Mushroom Salad
Photo: Ajna Jai / Contributor
Breakfast has become one of my favorite meals of the day. I want it to cook quickly but I prefer to enjoy it slowly, alongside an aromatic up of chai, unfettered yet by the day’s needs and wants. While eggs used to make a big part of breakfast meals, I have now graduated to eating mostly vegetables for breakfast. If my daughter Ajna walks over for breakfast, I know for sure I’ll be making a very simple green salad with any vegetables I may have picked up at the weekend farmer’s market. Sometimes raw sometimes roasted. Maybe a grating of cheese on top but for sure, a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds. Dressing is composed of just olive oil and lemon juice, sometimes balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt. A salad for which no recipe is required, just cook what you have.
When I want something meatier for breakfast, I go for this mushroom salad. There are several mushroom vendors at the market who sell from oyster to shiitake to portobello mushrooms and I buy a weekly stash. On those mornings, I’ll rough chop a few mushrooms and cook them with a pinch of salt, cumin seeds and olive oil. On a cold day, I’ll add a minced serrano to help amp up my digestive fire. Alongside sliced radish and avocado, the mushrooms become a glorious breakfast. Maybe some lettuce leaves on the side, herbs, or microgreens. Satisfying and deeply flavorful yet light and nourishing.