In the summer I tend to stick to very simple breakfasts: tostadas most of the time, with a smattering of toast and overnight oats. I have every intention of whipping up something special on the weekends, yet it rarely happens.
As the weather cools off in autumn and winter, I start to feel more excitement around brunch possibilities, be they pancakes, waffles, or new savory offerings. These homestyle vegan grits with tempeh sausage & brussels sprouts are not only a new brunch favorite, but also a go-to dinner option as well. They’re savory, hearty, and full of texture, and the tempeh sausage is an easy homemade alternative to store-bought vegan sausages.
There are breakfast people, and then there are breakfast people. These are people who wake up hungry, who’d eat breakfast dishes at any time of day, and who anticipate bedtime because it brings them that much closer to a morning meal.
I’m in this group. While I can’t exactly say that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day–I really like all three of them!–it’s the meal that I’m always hungriest for, which is enough to award it a special place in my heart.
My friend Ashley is also a breakfast person–which becomes clear if you peruse her blog recipe archives and take a look at the many creative breakfast offerings. She and I have spent a lot of time discussing our mutual love of breakfast, from waffles to hash. When Ashley stayed with me in NYC a few years ago, we had almost too much fun making pumpkin oatmeal together. And when I stayed with her in Denver, I had the chance to sample her divine vegan vanilla waffles with vanilla maple cashew cream. On that same trip, we joked about co-authoring an all-muffin cookbook (the muffin diet?), dedicated to our mutual love of muffins.
Working closely with Ashley has been one of the highlights of this past year. Ashley is lending her incredible talent as a photographer to my new cookbook, and I am so lucky to have her on board. It’s not only that she makes food look beautiful, which she does. It’s also that she’s the most valuable kind of collaborator: creative, practical, energetic, patient, kind. I’m learning a lot from her.
It came as an unexpected but delightful surprise when Ashley told me that she and her husband Chris were expecting their first child, and I’ve felt very honored to watch her go through the experience of pregnancy as we work together. I know that she’ll be a loving parent, and I suspect that her daughter has many incredible, homemade breakfasts to look forward to as she grows up.
Today, Sonja and I are co-hosting a little virtual baby bash to celebrate the arrival of Ashley’s little girl this coming winter. Knowing Ashley’s passion for breakfast, we couldn’t help but make it breakfast-themed. Here’s a list of the delicious dishes, both savory and sweet, that blogger friends are sharing today:
Cornbread Waffles with Maple Mascarpone Schmear | A Couple Cooks
Pear and Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal | Eating Made Easy
Eggs Florentine | Brooklyn Supper
Fried Chicken and Waffles with Almond Butter Kale Slaw | Climbing Grier Mountain
Winter Vegetable Breakfast Skillet | Flourishing Foodie
Homemade Nutella Toasts | The Faux Martha
Fancy Avocado Toast | A Beautiful Plate
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Waffles | Making Thyme for Health
Deep Fried Nutella French Toast | I am a Food Blog
Verde Shakshuka | Beard & Bonnet
We’re celebrating on Instagram, too, with the hashtag #ediblebabybash, and a lot of other blogger friends will be contributing that way! You can search for the hashtag to see what breakfast creations folks are cooking up.
As for this dish, I love its smoky flavors and the contrast of creamy grits with toothsome tempeh and tender brussels sprouts. I made it for brunch over the weekend, but I enjoyed having the leftovers for dinner every bit as much. If you don’t have brussels sprouts, you can try substituting a leafy green, like kale or collards, instead: simply sauté the onion first (instead of cooking the onion and brussels sprouts together), then stir in your greens in, cook them till tender, and then fold in the sausage crumbles.
This dish is such a nutritious way to wake up. I love protein and fiber-packed breakfasts like this one; they have a lot of staying power, and they’re perfect for making before heading out for a busy day or before facing a long, chilly morning. If you have leftovers, they’ll make excellent repeat breakfasts: I recommend reheating the grits in a small saucepan with some extra almond milk or water to help keep them creamy.
Enjoy this meal, and I hope you’ll get a chance to check out the other breakfast and brunch ideas! Ashley: happy shower to you, and may your family life include many satisfying morning meals to come.
Till soon,
xo
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A longtime fan of Genaโs food, this is one of my fall/winter go-to dishes, so thank you! Tonight, needing to use up some odd bits, I substituted half the (red) onion with a chopped jalapeรฑo and a couple of scallions. It gave a nice kick to the finished entrรฉe. This recipe totally works either way. Yum!
Love this modification, Elaine. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t normally leave comments but holy !!! these were so good! Made me non-vegan family very pleased so definitely recommend!
So so glad you enjoyed them!
I LOVELOVELOVE this recipe. I haven’t quite mastered making delicious grits so I often substitute with a tube of polenta but I cannot get enough of this one! Every time i made it i go on a kick of having it every week. Thank you so much for sharing this one!!
Hooray so glad you like!
Oh my goodness Gena! I am loving this tempeh and brussel sautรฉ, so inspiring. And I love how you two are such breakfast people, between you and Ashley I think most of the world would be set for delicious breakfasts ;). So sweet how you two have been working together too, what a neat opportunity to collaborate like this on a cookbook. I cannot wait to see it’s stunning pages, so excited for you lady! Hope you are having a gorgeous week, all the hugs – xo
nutritious dish…healthy vegan breakfast..
I love your veganized grits and sausage dish! Its looks very delicious, especially this grits. Perfect breakfast for me. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely love that you’ve veganized grits and sausage. That is awesome! And what a sweet idea to do a virtual baby shower!
I would totally buy your muffin book, haha! That sounds like a brilliant idea. ๐
I consider myself a breakfast person and I can’t think of a more comforting or satisfying way to start the day than with a meal like this. All of the flavors are a match made in heaven!
This breakfast sounds amazing! I’m usually not one of savory breakfasts, but this is definitely something I could wake up too!
I just made my inaugural tempeh sausage last night, and I was floored that it had taken me so long to meet this magical substance! I have been brainstorming different ways to use it, and this one sounds just about perfect. I have some broccoli in my fridge, and I think it would be a lovely pair for these flavors. Congrats to Ashley as well!
Congrats to sweet Ashley! I love the look of this, especially with my recent obsession with brussels sprouts. Tempeh as always kind of been something I don’t know what to do with, so I should probably start here ๐
Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat, but I rarely find myself inspired to make it. I can, and have, lived off of toast and peanut butter for weeks at a time. These grits and brussels sprouts just look so good that I want to wake up and make breakfast. I’m going to have to give breakfast cooking another go.
What a surprise I woke up to this morning!! My goodness am I feeling loved today. I couldn’t ask for better friends than you and Sonja. Truly, I feel beyond lucky to have found you two through this blogging world and cannot imagine my life without either one of you. I love that we both share an obsession for breakfast and this recipe will definitely go on my to-make weekend breakfast list! I know Chris will really enjoy this one, too! Thanks again for hosting, for this incredibly sweet and generous post, and for being an amazing friend. Working together has been a huge highlight of my year as well. Love you! xo