Potato, Tempeh, and Tofu Scramble
Vegan Shrimp and Scallion Scramble
Viva la Sunday Morning Sandwich
WAFFLES, PANCAKES, AND BRUNCH FAVORITES
Baked Vegan Chicken and Easy Waffles
Whole Wheat Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Blueberry Banana Bread Pancakes
Strawberry and Cream Quinoa Porridge
The ancient Romans had a toast that went something like this: aut viam inveniam aut faciam.
It means “I will either find a way or make one.” I think it’s a motto that any long-term vegan can relate to. Sometimes it takes a little creativity and effort to replace a beloved dish with something healthier and animal-free, but once you do, it really is a victory for everyone involved. Breakfast can often be the greatest challenge due to school buses, long showers, and alarm clocks with snooze buttons. In the end it’s always worth it to start your day with smoked tempeh rather than bacon. Choosing to start your day with a diet that’s better for you, the environment, and of course the animals, is never a bad idea.
Ab ovo usque ad mala… *
For many people, “breakfast” means “eggs.” So for many vegans, breakfast ends up meaning Clif bars, leftover Chinese food, or a tall soy hazelnut latte—which is a shame. It’s a fundamental law of physical science, on par with E = mc2 and the Pythagorean theorem, that breakfast food is the best food.** When it comes to the Right Breakfast, the sum of the square roots of hash browns and fakin’ bacon is equal to the square root of the remaining side (see what I did there?). Or something like that. The point I’m trying to make here is that everyone should eat breakfast—both because it’s good for you and because it’s delicious. And as a vegan, you shouldn’t let eggs’ traditional tyranny over the morning meal keep you down. Eggs can take our lives… but they cannot take our breakfast!
Not to get all “where do you get your protein” on you or anything, but the key to a nutritious breakfast is, well, protein. Hence the tyranny of eggs. A protein-centered meal is easy to digest and gives your body energy to keep you running all morning. It’ll help keep you focused and alert. Carbs don’t give you that same boost—they’re harder to digest and make your body do more work in the morning, when you’re already trying to feed the cats and take a shower and get ready for work and just check Facebook for like five minutes if the goddarn computer would just start already oh my God this thing takes forever I’m gonna throw it out the window maybe I shouldn’t have drunk all that coffee with just a bagel in my stomach. So while it’s tempting to just go the bagel route for your vegan breakfast every morning, something with more protein will help start your day on a more pleasant note. And there are plenty of vegan protein options to choose from.
In the Shannon household, our breakfast every weekday morning consists of a fruit smoothie, often made with soy protein powder. It takes five minutes to make, is light but still hearty, gives us a check mark in the fruits and veggies category right off the bat, and provides a great energy boost to start the day. But if smoothies aren’t your thing, we’ve got a ton of recipes for tofu scrambles, soy sausage, and other protein-packed breakfasts that’ll start your day off right. Or, if you’re looking for more of a weekend treat to surprise that special someone who may or may not still be in bed at ten after staying up all night playing computer games, we’ve got pancakes and crepes and waffles that’ll go great with that tall soy hazelnut latte—which, while it shouldn’t be a substitute for breakfast, does balance the morning equation nicely.
Oh, classic fried egg… with your runny yolk for dipping toast in and your crispy edges. I’m over you. I don’t need you or your cholesterol or potential salmonella. Now vegans can enjoy this American breakfast staple—either alone or as an ingredient in a number of other recipes in this book.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
½ cup Cheezy Sauce (here)
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 4 rectangular pieces (we recommend using the brands Nasoya or Trader Joe’s)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns
Dash of paprika
First, make your Cheezy Sauce. It should take about 20 minutes.
With warm water, rinse your flavor injector (see “Where Do They Get Those Wonderful Toys?” here to read more about flavor injectors). Fill the injector with Cheezy Sauce. Slowly stick the injector into the center of one of the short sides of one tofu rectangle. Make sure it doesn’t go in too far and pierce the opposite side. You want the tip of the injector to be at the center of your tofu piece. Then—this is key—very gently move the tofu back and forth. Don’t move the needle; it’ll tear a hole in the outside of the tofu. But if you slowly rock the tofu back and forth, it creates a pocket inside the tofu, while keeping the injection site as small as possible.
Fill the tofu pieces with no more than 1 tablespoon each of the Cheezy Sauce. Go very slowly to make sure the tofu doesn’t burst, and stop when you see a lump start to form in the center. This is kind of tricky, so don’t get discouraged. Some tofu brands are more solid and crack more easily than others. Some just work better. We suggest using Nasoya or Trader Joe’s. The key is to very slowly fill your tofu eggs and stop when you start to feel the tofu expand.
In your amazing cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil. Once it’s hot, gently place the “eggs” in the skillet with the lump side up. Fry with that side up until you can see the edges begin to brown. Then gently flip the tofu with a spatula. Fry until you see that side’s edges begin to brown as well. Do this a few times, until the “egg” has crispy light brown edges.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and a dash of paprika. Serve hot with your favorite vegan bacon and potatoes… and maybe call a friend and brag a bit about how much you rocked breakfast.
This recipe is an easy yet impressive spread for Sunday brunch. It’s not quite breakfast, it’s not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Olive oil
Dash of liquid smoke
1 (12-ounce) package soyrizo
½ red onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
4 (6-inch) vegan corn tortillas (read the labels—some have pork fat in them)
4 Vegan Fried Eggs (here)
1 batch Dan’s Guacamole (here)
2 cups pico de gallo
8 to 12 tablespoons shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
Cilantro and sliced black olives for tossing on top
In your cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and a dash of liquid smoke over medium heat. Toss the soyrizo, onion, and green pepper in the oil. Stir a few times, but mostly just be patient, letting the soyrizo brown until the edges are crispy and the vegetables cook until they are tender. Remove from the frying pan and set aside in a large bowl.
In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil and another dash of liquid smoke. Then, one at a time, fry the corn tortillas. Flip and fry them until they’re golden and crispy on both sides, and stiff like chips. Drain out as much oil as you can from each tortilla when you remove it from the skillet, leaving the oil in the pan for the next step. Place the fried tortillas on a plate with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
While the soyrizo and tortillas are frying, prepare your Vegan Fried Eggs. Use the same warm skillet with another dash of olive oil to fry your vegan eggs. This is a good time to make the guacamole and pico de gallo.
