Breakfast Food

I have a menu board in my dining room with a quote from Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson on it. It says, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food,” and I agree. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I could eat breakfast food for lunch and dinner, too!

I’ve found that a lot of people have difficulties figuring out what to make for breakfast after they’ve gone vegan. On the Standard American Diet, breakfast tends to revolve around eggs, bacon, sausage, and cheese. What do you do once you remove those foods from your diet? Fortunately, The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer is here to help!

The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book

I loveThe Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book! It’s chock-full of recipes for breakfast, brunch, and breakfast for dinner. In it, you’ll find quick and easy breakfast dishes as well as meals that might take a little longer and are perfect for lunch. There are smoothies, porridges, breakfast sweets, teas and coffees, and even homemade milks. It’s a breakfast lover’s dream!

Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer start the book with some early morning inspiration, because for most people, a smooth morning routine is the key to a good day. They also talk about some of the key ingredients in their breakfast recipes, such as nuts, berries, seeds, and grains.

Coffee or Tea?

Jörg is a coffee lover, so he’s included information on how to brew the perfect cup of joe. He discusses preparation methods, what to buy, and where to buy it from. Like me, Nadine likes to start her day with a cup of tea, so she shares tips on making a good cuppa. She explains the different types of teas, their origins, and how to brew them.

The Recipes

Whether you only have a few minutes in the morning or you have enough time for leisurely meal, you’ll find the perfect recipe to start your day in The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book. There are make ahead meals, like Coconut Chia Pudding and “Nana Nice Cream, as well as brunch feasts, such as a Breakfast Frittata and Mini Breakfast Quiches.

If you like to start your day with sweet treats, you’ll find recipes for muffins, donuts, and blondies. If you’re a savory person, like me, you’ll enjoy the Tofu Omelet or Breakfast Burger. There are also recipes for DIY pantry staples, such as Pesto Bread, Breakfast “Meats”, and nut-based milks.

The Chapters in The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book include:

• Smoothies, Juices & Co.
• Breakast on the Go
• One-Bowl Wonders
• Hot Off the Stove
• The Sweeter Side of Mornings
• Weekend Brunch
• Coffee, Tea & Co
• Pantry

If, like Leslie Knope, you often wonder why anyone would ever eat anything other than breakfast food, The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book is the book for you!

Super Antioxidant Shake

 

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The antioxidant chemical compounds called anthocyanins that give blueberries their dark blue color also help your body relieve stress, and neutralize free radicals.

Author: Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer

Recipe type: Smoothie, Breakfast

Yield: 2 shakes

Ingredients

• ½ cup (70 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 cups (500 ml) almond milk
• 21/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 11/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons goji berries
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions

1. Place the blueberries, almond milk, flaxseed, and maple syrup in a food processor or high-speed blender and process until smooth.
2. Divide between two glasses and top with the goji berries and chia seeds. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes for the chia to swell before serving

Notes

Recipe from The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book: 80 Mouthwatering Plant-Based Recipes You’ll Want to Wake Up For © Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. experimentpublishing.com

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After a full weekend of hiking, biking, and rollerblading around Southern California, soaking up the gorgeous spring weather, a craving for mint chocolate chip ice cream hit me. We were biking past Cafe Gratitude in Venice and I contemplated ducking in to pick up an I Am Cool smoothie — basically a mint chocolate chip shake — but after doing a quick inventory of what we had in the kitchen at home, I realized I could make a very similar mint carob chip smoothie without shelling out $10! The result was the creamiest, freshest, most decadent minty treat, and one that now has a permanent spot in my smoothie rotation.

Mint Carob Chip Smoothie

 

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Author: Amy Bauer

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 peeled and frozen bananas
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
• 4 dates
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
• carob chips for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients but the carob chips in a blender and mix until you have the perfect smoothie consistency. Depending on the strength of your blender, you might need to add a bit of water or non-dairy milk to help things get moving around. Divide into two glasses, top with carob chips and mix throughout. I ate mine with a spoon and it was just like slightly melted ice cream. Enjoy!

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Whenever I talk about smoothie bowls, at least one person asks what that means. One friend said, “So, it’s like you pour your smoothie into a bowl?” It basically is! It’s sort of like a smoothie meets a sundae. Start with your favorite smoothie recipe, top with some deliciousness, and you’re a smoothie bowl pro. Here’s how to make a smoothie bowl out of any smoothie recipe for a healthy, satisfying breakfast.

To make my smoothie bowl, I’m using the Strawberries and Cream smoothie recipe from 40 Days of Green Smoothies made with soy milk and topped with fresh strawberries, chia seeds, and vegan strawberry yogurt. It’s decadently delicious!

