Breakfasts Archives - Page 4 of 6

Vegan Thanksgiving Brunch

November 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 25

Happy Thanksgiving!

About a week and a half ago, we had our first vegan Thanksgiving dinner, so today, we had our first vegan Thanksgiving brunch. As much as I love vegan food, particularly breakfast foods, today wasn’t all about the food. The last few months for us have given us many reasons to be thankful for what we have. Earlier this month we lost a friend to cancer. She left behind a husband and two young daughters. Another friend is battling leukemia, while a blogging friend shared her own family’s tragedy of nearly losing her nephew to drowning. Unfortunately, it often takes these situations to make us appreciate what we have, one of which, is our health. So it was a day of thanks and remembrance—served with delicious vegan food!

The star of the show was Stuffed French Toast:

INGREDIENTS:

1 loaf French bread, sliced 3/4″ thick
8-oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 C walnuts, chopped

Batter:

3 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer + 4 Tbs water
1/2 pkg of Silken Tofu (which worked perfectly since I used the other half to make the hash brown casserole)
1 C almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Cream together the cream cheese and pineapple. Stir in the walnuts. If making this step the night before (like I did), add the walnuts the next day, just before using. Otherwise, they’ll get too soft. To make the batter, combine the egg replacer powder and water in the food processor and process until fluffy. Add tofu, milk and vanilla; combine well and transfer to a shallow bowl. Basically, create sandwiches with the French bread and the cream cheese filling.

Dip each “sandwich” in the batter to cover each side. Preheat a flat griddle on the stove and use some cooking spray. Brown each side as if making a grilled cheese. I then transferred them to a plate in a warm oven until ready to eat. Top with some Earth Balance and syrup.

I also made my favorite hash brown casserole:

I also made vegan cheese danishes that I made before, but this time, used cranberries for the filling.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz Tofutti cream cheese
1/2 can cranberry sauce with whole berries
1 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs Earth Balance, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS:
Cream everything together. I used the food processor, but I recommend using a mixer—I pureed it a bit too much.

Click HERE for the danish recipe.

We also had a great fruit salad with an agave-lime dressing. (I’ll get the recipe posted soon)

For dessert, my mom made Vegetarian Times’ Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Isn’t it gorgeous?! My mom has always made beautiful and delicious pies. The taste and consistency was outstanding and sure tasted like pumpkin pie to everyone. It was the perfect ending to a perfect brunch.

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving has been filled with thanks, love and amazing food!

Colorful Kale and Potato Casserole

November 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Oh my gosh, this was delicious!! The flavors of the Field Roast sausage and Vegan Rella, really made this dish. This was the first time I used Vegan Rella’s cheddar flavor and like the mozzarella variety, I was in love at first bite. It is truly the best-tasting vegan cheese out there and it melts like it’s nobody’s biz. Combined with the Field Roast, there’s no need to add any other seasonings, which is always a time and money saver!

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
1-1/2 C red potatoes, diced small
1-1/2 C kale, stemmed and chopped
1 Field Roast sausage link, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled
1 C cracker crumbs
1 large tomato, diced
1-1/2 C Vegan Rella, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and cook the potatoes until they begin to soften and brown. Add the Field Roast and kale and cook a few minutes more, covered, until the kale starts to wilt. Layer the crackers on the bottom of a pie plate and sprinkle some cheeze on the crackers. (Vegan Rella can be pretty sticky, so don’t knock yourself out trying to spread it too much).

Transfer the potato mixture to the pie plate and spread evenly.

Sprinkle on the rest of the cheeze and then the diced tomato.

Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Let sit a few minutes before digging into it. Enjoy! (And btw, thanks, Field Roast for the FB shout out–as you know, I LOVE your products and I’m hoping to get my local health food stores to carry more of them)!

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

October 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The Sixth Grader helped me make pancakes—he’s actually quite a seasoned pancake-flipper and was very explicit in his instructions. He wanted to make sure I told all of you the importance of not pressing down on the pancake once it is flipped; you lose all fluffiness. These are simple to throw together and if you’re lucky enough to have a Pancake-Flipper pro, breakfast is done in no time!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
3 Tbs baking powder
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 C vanilla almond milk
4 Tbs vegetable oil
Cooking spray
Earth Balance margarine
Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk in milk and oil and combine until smooth.

Spray a skillet or flat griddle and heat on medium heat. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 C of batter to make each pancake. A good rule of thumb when making these is to wait until air holes/bubbles form before flipping. Flip and cook until golden brown (and remember, no pressing down with the spatula)!

I typically keep them warm in the oven until finished, then smother with some Earth Balance and maple syrup and enjoy!

Makes about a dozen pancakes.

*I don’t recommend this batter for waffles. We tried that the next morning and it didn’t work to swell.