Once your vegan eggs are golden brown and have crispy edges, put together your Huevos Rancheros. For each serving, place your components in this order from the bottom up: 1 crispy tortilla, 1 Vegan Fried Egg, one-quarter of the soyrizo and veggies, 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan cheddar, one-quarter of the guacamole, and one-quarter of the pico de gallo. Sprinkle with cilantro and black olives and serve.
¡Buen provecho!
Also known as the “great English breakfast” and the “full breakfast,” this British tradition is known throughout the world as “the breakfast that stopped a million hearts.” It’s a combination of pretty much every classic breakfast food that you can fry—primarily made up of several different animals and rarely including anything green. I mean, we don’t count the garnishes, right? But we changed all that when we leveled up this classic British Isles feast. It’s still primarily protein, and we still wouldn’t suggest you eat like this every day, but if you ever find yourself up early watching a royal wedding or enjoying some Doctor Who… it might be fun to make this notorious meal.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 batch Newfangled Baked Beans (here; you’ll want to make this the night before and reheat it on the stovetop)
4 Vegan Fried Eggs (here)
1 cup Lightlife Gimme Lean vegan breakfast sausage, defrosted
Olive oil cooking spray
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced very small
¼ red onion, diced very small
¼ green bell pepper, diced very small
2 dashes of liquid smoke
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 to 4 slices vegan bacon or smoked tempeh
¼ cup sliced white mushrooms
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
2 slices whole wheat toast
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns
Margarine, marmalade, and jam for your toast
Preheat the oven to 250°F. This is where you’ll keep your breakfast components warm while you prepare your breakfast, so if your oven runs hot you may want to turn it down to 200°F.
First things first, you need to prepare all the elements. Things are going to move pretty quickly once you get going. Make the Cheezy Sauce for your “yolk” and make the desired number of sausage patties using the Gimme Lean sausage. Set all these aside, but keep them handy.
Next, make your Vegan Fried Eggs. I like to keep the extra Cheezy Sauce from the recipe warm to dip my toast in, but you may also want to inject a little more “yolk” into your egg if any leaks out before you’re done cooking. Once your fried “eggs” are done, put them in a glass lasagna dish that’s been sprayed with a light coating of olive oil. Put them in the oven to stay warm while you fry up the rest of breakfast.
In a saucepan, reheat your Newfangled Baked Beans over medium heat. Be sure to keep the pan covered so your sauce doesn’t get sticky. Stir your pot frequently, and once the beans begin to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced potatoes, onion, and bell pepper.
Recoat your hot cast-iron skillet or frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and toss in a dash of liquid smoke. Toss in your diced vegetable mix and spray another coating of olive oil cooking spray over the top. Let the vegetables brown for a bit while you prepare your other skillet.
Yes, I said “other skillet.” There are a lot of fried foods going on here. Take another cast-iron skillet if you have it, or just a regular skillet, spray it with olive oil cooking spray, and toss in a dash of liquid smoke. We recommend using a skillet with ridges if you can; it’ll give you those lovely grill lines. Heat your new skillet over medium heat.
Now go back and revisit your diced vegetables. With your metal spatula, mix and toss the diced vegetables to make sure they’re cooking evenly. Once the potatoes are tender, remove the skillet from the heat. The smaller they’re diced, the faster they’ll cook. Once the potatoes are tender, mix in the parsley and move the diced vegetable hash to the warming dish in the oven with the vegan eggs. Try to keep the vegetables and “eggs” in separate piles.
Once your new skillet is warm, you’re going to crowd the vegan sausage patties, vegan bacon, mushrooms, and tomato in there. If that’s not all going to fit, first put the vegan sausage patties in the center; then make a pile of mushrooms on one side and put the tomato wedges on another. Lay the bacon strips over the top. Drizzle ½ teaspoon of Bragg’s over the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon over the mushrooms. Brown on one side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Then flip your breakfast wonderland with a metal spatula so that the other side browns. You’ll have plenty of time to get those crispy edges.
Your tomatoes and mushrooms might be done before your sausage patties and vegan bacon. If that happens, move them to your warming dish in the oven with your vegan eggs. Try to keep the tomatoes and mushrooms in two neat separate piles. Once the sausage patties are done, move them to the warming dish too. Your vegan bacon will already be cooked, but if you like nice, crispy edges, let your vegan bacon fry for 30 seconds on each side in the hot skillet. While your vegan bacon fries, toss some slices of whole wheat bread in the toaster.
You’re now ready to build your grand English breakfast!
Put two Vegan Fried Eggs on your plate, then a pile of hash, followed by a separate pile of baked beans. Now fill any gaps on your plate with vegan sausage patties and tomatoes. If there are any open spaces, fit those mushrooms in there, or just lay them over the top. Do the same with your vegan bacon and toast. Sprinkle a few pinches of fresh chives over the top of your Vegan Fried Eggs, and maybe some salt and pepper if you’re into that. Don’t forget your margarine, marmalade, or jam to dress up your toast.
You’ll probably be tempted to enjoy this feast with a cup of coffee, but if you really want to get your Brit on, we suggest brewing up a pot of Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea.
One morning, while I was watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and enjoying a cup of Earl Grey with our cat Agatha, I had a revelation. As you may know, Captain Picard refers to First Officer Riker as “Number One.” And Agatha is my number one. She listens well, gives good counsel when I need it, and can always be counted on. Similarly, this recipe is the number one of vegan breakfasts—completely reliable. Even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this breakfast sandwich.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 Vegan Fried Eggs (here)
1 whole wheat baguette
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons shredded Daiya vegan cheddar or your favorite vegan cheese
4 slices vegan bacon or smoked tempeh
½ cup raw kale
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns
Dash of hot sauce, optional
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make your Vegan Fried Eggs and set them aside on a plate, covered with foil to keep them warm and moist. Slice your baguette horizontally in half. Brush your top half with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle your vegan cheese evenly over the bottom half. Place your baguette into the oven on the rack faceup and allow to lightly toast for no more than 5 minutes. Once your baguette is toasted and your vegan cheese is melted, remove the baguette from the oven.
