Hmm, another post about food. I was inspired to write this after reading this post from Frills, who was in turn inspired by this post from James!

I don’t mind eating the same things every day. That’s especially true for breakfasts — like lots of people, I don’t really want to think about what to eat in the morning anyway, and I already know what’s good. If I didn’t run out of ingredients, I probably wouldn’t rotate these.

When I worked at a company that had a cafeteria and convenience stores, despite having a different menu to choose from for lunch daily, I’d almost always buy a protein shake and either make a salad or buy two bars. Now, I usually eat leftovers.

But alas, I do run out of ingredients! And I guess because I haven’t completely automated my grocery lists, I actually spend some time thinking about it. And so sometimes I change it up. Here’s my staple and a few recent favorites!

I’m addicted to caffeine (and very sensitive to it), so I enjoy all of these breakfasts alongside a really sweet and creamy cup of coffee. Home Assistant kindly brews a pot for me daily via a cheap drip machine hooked up to a smart outlet.

Oats

This one’s from Meema (of toasted cheese fame).

It’s easy. There’s no prep. This one’s my preference almost all the time.

Just pour in about a half cup of rolled oats, add too much milk (I prefer soy), and optionally add some walnuts on top. Don’t cook it. It’s cold and chewy and crunchy and contrasts perfectly with coffee.

Chickpea bars

I started making these because I was spending too much money on Perfect Bars. These are very filling and dense, but they’re also pretty soft.

In a blender or food processor, combine two cans of chickpeas (with the aquafaba), 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 cup peanut butter powder, 1/2 cup oats, and 1/2 cup honey. Mix in some chocolate chips. Try not to measure those. Line a 9x12 brownie pan with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

These are really no good until you chill them. Seriously, don’t eat the batter. But once they’re chilled, the textures and flavors are just perfect. Love a good crunchy chocolate chip.

Tofu scramble pita pockets

This one’s a little more involved, so you’ll need to be willing to do some prep and cleanup. But the recipe makes like 10 of them, so you’re set for more than a week. I started making these after buying lots of Sandwich Bros. Egg and Cheese Pita Sandwiches, but I don’t think making them is actually much cheaper.

This way, though, I can have a tofu scramble, which lately I prefer to eggs. The recipe for this scramble roughly comes from Rainbow Plant Life.

Cut 5 pita loaves into halves and gently open them into pockets. They really want to rip, so go slow.

In a measuring glass, add about 1/4 cup tahini, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, a half teaspoon of cumin, a half teaspoon of tumeric, and a half teaspoon of salt. Then add whatever other spices you want. Mix it together, adding water as necessary, until you get a consistency slightly thinner than pancake batter.

In a mixing bowl, crumble two blocks of pressed silken tofu. Yes, you really should press it. If you don’t, the pockets will end up watery and soggy.

Heat a neutral oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the tofu and stir occasionally until it starts to brown. Add your tahini mixture and stir until the texture resembles scrambled eggs.

Fold your eggy mixture into the pita pockets and wait for them to cool completely, then freeze. You can heat them up in the microwave or in the air fryer.

I don’t always want a hot breakfast, so I keep these in the freezer for when I do.