The recipe below is just a jumping-off point! Of course, you can follow it to the letter for a delicious strawberries and cream smoothie bowl, but you can also start with any smoothie you like. Here’s how to do it:

• Choose a smoothie recipe. I have a ton of smoothies here on the site, or you can use any smoothie from 40 Days of Green Smoothies.
• Choose some toppings. I like three to four toppings on my smoothie bowls. Fruit (fresh, frozen, or dried), nuts or seeds, vegan chocolate chips, and vegan yogurt are all tasty on top of a smoothie bowl.

That’s it! Pour that smoothie into the bowl, throw on your toppings, and you are ready to eat!

Strawberries & Cream Smoothie Bowl

 

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Author: Becky Striepe

Ingredients

For the smoothie

• ¼ of a Haas avocado
• ¾ cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ¼ to ½ cup of kale, ribs removed
• 1 cup Silk Soy Milk
• 4 ice cubes

Toppings

• So Delicious Strawberry Yogurt
• chia seeds
• fresh strawberries, sliced

Instructions

1. Puree all of the smoothie ingredients, and pour into your favorite bowl.
2. Top with the toppings, and eat!

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This Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe is another little peek at the second edition of 40 Days of Green Smoothies! The book is available now (right here!), and I am so happy with how it turned out!

Pumpkin is super healthy and a great way to get some veggies into a smoothie while maintaining a rich, creamy texture. A cup of pumpkin puree is packed with fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, omega 3 fatty acids, and trace minerals. And! Since this pumpkin pie smoothie gets its sweetness from banana rather than refined sugars, it’s a healthy-yet-sweet treat that you can enjoy with breakfast or as a  snack any time during the day.

You can use canned or homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe. If you do use canned pumpkin, you’ll have quite a bit left over. Here are some ideas to use up the leftovers:

• Make yourself a half recipe of my pumpkin orzo.
• Feed it to your dog as a treat. Pumpkin is great for dogs! Feed a tablespoon or two at a time to your pup as a treat.
• Freeze it! Spread the pumpkin into an ice cube tray and freeze. When it’s frozen solid, pop the cubes into a freezer-safe container. You can defrost the cubes as needed for recipes.

Got that pumpkin ready to rock? Let’s get blending!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

 

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Author: Becky Striepe

Recipe type: smoothie

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup vegan milk
• 1 banana
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ginger juice or ginger puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Puree until smooth. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you want!

Notes

from 40 Days of Green Smoothies, used with permission

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This recipe is a sneak peek from the upcoming second edition of 40 Days of Green Smoothies. It’s a revamped recipe from Week 6, and it’s one of my favorites in the book. The Very Berry Green Smoothie stars lettuce as the green. You can use any lettuce you choose in this recipe or substitute spinach, if you like. It’s very versatile!

I created a video recipe for the Very Berry Green Smoothie, and you can get a written version of the recipe below that. Drink Your Greens, y’all!

Very Berry Green Smoothie

Yield: about 1 pint

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen banana
• 1/4 cup each frozen raspberries and frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup of lettuce
• 1 tablespoon ginger juice or ginger puree
• 1/2-1 cup water (add as needed, to get things moving)
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 5 ice cubes

Method

1. Blend until smooth.

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The other reason I love Healthy Skoop is that it is a Colorado based small business (I live in Denver). I love small businesses and I especially love businesses that are good for our health also doing great things in things community. For every serving of Skoop sold, they donate one serving of free fresh fruits and veggies to a school lunch program in America. How cool is that!?!

Healthy Skoop uses all plant based ingredients and formulates the products using leading edge science with organic and naturally sourced ingredients. Healthy Skoop was created by a Dr. James Rouse who is naturopathic doctor that has studied nutrition for 25 years and authored 11 books. I love the fact that there is nothing weird or funky in the blends, just pure health promoting ingredients directly sourced from nature.

A few of the delicious products you can purchase include: Super Skoop, an all-in-one nutritional shake; Ignite, a superfood endurance beet blend; A –Game, a daily super foods blend, B-strong\ a plant based protein; and last but not least; B-lovely, a specially formulated beauty blend.

What are the benefits? All Healty Skoop products are specially blended with disease fighting, health promoting plant based ingredients. Just a few of these include; plant based proteins, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega 3s, probiotics and adaptogenic herbs. Each product is designed to boost your productivity and help you in certain areas. They also offer a sample pack where you can give a little taste of all the benefits the blends offer. Healthy Skoop makes it quick and easy to get a daily dose of super nutrition and help you become a super you!

Where do you get healthy skoop? You can get more info on Healthy Skoop and purchase products on their website: https://healthyskoop.com/

And now for the giveaway! The great people at Healthy Skoop are giving away a month’s supply, that’s three 10-serving Super Skoop proteins and one 30-serving A-Game!! Yippie!