Potato-Leek Breakfast Casserole

October 12, 2010 by epicureanvegan

As some of you may already know, I LOVE to make breakfast stuff, I just don’t always have the time. This morning is rainy and chilly and a good morning to stay in. So since we get lots of vegetables from our CSA, I usually have to have at least one meal a week where I need to raid the refrigerator of on-the-verge produce that needs to get eaten. Oftentimes, its a mixture of stuff you wouldn’t think of putting together, but you’d be surprised how well vegetables get along with each other! Of course, I had to add my favorite go-to protein. . .Field Roast! A shocker, huh? Because of the flavor and spices in the grain meat, there is no need for a long list of spices, plus you’re getting 23 grams of protein per link! If you have the time, this is a great way to start the morning, or serve at brunch.

Cute little potatoes from the CSA–perfect for a dish like this!

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
1-1/2 C red potatoes, diced
2 leeks, chopped (mostly white parts, with some green)
1/3 of a napa cabbage, chopped
1/2 a bell pepper, diced (any variety)
1-2 Field Roast sausage links, Mexican Chipotle flavor
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/2 C vegan cheddar, shredded and divided (or use a mixture with vegan Jack and cheddar)
1-1/2 to 2 cups hearty cracker crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a 9×13 baking dish, line the bottom with the crackers. I like a hearty cracker that won’t fall apart. I just scoured our pantry and used a variety of leftovers–some stone-ground wheat ones and some Ritz-like ones. I would stay away from Triscuits–they make it too dry. Layer on about 1/2 of the cheddar cheese onto the cracker crust.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, covered. but stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and leeks and cook another 5-10 minutes.

Next, add the cabbage and Field Roast. Don’t worry about chopping the cabbage up too small—it will cook down and wilt quite a bit. Season with a little salt and pepper.

When the potatoes are a little soft, but still with some crunch, layer vegetable mixture onto the cracker crust. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake, covered for 20 minutes. If the cheese isn’t melted enough, uncover and bake another 3-4 minutes.

Enjoy!

Almond Sour Cream Coffee Cake

September 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love almond anything. I even love anything almond-scented. This cake was a breeze to make and has a cake/cookie consistency. In fact, the dough is very cookie dough-like, so don’t be alarmed–it’s supposed to be that way! A slice of this is perfect for dessert or with that morning tea or coffee.

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1/2 C Earth Balance margarine
1 C sugar
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
4 Tbs water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 C Tofutti sour cream
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
Strudel:
1/2 C brown sugar
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs butter
Glaze:
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
2-3 tsp non dairy milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and water; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Add “egg” mixture to butter mixture and combine well. Add vanilla and almond extracts and stir well to combine. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour and sour cream to the butter mixture, but do it alternatively; starting and ending with the flour. The mixture will resemble cookie dough.

For the strudel, chop up the butter, add the brown sugar and flour and use a pastry blender to make it crumbly. Grease a bundt pan and sprinkle 1/3 of strudel in the pan. Next, take take 1/2 of the dough and using your hands, spread it somewhat evenly in the pan, on top of the strudel. Add another 1/3 of the strudel, then the other half of the dough. Sprinkle with remaining strudel.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and the nondairy milk. Drizzle over warm cake and enjoy!

(It will most-likely look like an over-grown doughnut)!

Recipe: Adapted from cooks.com

Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

September 18, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The other night I made Field Roast with Blueberry Sauce and had some leftover sauce. That called for morning waffles. This is a healthy, hearty waffle that will stick to the ribs. I highly recommend doubling the recipe if feeding more than 2 people–as it is, it only makes about 4-6 small waffles. It’s a simple recipe where everything just goes in the blender and you’re ready to go!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C water
2 Tbs sugar
1 C quick-cooking oats
1/4 C cornmeal
4 Tbs ground flax seed
1/4 C cashews
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Sauce:
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs white wine
2/3 C blueberry juice
1-2/3 C vegetable broth
3/4 C fresh blueberries
2 Tbs cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
For the waffles: Blend all ingredients in a blender for 1 minute. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to thicken up. Spoon 1/2 cup (or what is recommended for your waffle iron). Spread out a little with a spatula. I had the oven on warm and kept the waffles warm as I made them. In the meantime, I reheated the blueberry sauce in a small saucepan over med-low heat. If you’re using leftover sauce, it will have a jelly like consistency, so add a smidge of water. Stir it occasionally. The sauce itself doesn’t take long to make: In a large saucepan, add sugar and about 1/8 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Add rice vinegar when the sugar changes color. Boil again and add the white wine. Reduce to a syrup, then add the blueberry juice and reduce to half, about 4 minutes. Add broth and boil to desired consistency–you will probably need to mix the cornstarch with about 1/8-1/4 cup of water and then add to the sauce to thicken. Add blueberries and taste for seasoning. The sauce yields about 2 cups. Enjoy!

