ to 2 boxes (12-oz) tofu

1 ½ to 2 cups of barbecue sauce

 

Use a barbecue sauce you really like. I used Kentucky Blues BBQ Sauce from vegan chef.com which sounded good.  It has a little bourbon.  Their Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce also sounded good. 

If you don’t want to make barbecue sauce, there are hundreds of bottled sauces to choose from.

 

Marinate Tofu in Barbecue Sauce

1- Press tofu.  It’s easier than it sounds.  You can check out my post on How to Press Tofu. 

2- Pour ½ to ¾ cup of barbecue sauce in shallow plastic container with cover, or baking dish or pan. 

3- Place tofu slices over barbecue sauce. 

4- Spread ¾ to 1 cup barbecue sauce over top of tofu. 

5- Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 to 2 hours, but you can marinate overnight. 

 

Bake Then Broil Tofu

1- If you marinated the tofu in a plastic container, transfer the slices and sauce to an oven dish or pan. 

2- Heat for 20 to 30 minutes at 350º. 

3- Move close to broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown. 

 

Ruben Studdard and Soul Food

I have dabbled in vegetarian and vegan cooking in the last several months.  I got interested when researching vegan friendly versions of Southern Comfort food when I wrote an article on Ruben Studdard.  He was the “Velvet Teddy Bear” and season two American Idol winner.  He lost 40 lbs at a Duke University residential program, and continued to lose another 60 lbs afterwards.  He became a vegetarian shortly after discharging from the program, and subsequently decided to embrace veganism. 

Ruben stated on the Wendy Williams show that despite being a vegan, he still enjoys Soul Food and Southern comfort food.  He has favorite vegan restaurants, and has learned vegan cooking, so that he doesn’t feel deprived of his favorite foods.  This got me curious to search out recipes of vegan versions of fried chicken, barbecue, and other Southern classics. 

Doctors and nutritionists are increasingly recommending a 75% vegetarian diet to increase vegetables in the diet and reduce saturated fat.  Not ready to go 75%?  Consider replacing meat in your meals several times a week, with an alternative like barbecued tofu. 

 

How to Press Tofu

Why Press Tofu? 

I’m pretty funny about food texture, so I was hesitant to try tofu.  So far I have made barbecued tofu and fried tofu, and haven’t minded the texture at all.  Firm or extra firm tofu is used for most meat substitute uses of tofu.  I think the pressing also helps with having a firmer, more meat-like texture. 

 

Pressing Your Tofu

Most recipes for frying, baking or “barbecuing” tofu specify to press the tofu first.  It’s really easy but can be intimidating when you first read it.  Hopefully it’s pretty clear here, especially with the photos. 

1- Place a dish towel or hand towel on your clean counter.  In pressing the tofu, liquid will gradually ooze out, so you’ll want to have a towel down. 

2- Cover a cutting board with plastic wrap, waxed paper, or butcher paper.  Put the cutting board on top of your towel. 

 

3- Open tofu package.  Drain and discard the liquid.  Move tofu to cutting board.  If you are using a one pound block of tofu, you will want to cut the tofu block in half.  Then slice each half into three horizontal pieces.  If you have 12 ounce blocks of tofu, you will not need to cut it in half first. 

 

4- Spread the six tofu slices on the cutting board.  Cover the tofu with another sheet of plastic wrap or paper. 

5- Place a cookie sheet or baking pan on top of the tofu. 

6- Put heavy items on top of the cookie sheet or baking pan, making sure that pressure is applied evenly to the tofu slices.  I used small oven dishes for weight. 

 

7- You may need to add another layer of weight to the tofu.  Use another cookie sheet or baking pan, and additional weight.  I used plastic containers with water for my second layer. 

8- Leave the tofu with pressure applied for 45 to 60 minutes. 

 

 

Ways to Cook Pressed Tofu

Here are a few ways to cook your pressed tofu. 

1.  Southern Fried Tofu:  Coat in rice flour, dip in milk, then coat in mixture of nutritional yeast and spices.  Fry in olive oil in a hot skillet. 

 

2.  Barbecued Tofu:  Marinate tofu in a favorite BBQ sauce.  Place tofu on a baking pan, top with a little BBQ sauce, and cook under broiler until sauce is bubbly. 

 

3.  Wrap tofu slices in nori sheets.  Dip in tempura batter.  Fry, drain, and serve with tarter sauce on a bun, like a fish sandwich. 

4.  Sear one-inch tofu pieces in oil in a hot skillet.  Toss with sautéed vegetables and serve over rice, like Chinese food. 

 

 

My Absolute Favorite Homemade Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup is basically the same soup my mom made each summer with fresh vegetables, then stored in the freezer to eat throughout the winter. Mom always made it with tomatoes, cabbage, corn, potatoes, okra, and butter beans. I add English peas, spinach, broccoli, green beans, and pureed carrots.

It recently occurred to me that the vegetable soup that I have always loved, is vegetarian and vegan friendly! Although at times I have seasoned it with bacon drippings, or added ground beef, most often I make it meatless, and season it with olive oil or coconut oil. It was very exciting to me that my ‘old faithful’ soup fits in with my new-found interest in vegetarian and vegan cooking.

Although I have discovered many new foods that are vegetarian and vegan friendly that I enjoy, it is likely there will never be a meatless meal I enjoy more than my long-time friend, homemade vegetable soup. So here’s my recipe. To try it is to love it!

