brunch Archives - Page 3 of 4

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

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!

Vegan Sausage Breakfast Casserole

August 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

It was a beautiful, lazy morning, and I love to cook in the morning, however, it seems I usually don’t have the time. It was also a good opportunity to clean out the fridge of the on-the-verge veggies that I just couldn’t see get thrown away. This casserole was creamy, spicy and a great way to start the day. (And to satisfy my morning-cooking-craving.) The 6th Grader even said, “Dad better not eat it all before tomorrow morning.”

INGREDIENTS:
2 Field Roast Sausages, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled
1/4 of a head of cabbage, any variety, shredded
1/2 a large red bell pepper, diced
1 large leek, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 C crackers, broken into large crumbles (herbed crackers would be nice for added flavor)
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1-3/4 C vegan cheddar, shredded and divided
Dashes of cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Spread cracker crumbles on the bottom of a 9×13″ pan; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add bell pepper, cabbage, leek, and sausage. Saute about 10-12 minutes until vegetables are just beginning to soften and turn brown. Add mushrooms, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper; cook another 3 minutes, or so.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream with about 3/4 cup of the cheddar. Layer on top of the cracker “crust”. You want to avoid dropping big clumps of it because you want it to be evenly spread on top of the crackers. Try and spread it around as best you can.

Layer with sausage mixture and spread it out evenly. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Let it sit a couple of minutes before slicing it up. Enjoy!

Tempeh Bacon

July 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I know many people who would consider going vegan, but the thought of giving up bacon brings tears to their eyes. (Think what it does to the piggies!) Tempeh bacon may not cut it for them, but I love this stuff. A little caramelized, it tastes wonderful. You could break it up for salads, sandwiches, tofu scrambles, or just snack on it as it is.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg (80z) tempeh
1/4 C tamari
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
3 Tbs maple syrup (I’m not a huge fan of maple-flavored stuff, so I used brown rice syrup)
1/4 C water
Canola oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS:
Steam the tempeh for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tamari, Liquid Smoke, syrup, and water. Mix well. Let tempeh cool before slicing it into thin, bacon-like strips.

Place slices in marinade (I used a large ziplock bag–just turn the bag over a few times to thoroughly marinate the slices) and let sit for as long as you like. Less than half and hour works great. After the tempeh has marinated, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the strips and each side until crisp. Sprinkle a little extra tamari and syrup on the tempeh while cooking—the tempeh will turn brown, caramelize, and get crisper and chewier . Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Enjoy!

(BaconLettuceTomatoAvocado)

Recipe source: The Vegan Table

Breakfast Frittata

June 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I absolutely love to cook in the morning, but I rarely get a chance to do so. But when I saw this recipe from Kelly at Vegan Thyme, I knew I had to make the time. It’s easy to make and you can use your favorite ingredients. (It’s a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge)!

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1 small pkg. sliced mushrooms (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 small onion, diced
3/4 C crackers, broken into medium-sized pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
Olive oil
A couple dashes of: thyme, rosemary, parsley, and smoked paprika
Filling:
I peeled and diced up three small potatoes, half a red bell pepper, and about a cup of diced red cabbage. Feel free to use whatever you’d like —maybe some hashbrowns, zucchini, artichokes, tempeh bacon or spinach.
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan cheddar, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large pan, heat olive oil, then add garlic. Saute mushrooms and onions until soft and tender. Season with thyme, rosemary, parsley, and paprika (or your favorite spices). Pour into a pie plate and press down with a spoon to create a crust. Layer on crackers and some cheese.

In the same pan, saute the potatoes, cabbage, and bell pepper.

Season with salt and pepper and cook, covered for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t worry about cooking it all through since it will be in the oven. Pour onto the crust.

Then another layer of cheese. (Moe came to investigate what I was doing):

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing into it. Enjoy! Thanks, Kelly! This is a fabulous recipe!

Stuffed French Toast

April 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

My mom made these for brunch this morning and they were so delicious, we ate the leftovers for dinner. The batter recipe is from The Kind Life but she stuffed them with Tofutti cream cheese with orange zest mixed in it. We took two slices of bread and “glued” them together with the cream cheese. For some, we added a layer of apricot jam. They reminded me of my mom’s stuffed french toast she used to make when I was a kid: cream cheese mixed with crushed pineapple and chopped walnuts.

INGREDIENTS:
Yeast-free bread slices (French Meadow Summer Bread or whole spelt bread are good options)
1 1/2 cups firm tofu
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons rice syrup
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Oil of your choice (olive, safflower, sunflower, etc.) for frying
Stuffing: 2- 8oz containers of Tofutti cream cheese, zest from one large orange and maybe some sugar for sweetness–blended together.

DIRECTIONS:
Blend all (non-optional) ingredients together until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add more soy milk. There are two ways to “stuff” the French toast. You can spread the cream cheese on two slices and sandwich them together, or if the slices are thick enough, split the slice with a knife, but only slice it about 3/4 of the way and fill with the stuffing. Dip bread in batter and fry in hot oiled skillet until browned on both sides. Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or any of your favorite toppings.