Breakfast Archives » I LOVE VEGAN

Vegan Banana Bread

Brittany — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 15:51:58 +0000

Good news! This is the vegan banana bread recipe you've been looking for. It's absolutely perfect. The flavour is bang on. It’s perfectly sweet, lightly spiced, and very banana-y (duh.) The texture is exactly, exactly right. It’s moist and very tender, soft but with a well-defined crumb. The crust is deeply golden-brown, sweet, soft, and a little sticky after settling.

My best vegan baking recipes are some of the most well-loved and highly reviewed recipes on the blog. Top reader favourites include: Fudgy Vegan Walnut Brownies, Vegan Molasses Cookies, Perfect Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, and Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. If you’ve enjoyed any of those recipes before, you should know that this Vegan Banana Bread might top them all.

1 BOWL + EASY PREPARATION

In addition to this vegan banana bread being incredible, it scores even more points with its ease of preparation. 15 minutes of prep, 1 bowl, and no weird ingredients.

VEGANIZING BANANA BREAD

Despite veganism current rise in popularity, making vegan cakes isn’t a new idea. During WWII, rationing may have led home cooks to develop desserts with more affordable and readily available ingredients. Butter, eggs, and milk were expensive and harder to source. Instead, cakes relied on chemical leavers, plant-based liquid fats, and gluten, vinegar, and salt for structure. These types cakes are still popular and highly affordable today. I’ve used this technique before, for vegan chocolate cupcakes. It turns out that this method also works perfectly for veganizing banana bread.

USING FLAX SEED AS EGG REPLACER

From the first test I included ground flax as an egg replacer in this recipe. After more research I've come to the conclusion that it might be unnecessary. But until I have more ripe bananas to retest this recipe without flax seeds, I'll leave it as is.

Ground flax has a pleasant nutty flavour and the light flecks enhance the appearance of banana bread. (You'll notice dark flecks throughout a loaf a banana bread, from the center of over ripe bananas.) But if there’s no discernible difference, I'll mark the ground flax seed as optional after a retest.

ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:

After mixing up the batter, stir in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips and proceed as directed.

Vegan Banana Nut Bread:

After mixing up the batter, stir in ½ - 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts and proceed as directed.

Gluten Free Vegan Banana Bread:

If you’re looking for a gluten-free and vegan banana bread, I’d suggest using a recipe already tested for that purpose. But if I were to attempt to make this recipe gluten-free, I'd try a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum (or a similar ingredient intended to add structure), for best results.

If you do try making this recipe with alternative flours, I'd love to hear about your results!

Substituting canola oil:

A light, neutral-tasting, liquid vegetable oil will perform similarly. Fractionated (liquid) coconut, safflower, and sunflower oil would be effective options. Melted coconut oil or vegan butter might also work well.

RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS

Banana ripeness:

For perfectly sweet banana bread, the bananas you use should be past the point where you’d want to eat them. They'll be very soft, thin-skinned, heavily speckled, and fragrant before peeling. You can use bananas that are even riper than that, all the way to the point where the entire banana is black. The bananas pictured below show the minimum level of ripeness for a great loaf of banana bread.

Using ingredient weights for consistent and intended results:

Whenever possible, measure flour by weight when baking. 1 cup of flour can vary in weight greatly. A standard cup of flour weighs 120 grams. For consistent, reliable results just as the recipe intends, use a kitchen scale! I use a 15$ kitchen scale and it's one of my most-used kitchen essentials.

If you don't have a kitchen scale and you're going to make this recipe anyways:

For the best results using volume, measure your flour correctly: Fluff, Spoon, and Level. In your flour container or bag, thoroughly fluff the top several inches using a whisk. Gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup (avoid compacting the flour.) Level off the scoop with a flat edge.

Even when using the method above, I still end up with about 20 grams of excess flour. If you’re weighing out your flour by volume, reduce the total amount by 2 tablespoons (use 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoon total.) This came out closer to the required 210 grams in my testing.

More notes for best results:

On oven temperatures and baking times:

Because actual oven temperatures vary, baking times also vary. Your vegan banana bread will be cooked when a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Do the toothpick test after a minimum of 40 minutes, when the crust is a very deep golden brown (more brown than golden), with an obvious crack running down the length of the loaf.

