Breakfast for Dinner

Chad and I were at a loss for what to prepare for dinner. So, we go to our old standby...waffles! Typically we shortcut and make the Bisquick kind (not vegan), but tonight I was in luck and we didn't have enough Bisquick to make a batch. I got my creative cooking juices flowing and came up with a breakfast-for-dinner that included fruits and vegetables galore. Enjoy...

Step 1 - Green smoothie - yeah, it's purple. Despite the fruits and vegetables in it, I don't think it is too 'green'. If you can't stand the taste of a beet, you might have a little trouble, but it is amazing how good fresh beets taste when applied in the right recipes (and I mean in smoothies, salads, or otherwise on the dinner plate).

This was inspired by the Green Sunset smoothie at the Daily Juice. My smoothie recipe included freshly extracted beet and apple juices, kale, frozen pineapple, and spirulina. Here's how to do it - Chop up your kale (if you are new to green smoothies, try one or two large leaves and cut out the hard middle stem) and put the kale in the bottom of the blender. Top the kale with some frozen pineapple. On top of that add your beet and apple juice. I have an awesome juicer that my dad is letting me babysit for as long as I want, so I took advantage. Add spirulina to taste. Blend on high with a strong blender (mine is pictured and it works just fine. It is not as smooth as the Daily Juice, but there are certainly no pieces of kale to be discovered in the smoothies that I make with this blender model.





Here is the finished product (my half of the recipe). Chad drank his down and didn't gag, so that should tell you that it is okay. I'm proud of him for trying such a bold drink!!!


Step 2 - Banana, Blueberry-Nut Waffles

Chad's plate is pictured below with eggs and his additional orange juice. Doesn't it look great?

I followed the recipe (but halved it) in Veganomicon for the Banana-Nut Waffles and added the rest of the blueberries that we had in the fridge (probably about 1/3-1/2 cup). That's all. They came out delicious! Thanks, Holly, for reminding me this week about how good Veganomicon is! This recipe is a winner, and I am actually looking forward to trying it again without the blueberries. By halving the recipe, it makes about 3 large belgian-style waffles (2 for Chad and 1 for me), so it probably would feed a hungry couple well.



On a related note - I have been cheating on my veganism a little. I don't think that makes me bad. There are phases that vegetarians go through and sometimes we are more strict than others. This time I have cheated with some dairy. I have started to incorporate Stonyfield Farm brand organic Oikos greek yogurt into my morning snack. I like the taste of the vanilla and the blueberry flavors, and it is hard to pass up the nutrition of 110-120 calories, no fat, and 13-15 grams of protein depending on flavor. Also, I know that Stonyfield farm cares about how their animals are treated, so it makes it a little easier to incorporate some selected dairy into my diet. I also have been eating a few other things from time to time that are not vegan, but am not making habits of them (they are desserts).