Tag: breakfast

Happy Easter! Would You Like Some Green "Eggs" from Sam?

Happy Easter and happy spring! I thought I would make myself a little brunch today. I had some left over pierogi filling from last night, so I thought something egg-like with potatoes would be nice. Of course vegans do not eat eggs, but we make awesome things with tofu. Tofu scrambles are a great breakfast staple, but I wanted something a little fancier for Easter.

I found a recipe for Tofu Quiche with Spinach and Broccoli on VegWeb, and thought it would be tasty.  Instead of making a crust, I used my pierogi filling as a base and made little mini quiches. You can use just plain mashed potatoes or even instant too.

So creamy!

I used hemp milk in this recipe because it is my favorite non-dairy milk. It’s creamier and a little sweeter than soy milk. I haven’t been able to find it in Hilo, but to my delight I saw some in the health food store yesterday. You can use whatever milk you prefer.

I also decided to puree my tofu filling to make it all green in honor of my favorite childhood book, Green Eggs and Ham. Purees are a good way to get more vegetables into your meals, especially for picky little kids.

 
Green Mini Quiches
1 cup prepared pierogi filling or mashed potatoes
1 tub of extra firm tofu, drained
1/2 cub hemp milk
1/4 cup spinach, frozen or fresh
1 cup broccoli
1 clove garlic
1/4 of an onion
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbs turmeric
pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

I saved my stems for a stir-fry later this week.

Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces. They are going into a blender so don’t worry about size too much. Make sure to save the stem, it’s really the best part. Just peel off the outer tough layer. The inside is sweet and tender.

If you use fresh spinach, just tear it up a little first. If you use frozen, thaw it first.

Chop the onion and garlic a little too.

So easy, no hard chopping or mixing.

Drain your tofu and place into a blender or food processor. Add the broccoli, spinach, onion, and garlic. Pour in the hemp milk. Blend until smooth.

Lovely green color

 Next add the nutritional yeast, turmeric, and salt. Turmeric turns whatever you cook bright yellow so it’s normally used in tofu scrambles to make it look like eggs. But the pureed spinach and broccoli overpower the color, so the turmeric is more for flavor and it’s amazing health benefits.

Make sure the bases are even so the filling doesn’t leak.

Now spray a muffin or cupcake tin well with cooking spray. Evenly line the bottom of each cup with your potato mixture.

Fill to the top.

Pour the tofu filling on top of each potato base. Tofu does not rise like eggs, so don’t be shy about filling to the top.

They smell so good.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the quiches no longer jiggle in the middle.

Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. I have to confess they can be hard to remove so just be careful.

I topped mine with fresh tomatoes and a little vegan sour cream. It went nicely with a cup a green tea.

All the taste of eggs, and no cholesterol and loads of fiber.

Even as a vegan, I am Sam, Sam I am!

Orange Pineapple Smoothie

I got free bananas from a fruit stand in Kona yesterday for Earth Day, so I made another great smoothie for breakfast this morning. I wanted something light since tonight I am making one of the most delicious things in the world, pierogi! Orange and pineapple blend together nicely so it has a clean, fruity taste. I used coconut water instead of soy milk. Coconut water is packed with vitamins, especially potassium. All my fruits are fresh since I live in Hawaii, but frozen is still better than no fruits at all. But always get fresh if you can, the cooking/flash freezing process strips it of some nutrients.

Orange Pineapple Smoothie
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 orange, pealed and membrane removed
1 medium banana
1 cup coconut water
Handful of ice cubes

Put everything into a blender and blend until combined and smooth.

Belgian Waffles (Or Pancakes)

I am up to the challenge of veganizing recipes. One of my twitter followers @SaraLJohnson75 requested a Belgium waffle recipe. I had to make pancakes because I don’t have a waffle iron. This batter should crisp up perfectly into lovely waffles.

I did some research, and came across a few vegan ones but none were like the original recipe. They called for coconut milk or bananas, which do make great batters but alter the taste significantly. Also, none of them called for yeast, which is key for the flavor and fluffy texture. So I decided to follow a traditional Belgian Waffle recipe I found on All Recipes but substitute in vegan ingredients.

Flax seed in hot water is the substitute for eggs.  It acts as both a binder and a leavener. 


Belgian Waffles (Or Pancakes)
1 packet active yeast
1/2 cup warm (around 105 degrees F) sweetened soy milk
1/2 cup hot water
1 and 1/2 tbs flax seed
1/2 cup melted vegan butter 
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1/4 tps salt 
1 tps vanilla extract 
1 cup all purpose flour 


The water should be HOT to touch

Place the flax seeds into the hot water and let them sit for 10 minutes. It will make a slightly syrupy liquid. If you don’t want seeds in your waffles or pancakes, you can strain them out. But I left them in because I don’t mind. Alternatively, you can grind the flax seeds into a powder first then add it to the hot water. 

Dissolve the packet of yeast into the warm soy milk. The milk needs to be sweetened so the yeast has something to eat.  Set aside to proof for 10 minutes as well. It will be creamy and frothy when it’s ready.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add the flax seed mixture and mix well. Then add the yeast and mix well. 

Mix gently

Add a half cup of flour at a time, mixing well before adding the next. 

Risen for an hour and double in size

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for an hour. It should double in volume. 


“The first crepe is for the dog,” so don’t worry if the first one isn’t pretty.

For Pancakes,  spray a pan with cooking spray and heat over low heat. 

Pour 1/2 cup batter in the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.


This recipe should yield about 5 to 6 medium pancakes.

For waffles,  follow the recommended amount and directions for your iron. 


I topped mine with strawberries and maple syrup. They are very rich already so I skipped butter. 

Someone please tell me how these come out as waffles,  I bet they are even better! 


Hope these work for you @SaraLJohnson75!

Smooth Breaskfast

Great for a snack, meal or even as dessert, smoothies are amazing. You can get a day’s worth of fruit and veggies in a glass. I like them for breakfast. A quick, cold and creamy treat while I run out the door for class. You pretty much cannot make a bad smoothie as long as you use fresh ingredients that mesh well together. You can even add in greens like spinach or kale. The sweet fruits mask their favor so you hardly taste them. Here is one of my favorites:

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1 cup frozen straw berries
1/2 crushed pineapple
1 small banana
1/2 tbs flax seed
Handful of ice

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. The flax seeds get ground up so don’t worry They add extra fiber and omega-3 fatty acid (something that is vital for our bodies but most Americans lack in their diet).