anytime

breakfast porridge with raisins

• Makes 2 to 4 servings

This is a great porridge to make when you have grains left over. You can do any combination of grains, or all brown rice is good too.

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup unsweetened almond or rice milk

Handful raisins (optional)

Pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Generous dash cinnamon

Walnuts, toasted, for garnish

Put all the ingredients, except the walnuts, in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Serve immediately in bowls garnished with nuts.

gluten-free banana walnut pancakes

• Makes about 12 four-inch-round pancakes

Growing up with my dad, we only had pancakes made with Bisquick. I’ve come a long way since those days, and this pancake is the tastiest I’ve made since going vegan. You may need to add more milk (perhaps up to ¹⁄₂ cup more) to get the right consistency, so the pancakes cook all the way through.

Oil spray, for pan

1¹⁄₂ cups brown rice flour

1¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder

Pinch sea salt

¹⁄₂ teaspoon cinnamon

1¹⁄₂ cups unsweetened almond, rice, or soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

2 ripe bananas, mashed

¹⁄₂ cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mash banana well with a fork and stir into wet. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Stir in nuts if using.

Heat skillet and spray with oil. Pour about ¹⁄₄ cup pancake batter into skillet over medium flame. When you start to see bubbles forming and the edges getting done, it’s time to flip the pancake. Heat on other side for two minutes and remove from skillet. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter.

vegan “eggs” benedict

• Makes 4 to 6 servings

One of my favorite cafés in Los Angeles has a vegan benedict that needed some work so I decided to make my own version. I’m delighted by the way it turned out! I’ve never eaten real “eggs benedict” before, so I’m not sure how close this is to the real thing, but it doesn’t really matter because it’s awesome!

8 slices gluten-free bread, toasted

2 tomatoes, sliced ¹⁄₄-inch thick

1 bunch kale, chopped and blanched

Southwest tofu scramble (page 53) made with 1 teaspoon each of oregano and marjoram instead of cumin and chili powder

no-oil hollandaise sauce

Makes about 2 cups

1 package Mori Nu silken tofu

¹⁄₂ cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon white or yellow miso

2 tablespoons tamari

1 lemon, juiced

¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric

Dash black pepper

¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon arrowroot

Unsweetened nondairy milk, as needed (to thin sauce)

Blend all sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and no lumps remain.

to assemble the benedict:

Place toasted bread on a plate. Layer with tomato slices and kale, then tofu scramble.

Top with no-oil hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately.
 

blissful variation

Layer in sizzling tempeh bacon, on page 45, on top of bread.

 

blissful definition

Miso is a fermented soybean paste that has been traditionally used in Asia for making soup stocks. It offers many health benefits. Miso comes in a wide range of flavors—the darker misos have been fermented longer, have richer flavors, and are more nutritious. Be sure to never boil miso, because that kills the enzymes and healing properties that are naturally inside.

 

blissful trick

If you're not familiar with blanching, see page 107 for info on various cooking techniques.

vegan “eggs” benedict

southwest tofu scramble

• Makes 4 to 6 servings

This will be the best tofu scramble you have ever tasted—I promise. The trick is to use a nonstick pan (the nontoxic kind) and let the tofu cook on one side until it gets brown before flipping.

Oil spray, for skillet

1 package (14 ounces) extra firm tofu, pressed if needed, then crumbled

¹⁄₃ cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 medium carrot, small dice

Pinch sea salt

1 cup zucchini, small dice

5 mushrooms, sliced

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients until thoroughly mixed; set aside. Meanwhile, spray skillet with oil and sauté carrots with a pinch of sea salt until almost tender. Add zucchini and mushrooms and sauté for two more minutes with lid on. Remove from pan and set aside.

Spray the same pan with oil spray and heat again over medium flame. Layer tofu mixture along the bottom of the pan about ¹⁄₂-inch thick (you may have to cook the tofu in two batches depending on the size of your pan). Let sit for five minutes before flipping. Cook on the other side until golden brown. Stir in veggies and serve immediately.
 

blissful variation

This is excellent served as a sandwich for the kids or wrapped in a tortilla for a quick lunch.