A note on achieving the best banana bread texture:

When your vegan banana bread comes out of the oven the crust will be firm and crisp. Wait until the vegan banana bread is only slightly warm before sealing it in a food storage bag, reusable container, or plastic wrap. After being sealed for a couple of hours the crust will become soft and moist with a almost sticky bakery/coffee shop texture.

STORAGE NOTES

Store in a sealed container, food storage bag, or plastic wrap at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate.) Lasts for 5 days.

Freezer-friendly. Thaw at room temperature.

Vegan Banana Bread

★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf
Category: Breakfast, Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

This vegan banana bread is moist, lightly spiced, and perfectly sweet. Just 15 minutes of preparation, 1 bowl, and no fancy ingredients necessary!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (365 g) mashed overripe banana (approx. 3 large bananas)
¾ cup (175 ml) (150 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used oat)
2 tbsp (30 ml) (10 g) ground flax seed
2 tsp (10 ml) white vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
1 ¾ cup (210 g) all purpose flour *see recipe notes
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
½ cup (90 g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
½-1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. After that, there's no need to wait for your oven to preheat fully before moving on to steps 2 and 3.
Use a fork to mash the over ripe bananas. Don’t worry about thoroughly mashing them, it’s okay if there are still chunks of banana.
In a large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, sugar, canola oil, non-dairy milk, ground flax seeds, vinegar, and vanilla. Then, let the mixture sit until the oven is preheated.
In the same bowl, use a whisk to mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Optional: Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the loaf is a deep golden-brown colour and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. After that remove the vegan banana bread from the pan and cool on a cooling rack. When the loaf is just barely warm, seal it up in a container, food storage bag, or plastic wrap for a couple of hours or until the crust becomes soft and moist.
Wait until completely cool before slicing and serving with vegan butter.
Store in a sealed container or food storage bag for 5 days. Do not refrigerate.

Notes

If measuring flour by volume, use the "fluff, spoon, level" method and reduce flour by 2 tablespoon for a total of 1½ cups + 2 tbsp.

Freezer-friendly. Thaw at room temperature.

If needed, refer to blog post for more recipes notes.

Keywords: vegan banana bread

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Brittany — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 22:39:03 +0000

This post is sponsored by Camino.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes! Since it’s February, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Could there be a more appropriate time to indulge in a big ol’ stack of chocolate chip pancakes? I think not!

Now let me tell you why, out of all the fancy schmancy decadent chocolate desserts you could make this V-day, you should make a stack of vegan chocolate chip pancakes instead:

They’re pancakes (and everyone loves pancakes!)
They’re Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes (therefore fitting into the chocolate Valentine’s theme)
They’re humble, understated, comforting and classic.
Low effort (but high impact with very fews dishes leaving you to use that energy for other things..)
Unexpected and sweet and cute and seriously the best thing to wake up to on a romantic holiday.
Not too many ingredients (and they’re all pantry staples!)
All the toppings of your choosing!!

Here’s the thing, Valentine’s Day can be a little over the top. Pancakes are not. Pancakes are playful, they’re sweet and tender and when made by someone you love, dare I say, a little bit flirty?

These Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes are light and fluffy and studded with mini chocolate chips. And not just any chocolate chips, Camino’s Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips.

Camino is a Canadian brand specializing in fair trade and organic chocolate and food products. In their delicious lineup you’ll find chocolate chips (mini chips! semi-sweet! sugar free chips! all vegan chips!), hot chocolate (the Intensely Dark, Simply Dark, Maple, and Chili & Spice are all vegan), coffee, chocolate bars (out of the 15 varieties,10 are vegan), shredded coconut, brown sugar, golden cane sugar, baking chocolate, and cocoa. Many of their products are vegan, gluten free, and they offer a variety of unsweetened/sugar free items as well. Their handy allergen charts help you ensure you choose the perfect ingredients for you.

Back to the pancakes! I don’t think I need to tell you how to top pancakes, but if you’re feeling uninspired, here are my favourite ways to top these beauties:

Sliced bananas, vegan butter, maple syrup, and few more chocolate chips (as we did here)
Caramelized bananas
Peanut butter
Maple syrup and vegan butter
Sweetened strawberries

A little note: Maybe you’re not a fan of Valentine’s Day. Maybe you’re single, maybe you have to work, maybe it’s too commercial, maybe the thought of such a mushy holiday makes you nauseated. I hear you, I understand. You know what I think might help you feel better? Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Maybe you need to take some time to yourself, whip yourself up a big stack of pancakes and indulge. Treat yourself. You deserve it.