While your baguette is toasting, make the vegan bacon and kale. In your extraordinary cast-iron skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once your skillet is warm, place the slices of vegan bacon in the skillet to brown. Once they start to get slightly crispy, toss the kale, red pepper flakes, and garlic over the top of the vegan bacon and cook for less than a minute. Once the vegan bacon is browned and crispy, use a spatula to flip and mix the kale and crispy vegan bacon a few times so that the kale gets covered in the warm olive oil.
Place your Vegan Fried Eggs on the “cheesy” half of your baguette. Then place the vegan bacon and sliced tomatoes in an even layer over the vegan eggs. Pile the garlicky kale over the vegan bacon. Using a serrated bread knife, slice the baguette sandwich into 4 pieces so that each sandwich has a Vegan Fried Egg in it. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if desired) to taste.
Awesome day—engage!
We’ve probably all had this breakfast before but had no idea that it was known in some circles by such an exotic name. It’s a combination of vegan eggs, peppers, and all types of wonderful warm spices in one dish you can enjoy on a morning when the ordinary needs a little extra.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
¼ cup vegan plain yogurt
2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
½ teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh baby spinach leaves
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 chipotle pepper, diced
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (the red sauce your chipotle pepper comes in)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Dash of liquid smoke
4 Vegan Fried Eggs (here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, lemon peel, lemon juice, black pepper, Bragg’s, and 2 cloves of the garlic. Cover the bowl with foil and put it in the fridge to chill out while you prepare the rest of your breakfast.
Toss your shallots and peppers in a medium bowl with your spinach. In another small bowl, with a large spoon, mix the diced tomatoes with the agave nectar, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and the remaining 1 clove garlic. Pour the tomato mixture over the fresh vegetable mixture and use a large spoon to blend it in. Cover and put in the fridge to chill with the yogurt sauce while you make the vegan eggs.
Make the Vegan Fried Eggs. Keep the extra Cheezy Sauce warm to serve on the side. Before you get to the frying step of the recipe, put the prepared vegan eggs aside and get the vegetable mixture from the fridge.
Heat the olive oil in your always-handy cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Pour the vegetable mixture into the skillet and use a metal spatula to mix the vegetables around a bit so they will cook evenly. Once the peppers start to get tender, use a metal spatula to open up small pockets to place the prepared vegan eggs into the skillet. You’ll want to place the vegan eggs in the skillet one at a time, and don’t worry if you have to move some of the peppers over the vegan eggs. They’ll still cook.
Once it’s time to flip the vegan eggs, dig them out one at a time and flip them. While you’re doing that, you’re going to be moving the peppers around too. Try to get the ones that were on top of the vegan eggs onto the skillet surface so they can brown a little. After about 1 minute, remove the skillet from the heat.
While the vegan eggs cool, take the yogurt sauce from the fridge. Use an electric handheld mixer and blend the yogurt sauce until it’s creamy.
Serve in bowls with the vegan eggs lying on top of the vegetable mix and with some yogurt sauce and fresh parsley on top.
After years and years of scrambling my tofu, I get pretty excited about new ways of making “eggs” for breakfast. Just the idea of a French-style or fold-over omelet puts a big smile on my face. These aren’t the easiest recipes to make, but they bring the “shock and awe” and are very filling. You may want to have them for brunch, actually, because you won’t need a second meal after this. A mile-high breakfast!
MAKES 2 LARGE OR 4 SMALL SERVINGS
Olive oil cooking spray
Dash of liquid smoke
1 green bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
¾ cup diced vegan ham, smoked tempeh, or Hickory Smoked Tofurky Deli Slices
½ cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
½ cup shredded smoked cheddar Sheese
Diced fresh chives for topping
Freshly ground lemon pepper
1 (14-ounce) package tofu
1 tablespoon soy coffee creamer
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon miso paste
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
¼ teaspoon paprika
Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed pepercorns, optional
Freshly ground lemon pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons margarine per omelet
First prepare the filling. Spray your cast-iron skillet or frying pan with a light coating of olive oil, toss in a dash of liquid smoke, and place over medium heat. Then toss in the bell pepper, red onion, and vegan meat. Fry until the vegan meat browns and the vegetables are tender. Move the vegetables and vegan meat mixture from the skillet into a large bowl and set the skillet aside. Keep whatever oil is left over from the vegetables and vegan meat in the skillet for a little extra flavor.
Begin preparing the omelet. In a food processor, blend the tofu, soy coffee creamer, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, onion powder, cumin, miso paste, turmeric, Bragg’s, and paprika until you get a smooth paste. Here’s where you can taste the blend to see if you want salt or pepper. I tossed a pinch of lemon pepper into one of the omelets at this step and really liked it.
Next, melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of the margarine over medium heat in the same skillet you used for the vegetables and vegan meat. Now separate your tofu blend into two equal portions. Once the skillet is warm and the margarine is melted, pour one portion of the tofu blend into the center of the skillet and spread it out like a nice even pancake. You have to move pretty fast so that your omelet doesn’t form lumps. If you don’t move fast enough, you can always use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Watch for bubbles and cracks. If you get a bubble, try and gently pop it with a fork. Cracks can be smoothed over with uncooked tofu blend.
Let the tofu blend fry for 5 to 8 minutes. During that time, use your spatula to keep loosening the edges. Once the edges begin to get brown and crispy, gently use your spatula to lift and check the progress of the omelet. You want the omelet to be golden and crispy, so make sure you can see that beginning to happen before you toss in your fillings. Don’t worry if the center is still a little soft. Make an even layer of half the vegetable and vegan meat filling on one half of the omelet; then top with a layer of half the vegan cheddar and Sheese. Cook for another 2 minutes to let your vegan cheese and Sheese melt a little and heat the vegetables and vegan meat. Keep an eye on your edges to make sure they don’t burn.
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Now here’s where it gets tricky. Seriously. Take your spatula and flip the empty side of the omelet over the side with the fillings. Very gently move your omelet to the plate by turning your skillet and slowly sliding the omelet out, using your spatula to guide and control it.
