Sunday Brunch: Simple Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

INGREDIENTS:
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
1/2 Medium Onion, diced
1 Chili, crushed
1 tsp Flaked Sea Salt

Parboil sweet potatoes for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onions and begin sauteing. Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan. Stir in the crushed chili and salt and fry until browned on most sides. Serve with Thai Chili sauce, ketchup or chili sauce. 

Sunday Brunch: Tropical Date-Cinnamon Oats

Adapted from a post by: tunsbuns.wordpress.com

 INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Almond Milk (I use unsweetened to make it refined sugar-free)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Oats
2 Dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp Chia
1/2 tbsp Hemp Hearts
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Coconut
1/2 Mango, chopped (other half served on side)
1 Banana, chopped

Bring the almond milk and vanilla to a low boil. Add the oats, chia, coconut, hemp, dates and cinnamon. When nearly cooked (should be fairly thick), add chopped fruit and cook, stirring constantly, for another few minutes.

Sunday Brunch: Red Flannel Hash

I had some beets that were on their last legs and no plans to make Borscht/no ingredients for beet slaw. When I typed 'beets for breakfast' into google and got several recipes from that. I took the basics that were in all of them and went from there.










INGREDIENTS:
2 medium Beets, peeled and diced*
4 small White Potatoes, diced
4 Veggie Sausage links, diced (use 1/2 pack crumbled tofu for gluten-free)
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 sprig Fresh Basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste

In two separate pots, parboil the potatoes and beets, set aside. Meanwhile, fry the veggie sausage with the onions and garlic until the sausage browns a bit and onions are tender. Add the potatoes and shake a bunch of salt (I remember corn beef hash vaguely, and it was the salt that made the dish) and pepper. Add a bit more oil and the potatoes and brown the potatoes. Add the beets, basil and a bit of the beet water. Shake in some more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; stir to combine.

*To avoid red hands and counter tops, fill the sink 1/2 way with cold water and peel and slice your beets underwater.

Sunday Brunch: Apple-Cinnamon Blinis

Blinis are a European-style pancake. The other names are blin or blintchiki, which typically are more crepe-like. Typically served with a cheese-filling or caviar top, these go excellently with a dollop of 'sour supreme' or margarine.












INGREDIENTS:
1 Apple; peeled, cored and chopped
1 tbsp Sugar (cane or any granulated sugar)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
1 cup Flour 
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg Replacer (I use Ener-G)
1 cup Sour Supreme (or other faux sour cream), divided
1/2 cup Soy Milk (or Almond would work too)

Take the chunks of apple and toss them in the sugar and cinnamon. Heat the margarine over medium low and cook the apple mixture until it caramelizes and the apples are soft. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix the egg replacer with the milk and 1/2 cup of sour supreme. Fold together the liquid and dry mixes until just mixed. carefully fold in apple mixture *do not overmix.

Over medium-low heat, drop spoonfuls of batter into a lightly oiled pan or griddle. When the bubbles appear on the top and begin popping, flip over. On the second side, they only need about 10 seconds, or until when they aren't sticking. This keeps the middle light and fluffy. Top with a dollop the remaining sour supreme and some fresh fruit.

Sunday Brunch: Fruit Pie w/ Macadamia Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
1 1/2 cups Graham Crumbs
1/3 cup Cane Sugar
6 tbsp Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine), melted

FILLING
3 medium Peaches (or 2 large)
4-5 Strawberries (or enough to cover pie)
1 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup Raspberries
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Corn Starch

WHIPPED CREAM
3/4 cup Raw Macadamia Nuts
1/2 cup Water
2 tbsp Agave Nectar (or maple syrup works)

In a bowl, cover macadamia nuts with the 1/2 cup of water, set aside for 1/2 hour.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham crumbs, sugar and margarine, mix until well combined. Press into a pie dish/plate and bake at 375F for 7 minutes, then cool (for a raw pie, use 5 tbsp coconut oil and chill for min. 1 hour instead).