Follow the instructions below to enter. Contest ends at midnight eastern time on May 5th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I decided to use Cherry-Vanilla NuNaturals sweetener and vanilla almond milk to help increase the vanilla flavor and sweeten this smoothie up a bit. I don’t know about you, but I can never – as hard as I try – get anything to taste like total vanilla. But with the vanilla protein powder it all came together perfectly and was just what I was craving! If you don’t happen to have any cherry-vanilla sweetener just use some vanilla extract and a little simple syrup. Toss your two frozen bananas, cored pear, one full dropper of sweetener, one cup milk and your protein powder into the blender and let whir away. Once done pour in a big cup and enjoy! This was the first time I have ever smoothie-uped a pear, but oh yum! And the SunWarrior protein powder wasn’t too bad either.

Vanilla Pear-Banana Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, cut into chunks
• 1 pear, cored and chopped
• 1 dropper NuNaturals Cherry-Vanilla Sweetener
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 packet SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder, or your favorite protein powder

Preparation

1. Freeze bananas for at least 2 hours, (or overnight). I always keep frozen, chunked bananas in my freezer.
2. Toss everything into a blender and let it whir away until smooth.
3. Pour in a large cup, and enjoy!

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One of the most delightful delicacies of summer is a beautiful fresh fig! As they are elusive for most of the year, I always get excited when they begin to appear at the farmers’ market or in the produce department. Figs are lusciously sweet & an absolutely gorgeous hue on the inside. I am really attracted to colorful foods & figs are one of the most vibrant fruits around. Nutritionally, figs are an excellent source of potassium (a mineral that helps to control blood pressure), dietary fiber, phyto-nutrients, anti-oxidants & vitamins A, E, & K. What a sweet & summery gift from mother nature.

One of the most delightful delicacies of summer is a beautiful fresh fig! As they are elusive for most of the year, I always get excited when they begin to appear at the farmers’ market or in the produce department. Figs are lusciously sweet & an absolutely gorgeous hue on the inside. I am really attracted to colorful foods & figs are one of the most vibrant fruits around. Nutritionally, figs are an excellent source of potassium (a mineral that helps to control blood pressure), dietary fiber, phyto-nutrients, anti-oxidants & vitamins A, E, & K. What a sweet & summery gift from mother nature.

Fresh Fig, Kale & Almond Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients: 

• 1 packed cup chopped kale leaves
• 1 cup almond milk (homemade is richer)
• 4-5 fresh figs
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 Tbsp. soaked raw almonds
• 1 date, pitted (optional)

Instructions: 

Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until completely smooth. Drink Immediately.

Yum! This smoothie is wonderfully luscious & delicious. The flavor is subtly sweet, which I prefer, but if you like added sweetness, a date would be perfect. The combination of homemade almond milk, figs & frozen banana makes the smoothie rich & thick ~ like a healthy milkshake! My new morning favorite. Fresh figs will only be around for a few more weeks, so get ’em while they’re “hot” & enjoy!

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Wild Blueberry & Cacao Superfood Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup simple homemade almond milk (recipe below)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup frozen organic wild blueberries 
• 1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder (Nativas Naturals)
• 1 Tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil (Dr. Bronner’s)
• 1 Tablespoon soaked chia seeds
• ice cubes

Instructions: 

1. Place all ingredients in a regular or high speed blender & blend until smooth. Top with extra goodies & enjoy!

Serves 1

Simple Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients:

• one cup raw almonds, soaked over night
• 3 cups pure water
• optional: 1 teaspoon of brown rice syrup, & 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth & creamy, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Strain liquid through cheesecloth or a “nut milk” bag. Reserve pulp to dehydrate & use as almond meal, or discard. Will last for up to 3 days refrigerated.

Yields approximately 3 cups

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Pears, greens and flax seeds make this smoothie fiber-rich and packed with nutrients. Lemon adds freshness and aids digestion. Avocado brings healthy fat and delicious creaminess. The smoothie is sweetened with dates instead of sugar. Most importantly, it tastes like a dream!

You can substitute flaxseed with other nuts or seeds, or omit completely if you don’t have it on hand. What I like about this smoothie is that you know the avocado is there, and the pear and dates give it just enough sweetness.

If you like it even sweeter, you can add a few more dates, but I prefer the less sweet version; it allows more of the avocado and pear flavours to come through.

Super Thick Pear and Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 large pear (~150g)
• 1/2 avocado (~50g)
• 1/4 small lemon, peel removed
• 1 cup kale or spinach
• 1 heaped tsp flax seeds (~5g)
• 1-2 dates (optional)
• A few ice cubes
• Small pinch of salt

Preparation:

Combine everything in the blender and add a little bit of water. Start blending and add more water as needed (the less water, the thicker the smoothie!).

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