This post is sponsored by Camino.

Camino is an amazing Canadian brand that we’re so excited to share with you. They’re committed to high-quality products and providing top-notch product information. If you’re vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, etc. Camino has you covered! Visit www.camino.ca for more information and to browse their fair trade, organic products.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6-7 pancakes
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Light and fluffy vegan pancakes studded with mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients

1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp chocolate chips
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 cup (250ml) warm almond milk (any non-dairy milk)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp (15ml) melted coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly oil pan if necessary,
Mix together flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Heat almond milk in microwave until just warm (not hot.) Add the melted coconut and sugar and mix well.
Add the almond milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a fork to mix well, until there are no lumps in the batter. Do not overmix.
Spoon ¼-1/3 cup of the batter into your preheated pan. Cook the first side for about 3-4 minutes - until the edges appear dry and cooked and some bubbles have formed. Always flip the pancake before dry spots begin to form on the tops of your pancakes.
Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Store the cooked pancakes in a single layer on the racks in your warm oven - this will keep them warm but not soggy.
Continue cooking the pancakes until batter is finished. Makes about 6-7 pancakes.

Notes

Add your favourite toppings: Vegan butter, maple syrup, sliced banana, sweetened strawberries, peanut butter, etc.

The post Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.

Vegan Breakfast Tostadas

Brittany — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:36:43 +0000

This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.

Made with a mix of Creamer potatoes, black beans, and scrambled tofu, these vegan tostadas are a satisfying breakfast you'll look forward to. Top them with fresh toppings like creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce for a bright and flavourful start to your day.

Vegan breakfast tostadas are perfect for a leisurely weekend brunch or breakfast. But if you're in a hurry, strapped for time or energy, you can easily alter the recipe to suit your needs.

The filling or base for these breakfast tostadas is a blend of The Little Potato Company's Garlic & Parsley Microwave Ready kits, easy spicy black beans, and scrambled tofu.

Ready in 5 minutes, The Little Potato Company packages up their fresh Creamer potatoes and seasoning in a BPA-free microwavable container. There are 3 flavours to choose from: Garlic & Parsley, Savory Herb, and the new Tomato Basil (all 3 are vegan!) The Little Potato Company's Microwave Ready Creamer potatoes are an effortless side dish all on their own but they can also save you time and energy in recipes too. We'll cook the Little potatoes as directed and then quickly brown them in a skillet before seasoning them with the included packet. Easy peasy.

Tostada shells are flat (sometimes bowl-shaped) crispy, deep-fried corn or flour tortillas. You can deep-fry corn tortillas at home to make your own tostada shells, or buy store-bought ones from your grocery store. You're likely to find tostada shells in the snack or international aisle.

Switch up the toppings depending on your tastes or what your have on hand. Use your favourite hot sauce (Cholula is our go-to), guacamole, vegan sour cream, pico de gallo, fajita veggies, greens, whatever you like!

Short on time or energy? Here are our favourite time and effort saving swaps:

Use warmed flour tortillas instead of tostada shells for a vegan breakfast taco.
While the scrambled tofu adds a recognizable "breakfast element" to these tostadas, you can omit it or the seasoned black beans to make this recipe simpler. Both the beans and the tofu add a healthy dose of plant-based protein. Double up on whichever protein you do use.
Swap out the black beans for refried beans. Tostadas and tacos are always messy! Spread the refried beans over your tostada shell for a nice "adhesive layer" that'll help keep the other toppings in check.
For a satiating and savoury Mexican-style breakfast any day of the week, meal prepping is key! Prepare all the components and toppings ahead of time. To keep this breakfast hitting-the-snooze-button-more-times-than-you-can-count-type-morning compatible, stick to 2-3 fresh toppings. Once you've prepared the seasoned Creamer potatoes, spicy black beans, and tofu scramble, you can mix them all together for easy assembly. In the morning just heat the filling, load it into a flour tortilla (or 2 or 3!), sprinkle on your choice of toppings and drizzle with hot sauce. Roll them into burritos if you need to eat on the run.

This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.

We love them for their commitment to simple, healthy whole foods like their delicious Creamer potatoes. Thanks for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan!

