Tempeh and Black Bean Breakfast Hash

I needed a pick-me-up breakfast this week, something exploding with flavor and packed with energy that would help get me through the day.

It's been cold here recently, too many days of indoor recess for the kids, too many mornings walking to work where I couldn't stay warm despite the layers I piled on. I even tried out a new coffee shop, half a block from my work, because it felt too cold to carry a cup of coffee six blocks. Things were that serious.

It's the kind of weather that makes me want to hibernate, to pull on sweaters, pile on blankets and eat some comfort food.

While this certainly isn't a typical comfort food breakfast, it's got all the tastes and flavors I grew up on. Yes, all of them. Even the tempeh. I was the kid who grew with sauteed tempeh next to my bacon on the weekends, and I loved it.

Each bite has something different. There's crunch from the tempeh, sweetness from the sauteed tomatoes and roasted carrots, and satisfying protein from the tempeh and black beans. To bolster it for dinners, I added a fried egg and avocado.

I made a cast-iron skillet full on Sunday and heated up servings each morning for breakfast. It was certainly worth getting up a few minutes earlier each day so I could heat it up.

I'm linking up to Healthy Vegan Fridays! 

Tempeh and Black Bean Breakfast Hash 
recipe adapted from Whole Living

This made about 8 breakfast-sized servings.

Ingredients:
4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (peel on)
5 regular sized carrots, scrubbed and chopped (peel on)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 package tempeh, cubed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cubed red potatoes and chopped carrots with olive oil, transfer to a baking tray and roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the vegetables are cooked mostly through.

While the vegetables are roasting: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and stir regularly until the onions are softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Transfer the onion and garlic mixture to the side of the pan, and add the cubed tempeh. Allow the tempeh to cook for about 2 minutes before flipping it to another side. Flip the tempeh two to three times, and then stir the tempeh together with the onion and the garlic.

Add the diced jalapeno, black beans, nutritional yeast and cherry tomatoes. Mix in the roasted vegetables.

Continue stirring for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes have softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate and reheat for breakfast for the week. This is delicious with a poached egg or fried egg on top.