Special Occasion Brunch
It is 2022. My good friend Rod is organizing a couples retreat for next year at a high-end B & B, and asks what Kathryn and I have for breakfast. I foolishly try to answer the question he asked, but Kathryn points out to me that this is an opportunity to try some high-end B & B cooking that is whole food, plant-based, albeit special. Just in case the chef wants some suggestions, here are some dishes we make on special occasions.
Tofu Scramble and Hash Browns
Tofu Scramble
adapted from “Mexican Scramble” in Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon.
1 lb firm organic tofu
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mild-to-medium chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 15oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Cook together in a non-stick wok until thoroughly blended and warmed through.
Hash Browns
Cook frozen hash browns on a non-stick skillet with onions and red, green, and yellow bell peppers, using a minimum of cooking oil spray and water as needed. Season while cooking with onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper or black cumin.
Condiments: hot sauce and ketchup.
Serve with fresh berries.
Biscuits and Gravy
Biscuits
adapted from “whole-wheat drop biscuits” in Happy Herbivore Light & Lean by Lindsay S. Nixon
Makes 9 or 10
1 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
Preheat over to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in applesauce, so it makes large clumps. Add nondairy milk, stirring gently to make a thick dough. Drop spoonfuls on the baking sheet. Bake 11 minutes.
Gravy
adapted from “Golden gravy” in The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp chopped fresh sage, or 1 tsp dried
4 cups water
1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Stir the nutritional yeast and flour together in a small sauce pan over low heat for 4 minutes, or until fragrant. Do not scorch. Set aside.
Sauté onion in a small amount of low-sodium vegetable broth or water, until tender and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage, and sauté for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour mixture thoroughly, and then whisk in the water, tamari, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, and simmer until the gravy is thick and creamy.
Serve with fresh berries.
Fluffy Pancakes
Serve with fresh berries.
Six days a week, we have the same breakfast, but it is never exactly the same from day to day. We start with a good-sized bowl. That is the only step that is not optional. Put about 3/8 cup of uncooked oatmeal in the bowl. Unlike steel-cut oats, rolled oats are perfectly edible without cooking. Add some puffed kamut and some puffed millet. Slice a banana on top. Sprinkle some cinnamon on that. Then add a tablespoon of ground flax seeds and a teaspoon of raw pumpkin seeds. Put a couple spoons of low-fat granola (I like Bob’s Red Mill Apple Blueberry) on that. Add some fresh or thawed blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, apples, peaches, or whatever fruit you have around. Add half a banana, sliced or diced. Gently, so as not to spill or overflow the bowl, add about a cup of unsweetened almond or soy milk. Did I mention I eat a lot of food?