The Little Potato Company just launched their new website! Head on over to Littlepotatoes.com for hundreds of great recipes, lots of Little potato love, and a brand new, super handy store locator!

Vegan Breakfast Tostadas

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 6 tostadas
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Scrambled tofu

½ block extra-firm or firm tofu, pressed & crumbled into bite sized chunks
1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ tbsp water
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp fine grind kala namak salt (black salt - can sub for sea salt)
⅛ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp olive oil

Seasoned Creamer potatoes

The Little Potato Company’s Garlic & Parsley Microwave Ready kit
1 tbsp olive oil

Spicy Black Beans

1 cup (½ can) cooked black beans
1 tbsp Cholula hot sauce
¼ tsp salt

Tostadas

Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Toppings (lime wedges, avocado, cilantro, tomato, red and green onion, Cholula hot sauce)

Instructions

Prepare scrambled tofu: Combine nutritional yeast, water, garlic powder, kala namak, and turmeric in a small bowl. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add crumbled tofu and cook, stirring often, until the tofu is mostly golden-brown. Push the tofu to one side of the pan and pour the sauce over the tofu. Stir to coat and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce is absorbed. Set aside.
Prepare Creamer potatoes: Peel back plastic film and remove seasoning packet. Close film and cook in microwave for 5 minutes on high. Let potatoes rest for 2-4 minutes. Peel the plastic film off and allow to cool until comfortable to touch. Cut potatoes into quarters. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and the seasoning pack and cook, stirring often, until potatoes are golden-brown. Set aside.
Mix beans with Cholula and salt. Cook briefly, in the same pan as the potatoes, to heat the beans thoroughly.
Frying the tortillas: In a large saucepan, heat a generous amount of neutral-tasting vegetable oil (at least ½” deep) over medium-high heat. Allow plenty of time for the oil to reach the correct temperature (about 325F -350F). It should take approx. 10-20 seconds to cook each side of the tortilla. Adjust your temperature accordingly. Cook 1 corn tortilla at a time. Fry for 10-20 seconds, flip and fry for another 10-20 seconds until both sides are golden brown. Drain on a cooling rack.
Assembling the tostadas: Top fried corn tortilla with the Creamer potatoes, black beans, scrambled tofu and yourn favourite toppings (cilantro, tomato, onion, avocado, hot sauce, etc.)

The post Vegan Breakfast Tostadas appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.

Vegan Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Brittany — Fri, 25 May 2018 23:03:25 +0000

This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.

Today we’re getting back into the swing of things with one of my favourite comfort foods: vegan quiche!

Quiche has always been one of my favourite foods. It started with the rich and savoury open crust egg pies of my pre-vegan years. After adopting a vegan lifestyle, eggs were off the menu but quiche had to stay. Going vegan was not going to stop me from enjoying my favourite foods. Not a chance!

Traditional quiche is a savoury, open crusted pie made with a blend of eggs and cream or milk. It often includes cheese, meat or seafood, and vegetables. Considering how very “unvegan” a traditional quiche is, it’s surprisingly easy to make without animal products.

We’ll get to the “veganizing” part in just a moment. First, we’re going to start with the crust. Typically quiche is made with a pastry crust but for this version we’re going to make a hash brown crust using Creamer potatoes. The hash brown crust is not only healthier (using less fat than a classic pastry crust and adding another source of vegetables), but is also easier to prepare. Win-win!

I chose The Little Potato Company’s pretty, pink-skinned Blushing Belles for this hash brown-crusted vegan quiche. Any varietal of Little Potatoes will work beautifully in this recipe. The pre-washed and thin-skinned Little Potatoes don’t require any cleaning or peeling. I tossed them straight into my food processor, equipped with a coarse grating blade, and the Little Potatoes go from bag to grated in a matter of seconds. Toss the grated Creamer potatoes with a touch of olive oil, a little flour, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Press the mixture flat into a pie or tart pan and bake. That’s all it takes to make a healthy and flavourful vegetable-based crust for your vegan quiche. (If you like the simplicity of this potato hash brown crust, you might enjoy our recipe for Vegan Potato Latkes. The method is very similar!)

