Since my last article, Ultimate Healthy Breakfast, I’ve shifted my diet from being about 90% vegetarian to 100% vegan. As a result, I’ve created an even healthier, tastier, and smaller recipe.
My switch from vegetarian to vegan happened almost overnight after watching several documentaries on this list.
New Ingredients
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, frozen chopped spinach (instead of precooked), quinoa (instead of brown rice), legumes (beans, peas, & lentils), hemp heart seeds, chia seeds, and psyllium (natural fiber).
These new ingredients, most of which are superfoods, including spices, are rich in vitamins, proteins, omega fatty acids (3, 6, & 9), antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and more. The health benefits of these ingredients are too numerous to list here.
New equipment
Pressure cooker instead of a rice cooker for quinoa and a slow cooker for the legumes. I purchased the hugely popular IP. The taste of the quinoa and legumes is much better when using the pressure cooker. It also retains more of the nutrients, cooks faster, and uses less energy. I love it.
I’ve named this recipe the Vegan Superfood Breakfast.
Length – Please don’t let the length and details of this recipe overwhelm you. In a few days or weeks, making it will become second nature and you’ll get it done in about 15 minutes or less.
Vegan Superfood Breakfast – Recipe
Download recipe below.
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- 1 tablespoon of frozen spinach.
- 1.5 tablespoons of precooked quinoa.
- 1.5 tablespoons of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils).
- 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash of chili powder or salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash of cayenne pepper powder.
- 1 teaspoon of diced sweet onion.
- 1/4 diced (Hass) avocado.
- 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
Tofu & Tempeh: If you like either, you can add it along with the frozen vegetables. Strongly recommend using organic. Cut into ½ -1” cubes.
Accompaniments
- 1/2 slice whole-grain bread, toasted (unbuttered), topped with fruit spread.
- 1/2 cup fresh cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and/or berries.
- 24 oz. filtered water with a splash of lemon juice.
- Select high-potency vitamin supplements.
Equipment
- Microwave.
- Pressure cooker.
- Medium size (4-5” wide) microwave-safe bowl and cover.
- Heat protection pads or gloves.
- Cutting board.
- Multi-purpose kitchen knife.
Preparation
- Add 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- Add 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- Add 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- Add 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- Add 1 tablespoon of frozen spinach.
- Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe cover and cook on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Using heat protection pads, remove the bowl from the microwave.
- Remove the cover and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Drain. Using heat protection pads, replace the cover, firmly grasp the bowl, and push the cover slightly to one side to create a tiny opening for draining.
- Add 1.5 tablespoons of pre-cooked quinoa. (How to make below.)
- Add 1.5 tablespoons of precooked legumes. (How to make below.)
- Add 1 teaspoon of diced sweet onion.
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain in the same way described above. Little or no liquid should drain out.
- Mix.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of hemp heart seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of chia seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- Add 1 dash of chili powder or salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- Add 1 dash of cayenne pepper powder.
- Mix.
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 diced avocado or 1 tablespoon of premade guacamole.
- Add 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
Details
You don’t have to measure each ingredient exactly or include every item. If there are ingredients you like or don’t like, increase, reduce, or eliminate them. However, I encourage you “not” to remove ingredients simply because you’ve never eaten this particular combination of foods before. Be bold! Try it!
The key to enjoying a vegan diet over a “traditional” one is not to compare the taste, but rather to compare and appreciate the health benefits. Soon, your taste buds will adjust, and you’ll love the taste and hate the unhealthy stuff.
Draining is necessary because the vegetables are frozen. Although it’s a bit of a hassle, thoroughly draining it makes the recipe better by preventing it from becoming watery.
For expediency, I make a 5-7 day supply of quinoa and legumes.
Quinoa
I buy bags of uncooked, pre-washed organic quinoa. To keep it fresh, I only cook about 3/4 of a cup at a time in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a dash of turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or rice cooker instructions for quinoa, broth amounts, and cooking times.
Legumes
I buy a legume (beans, peas, lentils) soup mix in bulk. I use this soup mix instead of buying the items individually to save time and have a greater variety.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the legumes with water before cooking.
I cook about 3/4 cup of the legumes in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a dash of cumin for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or slow cooker instructions for the legumes, broth amounts, and cooking times.
***
You can adjust the seasonings to make the recipe match your favorite flavors. One word of caution. It’s easy to overlook the high sodium (salt) levels in many seasonings.
Recipe Download
Get a copy here: Vegan Superfood Breakfast – Recipe
To your health and fitness.