Keep the first omelet warm in the oven while you make the second one with the other half of your ingredients.
To serve, just toss some fresh chives and pepper on top.
This makes 2 pretty huge omelets, or you could always split them into 4 smaller ones.
Here are few other combos you can try if you’re not a Denver fan. Just replace the filling in the omelet above with the ingredients below.
My big fat Greek breakfast!
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
Denver Omelet without the filling (here)
¼ cup raw baby spinach leaves
3 cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and drained
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
Handful of fresh basil leaves
1 Roma tomato, sliced
½ cup shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
2 tablespoons vegan feta cheese
¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
Red pepper flakes to sprinkle over the top
Now, unlike the filling for the Denver Omelet, you don’t need to cook the filling for your Greek Omelet. Prepare your first omelet using the ingredients and instructions from the Denver Omelet here. In a large bowl, using a spoon, mix the spinach, cherry tomatoes, olives, oregano, basil, Roma tomato, vegan cheeses, and black pepper. Pile half your filling into your first omelet while it cooks. Repeat the process with your second omelet. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top before serving.
Technically Colorado is part of the Southwest, so there’s some regional overlap here with the Denver Omelet… but I think you get the distinction.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
Olive oil cooking spray
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ green bell pepper, sliced
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ teaspoon cumin
Denver Omelet without the filling (here)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
4 tablespoons sliced black olives, pitted and drained
½ cup shredded Daiya vegan pepperjack cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
1 batch Salsa Verde (here)
Spray a light coating of olive oil cooking spray over your cast-iron skillet or frying pan and heat it over medium heat. Once your skillet is warm, toss in the black beans and peppers and sprinkle your cumin over the top. Once your vegetables are tender, move them to a warm plate. Prepare your first omelet using the ingredients and instructions from the Denver Omelet here. Once your omelet is cooked, pile half the cooked vegetables, tomato, avocado, olives, vegan cheese, and Salsa Verde into the omelet before folding it over. Then transfer to your plate.
Repeat the whole thing all over again with the second omelet.
This omelet will never betray you.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
Olive oil cooking spray
Dash of liquid smoke
8 Vegan bacon strips or smoked tempeh
¼ cup sliced white mushrooms
Denver Omelet without the filling (here)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
cup raw baby spinach leaves
1 batch Vegan Hollandaise Sauce (here)
Paprika
Spray your cast-iron skillet or frying pan with a light coating of olive oil, toss in a dash of liquid smoke, and heat over medium heat. Fry up the vegan bacon strips and mushrooms until the edges are crispy. Remove them from the skillet.
Prepare your omelets one at a time using the ingredients and instructions in the Denver Omelet here. Put half the vegan meat, mushrooms, avocado, tomato, and spinach in each omelet as you cook it. When you serve your omelet, pour a little Vegan Hollandaise Sauce over the top and dash some paprika over that.
This recipe takes about 10 minutes and is so easy you can make it on a weekday before school or work. Throw in some toast points and huge cups of coffee, and you’re pretty much set for a perfect morning. We made this on a lazy Sunday morning when we wanted to remain lazy. The baby birds were flying all around the holly trees in the courtyard of our apartment building, and the squirrels were sunning themselves on the window ledges. We watched them, talked about how the Celtics were doing in the playoffs, and enjoyed the simple things in life… like this recipe.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
6 small red potatoes, cubed
6 pieces vegan bacon or smoked tempeh
Dash of liquid smoke
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ red bell pepper, sliced
4 medium green onions, chopped
In your loyal cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Heat salted water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the potatoes and cover the pot. Remove the potatoes once they’re tender.
Fry the vegan bacon until it reaches the desired crispiness. When you remove your vegan bacon from the skillet, place it on top of some paper towels to soak up the oil. When the bacon has drained and cooled enough to handle, cut into strips small enough to sprinkle over your scramble.
Add a dash of liquid smoke to the olive oil in the skillet. Add the potatoes and fry. Let them start to get crispy on one side before flipping.
In a large bowl, mash the tofu, and then mix in the nutritional yeast, cumin, basil, thyme, paprika, Bragg’s, and turmeric. Normally I wouldn’t tell you to mash the tofu, but we’re re-creating liquid eggs and coating the vegetables with the tofu mix, so it’s okay if it’s pasty.
Before the potatoes reach the desired crispiness, pour the tofu mixture over the potatoes and add the red peppers. Mix in the skillet until the vegetables are covered. You may need to add a tiny bit more oil, but not more than 1 teaspoon. Cook for a few minutes, and flip your tofu occasionally. Add the green onions to the mix.
You’re now cooking off the moisture from the tofu and the vegetables. Once your scramble reaches the desired texture, remove it from the skillet and sprinkle the vegan bacon on top.
I’ll admit, this might not sound like a combination you would love, but back in 2007, I saw a recipe for scrambled eggs and shrimp and was intrigued. I mean, after years and years of the classic breakfast combos, I saw an opportunity here to make something unique. This scramble incorporates Asian flavors and vegetables into a dish that is unique and delicious.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
6 small red potatoes, cubed
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional cilantro leaves for garnish
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemongrass
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
2 dashes of liquid smoke
5 pieces vegan shrimp, defrosted (we recommend using 8 to 10 May Wah shrimp balls cut in half)
½ red bell pepper, sliced
6 green onions, chopped
Sriracha sauce for topping
Lime wedges
Heat salted water to a boil in a large pot. Once the water starts to boil, add the potatoes and cover the pot. Boil until the potatoes are tender.
In a large bowl, mash the tofu with a pastry blender and then mix in the nutritional yeast, cumin, chopped cilantro, lemon peel, lemongrass, paprika, Bragg’s, and turmeric. Normally we’d advocate against mashing your tofu in a scramble, but we’re re-creating liquid eggs and coating the vegan shrimp and vegetables with the tofu mix, so it’s okay if it’s pasty.
In your handy wok, heat the olive oil and 1 dash of liquid smoke over a high heat. Roll your wok with your wrist a few times to mix your oil and liquid smoke.
