scenes from my breakfast table

“What do you have for breakfast?”

As a vegetarian nutritionist and a foodie, this is one of those questions I get asked a lot.

And the answer is not a straightforward one, I must say…

First of all, I have a big repertoire when it comes to food. I cook dishes from different cultures and cuisines. However, I get bored with the same food very easily. So, the answer to any food related question is different based on where my mood is at the time.

Having said that, there are certain breakfast options I revisit from time to time. In this post, I grouped them together for you…

Turkish Breakfast
I don’t have Turkish breakfast often because I may not have all the ingredients. If we’ve made the trip to Auburn, and I managed to get the right ingredients, then it may be an option.

Typical Turkish breakfast ingredients are:

• A good quality feta cheese
• Marinated olives (marinated with lemon juice and olive oil)
• Fresh tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Some herbs (parsley, mint, dill or even rocket)
• Boiled eggs or fried eggs
• Butter
• Jam or honey or both
• Clotted cream, if you have any
• A spicy spread such as acuka (hot pepper paste and walnuts)
• Turkish bread or simit
• Tea

This is not a comprehensive list, but you get the idea.

Here, on one of those days, I managed to put together this:

One another day, this is what I put together after receiving Turkish ingredients from an online shop:

Simit is a big ring of pastry dipped in sesame seeds, and it can be a good substitute for bread. It’s also great when you’re on the move and in desperate need of breakfast. That’s the reason why you get street carts selling simit at every corner in Turkiye.

Beans on Toast
Beans on toast is my winter-friendly breakfast option. It’s warm and nourishing. I got used to having beans on toast when I owned an English restaurant back in Türkiye—the irony!

These days, I add some baby spinach and chilli flakes to my tinned baked beans, as seen below:

Tinned baked beans are convenient; however, if you want to make your own, here’s a recipe for homemade baked beans:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2x 400 g tins cannellini beans, drained
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or micro-cress
• Sourdough toast, to serve

Directions:
1. Place oil, onion and garlic in a saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add beans and tomatoes, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for a further 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes have collapsed slightly.
3. Add parsley or micro cress and season to taste.

A Weekend Breakfast
If I can get my act together for a weekend breakfast and have vegetarian bacon and mushrooms, then this is what happens in my kitchen:

Smashed Avocado Toasts
Did you know that the smashed avocado concept was born in Australia? Apparently, Australia is one those countries where new food inventions are made and smashed avocado is one of them!

Smashed avocados, 3 different ways:

Smashed avocado with sliced tomato and dried oregano (above).

Smashed avocado with roasted spicy chickpeas on top (above).

Smashed avocado with cherry tomato medley (above).

Chia Pudding
This is one of my favourite breakfast options, especially in the summer. It’s easy to make and you can add anything you want to it. Endless opportunities!

All you do is mix chia seeds with milk of your choice. I prefer almond milk, by the way. Unsweetened. This mixture sits in the fridge overnight. The next morning, you add your toppings. Easy!

Here’s the recipe for you:

Mango – Kiwi Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

• 3 tbsp chia seeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• 1 – 2 tsp maple syrup⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• 4 oz coconut yogurt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• ¼ cup mango, peeled and sliced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced⠀⠀
• Hemp seeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Preparation:
1. Combine the chia seeds, maple syrup and nut milk in a bowl and whisk until well combined. You can also use a Mason jar and just shake it up. Refrigerate for about an hour or overnight.
2. When ready, mix coconut yogurt with the chia mixture (or just layer on top). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Add chia mixture to serving glass, layer with fruit. Sprinkle with hemp seeds. Enjoy!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Well, next time anyone asks me what I have for breakfast, I’ll tell them to read this post.