Vegan Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas with JustEgg

These Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas with vegan sausage, wilted kale, black beans, eggs, tomatoes, and feta, are the perfect way to kick off your weekend brunch! Topped with a drizzle of maple syrup, even the pickiest eaters will gobble them right up...yes, please! Using the JustEgg allows you to quickly and easily scramble up an egg substitute for these tostadas that even your non-vegan friends will love! (My pro tip: Just don’t tell them! Trust me, no one will even notice!)

The best part about breakfast tostadas is that you can customize them for everyone’s individual likes! My favorite way to serve them is to honestly get all the topping ready and just let people choose what they want buffet style! Below is how I like mine…

What you are going to need to buy:

Tortillas, small

Plant-Based Sausage

Liquid Smoke

Olive Oil

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Smoked Paprika, to taste  

Just Egg

Black Beans

Tomatoes, diced

Dairy-Free Feta Cheese

Fresh Kale

Maple Syrup

Hot Sauce, optional

What you are going to need to do:

To start, fry up your plant-based sausage with a little olive oil, a few dashes of liquid smoke, and some minced garlic. Once the sausage is almost done and getting a little crispy on the edges wilt in a handful of kale and stir to combine. Once the kale has softened and the sausage has finished cooking, remove and set aside.

Wipe out your skillet and use your JustEgg to make some scrambled eggs. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste. Remove and set aside.

Again, wipe out your skillet, and on medium-high heat, toast your tortillas until they take on some nice golden brown color…a little char around the edges never hurt anybody, either!

Assemble your tostadas by layering your sausage and kale mixture with the eggs, black beans, tomatoes, and cheese and topping with a drizzle of maple syrup and a splash of hot sauce (if you like a little kick!)

Customize your tostadas by adding avocado, sour cream, hot peppers, etc!

Banana and Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

What do you do with bananas that are on their way out-the-door and more sourdough bread than you can possibly finish? Banana and Peanut Butter Bread Pudding, of course! If you’re a fan of “dump and bake” kinds of recipes you’re going to love this one. The most time-consuming part is simply cutting up the bread and slicing the bananas!

Now, cards on the table…I don’t particularly love either bananas OR bread pudding but there is just something about this recipe that’s hard to beat! Great for a crowd, this vegan dish, that’s really more like dessert than breakfast is made with dairy free butter, oatmilk, and JustEgg and comes together in under an hour!

What you are going to need to buy:

For the Bread Pudding

• 3-4 cups of crusty bread, cut into cubes

• 3 ripe bananas cut into slices

• 2 cups of oatmilk

• JustEgg to replace 3 large eggs

• 1 tablepoon of cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, more for sprinkling

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• Splash of Vanilla

• 1/2 cup of peanut butter

• 1/2 cup of Walnuts

  
  For the Icing

• 1/2 stick Dairy Free Butter, melted

• Powdered Sugar, 1 cup

• Splash of Vanilla

• Pinch of Salt

What you are going to need to do:

1. Layer your cubed bread and banana slices into a baking dish (I used an 8 x 10) sprayed with non-stick spray.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients (minus the nuts and brown sugar for sprinkling) and wisk until well combined. Don’t be too worried if the peanut butter doesn’t completely combine or there are still little pieces. They will melt when baked!

3. Pour mixture over the bread and bananas. Spoon any peanut butter that didn’t totally dissolve evenly over the top.

4. Top with walnuts and sprinkle with brown sugar.

5. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. You can gently lay a piece of foil over the baking dish to keep the top from burning but keep sides loose and un-crimped. You don’t want your Bread Pudding to “steam” under the foil…it’s just to keep the top from getting too crispy! Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.

6. While the Bread Pudding is baking mix together 1/2 stick of melted vegan butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. (Add more or less sugar depending on how thick you like your icing.)

7. At 40 minutes, remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before drizzling the top with icing and serving.
   

   A couple of notes about this recipe: I know there are a lot of “egg-replacers” that vegan and non-dairy diets use in baking. I used the product JustEgg and it turned out wonderfully. I can’t guarantee that others will do the same…they may be great but I’ve not tested any others with this particular recipe.

   Love chocolate? You could totally throw in a handful of chocolate chips to this recipe and it would be delicious!

   
   Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
   Sarah

Vegan Creamed Eggs on Sourdough Toast (French Scrambled Eggs)

One of my favorite dishes is creamed eggs on toast! In my book, it’s the perfect, wake up late and make brunch on a lazy weekend breakfast! Unlike traditional scrambled eggs, with creamed eggs there are a few tricks to get small enough curds for that perfect creamy texture. And, yes…despite what the photos may look like, this entire recipe is Vegan!

I’ve been plant-based for 20 years at this point, but make no mistake…I love eggs. Sadly, I find that they don’t love me back, and are a huge source of inflammation in my body, which for me means eczema flair-ups but with Just Egg now I can still enjoy my creamed eggs from time to time! If you’re not a vegan and are making this recipe with regular eggs, all the same techniques apply. Another reason why I love the Just Egg product! They really do cook up just like traditional chicken eggs!

