April is segmented into each of the most popular 6 “meals” of the day (Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, and Dessert), with each meal suggesting 3 categories of breakfasts befitting that meal. With Traditional I was aiming for a cultural experience – something traditional for a specific culture. While Vegetarian and Egg-free are straightforward, sought after niche breakfast categories.

As there will be over 18 suggestions, I will do my best to narrow down what I prepare and only develop some recipes. I hope you find inspiration and learn something for your breakfast, whatever time of the day.

Traditional: Indian Crepes (Dosa)

My initial perspective is that lunch is a meal best served cold. Salad, sandwiches or wraps, fruit, celery or carrots, leftovers that may or may not get reheated, and Lunchables are all common lunch items because they are easy to take to work or school. Unless you have the privileged to go out for lunch, often times there is not a microwave available for heating the midday meal. Of course there is also soup and salad or similar combos with partial warm and partial refrigerated or room temp food. All the frozen lunch meals need to heated up, chili, baked potatoes, burgers, tacos, or tex-mex power bowls are also lunch specialties served warm.

When deciding what made a breakfast food fit for lunch, I debated between cold and warm breakfast foods. There is a flavorful Turkish dish I learned about from my Turkish neighbors in Germany called Turkish Menemen. It is an egg skillet dish that kind of creates a spicy tomato sauce for your eggs. Then, my colleague from Delhi shared her favorite breakfast from back home – Crepes! Not surprisingly they are way different from the crepes that I am familiar.

Dosa, a sort of South Indian Crepe that at its most basic is made of:

• 1 cup white lentils (Urad Dal)
• 3 cups parboiled rice
• Dash of salt
• Splash of oil

It is typically filled with masala, potatoes, or with something on the side to combat the dry dosa. This seems like a difficult dish to have for breakfast as it requires hours of forethought, and would have to recommend for a weekend lunch at home if preparation the night before is not possible. Per my colleague, if they were to make it, they would perform the following with more complex ingredients and steps:

Ingredients:

Process:

Batter: Soak (in 3 bowls) the rices together, poha separately, and lentils (dals and seeds) together in water for 3-7 hours (until soft and a bit mushy). Drain bowls. In a food processor, grind the rices, then add a splash of water before grinding the lentils, and finally the poha into a smooth batter. Mix in salt and let sit for 6-8 hours.

Red Chutney: Heat a skillet with oil, add cumin, lentils (dal), onion, garlic, chili and saute. Allow to cool, salt, then grind into a paste.

Masala: Boil potatoes then peel the skin. Heat a skillet with oil, mustard seeds, lentils (dal), and cumin. When mustard seeds splutter saute the powder, onions, chilies, curry leaves in the same skillet. Next add turmeric, salt, and potatoes. Mix and mash potatoes in the skillet. Top with cilantro and remove from heat.

Assembly: In a large wide bottom skillet, heat oil and ladle in enough batter (about 50-60ml) to cover the bottom in about 3mm (thin as a crepe) spread using a spoon in a circular motion. Cook both sides then add the chutney and masala while still in the skillet. Fold or roll and serve.

My colleague recommended two videos that can explain these steps way better than I can! Simple, just the dosa. Whole Masala Madness.

Notes on ingredients in the U.S.:

Parboiled Rice – Soak, steam, and dry white rice.

Urad Dal / Chana Dal- Use white (or black) lentils if you can, red lentils will work but will affect the color of the dosa.

Fenugreek Seeds – You will probably have to look for these at an Indian grocery store. Recommended to consume raw, on an empty stomach, after soaking it overnight to aid weight loss. Also, it is great for hair.

Poha (Pohe) – Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. This is not the same as a regular white rice, but is prepared by rinsing the poha then letting it sit not in water before cooking it.

Himalayan is one of my favorite words to hear a native Indian say. It sounds way better as Him-mal-ee-in than Him-al-lay-in.

Asafoetida Powder – This is probably difficult to find in a store. I would guess it is optional, based on this description: Asafoetida powder is called for often in Indian cooking, primarily in dishes with legumes and vegetables like cauliflower. While on its own the smell may strike you as overpowering, it mellows out during cooking and produces a flavor similar to onion and garlic. In India this hing spice and asafoetida recipes are crucial for the Jains, who do not eat root crops. Contains asafoetida microfine powder, gum Arabic and wheat and rice flour.

Vegetarian: Cinnamon Quinoa in Pea Milk (also vegan!)

If you have never been a supporter of quinoa, this recipe will change your mind. I know, I was doubtful as well. My mom and I tried to make quinoa edible growing up. We gave several good attempts to remove the bag of quinoa from our pantry, but never fell in love.

Then on New Year’s Eve 2019, my new friend introduced me to quinoa for breakfast. We made a huge deal of it: made sure to get the right ingredients at the store (had to have that pea milk!), she got up early and made it to fuel us for the day’s adventures, and she left a lasting positive impression. We are still raving about how good (in so many ways) this sustainable meal is for us. There is a reason quinoa is so popular in the health foods aisle.

This is great for any time of day, as quinoa in typically served as a savory dinner side. I tried meal prepping quinoa bowls for breakfast, the first week of the year-the day I returned home, and found it reheated really well, it may even have improved as the week progressed.

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups pea milk (or non-dairy milk)
• 1 tbsp agave [optional]
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp nut butter
• 1 banana, sliced (or blueberries)
• 2 tbsp raisins [optional]

There is a 2:1 ratio for the milk and quinoa. Cow’s milk is not a great thickener and will make for a more wet bowl. I would recommend a non-dairy milk and used almond and cashew mixture myself.

Follow the preparation instructions on the quinoa package, but cook with milk instead of water (still rinse the quinoa with water prior to beginning). This involves heating the milk and quinoa until the grain absorbs the milk. Remove from heat, stir in agave first if you really want it sweet (not necessary), then add the cinnamon, vanilla, nut butter and top with banana and any other fruit or dried fruit.

I hope this variation solved any bad relationships you may have developed with quinoa.

Egg-Free: Ham, Cheese, & Spinach Pies

Originally I thought breakfast sausage on mini bagels would be great for breakfast for lunch. It does still sound very yummy, but a little boring. Of course you could add some salsa, avocado, and onion to kick it up and make it a bit more impressive.

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I also considered recommending ham and cheese rolled up in crescent rolls and baked with a brown mustard dressing on top, but that sounded just like lunch and not quite something I would eat for breakfast.

In the end I settled for ham, cheese, and spinach pies in a breakfast gravy sauce. These would also be scrumptious if you use biscuits, shaped into mini pies and stuffed with goodies!