the whole plate.

I require three things every morning: strong black coffee, a large and carb-y bowl of breakfast, and a bit of sweetness.

There are other things that I appreciate in the early hours, such as time on a yoga mat, fresh air on my walk from the subway to work, or wasting away lazy moments in front of the computer.  But these are simply pastimes that I enjoy, as opposed to absolute necessities.  Those first three, on the other hand: they’re non-negotiable.

In the midst of Passover, two out of three are easy to achieve.  The options for breakfast, however, are – well, a bit sad. Just take a look at the typical start-of-the-day foods: oatmeal, cereal, toast, pancakes, bagels, waffles.  I don’t like eggs or anything savory in the AM and so, crafting a satisfying breakfast has probably been the toughest Passover challenge.

On top of the creativity required simply to dream up something appropriate for breakfast consumption, I’ve had the additional struggle of coming up with a meal that will actually keep me full, because I eat a pretty energy dense breakfast [that's a fancy way of saying: higher in calories].

This past week, I figured I could either complain or I could get my imagination in gear.  I suppose I did a little of both.

Breakfast #1:

coconut-basil-cucumber smoothie; roasted root vegetables with cinnamon and almond butter.

I’ve never been a smoothie for breakfast person, but the holiday provided the ideal opportunity for me to branch out.  While I had grand plans of using a fresh Thai coconut, my go-to coconut vendors unfortunately failed me.   Instead, I made do with a can of coconut milk [the real stuff].  My glass included 1/2 c coconut milk, half a big cucumber, a big handful of fresh basil, a couple squirts of agave, and a couple ice cubes.  It was totally delicious, but I’m guessing that may only be true for people who actually crave vegetables.

I also had a bowl of roasted root vegetables alongside [including acorn squash, parsnips, and carrots] with cinnamon and layers of almond butter, because like I said: I need sweet in the early hours.

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many vegetables before 8 AM.

Breakfast #2:

breakfast quinoa: cooked in hemp milk, with a bartlett pear, dried apricots, cinnamon, cashews, and almond butter.

I’ve attempted breakfast quinoa before, cooked with a banana and flax, in the style of my usual oatmeal.  It is not as good.

So, this time, I decided on a bit of a different concoction, pictured above.  Much more successful!

It wasn’t until Sunday, however, that I hit the real jackpot of  Passover-friendly breakfasts.

banana coconut chia pudding. click for the recipe, and then go make this.  seriously.

I completely forgot I had some chia seeds in my pantry from back when I did some experimenting last year.  I enjoyed my chia creations, and then I promptly forgot about their existence.  No better time than now to try them out again, right?

The result: creamy coconut, banana, cinnamon, almond deliciousness.  Heaven in a morning bowl.  I will most definitely be enjoying this again for my final Passover breakfast tomorrow [as a plus, it is highly transportable, which I need since I'll be packing breakfast for post-yoga consumption].

Experimentation is always good, but I won’t lie:  I’m more than ready
to return to my oats.  What can I say?  I’m hopelessly loyal.

What’s the strangest breakfast you’ve ever eaten? I think that smoothie and bowl of squash may take the cake for me.

Related posts:

1. a week of morning variety.
2. breakfast 10.10: other than oats.
3. breakfast week.