B is for Breakfast, gluten free vegan style

Friday, October 2, 2009

vegan_goodnessHooray for Vegan MoFo day 2! I loved reading everyone’s posts yesterday and was super excited to be included in the day 1 round up last night (I too am wondering what in the dickens I’m going to do about the letter x but am incredibly excited to read about 31 days of vegan cupcakes) Today we’re talkin’ Breakfast!

Can you believe that prior to joining Weight Watchers, I almost never ate breakfast? (Unless it was a gigantic pastry or muffin from Starbucks or maybe a Holt Renfrew croissant or two) Even when I was a kid I refused to eat in the morning! I remember one time my mom even let me have cherry pie for breakfast because I she wanted me to have something before school. Nowadays, breakfast is such an important part of my day and I really consider it the fuel that keeps me going.

Being gluten free and vegan means that I can’t rely of some traditional breakfast foods that many people grab on the go (like wheat-laden toast, bagels with cream cheese, eggs or yogurt) but that is perfectly fine with me. I’m generally a lot happier when I make meals at home and I love keeping things interesting and healthy in the morning.

Hot cereal is an amazing option, especially now that the weather is getting colder. I love rolled quinoa, amaranth or gluten free oats.

SANY2253 As many bloggers will attest, with hot cereal it’s all about the toppings! I usually add some sort of fruit (bananas, pear or apples usually), something sweet (agave and/or dates), some sort of protein (either some nuts or some nut butter), liquid (usually almond milk, but using tea can also be nice) and lots of cinnamon! While it might seem easier to grab a packet of instant oats, making your own and adding toppings takes only a extra couple of minutes and is so much more satisfying. If you’re on the go, you can put your oats and dry toppings in a little bag and bring the liquid toppings with you and mix them once you get to work. SANY2247 And if you’re in need of a new texture, blending your oats (a la Chocolate Covered Katie) can make them smooth and creamy.SANY2169When I’ve got a bit of time I love to make pancakes. They remind me of being a kid (back then, chocolate chip pancakes were my absolute favourite!) After trying a couple of different recipes, I adapted one from La Dolce Vegan and came up with these guys:

SANY1730 3/4 c. Bob’s gluten free flour blend
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/8 c. agave nectar
Coconut or grapeseed oil for pan

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the almond milk, coconut milk and agave and stir until just mixed.

Warm a bit of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Spoon/pour pancake batter onto pan and cover (I usually use my 2 tbsp scoop from Pampered Chef for cute little pancakes). Let them hang out on medium heat. When the pancakes have bubbles in the center, flip them over and cook until golden brown. Once golden on both sides, take them off the heat and repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Makes 4-8 pancakes depending on how big you make them. They are light, fluffy and absolutely delightful! Enjoy them on their own, with some fruit or jam or with a drizzle of maple syrup or agave.

I also enjoy scrambled tofu once in awhile – very yummy!SANY1739Nice way to get some veggies in first thing in the morning!

If I’m in a rush I’ll grab a piece of fruit and a muffin from my freezer or some cold cereal (Whole-O’s or Corn flakes are my favs) with almond milk or I’ll make myself a smoothie and take it to go (banana-almond milk-date-agave-almond butter is one of my favourite combinations!) There’s also no rule that says you have to eat “breakfast foods” for breakfast. Maybe cherry pie isn’t the best choice, but you could also enjoy leftovers from the previous evening, or something more savoury if that’s what you like!

Whatever you eat, it’s important to set yourself up for success by eating something in the morning. Figure out what it is that you like, make it accessible and easy for you to pull together and make it happen! By doing so you’ll have more energy, be more alert and be better equipped to go through your day.

VeganMofo asked yesterday on Twitter: do you eat the same thing every morning? Or do you like to switch things up? Are you breakfast-challenged? Do you have a favourite breakfast recipe?


12 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Hooray for breakfast!! Great start to the day :)

I especially love your adapted pancake recipe and your version of Katie's recipe - her recipes are always great inspirations!


My breakfasts switch off between 3 raw cereals from One Lucky Duck = the cinnamon crispies, chocolate crispies, and g"raw"nola; and they're always topped with hempmilk :)

Lauren said...

I love GF Oatmeal as of lately. I switch it up every so often, but I usually stick with one thing. I am going to have to try those pancakes! YUM!

Basht said...

those pancakes sound pretty fantastic, so thanks for providing me with a recipe for the weekend :)

GF Gidget said...

I go back and forth between GF oatmeal (thanks to you!) and GF cereal with almond milk. I am always switching up my oatmeal toppings and type of cereal though.

Megan said...

The pancakes look really delicious!
I love breakfast, it is my favourite meal of the day...but I usually find my self eating the same couple of foods and just rotate them around.
I would love to try quinoa flakes..do you eat them raw or cook them?

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Awww thanks for mentioning me :) :)

Your breakfasts look superb!

LauraA said...

I've been thinking about breakfast a lot lately and trying to get out of my cereal rut, so thanks for the great ideas. I might do a "breakfast challenge" for myself in the next week or two...so keep an eye on my blog for that ;)

Nicci said...

I try to mix things up adn try new different toppings in my oats and waffles.

39 To Go! said...

Your pancakes look SO good!

Jen Treehugger said...

Yummy Pancakes. Breakfast is probably my most favourite meal of the day.
I have a fresh smoothie every morning and then a bowl of Porridge with Banana and flax seeds. Most Sundays I have a good old English fry!

gwgjoan said...

I love your theme!

Susan said...

I used to not be a breakfast fan, but I would always eat it. Now I love it! I am more into savory than sweet breakfasts though. My regular daily breakfast is toast with Vegemite and avocado smeared all over it and a glass of soy milk.

If I have time I like to make some scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, potatoes, whatever. Or I'll make it for brunch or brinner if I don't have time in the morning.

I tend to like cereals and porridges more as a mid-morning snack, they are a bit sweet for my early morning stomach to handle. Except for pancakes - pancakes and waffles can be eaten anytime!

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