Once the crust is in the oven, we can look at veganizing the filling. For an egg-y but eggless filling we’re using extra-firm tofu, ground flaxseed or chia seeds (they’ll act as our binder, soaking up excess liquid and allowing the filling to “set”), and black salt (also known as “kala namak”, its distinct sulphurous flavour mimics the flavour of eggs perfectly.) Nutritional yeast, vegan cheese shreds (optional, but recommended), and a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk, makes this vegan quiche taste rich and “cheesy”.

That covers the foundation for our eggless quiche filling. A healthy dose of fresh dill and a couple of supporting ingredients amp up the flavour for a savoury and satisfying filling. All the ingredients are tossed into your food processor and blended until completely smooth.

Sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, and onion are gently folded into the filling before it’s spread over the partially baked hash brown crust. Decorate the quiche with halved asparagus spears and a sprinkle of vegan cheese for an attractive presentation. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is golden-brown.

This vegan asparagus & mushroom quiche is a great plant-based meal. It’s nutritious: full of veggies, plant protein, and healthy carbohydrates. It’s savoury and satisfying but not heavy. You can enjoy this recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or for a satiating snack. It reheats well and is a nice option for meal prepping. Refer to the recipe notes for reheating tips.

Customization:

Omitting vegan cheese shreds: Be sure to taste the filling once it’s prepared. Adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to increase the amount of salt or nutritional yeast for more flavour/cheesiness.
Add-ins: Chopped smoked tofu or veggie “meats” are tasty additions for a smokier/meatier quiche and will increase the amount of protein in this dish.
Other vegetable options: Spinach, broccoli, bell pepper, and peas are all delicious vegetables you can use to switch up this vegan quiche.

This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.
We love them for their commitment to simple, healthy whole foods like their delicious Creamer potatoes. Thanks for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan!
Learn more about why we love Little Potatoes at www.littlepotatoes.com

Vegan Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 quiche, 8 pieces
Category: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

This vegan asparagus & mushroom quiche with an easy hash brown crust is nutritious, protein-rich, and full of vegetables. The sulphurous flavour of black salt adds a classic egg-y flavour to this tofu-based quiche. This all-in-one plant-based meal is comforting and satisfying, making it perfect for any time of day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a filling snack. This vegan quiche can be prepared in advance and reheated for a quick, healthy meal.

Ingredients

Hash Brown Crust:

½ bag (340g) of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belles, coarsely grated
2 tbsp (30ml) unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or melted vegan butter (plus extra for greasing pan)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
black pepper, to taste

Tofu Quiche Filling:

1 block (350g) of extra-firm tofu (do not press or drain)
⅓ cup (80ml) nutritional yeast
OPTIONAL (but recommended): ¼ cup (60ml) vegan cheese shreds
¼ cup (60ml) fresh dill
1 tbsp (15ml) ground flaxseed (or sub with finely ground chia seeds)
1 tbsp (15ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
½ tsp (2.5ml) finely ground black salt (a.k.a. kala namak)
¼ tsp (1.25ml) dried oregano
black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or vegan butter, divided
1 ½ cups (375ml - 100g) sliced white button or cremini mushrooms
approx. 12 spears of asparagus, ends trimmed
- approx. ½-¾ cup (125-185ml) chopped
- approx. 4-5 spears sliced in half, lengthwise (for topping)
½ cup (125ml) diced yellow onion (approx. ½ onion)
OPTIONAL: 2-3 tablespoon (30-45ml) vegan cheese shreds, for topping

Instructions

Hash Brown Crust:

Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
In a medium-sized bowl, combine grated Little Potatoes, 2 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Mix well to develop the gluten in the flour. (Developing the gluten binds the grated potatoes and makes for a crust that will slice cleanly, without falling apart.)
Using your hands, press the potato mixture firmly into a dark pie plate or tart pan. A dark metal pan is best, it helps the crust crisp and brown properly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. While the crust bakes, begin preparing the filling. The crust is cooked once the potatoes have browned and appear crisp.

