Break The Fast!

Peach Green Smoothie Bowl Super quick and yummy!

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1 cup spinach

Dash of ground cardamom

Blend the above with enough almond milk to get it to combine

Top with chopped kiwi (this time I peeled it, Papa!), raspberries and blueberries (or whatever fresh fruit you have around) and 1 T of chia seed.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

Sweet Potato

Yellow Pepper

Red Onion (in ratio of 2:1:1/2, amount depends on how many people you are feeding

Put in bowl and moisten with vegetable broth or tiny spritz of olive oil (depending if you’ve going low-fat or not), sprinkle with garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper then roast on parchment paper on cookie sheet in 400 degree oven for about 20 min, tossing in middle for even browning.

Serve on bowl of chopped arugula or baby kale, season with a mixture of soy sauce and Datu Puti

Vinegar Sprinkle a teaspoon of flax seed and a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds on top.

I make a double batch of the roasted veggies so I can have a second breakfast bowl later in week.

Carnivore tip: If I’m making anything with roasted sweet potato, adding pork sausage (in crumbles or patties on the side) usually works well for those who prefer some meat with this.

Looks great. Unfortunately, this is a concoction Noree wouldn’t touch. Golden kiwi skin? Are you sure? Wouldn’t it tickle the roof of your tonsils?

Tropical Breeze in a Bowl

Hallooooo there, Vegan Ventures fans!!! I’m baaaack!

After finally succumbing to an official Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis this last year instead of battling it as a “pre-diabetic” for years, I dug into research on best diet for controlling diabetes. Because diabetes can be fatal and I am NOT into dying before my time!

I’m convinced, based on reading a bunch of scientific research (my veterinary background sure is useful!), that a vegan, low fat diet is the way to go. To that end, I’ve signed up for the Mastering Diabetes weekly meal plan and have been diving in. Since this is a style of cooking I am not familiar with, I feel like I am definitely outside of my comfort zone and in a new realm of creativity which has been like a massage for my brain. Bonus is David has really likes the food too—we usually just do a side dish of meat for him.

BIGGEST bonus is the immediate results of my bloodwork. Within a week of being on this diet, I went from morning fasting glucoses sometimes way-over 150 (ideally you should have below 125) to in the 90’s and low 100’s. And I feel GREAT. And the food is REALLY good.

Here’s my first share of a typical breakfast from the meal plan:

Half a mango

Medium banana

Kiwi (recipe calls for a persimmon but our MOM’s only had sungold kiwis which may be my new favorite fruit)—no need to peel it!

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 T flax seed

Dice up the mango, banana, and kiwi, add blue berries and sprinkle cardamom and flax seed on top. I also add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.

Super easy and SO yummy! And lots of fiber so I feel full for a long time after this. And that cardamom flavor is MAGICAL!

Let me know if you make this and what you think!!

Great to see you back salivating (not slaving) over the stove.

Now that kitchen is finally up and running, I get to share my FAVORITE breakfast item — Tofu Scramble!! — super super easy. 1) Mix in a bowl: 3 T soy sauce, 2 T nutritional yeast flakes (usually in bulk aisle of health food stores—Sash I can send you some if you can’t find it in Jakarta), 1 t turmeric, 1/2 t curry powder.

2) Sauté some garlic (I also added chopped frozen poblano pepper from our garden just cuz I had some but is optional). 2) Crumble a block of firm tofu into pan—no art here, just break off chunks. Stir around, mashing chunks as you go. Again no art—you‘re going for same kind of consistency as scrambled eggs. Sprinkle a little salt over tofu.

3) Once tofu is warmed through and has some browned surfaces, mix in contents of bowl and mash around so color and flavor is thoroughly distributed. 4) READY TO SERVE! If you want to be fancy or need to use up stuff in fridge, you can mix in chopped herbs or spinach, peppers, whatever you like in scrambled eggs!

This morning I had it over chopped raw kale, minced fresh garlic, cooked wheat berries (Sash I can also send these to you!) and olive oil. AMAZING!!! and all this took me about 10 min to make (other than I had cooked wheat berries ahead of time).

Maya, this is a great meal for battling diabetes—it’s vegan and the wheat berries are a complex carb so stimulate slow insulin release. Plus there’s a ton of fiber in the dish!

Avocado Toast (from Bread & Water, Fort Hunt, Alexandria)

I used to roll my eyes at avocado toast because of how trendy it is UNTIL I saw Sasha order this from our favorite local bakery. Whole grain toast, topped with mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes, pickled onions, sliced watermelon radish, and alfalfa sprouts. The pickled onions and bite from the watermelon radish plus the tart of the tomatoes and creamy coolness of the avocado topped with the earthy crunchy sprouts. 😋. It is EVERYTHING!! And so satisfying too. This is a super easy breakfast. Even the quick pickle onions-just slice them and drop them in vinegar with a little salt the night before. You can add a spicy pepper to the quick pickle too, if you want to make things interesting!

I love the tea stuff. Have you tried coconut CREAM as opposed to coconut milk -- one more step into decadence, but maybe a notch below whipped cream, which has been my evil indulgence?

Let’s not forget the mindfulness-cozy value of the hot beverage piece of breakfast! David and I always try to have full cream on hand for our coffee to sit and talk/read over a hot cup for our Sunday morning ritual. Full cream = total decadence!!

But since this is a vegan forum, I’ll share my latest obsession: black tea with coconut milk. At center of this ritual is my awesome red tea cup with removable metal steeper, courtesy of Papa. David got me these gorgeous washi tea tins that I’ve filled with my favorite loose teas. I try to keep the whole tea making process sacred as my moment to pause by involving all of the senses. Seeing the gorgeous tea canisters, hearing the satisfying woosh as the lid comes of the canister, smelling the tea. Having Kuya wandering around purring and checking out every step.

