Breakfast Bars

 For a not-too-sweet brekkie on the go...

Ingredients
{1 and 1/4 cup} plain flour
{1/4 tsp} sea salt
{1/4 tsp} bicarbonate of soda
{1/4 cup} grapeseed oil
{1/4 cup} agave nectar
{1 tsp} vanilla extract
{1/2 cup} shredded coconut
{1/2 cup} pumpkin seeds
{1/2 cup} sunflower seeds

{1/4 cup} pecan nuts

{1/4 cup} cranberries (but raisins would work too)

Method

> Preheat the oven to 180C.

> In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients well.
> Layer a small baking tray with baking paper.
> Scoop out mixture and press down flat.
> Bake for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Blueberry Pancakes

Every good day begins with pancakes.

yummy



yummy yummy

yummy yummy yummy

yummy yummy yummy yummy

The blueberries bled through the pancakes. Purpilicious (and burpilicious).

So much so, it looked rather murderous.

Yummy yummy in my tummy.

Recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance

Sauce: a mixture of apple sauce, maple syrup and peanut butter.

Pecan and Banana Pancakes

Adapted from Vegan With A Vengeance

Today, I left the house in just a cardigan. Hello spring. Good to see you.

Ingredients:

{85g} plain flour

{3/4 tsp} baking powder

{3/4 tsp} bicarbonate of soda

{1/4 tsp} salt

{1/4 tsp} ground cinnamon

{3} bananas, mashed (plus an extra banana for filling)

{150ml} unsweetened soya milk

{1/2 tsp} apple cider vinegar

{1/2 tbsp} grapeseed oil 

{1/2 tsp} vanilla extract

{25g} pecan nuts

Cooking spray for the pan

Method: 

1. Mix together the soya milk and vinegar - set aside for 5 minutes 

2. In a mixing bowl, sift the plain flour. Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In mixing bowl #2, mash up the bananas and stir with the soya milk/vinegar, oil, and vanilla extract until fairly smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Throw in the pecan nuts and fold the mixtures together until 'just mixed.'

5. Heat up a frying pan with oil spray - medium/low heat. Pour three tbsp worth of pancake batter into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is golden-brown (1-2 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook the otherside (1-2 minutes).

6. Slip on to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep in the heat. And make more pancakes!

7. Serve with slices of banana and LOTS of maple syrup.

These pancakes made me so happy.

Yesterday, I made Cupcake Ninja my Toated Walnut Spaghetti. I also made some amazing garlic bread to go with it, but alas, we gobbled it all up before I could get any pictures.

Cooking casualties: one very burnt and peeling forearm. One very tahini covered shirt.

Scrambled Tofu

This brekkie staple is better than any scrambled eggs I ever had. Adapted from Vegan With A Vengeance.

 

Ingredients:

{1/2} large white onion, diced

{100g} small white mushrooms, thinly sliced

{2 cloves} garlic, finely chopped

{280g} extra-firm tofu, drained

{3 tbsp} nutritional yeast flakes

Juice of 1/4 lemon

{1/2} medium-sized carrot, grated

{1 tsp} ground cumin

{1/2 tsp} dried thyme

{1/2 tsp} ground paprika

{1/4 tsp} ground turmeric

{1/2 tsp} sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to  taste

Method:

1. Skillet: medium-high heat, warm up with a little oil spray. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes, until soft and browning. Add the mushrooms - 5 minutes. Add the garlic - 2 minutes. Take off the heat and throw in the cumin, thyme, paprika, turmeric, and sea salt. Mix together and cook for 15 seconds. Add a splash of water to gather up all the spicy yumminess off the bottom off the pan - especially if it's starting to stick.

2. Crumble in the tofu, but don't squish it! Big chunks are good. Let it cook for 15 minutes. If it's sticking add a little bit more water and turn down the heat. 

3. Add lemon juice, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Stir until well combined. Fold in the grated carrot. 

Plain Pancakes

Yesterday was my two-year veganniversary (three years not eating meat!). So, to celebrate, I bought myself Vegan With A Vengeance and got my pancake apron on.

 Ingredients:

{150g} plain flour, sifted
{2 tsp} baking powder
{1/2 tsp} sea salt
{1 tsp} cinnamon
{2 tbsp} grapeseed oil
{5 tbsp} water
{300 ml} unsweetened soya milk
{1 tsp} vanilla extract

Method:

Sift and mix together the plain flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add salt. In a different bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour the wet mixture over the dry, and whisk up with a fork until just combined. Go for a few flour lumps rather than overmixing.

Heat up a skillet with a little oil spray for about 2 minutes. Cook pancakes until they start to bubble and slip easily in the pan. Then flip! Don't be shy. It's 15% technique, 85% confidence. Alternatively, carefully use a spatula. Brown off both sides and serve with lashings of maple syrup.

Sunrise Muesli

Thought this up at dawn, whilst on today's 5.5 mile run: a little bit of sunshine in your breakfast bowl.

{1 heaping cup} oats
{1/4 cup} raw coconut chips
{1/2 cup} raw mango flesh, peeled and diced
{1 tbsp} bittersweet, vegan dark chocolate, crushed (cacao nibs would be lovely, as an alternative)
{1 tbsp} dried cranberries
{1 tbsp} raisins
{1/4 cup} pecan halves
{1/4 cup} hazelnut kernels
{1/4 tsp} sea salt
{1/4 tsp} cinnamon (optional)
{1/2 tsp} maple syrup, to drizzle (optional)
Dairy-free milk, to taste (I used unsweetened soy milk)

Placing the chocolate pieces in a plastic bag, hit with a rolling pin (or something heavy) to break up - set aside.