Once your wok is hot, toss in the vegan shrimp and roll your wrist a few times to coat the vegan shrimp in hot oil. Toss in the potatoes and the other dash of liquid smoke. You’re going to stir-fry your mix; you want the vegan shrimp and potatoes to cook evenly and to have crispy edges.
Before your mix reaches the desired crispiness, pour the tofu mixture over the vegan shrimp and potatoes and add the red bell peppers. Mix the ingredients in the wok until the vegan shrimp and vegetables are coated. You may need to add a tiny bit more oil, but not more than 1 teaspoon. Let the mixture cook, and flip the tofu occasionally. Add the green onions to the mix.
Cook off the moisture from the tofu and the vegetables. Once the mixture has reached the desired texture, remove the scramble from the wok and sprinkle fresh cilantro leaves over the top. Serve hot with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.
In America, we seem obsessed with revamping breakfast. We make sandwiches with mini-pancakes instead of bread, and French toast sticks you can eat with your hands. So a breakfast taco wasn’t that odd a concept for us. I feel like I’ve seen them before. This was one of the first recipes we made in the Betty Crocker Project. We made it for brinner (breakfast for dinner) since we were both working beyond full-time jobs at the time and it was a quick recipe to look forward to at the end of a pretty hectic day.
MAKES 6 TACOS
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 pinches of turmeric
½ cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
6 taco shells
1 ripe avocado, sliced
¼ cup chopped red bell peppers
cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan. Add the garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper to the oil and mix. In a bowl, crumble—don’t mash—the tofu, and stir in the nutritional yeast and turmeric. Put the tofu in your hot skillet, stirring occasionally and flipping the tofu mixture to keep it from sticking. Cook until it reaches the desired texture and moistness. Mix in the vegan cheese so that it can melt a bit before serving.
Heat the taco shells as directed on the package. Spoon the tofu mixture into the heated shells, and top with avocado, red bell pepper, cilantro, and salsa.
This Mexican breakfast sandwich, a cup of coffee, and your favorite conversation partner is all you need to have a buena mañana. It adds a bit of spiciness to your normal breakfast sandwich while maintaining that down-home goodness of scrambled tofu on toast.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SANDWICHES
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (12-ounce) package soyrizo
½ red onion, diced
1 (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu (drained and pressed)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
4 to 8 slices of whole wheat bread
Hot sauce, guacamole, and pico de gallo for topping
Fresh cilantro, chopped
In your favorite cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Once the skillet is warm, toss in the soyrizo and red onion. Cook, turning occasionally with a spatula, until the edges begin to brown and get crispy.
In a mixing bowl, use a fork to break the tofu into bite-size pieces. Don’t mash it to the point that it gets pasty. Add the cumin, oregano, nutritional yeast, paprika, and turmeric, and mix thoroughly.
Add the tofu mixture and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the soyrizo and onion in the skillet. Fry until the moistness starts to disappear and the tofu turns yellow and takes on a firm texture. Flip and mix your tofu and soyrizo a few times to make sure they cook evenly. Add the peppers and continue to cook until the tofu and soyrizo are lightly browned and the peppers are tender. The peppers will add more moisture to the scramble.
Once you like the texture and tenderness of your scramble, pull your skillet from the heat and mix in the vegan cheese. Now toast your whole wheat bread.
Once you have your toast, build your sandwiches. Between those lovely slices of toast, pile a good amount of scrambled tofu and peppers. Top with hot sauce, guacamole, and pico de gallo, and sprinkle with cilantro before serving. ¡Disfruta!
Bananas Foster is a rich dessert of bananas and ice cream that’s often served flambé-style—that means on fire—for a little flair. We do not recommend setting these waffles on fire. It will not achieve the same effect. Just serve them straight from the waffle iron and watch your family’s faces light up naturally.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup soy milk, plus more as needed
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup margarine
cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¾ cup maple syrup
¼ teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon rum or rum extract
4 ripe bananas, sliced
Plug your waffle iron in and let it heat up, following any instructions it came with, because not all waffle irons are created equal.
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
In your favorite mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, blend the brown sugar, soy milk, and olive oil with an electric handheld mixer using the whisk attachments. Once it’s smooth, pour the sugar mixture into the flour mixture and blend with your electric handheld mixer using the whisk attachments until the batter is smooth and lump-free. It should take at least 2 minutes. This is really important, so don’t rush your batter. If your batter is a little thick, blend in more soy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s just right.
Use a ladle to pour your batter into the waffle iron. Make your waffles one at a time. To keep them warm, put the finished waffles in a glass lasagna dish in the oven. The oven will also keep your waffles from getting soggy while you make the rest.
Make your topping while your waffles are cooking.
In your favorite saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat. Once it’s melted, whisk in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, agave nectar, and rum until smooth. Once the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer and drop in the slices of banana. Use a large spoon to mix the bananas into the syrup. Once the bananas are tender, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to thicken.
Once your waffles are made and your topping has cooled and thickened, it’s time to build your perfect morning treat by ladling the warm, sticky, sweet topping over your waffles.
When I lived in Atlanta, there seemed to be signs everywhere for chicken and waffles “shacks.” I mean, even Motown legend Gladys Knight had a chain of them, and they seemed to be in every strip mall. At first I assumed they served waffles in the morning and fried chicken at night. Imagine my northern-girl surprise when I learned that this heart attack–inducing combination was actually a staple in soul food cuisine. It seemed strange to me, but is it really that much weirder than having a side of fried bacon or sausage with waffles or pancakes? It’s savory, oily meat with a sweet, bready treat. So I came around.
When I was putting together a menu for a vegan soul food dinner party, I started thinking of ways to veganize this classic dish while also making it a bit healthier—but I didn’t have a proper waffle iron to pull it off. Forty dollars later, there we were enjoying Baked Vegan Chicken and Easy Waffles. I have to admit that this northern girl has fallen in love with this southern combo.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ cup beer (we use Brooklyn Brewery’s Pumpkin Ale, but I think any ale would be great)
Dash of liquid smoke
½ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1 cup vegan Bisquick mix
1½ teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
2 cups vegan Bisquick mix
1½ cups soy milk
1 tablespoon applesauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of ground cinnamon
Dash of crushed pink Himalayan salt
½ cup margarine
2 cups maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut your vegan chicken into strips or nuggets. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix the beer, liquid smoke, and hot sauce. In another small bowl, combine the vegan Bisquick mix and the Creole seasoning. Using one hand, put your vegan chicken in the beer bowl and flip it a few times to make sure it gets completely covered. Then, using the same hand, drop the vegan chicken into the bowl with the Bisquick mixture. Now using your other hand, flip the vegan chicken in the Bisquick mixture to get an even coating. You’re using separate hands to help prevent contamination of the bowls.