Recipe source: The Joy of Vegan Baking

Field Roast Sausage and Vegetable Hash

September 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When I began to make this, just throwing stuff together, I wasn’t planning on posting it, but then I tasted it and damn, I knew I had to share it. Even The Husband called it hands-down the best, most phenomenal breakfast burrito/hash he’s ever had. Wow. Now that my “chef-ego” is inflated, here you go:

INGREDIENTS:
2 Field Roast sausages, Italian flavor
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 a large onion, diced
1 small zucchini, sliced then quartered
1 C sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil
vegan cheddar, shredded
Flour tortillas, warmed
Garlic & Wine seasoning, to taste (So this is a blend that we got from The Melting Pot a million years ago and here’s what’s in it: salt, soya flour, garlic, sherry wine flavor, cracked pepper, select imported spices, citric acid, and parsley).

DIRECTIONS:
Saute the potatoes in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add the green pepper, onion, and zucchini. Over medium heat, cover and let saute for about another 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Season with the garlic blend and then add the sausage (I just tear it apart into small pieces) and the mushrooms. Season again with the garlic blend and cover another 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are just softening.

Scoop some onto a warmed tortilla and add a little cheese. YUM! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

August 20, 2010 by epicureanvegan

So I finally got The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, author of my other favorite cookbook, The Vegan Table, and as you can see . . . I’ve already picked out some recipes to try.

Ideal timing for the coming fall and winter! The 6th Grader was craving coffee cake, so that’s where we started and it didn’t disappoint. The recipe is quite easy and perfect for throwing together for last minute guests.

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 C nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/3 C canola oil
1 Tbs white distilled vinegar
1 C unbleached, all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I used all purpose)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
Crumble:
3/4 C unbleached all purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour (again, I used all purpose)
1/4 C granulated or brown sugar (I used brown sugar)
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C chopped walnuts (I used pecans as I was out of walnuts)
1/3 C canola oil or nondairy butter, melted (I used Earth Balance butter)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9″ square baking dish/cake pan. To make cake, combine milk, oil, and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the milk mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

To make the crumble, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and walnuts. Add the butter or oil and use your hands to thoroughly work it into the dry ingredients. Spoon on top of the batter (I found sprinkling with my hands worked better) and covering the entire area.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature. I think this would also be yummy if drizzled with some some icing once it cooled completely. . . Enjoy!

Zucchini-Tofu Scramble with Roasted Red Peppers

August 19, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love tofu scrambles—as you have probably already gathered, but they’re so easy to change up and are perfect for those times when you need to clean out the produce drawer of on-the-verge-veggies. You can pile it into a wrap or a toasted English muffin, or just eat it as it is. I had half a package of tofu just waiting for me to use it, so it was easy to figure out what to make. A great protein-packed breakfast to start the day.

INGREDIENTS:
12 or 14 oz tofu, extra firm, drained and pressed
1 small zucchini, sliced, then quartered
1 jarred roasted red pepper, diced
1/3 C salsa
3 green onions, sliced
1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3-1/2 C Vegan cheese, shredded (any kind you like: cheddar, pepper jack, Monterrey Jack, etc)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
A few dashes cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the roasted red pepper and saute another 5 minutes. In a small bowl, break up the tofu to resemble scrambled eggs. Add turmeric, cumin, and cayenne; stir to combine. Add tofu and green onions; combine well with the veggies. Saute for about 4 minutes and then stir in the salsa, cilantro, and cheese. Finish off with salt and pepper and then top individual servings with some avocado. Enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos

August 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love lazy Sunday mornings. The Husband and I decided to combine forces and throw together a tasty breakfast. He loves hasbhbrowns, so he fired those up and I worked on the rest of the ingredients in another pan. It was a lovely joint venture.

INGREDIENTS:
1 16-oz bag hashbrowns
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 Field Roast sausages (Chipotle flavor)
1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Flour tortillas, warmed
Optional ingredients: Tofutti sour cream, vegan shredded cheddar, salsa

DIRECTIONS:
Pretty easy: The Husband seasoned the hashbrowns with salt and pepper and cooked them in one skillet, while I sauteed the peppers in some olive oil for about 10-15 minutes in another skillet. I then added the sausage, which just needs to be heated through–no “cooking” involved. I had two leftover sausages from the casserole, so this was perfect. Then I added the green onions and cooked them a few more minutes until they began to soften. Once the hashbrowns were browned, about 25 minutes, we combined the two pans and stirred in the cilantro. Spoon onto a tortilla, adding the optional ingredients, if using. Enjoy!