  

Bowl of my homemade Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 large cans tomato juice, about 1 qt each

1 qt vegetable broth

1 bag raw shredded cabbage, or about ½ head shredded

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli

1 can carrots, pureed with juice

1 large can (38 oz) cut green beans, or 1 bag of frozen

1 bag frozen cut okra

2 bags frozen Fordhook lima beans

2 cans Green Giant Niblets corn, or 2-3 cups frozen corn

2 cans Green Giant Llessur English peas, or 2-3 cups frozen peas

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes, or if you are going to freeze some of the soup, 3 potatoes cubed

Seasoning is very subjective. This is an approximation of what I use:

2 Tbsp oil oil

1 Tbsp Lawry’s seasoned salt

1 Tbsp Lawry’s garlic powder with parsley flakes

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

Sometimes I use Italian spices. Skip the cumin, cardamom and coriander. Add 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp rosemary, and 6 bay leaves.

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS

1. Empty the tomato juice into a 15 to 20 quart stock pot. Add chicken broth.

2. Add cabbage, carrot puree, and spices. Stir to combine. Cover stock pot. Heat to a low boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Add frozen chopped spinach and broccoli, and green beans. It will take a little time to return to slow boil. Once simmering again, cook for 30 minutes. As vegetables thaw, stir occasionally.

4. Taste the broth to see if you need to add more seasoning.

5. Add okra and vegetable oil to the soup and continue cooking at a low boil for 30 more minutes.

6. Cook lima beans in separate pot until they are tender. Salt the beans as needed. I put a peeled whole onion in my limas. When the beans are tender, remove the onion, but do not drain. Transfer cooked lima beans and juice to the soup mixture.

7. Again taste the soup broth. Add additional salt or spices if needed.

8. Boil the potatoes in water until tender. I use the same pot as I cooked the lima beans in.

9. Just before potatoes are ready, add corn and English peas, with juice from both, to the soup mixture.

10. I usually freeze some of the soup, and separate the soup into two portions at this time. I put potatoes in the portion I am going to eat in the next few days. Frozen and thawed potatoes change texture, and I don’t personally like the texture. When I thaw soup later, I add cooked potatoes.

11. Pour potatoes with the cooking water into soup mixture. Again test for seasonings.

12. Continue cooking, covered, at a low simmer until all ingredients are hot and flavors have blended.

Great Memories

My dad always eats saltine crackers with his soup. All I need for my soup is a spoon! When I was growing up, my mom would make vegetable soup in the summertime, with garden-fresh vegetables. She’d make it in this huge stockpot, and package it in quart and half gallon containers for the freezer. I never ate breakfast when I was young, except “vegetable soup season”, when I ate soup for breakfast.

I love this vegetable soup so much! When I make it, I usually freeze some, but I keep out enough to eat everyday for lunch for a week. It is definitely a family favorite. I hope that my vegan friendly vegetable soup soon becomes one of your family’s favorites.

Benefits of Vegetarian Meals

I have read several articles in which medical experts have sighted the health benefits of adopting a 75% vegetarian diet. There are many reasons for this. For those with high cholesterol and triglycerides, some would argue there may be dramatic decreases in these crucial lab values from a diet sparse in animal protein.

Other benefits to a diet of limited animal proteins may include decreased exposure to hormones and antibiotics given to livestock. Benefits to the environment and the economy from money saved in not processing and transporting meat are cited by some. Many believe scores more humans would be fed by eating grains, rather than feeding that same grain to cows.

Shepherd Salad and Rice Pilaf

I ate a lot of great food when I lived in Turkey.  Some of my favorites were home-cooked specialties that were quite labor intensive.  One of my favorite meals however was quite simple.  I loved Turkish rice pilaf with a big scoop of Shepherd salad on top. 

Shepherd salad, or coban (pronounced joe-bon) salad is usually made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley, with fresh garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt.  My favorite variation is chopped tomato, cucumber, and onion.  When I scoop my salad over my rice, I include a good amount of the juice (the mixture of the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and tomato juice). 

Shepherd salad is a great side dish for many meals, but I especially love it with rice. 

Shepherd Salad (Coban Salad)

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
Salt to taste

I usually combine the chopped cucumber and chopped onion in a bowl, add salt, and let sit for 30 minutes.  I refrigerate if I have room. 

I chop and salt the tomatoes separately.  I like to make enough Shepherd Salad for leftovers, but I mix with fresh tomatoes.  I prefer the texture of the fresh tomatoes versus the tomatoes refrigerated in the lemon and oil. 

Next I add the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to the cucumbers and onions. 

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Add tomatoes before serving. 

Rice Pilaf

1 cup Uncle Ben’s long grain converted rice

1 cup medium grain rice, such as Hindoe
5 cups water
1/3 cup small, thin pasta
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Chicken bouillon powder

Prepare rice pilaf similar to Rice-a-Roni.  Get oil hot in skillet.  Add pasta, when starting to brown, add butter.  Cook until pasta is browned.  Don’t add the butter too soon, because it will burn before the pasta is browned. 

Add rice, water, and about one heaping tablespoon of chicken bouillon.  Cover and cook on medium for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed. 

Serve pilaf with Shepherd Salad on top.  Rice pilaf is also great in tomato soup.