After you’ve coated each piece of vegan chicken, place it on the cookie sheet. Spray an even coating of olive oil cooking spray over the coated vegan chicken—enough that it’s no longer powdery looking. Once the vegan chicken is coated, bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is light golden brown and crispy.
While the vegan chicken is baking, make the waffles. Preheat your waffle iron using the manufacturer’s instructions. In a large mixing bowl, blend all the waffle ingredients using an electric handheld mixer until smooth. Because some waffle irons are bigger than others, you’ll want to follow the instructions that came with yours to determine how much batter you should use for each waffle. We use ½ cup of batter for each waffle. Make all your waffles.
To make the “Buttery” Syrup, in a saucepan heat the margarine and maple syrup over medium heat until the margarine melts and is incorporated with the syrup. Remove from the heat.
Serve the baked vegan chicken and waffles warm, with the waffles at the bottom, the baked vegan chicken on top, and the syrup drizzled over everything.
Every waffle iron is different, so it’s hard to say how many waffles this will make, or how long it’ll take for each waffle to cook. You should refer to your waffle iron’s instruction manual to get the best waffles possible. And remember—sticking together is what good waffles do.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup margarine, melted
1¾ cups soy milk
¼ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
Margarine and maple syrup for topping
Heat your waffle iron and prep for cooking per the instruction manual.
In a large bowl, blend the flour, vanilla, brown sugar, applesauce, cinnamon, baking powder, margarine, soy milk, and salt with an electric hand mixer until smooth. I recommend turning the bowl a little to get the batter a bit fluffier.
Following the directions that come with your waffle iron, pour the correct amount of batter onto the center of the heated waffle iron and close the lid.
Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the steaming stops. Carefully remove the waffle and serve immediately with margarine and maple syrup.
The weekend we made these, most of the United States was buried in snow. We felt it was our patriotic duty to share this recipe with the world, so that snowed-in vegans everywhere could enjoy a fancy brunch in the comfort of their own home in their slippers and pj’s. I hope that it worked out. It sure did for us.
MAKES 2 TO 4 LARGE SERVINGS
1 ripe banana, mashed
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil or hazelnut oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
cup vegan chocolate chips
Olive oil cooking spray
In a mixing bowl, blend the banana, flours, soy milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, and salt for 2 minutes using an electric handheld mixer. You want the mix to be completely blended and without any clumps. Fold the vegan chocolate chips in with a large spoon until they’re evenly mixed into the batter.
Heat your always-loyal cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Once your skillet is hot, spray with olive oil cooking spray, then ladle on the batter. Your batter will start to cook as soon as it hits the skillet, so try to make the pancakes the desired size and shape. Let your pancakes cook until they begin to bubble slightly and the edges begin to look puffed and dry. Then flip and cook the other side. Flip a few more times until golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup or berries and smile. I mean, you have chocolate chip banana pancakes… what’s not to smile about?
A combination of two famous breakfast favorites, this is like a DC/Marvel crossover. However, unlike the actual DC/Marvel crossovers, this combination actually accentuates the high points of both parties, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts—rather than just a pandering attempt to sell us silly comics. It’s got all the fluffy decadence of banana bread, combined with the wholesome goodness of pancakes. What could be better?
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
1 ripe banana, mashed into a paste
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup crushed walnuts
3 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
cup fresh blueberries
Olive oil cooking spray
Margarine and your favorite syrup for serving
Heat your griddle, cast-iron skillet, or frying pan over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, blend the banana, flour, soy milk, sugar, oil, walnuts, baking powder, and salt. Once your batter is smooth, fold in the blueberries with a large spoon.
Lightly spray the pan with olive oil cooking spray before making each pancake. When forming pancakes, use less than ¼ cup of batter for each. Cook each pancake on one side until bubbly on top and puffed up and dry around the edges. Then flip and cook the other side.
Serve with margarine and your favorite syrup.
Can I get a hell yeah?
MAKES 1 DOZEN BISCUITS AND A WHOLE LOT OF GRAVY
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring surfaces
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup almond milk
Olive oil cooking spray
1 cup Lightlife Gimme Lean vegan sausage, Match vegan meat sausage, or your favorite vegan sausage
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 cups nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning (most poultry seasonings are vegan, but some aren’t, be sure to read the label)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until the mixture becomes fine crumbs. Mix in the almond milk with a handheld mixer until the dough is smooth but very sticky.
Place the dough on a large, flat, floured surface. Knead gently a few times and then, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to ½-inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or the top of a pint glass, cut out biscuits and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Immediately place them on a wire rack to cool.
While they’re baking, prepare your gravy.
Spray your dearest cast-iron skillet or frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat on medium. Once the oil begins to warm, add small clumps of vegan sausage to the oil and let it brown. Be sure to flip the clumps a few times, letting them crumble until bite-size.
In a saucepan, toast the flour and nutritional yeast in the olive oil until they begin to brown. Whisk in the vegetable broth until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Then whisk in the Bragg’s, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, parsley, and black pepper and simmer. Once the gravy begins to bubble and the vegan sausage has crispy edges, pour the gravy into your cast-iron skillet and gently mix.
Serve the biscuits hot with gravy over the top, and serve any extra gravy on the side for those folks who’ll want a little more.
The Monte Cristo is a fancy name for a fried ham-and-cheese sandwich. This is what Americans have done to France’s croque-monsieur, or “Sir Crunch.” The variations on this sandwich seem endless. In Houston, you can get a Monte Cristo made with Texas toast. In California, you can find it made with smoked turkey. And you can find Monte Cristos made with French toast instead of regular bread on brunch menus all over the country.
