I received an email from a reader a while ago, who asked me to come up with more breakfast recipes, as she struggled with a lack of variety. I dragged my feet a little, as I am not a massive breakfast person myself. I tend to have porridge (or oatmeal if you live in the US) in winter and bircher muesli in the summer. Occasionally, I will treat myself to a bagel or a sourdough toast with almond butter and jam, or a stack of pancakes if I am in a festive mood. And a mug of good black coffee! Now, that’s a must, as my inability to get out of bed in the morning is almost legendary!! It’s just as well I no longer have a job to go to (I have no idea how I ever managed that) or kids to feed 😛 (nope, I didn’t drown them, never had any…).
It’s not that I ever skip breakfast, I am just never in that much of a rush to eat in the morning, which is something of a contentious point between me and Duncan. He hardly ever even talks to me before he has eaten and I’ve learnt not to fight it anymore. His pre-breakfast grumpiness directed at me, an innocent bystander, used to really annoy me in the past. This morning, I’ve had a bit of an insight into what it must be like being a pre-breakfast Duncan. I had a 6:30 AM get-up due to an early hospital appointment. It was way too early for me to eat (plus I wanted to minimise my awake time), so I decided to grab something on the go or eat after I got home. Unfortunately, there was no decent vegan breakfast option out this early and the appointment ran almost an hour late, so I did not get home until 11:00 AM. All I had until then was a soy flat white. I was ravenous by the time I got in and not in the mood for small talk either 😉 . So going back to my reader’s request, these vegan potato skins with smoky chickpeas is one savoury breakfast option I can get behind. Both components can be made a day ahead and then re-heated in the morning. In fact, making the chickpeas in advance improves their flavours, so that’s what I would recommend. These are a gluten-free equivalent of beans on toast, full of plant goodness and excellent for using up leftovers (they were inspired by a bag of Maris Piper potatoes I forgot I had). They go really well with a dollop of vegan yoghurt and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. A little smashed avocado would not be out of place here either, but that’s totally optional. These bad boys are uncomplicated to make, hearty and warm and provide a nice change from your usual breakfast fare.