Tofu Quiche Filling:

In a food processor with blade attachment, add extra-firm tofu (broken into 4-6 large chunks), ⅓ cup nutritional yeast, ¼ cup vegan cheese shreds (optional, but recommended), ¼ cup fresh dill, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk, ½ teaspoon black salt, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and black pepper to taste. Process on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture forms a ball. Set mixture aside.NOTE: Avoid adding extra liquid to help blend the mixture, it’s best if the filling is slightly dry rather than too wet. The sautéed vegetables will add more moisture once they’re mixed into the filling.
In a skillet/frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the halved asparagus spears and cook briefly, until the stalks are bright green and just slightly tender. Remove asparagus spears and set aside.
If needed, add an additional ½ tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion and chopped asparagus for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the asparagus is bright green and the onion starts to become tender and translucent.
Add the sliced mushrooms, stir, and saute until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and become tender. Do not overcook.
Gently stir the sautéed vegetables (onion, chopped asparagus, and mushrooms) into the filling mixture.
Once the hash brown crust is cooked, lightly grease the edges of the pan with olive oil or melted vegan butter. Spread the tofu filling evenly over the crust.
Decorate with halved asparagus spears and sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoon vegan cheese shreds (optional).
Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the filling appears golden-brown and the vegan cheese is melted (if using).
Allow the quiche to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

Reheating instructions:

If you’re in a rush, you can simply microwave the quiche. For best results, preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 425°F (218°C) and place a slice of quiche straight onto the oven rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the quiche is hot all the way through and the crust is crisp.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ⅛ quiche
Calories: 152
Sugar: 1.3 g
Sodium: 742.8 mg
Fat: 8.8 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5.9 g
Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 10.7 g

The post Vegan Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche with Hash Brown Crust appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.

Vegan Drive-Thru Breakfast Sandwiches

Brittany — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 20:06:51 +0000

A few months back I shared that I've fallen back in love with breakfast. To be more specific, super savoury stick-to-your ribs kinda breakfasts - like breakfast sandwiches.

A few years ago I shared my recipe for a variety of breakfast sandwiches using scrambled tofu. Since then, I only opt for scrambled tofu on my sandwiches if I happen to have leftovers. Otherwise, I am ALL about the tofu patty. Basically, I just double the "scramble" sauce from my Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl (IMO, that recipe is my best rendition of tofu scramble so far) and coat pressed patties of tofu (a 350g block's worth) instead of using crumbled tofu. Fry up the sauced patties, top 'em with a slice of vegan cheddar (we used Earth Island's (Follow Your Heart) Cheddar slices), put a lid on the pan to melt the cheese, and you're ready to assemble!

Since this particular sandwich was one I made AFTER driving past a few McD's all-day breakfast billboards, I was going for a true drive-thru breakfast experience. With that said, I recommend serving the patties on toasted white English muffins (1 side spread with vegan butter, vegan mayo on the other side) along with some kind of vegan mock meat. We used Yves Veggie Cuisine's vegan turkey for these ones, but we've also used and loved:

Tofurky's Smoky Maple Bacon and Hickory Smoked Tofurky Slices
Lightlife's Fakin' Bacon (aka Smoky Tempeh Strips in Canada)
Yves Veggie Cuisine's Sauage Patties and Links

Afterwards, wrap 'em up in foil for a minute or 2 (a bit of steam softens the toasted muffin making it like a proper drive-thru sandwich.)

Lettuce (or spinach), tomato, and sprinkle of black pepper are my other go-to toppings. And sliced, ripe avocado is always welcome to join the party if you have one on hand! What are your favourite breakfast sandwich toppings?

There's no recipe needed for these guys! Use your favourite English muffins (or bagels), jump over to the Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl post for the scramble sauce (double it for 1 350g block of tofu), and the toppings are up to you! Enjoy!

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Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl

Brittany — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 22:22:39 +0000

I'm so into breakfast lately. It's been years since I was excited about breakfast for more than a day or two. A few months ago we switched from drinking BIG mugs of coffee first thing in the morning, to drinking multiple teeny tiny espresso-sized cups of coffee. Since that little change, my morning caffeine intake is less of a JOLT and more of a slow and steady drip into my system. Besides having to fight the overwhelming urge to down my tiny shot-sized coffee in one gulp and violently slam the empty cup on the counter while yelling, "ANOTHER!", it's been a rather pleasant change.

Now I actually have room for breakfast in the morning and I've been on a savoury food kick. Sweet breakfasts just don't sound right to me. We've been eating a whole lotta tofu, in breakfast sandwiches, tofu scrambles, and hashes. Today I'm sharing a delicious tofu scramble breakfast bowl. Lately, I've been leaning towards the comfort food side of things, not the light "January food" side of things. I think this recipe strikes a healthy balance between the two.