The final touch is the coconut milk dollop at my desk as I sit down to work. The coconut milk adds a sweetness to the tea, so no sugar needed!

I stir the tea, take a few deep breaths, inhale and sip.

And am ready to face the day!! Super easy ritual that feels so self-indulgent is perfect fortification for all of those FFT’s heading my way.

I personally prefer steel cut oats - and cook them for 2 min rather than 30 min :). Sasha does not approve of this method. I like them crunchy! I have those with cut up granny smith apples, per another post I submitted about my own easy breakfast.

And you can never go wrong with a simple boil egg dipped in salt and pepper. When I was in the thick of my get-back-to-it routine last spring, I drank 12oz of water, and slowly ate a boiled egg, savoring each bite, then following up with another 12oz of water. Kept me full till lunch!

Maya!!!! BREAKFAST FOR DAYS, thanks to Sasha!!!!

Also, my mom has been giving us avocado with “dip dip” (soy sauce) since forever… where u been?? 👀

RECIPES Overnight oats: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/overnight-oats/ My favorite pancake recipe (whole wheat banana pancakes): https://cookieandkate.com/whole-wheat-banana-pancakes-recipe/#tasty-recipes-31887-jump-target Almond milk: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-almond-milk/ Oat milk: https://minimalistbaker.com/make-oat-milk/

me to my mom this morning after she told me about your post: “I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY.” 1) I second Tita Jeleen’s comment about oatmeal. It truly opens up a world of possibilities, because there are so many flavor combinations that you can do. Here are some of the ones i’ve rotated through: apple + nuts with cinnamon, strawberries + honey, peaches +cream, banana + peanut butter. Also, i would often add extra toppings such as flax, chia, and granola. My favorite thing about oats is that once you get tired of one kind, you can always find another way to make them, and they’re so simple! i’m a fan of quick oats (which only take one minute to cook on the stove), but you do sacrifice some of the health benefits with those (that isn’t as big of a factor for me, because i prefer convenience while still getting a healthy breakfast). Another really great option to save time is overnight oats! There are tons of recipes online, and you essentially leave a jar of oats and a liquid of choice (usually water or milk) in the fridge overnight, and they’ll be ready in the morning to be topped with add-ons. One more note about oats: you can incorporate protein powder into them to boost the protein content! i’ve never bought protein powder so i haven’t tried this myself, but i’m sure the internet would be helpful with ratios. 2) Another overnight option is chia pudding, which is really simple. 2 tbsps chia mixed with a 1/2 cup of any type of milk, put in the fridge over night (it would actually be ready in like 1/2 an hour, but i never have that time in the mornings). I love adding honey and cocoa powder to chia pudding to make it chocolatey. 3) Avocado toast! I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept. ;) Pretty quick if you have the ingredients, and i love adding scrambled egg and tomato to mine, and topping with a sprinkle of onera. 4) Pancakes! When i discovered the world of whole wheat, oat, and banana pancakes, i would make them pretty much every day. Seriously so delicious, and a lot healthier than normal pancakes (with the banana as a sweetener you can find recipes with no added sugar, but my fav recipes use a little bit of honey). (i’ll make a separate comment with a bunch of recipe links btw, because i have a couple of favorites for pancakes). I add flax and chia to my pancake mix a lot, and top with fresh strawberries. 5) Smoothie bowls! This one is less quick and convenient, but very fun. Your favorite fruits (personally i think banana is an essential ingredient for any good smoothie) + liquid in a blender, in a bowl with lots of toppings. My favorite toppings are chia, flax, fresh fruit, granola, and oats (idk if you’re allowed to eat oats raw, but i do in smoothie bowls). NOTE: i LOVE making my own milk, most frequently almond and oat milk (i tried rice milk one time, and was not a fan). Other options include cashew milk (i’ve heard it’s good) and i’m sure there’s others but i can think of them right now. It’s seriously so simple to make your own plant milks, and you can use them in almost all of the breakfast options i’ve mentioned (to cook oats in, in chia pudding, in pancakes, and as a liquid in smoothies). All you need is nuts (or oats), water, a blender, and a thin towel to strain (technically you need a cheesecloth, but i’ve never had one lying around and a thin towel works fine. but it has to be THIN to act as a fine strainer.) i’ll attach recipes for these in another comment. The one thing about making your own milks is that you have to use them fast, because they spoil fast. This is all that’s coming to mind right now, but i’ll write more if i think of anything else. Hopefully this helps!!

I’ve lately gotten into oatmeal. Probably because Narra told me Sasha’s typical breakfast: oatmeal with sliced apple and chopped almonds. I’ve been doing oatmeal topped with blackberry preserves from David’s aunt and a scattering of pine nuts. SUPER easy and hearty! And I just learned from my dietician that oatmeal is the number one fiber that removes cholesterol from your blood 🤩

Avocado + Cubed Cukes + Toyomansi. Savory, quick, easy. Okay, so it ain't the prettiest but dang was it yummy! I cracked some black pepper and garlic salt on top. With the toyomansi there was a citrus already embedded. If you use soy, make sure to add in some lime or lemon! It is worth it! The cucumber adds an awesome and refreshing CRUNCH! On a side note, Hawaii-born-and-raised Chantelle introduced the idea of combining avocado with soy sauce. She looked at me strangely when I said I had never heard of such a combo. Upon tasting, I understood why!