After it's cooked/chilled, peel and slice the peaches and layer across the crust bottom, then do the same with the strawberries. In a small saucepan, combine the berries, brown sugar, corn starch and lemon juice, and cook over medium-low, breaking up the berries and letting thicken. Pour sauce over top of the pie and chill.


In a food processor, combine soaked nuts, water and 2 tbsp agave nectar for 5 minutes, or until smooth. Remove and chill for at least an hour. At that point you can serve the cream in dollops on each slice of pie, or spread it across the top to create another layer and serve that way.

Sunday Brunch: One Batter, Two Muffins

*Base recipe adapted from 'Best Ever Muffins' recipe.













INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Egg Replacer (Ener-G or Flax Eggs)
1 cup Soy Milk (or other milk alternative)
1/4 cup + 2 heaping tbsp Applesauce (or 1/4 cup oil)
1/4 cup Mixed Berries
1/2 Apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tbsp Vegan Margarine, melted
4 tbsp Flour
4 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 tbsp Oats (or crushed nuts)

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine egg replacer, soy milk and applesauce (or oil). Add wet to dry and stir just enough to combine all ingredients. Divide batter into two equal parts. Add the berries to one bowl and the apple to the other. Scoop batter into greased muffin tin/papers. Meanwhile, combine melted margarine with 4 tbsp each flour, sugar and oats/nuts and crumble that mixture on top of the apple muffins. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. (375F convection will also work or 400F convection for 15-20 minutes)

Sunday Brunch: The Kitchen Cupboard Breakfast Cookies

In football, sometimes they say 'throw the kitchen sink at them', which means a bunch of different defensive looks. I call these 'The Kitchen Cupboard Breakfast Cookies' because everything is closed today and so I was relegated to throwing in whatever was in my kitchen cupboards and I used as much of it as possible to make this (relatively) healthy cookie. On a coincidental note, the pictures on this entry were img2012 and img2013 - your fun new years day fact. Happy 2013!

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Instant Oats
1 cup Mixed Seeds & Nuts (I used Chia, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Hemp)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Bananas
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg Replacer (Ener-G)
1/4 cup Oil (appr)
1/4 cup Soy Milk (appr)
1 Mango, peeled and chopped
Handful of Raisins (Chocolate Chips would work, but I was trying to limit sugar)


In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, seeds/nuts, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and cream with sugar. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the egg replacer (should be just shy of 1/4 cup on the marker). Pour oil to bring it just short of 1/2 cup mark, then soy milk to just short of the 3/4 cup mark. Combine with banana mixture and then add wet and dry together. If mixture is too wet (think pancake batter), then dust in a little WW flour until it thickens (think muffin batter).

Sunday Brunch - Cinnamon Toast Twisted

Everyone knows how to make cinnamon toast, right? I thought so. I know some people make it with white sugar, but it's always been brown in my family. Try these added flavours for a different twist on the original.







INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon (or more, to taste)
dash Ground Cloves
2 tbsp Vegan Margarine
splash Vanilla Extract

In a bowl, mix margarine with vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar with spices. Spread margarine mix over freshly toasted bread and sprinkle with sugar mixture.

Sunday Brunch: Ivory Coast-Style Bananas

Simple one today, but so tasty, especially if you use a banana with a little green on it. Past that chalky phase, but with a little bit of that lemony flavour still in there.
















INGREDIENTS:
Bananas (1 per person. With a touch of green as mentioned)
Special K Cereal (about 3/4 cup per person - Rice Crispies or Corn Flakes would work too)
1/2 cup Sugar (more if needed)
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Peanut Oil

On a large high-lipped plate (or low bowl), crush up the cereal, peel the banana and roll it in the crushed cereal. Fry in peanut oil over medium heat, rolling to make all cereal crispy. This will also soften up the banana in the middle. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and enjoy!