Sunday Breakfast Sando

I love breakfast! Being vegan it can be hard to go out to breakfast and eat anything interesting. So I try to make vegan versions of some classic restaurant breakfasts. This one is a really filling and healthy way to experience something you would get from your local drive through but 100% better for you and tasting. I think you could morph this sando however you want, if you like soysage instead of faken or some veggies or whatever you like. The real gem in this sando is the tofu and using really good English muffins! I love a great English muffing, something whole wheat or flax, the more nutritious the better. The tofu in this recipe is key, I use nutritional yeast, this looks a lot like fish food but has a really nice cheezy taste to it, you can find it at whole foods (I use it in my mac and cheeze recipe and others on my blog)  I made enough to make 4 sandos so I will make the recipe according to that. They make really good leftovers.
What do you like to eat for breakfast?

Ingredients
4 - English muffins (use something really grainy and good)
4 - 1/2 in slabs of extra firm tofu (cut them off the block into slabs)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
8 strips of faken bacon
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 (or so) Daiya Cheddar shred's
earth balance buttery spread (optional)

Directions

• Cut the tofu into slabs, place the tofu on a plate and pour the soy sauce over them.


• sprinkle the nutritional yeast over the tofu, make sure you get both sides, this will make the soy sauce and nutritional yeast into a paste, coat both sides.
• in a skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil and begin to brown up the bacon.

• in another skillet heat the other tablespoon of grapeseed oil and bring to medium high heat, when the oil is hot toss in the tofu

• fry the tofu until both sides are golden brown

• brown the faken then transfer to a plate

• toast the English muffins
• now build the sando, earth balance if you want on the English muffin, stack 1 tofu slab, 2 strips of fakon and top with a little Daiya Cheddar.


• Now you nosh

Wheat Berry Salad with Faken Bacon

 

This recipe came to me from a friend and blog follower, when I got the recipe it did call for regular bacon of course I just swapped it for vegan bacon. I made this salad about 3 weeks ago and I took it for lunch for a few days and since then I have made another batch to take for lunches. It is so filling with the wheat berry's and I love the fresh lemon and parsley flavor. This is a great make ahead and keep it on hand I would say its good for a few days in the fridge, if it lasts that long! I also think it would be a great dish to take to your next Sunday football potluck. I am sure at some point this season I will bring this dish and its sure to be a hit! Give this one a try, if you are not sure about the vegan bacon you can leave it out or use what ever you want. If you try this one let me know how it goes I love to know you all are trying the recipe's I post! Also a big thank you to Tricia for the recipe!

this is the fake bacon - it is yummy!

Dressing

 

cherries and toasted pecans

I am so bad at taking pictures! Sorry!


Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat berries
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1 package Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips - http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=tempeh_smokystrips
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1Tablespoon Grape Seed Oil

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the wheat berries, 4 quarts water, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender but still slightly chewy, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350° F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.

3. Meanwhile, cook the Tempeh in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of Grape Seed Oil over medium-high heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.  When cool, crumble and add to the wheat berries, along with the pecans, cherries, parsley, shallots, oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine.

Oatmeal Carob Chip Cookies

This recipe is one that my sister Sallie makes for her family all the time, I made a few changes to it to make it vegan (Sallie makes them vegan some of the time, don't tell her husband) I have been in the mood for cookies for what seems like weeks now and so I am happy that last night I finally made these little gems! I have to say that in the process of being vegan I have really learned some crazy stuff. For example did you know that not all sugar is vegan??? I know I was shocked at first too, what could possibly be un-vegan about white sugar well....... I will not disclose that info but I will attach this link and if you want to know then you can click and learn, you choose http://www.vegan.org/FAQs/index.html

 But enough of that lets talk about Carob!!! This stuff is amazing if you have not tried it I will invite you to get some from your local Whole Foods bulk bins, that way you can just get a few to try at first! I did not take pictures of this because I was lazy but I am sure you have all seen a cookie before :) Just make it and I am pretty sure you will like it!

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup earth balance, softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated Vegan sugar
• 2  servings of egg replacer
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 3   Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1  cup carob chips

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat earth balance and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add egg replacer and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and carob chips; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.