Vegan MoFo III: Ode to Breakfast

My favorite meal has always been breakfast, but I almost never have it at breakfast time.  I much prefer brunch.  There is something about rolling out of bed at noon after a night of dancing or an underground hip hop show and eating a glorious feast of breakfast foods!  Not to be outdone, brinner is always a wonderful thing.  Have a hard day at work?  How about some pancakes at 7 in the PM?!  I love it.  I could eat breakfast at any time of the day.  In fact, I'm adding two more words/phrases to the English language: brupper and afternoon brea.  Breakfast is just that good, yo.

In keeping with the theme for this week, I did brunch on a budget.  I'm not gonna lie.  The photos I took were supremely lame, so I'll just give some tips on how to do a fabulous brunch on a budget.

1. Cheap, filling foods are a great foundation.  Think beans and potatoes...even tofu.  These are things that will fill people up fast and they are incredibly cheap.

2. Make stuff from scratch.  Most everybody has the ingredients for pancakes or muffins.  You can always buy some fruit to make a specific flavor, but making your own stuff really is a lot cheaper.  Plus, a lot of baked goods can be made ahead of time so it makes everything easier on the hosts.

3. Do it buffet style.  Some people will eat more and some people will eat less, but I find that buffet almost always means there will be enough food and it won't be wasted.

4. Use foods that stretch.  Tofu is a great example because you can add a bunch of cheap veggies to it and create a lot of food.  Potatoes are also great for this.

5. Pick one thing to splurge on.  Even when you have an inexpensive brunch, you can add a nice touch like a bunch of different salsas or booze to get your morning drank on!  Or a juice/tea bar for people who don't drink alcohol.  The possibilities are endless.

6. Seasonal produce.  I always have to have at least one fresh thing with my brunch.  Often times, it's a fruit salad.  Seasonal stuff is better quality and so much cheaper.

Today's Brunch Menu (sans fruit because I forgot it)

DEOTS Cinnamon Rolls

Denver Omelet from Vegan Brunch

Paprika, Cumin, and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes from Vegan Brunch

Price Breakdown*

DEOTS Cinnamon Rolls (makes 12 rolls)-$1.21

• margarine-$0.75
• canned pumpkin-$0.46 

Denver Omelet made with homemade seitan (serves 4)-$4.09-$5.07

• silken tofu-$1.98
• chickpea flour-$.30
• black salt-$.06
• onion-$0.29
• vegan cheese (I used Teese)-$0.98-$1.96, depending on how much you use
• green pepper-$0.48

Potatoes (serves 4)-$1.42

Total spent on brunch=$6.72-$7.70 or $1.68-$1.93 per person with leftovers!

That is cheap enough to buy fresh fruit and some champagne for mimosas!  And, honestly, this is more on the expensive side for me.  I usually do a tofu scramble instead of an omelet.  But my absolute favorite is a breakfast taco bar.  For non Texans: a breakfast taco is like a breakfast burrito only way freakin' better.  It doesn't have all that tortilla getting in the way of the awesome filling.  Just picture a basic flour tortilla that you'd use for tacos and stuff breakfast fillings in it.  My favorite combos are: bean and potato, nopales, bean and cheese, and tofu and bacn.  We usually make all the components to them and set them on the table with plenty of guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheeze, and tortillas.  Then everybody makes their favorite combo.  This is pretty much a tradition at my parents house during the holidays.

Well, I hope my supreme thriftiness has helped you.  George Constanza has nothing on me, baby!

Coming up this week: a very Tarantino Movie Monday, what to eat when you only have 20 bucks until payday, making your own snacks, dinner for two pantry raid, veganizing RayRay, and Indian on the cheap.

*All price breakdowns are assuming you have basic things like flour, oil, non dairy milk, common spices, etc.  Everything else will be factored in.  Also, the price listed is based on the amount used in the recipe.