Our version combines the architecture of an empanada with a melty cheese center and smoked Tofurky. Dust with a little powdered sugar if you want to re-create the real diner experience.
MAKES 4 TO 6 POCKETS
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
cup vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold water
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 (5.5-ounce) package Hickory Smoked Tofurky Deli Slices, separated
¾ cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon olive oil
Dash of liquid smoke
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix with an electric handheld mixer until the dough forms. Form your dough into a patty, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray an unlined cookie sheet with olive oil.
In another mixing bowl, mix the Tofurky, vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and liquid smoke with a wooden spoon until the nutritional yeast and olive oil make a light paste that covers the Tofurky pieces.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or the top of a pint glass, cut your dough into 4-inch round disks. Reroll any scraps, and cut one more disk out of the extra. For each pocket, spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the disk. Moisten your fingers with water, trace along the edges, then fold the dough over. Use your wet fingers to seal the edges completely. Press a fork very gently along the edges to seal in the filling. Melt the margarine and whisk it together with the almond milk. Brush the top of each pocket lightly with the almond milk mixture and place on your cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t freak out if any of the almond milk burns on the cookie sheet—it doesn’t mean your pockets have burned.
“Breakfast” in French is petit déjeuner, or “little lunch.” How cute is that? This “little lunch” is mini French toasts made from baguette slices, rather than whole pieces of bread. Perfect for little eaters and Francophiles alike.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
¾ cup vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer—just the powder, not prepared like the package instructs
Olive oil cooking spray
1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices
Margarine and maple syrup for topping
In a bowl with high sides, mix the soy milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, nutritional yeast, and egg replacer powder with an electric handheld mixer.
Spray a light coating of olive oil cooking spray over your cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Dip the baguette slices into the soy milk mixture, making sure to get an even coating but not so much that the bread gets soggy. Place the baguette slices in the skillet one at a time. Brown until the edges are crispy; then flip and brown the other side.
After removing the baguette slices from skillet, put them on an oven-safe plate in the oven to keep warm. Serve warm with margarine and maple syrup.
Say “aloha” to your morning with this delicious twist on classic French toast. The pineapple and coconut are complementary flavors to the sweetness of the toast itself, adding an extra layer of flavor depth to this decadent breakfast treat.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
½ cup coconut milk from a can, blended
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer—just the powder, not prepared like the package instructs
Olive oil cooking spray
1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices
Crushed pineapple and shredded coconut for topping
In a bowl with high sides, mix the coconut milk, pineapple juice, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, nutritional yeast, and egg replacer powder with an electric handheld mixer.
Spray a light coating of olive oil cooking spray on your cast-iron skillet or frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Dip the baguette slices into the coconut milk mixture, making sure to get an even coating, but not so much that the bread gets soggy. Place the baguette slices in the skillet one at a time. Brown until the edges are crispy; then flip and brown the other side.
Remove the baguette slices from the skillet and place them on an oven-safe plate in the oven to keep warm. Serve warm with crushed pineapple and shredded coconut over the top.
I have a long-standing love affair with France. It’s strictly a platonic thing that encourages me to take long flights across the Atlantic from time to time. When I can’t, I take my own little French stay-cations in our apartment, where I watch movies with subtitles and wear fancy hats. To Americans, crepes are a fancy breakfast item you pay an extra dollar for at IHOP (well, not to vegans; those bros have eggs in them). But if you go to Paris, one thing you can’t miss is the adorable crepe carts set up throughout the city. You can spot their striped umbrellas and long lines a block away (or huge, weather-warped, handwritten signs if you happen to be walking through a less affluent area). I’d love to tell you these crepes are just like those, but those crepes have eggs and lard in them, so I’ve had to pass. These crepes are vegan, and although I can’t tell you they’re good for you, they are healthier than their egg-ridden comrades, ridiculously easy, and délicieux! Faisons des crêpes!
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons margarine, plus more for cooking
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons applesauce
Berries, applesauce, jelly, peanut butter, or your favorite other crepe filling
Powdered sugar to sprinkle over the top
In a bowl and using an electric handheld mixer with whisk attachments, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and soy milk until smooth. Then add the margarine, vanilla, and applesauce. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes with the bowl tilted, so the batter gets really smooth and creamy.
Lightly “butter” your préféré cast-iron skillet or frying pan with margarine and heat at a medium temperature until bubbly. You’ll need to do this before you cook each crepe, so keep that margarine out.
For each crepe, pour cup batter into the skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet with your wrist until a thin layer of batter covers the bottom. Cook until you start to see light brown around the edges. Run a wide spatula along the edge to loosen; flip and cook the other side until light brown. Remove from heat and repeat with the rest of the batter.
Stack the crepes on a plate with pieces of wax paper between them; keep covered. When you’re ready to serve, you can go two routes. You can fill them and roll them up like a cigar, or you can just fold them over, all Food Network Canada–style. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the crepes just before serving.
Now, we’ve never eaten at the famous Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Their beignets aren’t vegan, but they do look tasty. It really is a shame they don’t offer a vegan-friendly version of this old-school New Orleans favorite, because we would have eaten a dozen every morning we were in New Orleans for our honeymoon, while drinking barrels of café au (soy) lait and reading our travel books. But that’s part of what makes this recipe so awesome. It’s vegan, and you can make several dozen for the price of a single fancy coffee in the French Quarter. And let’s be honest: New Orleans is a pretty liberal place, but they don’t usually let you hang out in their cafés barefoot in your pajamas. You can do that while you eat these.
You’re going to need to let your dough chill out overnight—so you’ll want to start these li’l darlings the night before.
MAKES 1 TO 2 DOZEN BEIGNETS, DEPENDING ON HOW LARGE YOU CUT THEM
1 cup vanilla soy milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
½ package active dry yeast
½ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more to flour your surfaces
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer—just the powder, not prepared as instructed on the package
1 tablespoon applesauce
3 to 4 cups olive oil
Powdered sugar for topping
In a small saucepan, heat the soy milk over a medium heat until it begins to steam. Stir in the sugar and margarine; then turn the heat down to a simmer. Once the margarine is melted and completely incorporated, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the soy milk mixture with the yeast, salt, nutmeg, and flour. Stir in the egg replacer powder and applesauce with a large spoon, and then blend with an electric handheld mixer for about 2 minutes, until the batter becomes smooth. The batter is very sticky, so watch your mixer; the batter can creep right up into your mixer before you know it. Cover the batter with foil and allow it to chill in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, gently knead the batter on a heavily floured surface, and roll it out to a little less than ½ inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut into triangles or squares or a mixture of the two. We tried different sizes and types of triangles to see if one was better than another, and they were all equally awesome, so I’ll let you decide.