We start with a bed of whole wheat couscous. I'm a fan of whole wheat couscous - it's full of fibre and protein, makes a cost-effective substitute for quinoa, and it's quick to prepare. William and I are thankful to have no real reason to avoid gluten and couscous is a mainstay in our diet.

Layer garlicky sautéed kale and mushrooms (white button and Cremini), and scrambled tofu onto your grain of choice. For the scramble, the tofu is pressed, crumbled, and sautéed until golden brown. It's flavoured with a thick sauce of nutritional yeast, turmeric, kala namak, garlic powder, onion powder, and water. The kala namak (black salt) provides a pungent, sulfurous flavour that's reminiscent of the flavour of eggs.

(Left) Scramble sauce (nutritional yeast, water, garlic and onion powder, kala namak, and turmeric. (Right) Pressed and crumbled extra-firm tofu, sautéed in olive oil and mixed with "scramble sauce".

Top this savoury breakfast bowl with your favourite fresh toppings to feel like a proper "healthy breakfast person". I used halved grape tomatoes, sliced green onion (a necessity), pea sprouts and a sprinkle of not-too-sweet granola for crunch (Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola). I would've added some chopped avocado but sadly all the ones I had on hand were hard as rock 🙁

For an Instagram-worthy breakfast bowl, cook the tofu, kale and mushrooms separately (as explained in the recipe.) For something fast and easy: brown the tofu slightly, then cook the kale and mushrooms alongside the tofu, and coat all 3 ingredients with the "scramble sauce". Not as pretty, but damn delicious.

Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl

★★★★★ 4.5 from 2 reviews

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 bowls
Category: Breakfast
Method: Sautéing
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

A hearty breakfast bowl of savoury scrambled tofu, garlicky mushrooms and kale on a bed of whole wheat couscous. Add your favourite toppings for a fresh and nutritious breakfast!

Ingredients

Breakfast Bowl

1-2 cups cooked whole wheat couscous (cook with vegetable broth for more flavour)
1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
2 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 cup quartered Cremini and white button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Scrambled Tofu

½ block extra-firm or firm tofu, pressed & crumbled into bite sized chunks
½ tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ tablespoon water
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp fine grind kala namak salt (black salt - can sub for sea salt)
⅛ tsp/pinch of turmeric

Toppings

ripe avocado, pea sprouts, chopped green onion, granola, halved grape tomatoes

Instructions

Prepare couscous according to package instructions.
In a medium-sized pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped kale and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the kale is nearly tender. Sprinkle with salt and cook until tender. Set aside.
In the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 clove of minced garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Set aside.

Scrambled Tofu

In a small bowl or ramekin/custard cup, combine nutritional yeast, water, garlic powder, onion powder, kala namak, and turmeric. Stir well.
In a medium-sized pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add crumbled tofu and cook, stirring often, until the tofu is mostly golden-brown.
Push the tofu to one side of the pan and pour the "scramble sauce" over the tofu. Stir to coat the tofu and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce is absorbed. Set aside.

Assembly

Divide cooked couscous, kale, mushrooms, and tofu scramble between 2 bowls. Add your favourite toppings (ripe avocado, pea sprouts, green onion, granola, and grape tomatoes) and enjoy!

Notes

Keywords: vegan breakfast bowl, scrambled tofu

The post Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Brittany — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 00:20:07 +0000

These fluffy perfect-for-autumn pancakes are a cross between breakfast and dessert. Carrot cake for breakfast? Pancakes for dessert? Both are totally ~~fine~~ awesome in my books. Plus we're talking about putting carrots IN pancakes... This is basically healthy eating! Right?

I loaded these pancakes with shredded carrot, dried coconut, golden raisins, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Halfway through this photoshoot I realized I'd forgotten the pecans so none of the pancakes in the photos have pecans in them but it turns out they're tasty either way!

These pancakes can easily be customized for a satisfying healthy(-ish) breakfast or a seriously decadent dessert experience. Leave 'em as-is for a delicious breakfast that falls somewhere in the middle. Ah, balance is good stuff.

If you want a real treat use Silk's Vanilla Almondmilk in place of the unsweetened and go crazy with the toppings: Vegan butter, maple syrup, toasted pecans and shredded coconut are all delicious options. Take things to the next level with this sweet creamy cashew drizzle from our Perfect Vegan Cinnamon Buns recipe.

For something healthier, stick with Silk's Unsweetened Almondmilk, substitute half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour, use unsweetened coconut, and top 'em with almond butter and just a touch of maple syrup.

