VRG > Vegetarian Journal > 2011 Issue 4 International Breakfasts

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International Breakfasts

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, E&D, CCE

WHAT IS BREAKFAST FOR YOU? IS IT A CUP OF strong coffee and a multi-vitamin? Maybe a latte and a granola bar eaten in the car? Or perhaps a stack of blueberry pancakes, doused in maple syrup, and peppery vegan sausage links?

No matter what your tastes, there’s an international breakfast option out there for you! They aren’t always as difficult to prepare or as exotic as you may think they are, either. Many of the ingredients for international breakfast dishes—such as broths, chopped fruits and vegetables, steamed rice, and tortillas—can also be used in other meals. This minimizes shopping, preparation, and costs. No special ingredients needed!

When you have time to try out some new dishes, have friends and family join in the fun of shopping and preparing. Then, spin the globe and begin your breakfast adventure!

LATIN AMERICAN BREAKFASTS

Mexican and Central American breakfasts include some familiar ingredients done in an exciting way. Huevos rancheros start with fried eggs, served with a flavorful red sauce and usually accompanied by steamed or refried beans and steamed tortillas. To veganize this dish, use scrambled tofu for the eggs. Add some vegan pan dulces (Central American sweet rolls) and a robust cup of coffee, and you’ve got a fun way to start the day!

The ever-popular breakfast burrito can be as plain or as fancy as you like. Traditional fillings include chopped tomatoes and onions or salsa, shredded lettuce, fresh or pickled chilies, and fresh cilantro. You can also toss in some chopped or scrambled tofu or make veggie carnitas (very thinly sliced Tofurky or other soy meat, seasoned with your favorite Central American spice blend).

Take a note from early morning Mexican street vendors, who offer seasonal mango, papaya, orange, pineapple, and melon slices or juices. Fresh or frozen vegan tamales flavored with pineapple, coconut, and raisins can be found, especially during winter holiday time. Serve pan dulces with vegan hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon or with Horchata, a hot rice drink that resembles liquid rice pudding.

EUROPEAN BREAKFASTS

Norwegian breakfasts are rarely hot or sweet. A typical breakfast is home-baked, seven-grain, whole wheat bread served with butter, margarine, or brown goat cheese, as well as sliced smoked salmon or cod, sliced tomatoes, and fruit juice. Actually, breakfast is usually lunch as well. It’s not unusual for people sitting around the break- fast table to assemble a sandwich of breakfast ingredients, to be eaten later in the day at work or school. Vegans can use thinly sliced smoked tofu in place of the cod and slices of vegan cheese as sandwich ingredients.

Perhaps you’d like to treat yourself to a British breakfast ‘tea.’ Dainty finger sandwiches made with chopped tomatoes, onions, and capers or with sliced cucumber and fresh dill are fun and easy. So are baked beans on toast, sweet pastries, and sliced fruit. Have a pot of tea at the table, properly enjoyed with the steamed non-dairy milk of your choice.

For breakfast minimalists, you might try the French approach. A large cup of steaming latte, a minute glass of fruit juice, a baguette or vegan croissant with fruit preserves, and a square of dark chocolate says, “à la française.” The secret is having coffee cups that resemble soup bowls, as the latte or steaming coffee with milk is the centerpiece of this morning meal. Large cups leave lots of room for dunking breakfast breads.

In contrast, traditional German and Eastern Euro- pean hot breakfasts are not for the light-and-lean crowd. On weekends or holidays, you may find tables groaning with meat cutlets, eggs, potatoes cooked with onions and bacon fat, and breakfast ‘puddings’ made with smoked meat, eggs, and cream. Breakfast breads and pastries are served with oodles of fresh butter. Fruit usually appears in the form of juice, fruit preserves, and fruit cooked in syrup and served with heavy cream. Thin waffles and crêpes are served with regional syrups, preserved berries, and of course, lots of butter.

We can re-create the groaning table with a variety of vegan meats, including vegan bacon strips, vegan sausage patties, and steamed or baked savory silken tofu puddings flavored with sautéed onions, white or black pepper, and vegan sausage crumbles. Add some freshly baked sweet breads, rolls, and vegan muffins and lots of fresh and baked fruit. Consider making this ‘spread’ for a holiday brunch!

And for the more adventuresome, there’s always the famous Czech garlic and bacon soup for breakfast. Doesn’t a fragrant bowl of garlic broth, seasoned with crumbled vegan bacon strips and served with a hard roll for dunking, sound interesting?

ASIAN BREAKFASTS

Asian breakfasts are the ultimate in subtlety and health. Japanese breakfasts can feature steamed sushi-style rice (more glutinous than long-grain rice), miso soup (avail- able as a dry mix; check the ingredients to make sure it is vegan), steamed tofu, thick daikon radish slices, and pickled vegetables. They do just fine without the egg that is typically served with them! Keep in mind that Japanese breakfast dishes, while relatively low in fat and calories, are fairly high in sodium.

Vietnamese breakfasts may include pho, which is distinct from other Asian noodle soups because it has strong Chinese and French influences. Early pho chefs borrowed white rice noodles from China and adopted the French tradition of adding charred onions to beef or chicken broth for color and flavor. Simply substitut- ing vegetable broth will not take away from this soup’s taste! Then, garnishes such as sliced onions, sprouts, chilies, and basil finish off the dish.

Popular in India and Pakistan, raitas are yogurt- based condiments that add ‘cool’ and subtle flavor to spicy foods. Raitas are a combination of yogurt and minced, raw fruits and vegetables, with some ginger, garlic, green chili paste, and/or mustard mixed in. Instead of dairy yogurt, use unflavored vegan yogurt or soft, silken tofu flavored with a small amount of lemon juice mixed into the tofu. Then, add your own mixture of fruits, vegetables, and seasonings, and you have created vegan raitas at home!

Adding International Flair to Yogurt
In many countries, breakfast is a bowl of plain (unflavored) yogurt. To give this dish a cultural bent, start with 2 cups of unflavored soy yogurt. If soy yogurt is not available, you can use soft, silken tofu, flavored with approximately 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per cup. This will yield 3 servings. Here are some ideas:
Scandinavian: Add 1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, fresh berries (in season), canned or frozen raspberries or loganberries, or currant jelly. Greek:Add cup of chopped cucumbers, chopped sweet onions, assorted olives, or dates. Turkish: Add 1/4 cup of fresh sliced apricots (in season), canned apricots in syrup, dried apricots, assorted fruit preserves, or a variety of dates.	Middle Eastern: Add 1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onions, radishes, dates, or raisins. Russian: Add 1/4 cup of vegetarian caviar, chopped sweet onions, chopped scallions, shredded beets, chopped apples, or walnuts and raisins. Indian: Add 1/4 cup of shredded carrots and cucumbers, chopped pistachios, or raisins and 1/2 teaspoon of spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cumin, or orange and lemon zest.

Nancy Berkoff is The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Food Service Advisor. She is the author of Vegans Know How to Party, Vegan in Volume, Vegan Microwave Cookbook, Vegan Menu for People with Diabetes, Vegan Seafood: Beyond the Fish Shtick for Vegetarians, and Vegan Passover Recipes.