Lay cut, raw beignets out on a piece of wax paper and cover with a fabric napkin or towel. Let them chill and rise in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Fill your largest stewpot or Dutch oven with the olive oil, until halfway full. I know that seems like a lot, but you can get a big bottle of nonorganic olive oil for five dollars, and we used half of one of those bottles for this recipe. Heat your oil at a high temperature until it starts to bubble.
Once your oil is hot, place the beignets in one at time. Fry for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, or until they turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and place them on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the extra oil. Once they’re cool—but not cold—dump a ton of powdered sugar on them and laissez les bon temps rouler!
This English breakfast treat looks similar to a pancake, but don’t be fooled—it’s more savory than sweet. But it’s still a bloody great snack for breakfast and high tea alike.
MAKES A DOZEN CRUMPETS
1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
3 cups warm water
3½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons crushed pink Himalayan salt
Olive oil cooking spray
Margarine and your favorite jam for serving
In a small bowl, mix the yeast in the warm water until it dissolves.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt until blended. Add the dissolved yeast to the flour mixture and blend with an electric handheld mixer using dough hooks. Cover with foil and set aside in a warm spot while you heat your skillet.
Spray your favorite cast-iron skillet or frying pan with olive oil cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, use a biscuit cutter as a form and ladle the batter in until the form is half-full. Press gently on the biscuit cutter to keep the batter from escaping while you fill it. Be sure and wear an oven mit to protect your hand.
Allow the crumpets to cook on the skillet for approximately 10 minutes, or until the surface is covered with bubbles and holes. Remove the biscuit cutter and put a lid on the skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the tops of the crumpets to cook. Move the crumpets from the skillet to a wire rack to cool once the tops are fully baked.
If you have more than one biscuit cutter, you can cook more than one at a time; but be careful—it’s challenging.
Once your crumpets have cooled and are easy to handle, serve with margarine and your favorite jam—and of course a pot of Earl Grey.
This protein-packed breakfast dish is sort of an unconventional take on oatmeal, and guaranteed to start your day off right.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
1 cup quinoa
2 cups almond milk or vanilla soy milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
Read the instructions on your quinoa package to see if your brand needs to be presoaked or rinsed the night before. Prep if you need to.
In your favorite little saucepan, bring your almond milk and vanilla to a boil over medium heat. Add the quinoa, cover, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Remove from the heat after the quinoa has absorbed half the almond milk, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the sugar. Put the top back on, return to the heat, and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Serve warm with slices of strawberry on top.
If you’re not a coffee drinker—or even if you are—you might be looking for a delicious new beverage to start your day off right. We’re big coffee drinkers in the Shannon house, but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate a little variety. Try as you might, you cannot live on caffeine alone. This sweet, spicy treat has been a coffeehouse staple for years. Now you can make this decadent drink right in the comfort of your own home. It’s perfect for those who prefer to get their caffeine from tea instead of coffee but still want the creamy goodness of a latte.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
2 cups water
5 bags Darjeeling tea
2 cups almond milk
2 whole cloves, crushed
4 whole black peppercorns, crushed
Pinch of ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons agave nectar
In a saucepan, heat the water to a rapid boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the tea bags and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags.
Stir in the almond milk, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon. Heat to a boil, but remove from the heat before the pot boils over. Stir in the agave nectar and then pour through a strainer into mugs.
Chocolate with chili pepper. Could there be anything better? The combination of flavor-hot and temperature-hot will blast through even the coldest of winter chills.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (this should be 3 squares)
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons brown sugar (you may want to add a pinch or two more if you like your drinks really sweet)
teaspoon chili powder
Dash of crushed pink Himalayan salt
1 shot espresso
4½ cups almond milk
In a saucepan, heat the chocolate and water over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Whisk in the agave nectar, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let sit for about 1 minute. Then whisk in the shot of espresso and almond milk. Continue whisking the mixture and let it sit on the heat until it begins to bubble.
Pour into two large mugs and maybe add some of Whipped Coconut Cream from here!
Vitamin C is good for you. Everyone can agree on that. This beverage basically takes every source of vitamin C out there and combines it all into one mega-cocktail that’s as delicious as it is healthy. Drink one of these every day if you feel like you’re coming down with a cold.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
½ cup pink grapefruit juice
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
1 orange, peeled, segments pulled apart
½ cup pomegranate or cranberry juice
Blend the grapefruit, orange, and lime juices and the orange segments in a blender until smooth. Place ¼ cup ice in each of two pint glasses, and pour half the blended juice in each. Pour ¼ cup of pomegranate juice into each glass; this should make a lovely “sunrise” as the red juice settles at the bottom and the lighter orange juice rises. You’ll want to remix the juice in your glass a few times while drinking.
Warning: This smoothie is supereasy and really good and may improve your mornings by an estimated 80 percent. We often use fresh cherries in this recipe, but to be honest, I like using frozen cherries because you get more juice and don’t have to take out the pits yourself.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
2 ripe bananas
3 cups soy milk
½ cup cherries, pitted
2 ripe pears, cored and sliced (I like to leave the skin on)
½ cup frozen blackberries, defrosted
1 tablespoon lemon or pomegranate juice
½ cup silken tofu or ½ cup vegan vanilla yogurt
Toss all the ingredients in a blender, making sure to get as much juice from your fruits as possible. Blend until smooth. Serve fresh in pint glasses.
All hail the King! The king of nutty, sweet, and protein-rich smoothies, that is.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
2 ripe bananas
1½ tablespoons chunky peanut butter
3 cups vanilla almond milk
2½ teaspoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple juice
Toss all the ingredients in your blender. Puree until smooth and creamy.