This post is sponsored by Silk. All text and opinions are my own.
We love Silk for their amazing dairy-free plant milks and their commitment to a plant-based lifestyle.
Sign up for Silk’s Newsletter. Looking for Silk in your area? Use this store locator! #DoPlants

Carrot Cake Pancakes

★★★★★ 4.3 from 3 reviews

Author: Brittany at ilovevegan.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 pancakes
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Easy vegan pancakes loaded with all the flavours of carrot cake!

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tablespoon (155g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
⅓ cup grated carrot (approx. 1 carrot)
3 tbsp flaked or shredded dried coconut (I used sweetened)
3 tbsp golden seedless raisins
2 tbsp finely chopped pecans (optional)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk, warm
¼ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly oil pan if necessary,
Mix together flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and ginger. Stir in the grated carrot, dried coconut, raisins, and pecans.
Heat almondmilk in microwave until just warm (not hot.) Add the melted coconut and sugar and mix well.
Add the almondmilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a fork to mix well, until there are no lumps in the batter. Do not overmix.
Spoon ¼-1/3 cup of the batter into your preheated pan. Cook the first side for about 1-2 minutes - until the edges appear dry and cooked and some bubbles have formed. Always flip the pancake before dry spots begin to form on the tops of your pancakes.
Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Store the cooked pancakes in a single layer on the racks in your warm oven - this will keep them warm but not soggy.
Continue cooking the pancakes until batter is finished. Makes about 6-7 pancakes.

Notes

Add your favourite toppings: Vegan butter, maple syrup, toasted pecans, sweetened dried coconut, nut butters, etc.

The post Carrot Cake Pancakes appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.

Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl

Brittany — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 19:45:05 +0000

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Ready to go from Summer to Fall in 60 seconds? Start making this oatmeal ASAP and you'll be welcoming Fall into your home in no time at all.

Apple season is on the way. I'm starting to crave heartier breakfasts (and hot coffee is now a must!) The morning and evening air has that familiar crispness that says fall is here. Yep, the best part of the year has arrived.

This spiced apple oatmeal is full of chunky apple bits, raisins, pecans, and flax seeds. When made according to recipe, the sweetness is mild (less apple pie oatmeal, more nourishing breakfast bowl) thanks to a sweet blend of molasses and brown sugar.

The toppings are where things get fun. To keep it simple (using ingredients mostly found in the bowl), I recommend thin-sliced apple, roughly chopped pecans, raisins, pumpkin seeds, a sprinkle of granola, a drizzle of molasses, and a hefty splash of cold vanilla almond milk. For something a little fancier (or to push this bowl into dessert territory), I'd recommend a dollop of coconut whip and a generous drizzle of pure maple syrup (or brown sugar because this is totally brown sugar territory.) (PS: My favourite vegan brown sugar is from Red Path - it's super affordable and bone-char free!)

This recipe calls for large flake oats. Large flake oats cook slower than instant or quick oats but faster than steel-cut. They make for a nicely separated, slightly chewy bowl of oatmeal. If you make this with quick or instant oats it'll be a thicker, porridge consistency.

Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl

★★★★★ 4.7 from 3 reviews

Author: Brittany at ilovevegan.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 -2 servings
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

A hearty, warming bowl of oatmeal full of chunky apple bits, raisins, pecans, and flax seeds.

Ingredients

2 tsp coconut oil
½ cup chopped apple (approx. ½ small apple)
2 tbsp chopped pecans
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups water
¾ cup large flake oats
pinch salt
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tbsp Thompson raisins
1 tbsp brown sugar
splash almond milk

Toppings

splash vanilla almond milk
molasses and/or brown sugar
pecans
raisins
granola
fresh apple slices
pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the apple and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the pecans, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Add water and bring to a boil.
Add the oats and a pinch of salt. Turn heat down to medium and simmer until oats begin to thicken up.
Add the ground flax seed (this will help thicken the oatmeal), raisins, brown sugar, and a splash of almond milk. Cook until thick.
Serve in a bowl topped with a generous amount of vanilla almond milk, a sprinkle each of brown sugar, pecans, raisins, granola, (and pumpkin seeds - optional), fresh apple slices, and a drizzle of molasses.

The post Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl appeared first on I LOVE VEGAN.