Then, in a dry saucepan, on a medium-low heat, toast the pecans and hazelnuts, making sure not to burn them.

In a breakfast bowl, add the oats, chocolate, cinnamon, salt, coconut chips, half the toasted nuts, half the cranberries, and half the raisins. Give it a good mix, then top off with the mango, and the rest of the nuts/cranberries/raisins. Pour over your favourite dairy-free milk, and set aside for a few minutes to let it soak. Top up with a bit more milk and drizzle with a little maple syrup.

Carob Porridge

{1/3 cup} oats
{A pinch} salt
{1 and 1/2 - 2 cups} non-dairy milk (I used soy)
{1 heaping tbsp} carob powder
{1/2 tbsp} cocoa powder
{1 tbsp} maple syrup, or to taste
{1 tbsp} peanut butter

Saucepan: heat up the oats and salt with the non-dairy milk, keeping about 1/2 cup of milk aside. When the oats are cooked, add the 1/2 cup milk, carob powder, and maple syrup, and give it all a good stir over heat for about ten seconds.

Serve with a dollop of crunchy peanut butter.

Maybe a little dark chocolate, if you can stomach it.

Amaranth Porridge

Here we go again with another fabulous breakfast recipe...at lunchtime! Think of this as an oatmeal alternative. Rich source of protein. So, if you've been doing any strenuous exercise, amaranth porridge is a great pick-me-up for those aching muscles.

{1 cup} Amaranth Seeds
{2 and 1/2 cups} Filtered Water
{1 cup} Soy Milk (although, I'm sure any other vegan milk will do)
{2 handfulls} Raisins
{1 tbsp} Nut Butter (peanut - what I had in stock)
Something sweet: A drizzle of agave nectar, maple syrup, or maybe some slightly melted vegan chocolate (optional)

Saucepan: in the water, cook the amaranth for twenty-five minutes over a medium heat. Then add the soy milk and raisins - keep cooking for ten more minutes. Take off the hob, serve with nut butter and a little something sweet.

Cranberry Oatmeal

This is a Toast staple. Oh...oats...oh baby...

{40g} porridge oats
{200ml} unsweetened soya (or any vegan milk of your choice)
{100 ml} water
{1/2 tsp} salt
{1 tsp} peanut butter
{1 handful} dried cranberries
{A drizzle} maple syrup

Heat up the oats, water, soya, and salt in a saucepan for a few minutes, until the oats have cooked. Pour into a food blender. Whizz it up. Serve with peanut butter, cranberries and maple syrup.

Alternatively, if you want to make this raw: soak the oats overnight in water (just enough to cover the oats) with some raw salt. In the morning, stick it in the food blender, add raw nuts, fresh fruit, and sweeten with agave nectar.

SIMPLE.

Nutty Maple Granola

It's pancake day...

...so let's make some Granola!

WET
{4 tbsp} maple syrup
{1 tbsp} agave nectar
{1 tsp} golden syrup (Tate & Lyle, or any other vegan brand, please - alternatively, any other sweetener you like)
{1 tbsp} coconut oil
{2 tbsp} apple sauce
{2 tbsp} peanut butter
{1/3 cup} brown sugar

DRY
{2 and 1/2 cups} oats
{2 cups} raw hazlenuts
{1 cup} raw pecans
{1 cup} raw walnuts
{1 cup} coconut flakes
{1 tsp} ground cinnamon (a generous one)
{A dash} ground nutmeg
{3/4 tsp} sea salt

ADD-INS
dried cranberries
raisins

Preheat the oven to 140C. In a bowl, mix together the DRY ingredients.

Meanwhile, heat up the WET ingredients in a saucepan for a few minutes.

Pour the WET mixture over the DRY and stir for a while, until the DRY stuff is all gloopy and moist. Then, cover a tray with baking paper and spoon on the mixture. Obviously eating bits as you go.

Whack it in the oven for 40-45 minutes, but WATCH IT LIKE A HAWK. This baby burns easily. You need to take it out AT LEAST once every 15 minutes and give it a stir. Ideally, stay close to the oven - you can smell it overcooking. This granola-veteran has seen one too many oaty tragedies.

Leave it to cool for 20-25 minutes. Add in cranberries and raisins to taste.

Store in a glass jar.

And enjoy your sexy granola with any vegan milk. I use unsweetened soya...and obviously an extra spoon of nutty butter!

Wakey-Wakey Breakfast Fruit Bowl

Assorted fruit: I used pineapple, raspberries, cranberries, mango, banana, and organic, local apples

{150-200g} Alpro Plain Soya Yoghurt

note: this would be nice with a sprinkle of toasted nuts / cinnamon / flaxseed / cocoa nibs / crushed vegan choccie / vegan rich tea biscuits (most supermarkets have cheap packets that are vegan)/ granola... have a play

Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces.


Pretty organic apples from Cracked Wheat Organics , Newtown, Powys. A wonderful wholefood shop!





Make a well and spoon in the plain soya yoghurt.



Decorate with fruity pretties. And brew yourself a nice herbal tea. I pukka-ed up with love.



Come on, this wouldn't be a vegan food blog without a bad pun or two...