Note: I call this creamed eggs, but there is another recipe that involves taking chopped boiled eggs and serving them over toast with a cheesy cream sauce made with a rue. This is NOT that. Good news, it’s just as good and not near as complicated. This recipe might be more closely compared to french scrambled eggs.

What you are going to need to buy:

Just Egg, the liquid. It can typically be found right by the eggs in the cold case at the grocery store. There really isn’t a substitute for this…if you want creamed eggs that actually taste like the real thing, just try Just Egg. You’ll thank me later.

Sour Cream - (I’m a pretty die-hard Tofutti fan, so that’s what I always use!)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional: Avocado, Tomatoes, Fresh Chives

Bread of choice. I used my homemade sourdough and I like how the thick cut crunchy bread stands up to the softness of the eggs.

What you are going to need to do:

This is not a complex recipe. If it were not for just a couple tricks that I have learned and want to share…I would hesitate to even post it!

Tip # 1: Cook on Medium/Low! I’m serious, we are not frying these eggs! Low and slow is THE trick, in my book to a nice silky texture.

In a medium skillet, on medium/low, warm about a teaspoon of olive oil, until it coats the bottom of the pan.

Pour in your liquid eggs.

Place 2-5 dolops of sour cream (about 1 teaspoon each), depending on how many “eggs” you are making into the pan, ontop of the eggs.

With a small silicone spatula or whisk, begin to stir the eggs and sour cream in small circles right away.

Continue to stir for the entire time that the eggs are on the heat.

It’s going to look like nothing is happening but be patient. Eventually your eggs will begin to tighten and thicken up. The constant stirring is what will give you those small delicate curds and keep your eggs creamy.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste, and continue to stir until your eggs become the texture of thick tapioca. Always remove from the heat earlier than you think you need to…as they will continue to cook off the heat.

Remove from heat and continue to stir for 1 minute.

Serve over toast and garnish with avocado with a squeeze of lime, tomatoes, and fresh chives.

Puffed Cranberry Feta and Walnut Bites

If you're looking for a quick and easy holiday appetizer or even another small item to add to a Christmas breakfast buffet...you've got to try these Puffed Cranberry Feta and Walnut Bites. Made with crescent rolls, which happen to be accidentally vegan...you might have all the ingredients you need already in your pantry! They look way, way, fancier than they are and can be made either vegetarian or vegan depending on the cheese option you use!!

For this recipe you’re going to need cranberry sauce…and I make my own because 1. It’s easy and only takes about 7-10 minutes and 2. It tastes so much better than the canned stuff BUT you could just as easily use some canned cranberry sauce, or even some jam or preserves!

What you are going to need to buy:

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Fresh Cranberries

Maple Syrup

Small Orange

Cinnamon

Cloves

Dairy-Free Feta Cheese

Walnuts
 

What you are going to need to do: The Cookies

To start, in a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of maple syrup, the juice of one small orange, and 1 cup of fresh cranberries to a boil and let boil on medium-high until the berries start to burst.

With the back of a fork, crush the berries and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture thickens up. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Preheat your oven to 350

Open a can of crescent rolls and roll out the pastry onto a clean counter or cutting board but do not separate into triangles. Instead, gently pinch the perforations closed and then cut the rectangle of dough into 12 equal squares

Push the crescent dough squares down into a mini muffin tin.

Fill with cranberry sauce and top with crumbled feta cheese and walnuts.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning halfway through baking until pastry is golden brown and set.

Let stand fro 1-2 minutes in the tin before removing to serve!

Mini Patriotic Fruit Pizzas (Dairy and Egg Free)

Well, it’s officially SUMMER, my favorite season, and one of the reasons why I love summer so much are all of the fresh berries that are now ripe! With Independence Day just a few weeks away, these red, white, and blue mini fruit pizzas, with icing made from Kite Hill Foods cream cheese, are a great idea for your Fourth of July menu if you're still looking for a little something sweet to serve!

My niece and nephew were in town this past weekend and among a lot of pool time and craft projects we also managed to whip a batch of these Mini Summer Fruit Pizzas! These kids are not plant-based by any means, but you should have seen them gobble up the result! We all had fun, and no one even knew the difference, just the way that Aunt Sarah Likes it!

What you are going to need to buy:

Flour (1.5 c)

White Sugar (1/2 c)

Butter, softened - (or vegetable oil, vegan spread) ( 6 tablespoons) - (We like Earth Balance)

Vanilla (1 tablespoon)

Pinch of Salt

1 Egg - (Or the vegan equivalent such as Just Egg, which is what we used)

Milk - (1-2 tablespoons) (Substitute your plant based favorite - we like the Vanilla Oat Milk, for this recipe, for obvious reasons! The Vanilla Oat Milk from Rise Brewing is great for baking.

Baking Soda (1 teaspoon)

Baking Powder (1 teaspoon)

Fruit, of your choice, diced into small pieces

Cream Cheese (from from Kite Hill Foods)

Powdered Sugar
 

What you are going to need to do: The Cookies

Let’s start with the crusts…which are basically just sugar cookies.
In a bow sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
In a smaller bowl whisk together the softened butter, vanilla, oak milk, and egg until well combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Roll out dough and cut to desired shape…obviously for these I used a round cutter (actually a biscuit cutter because it had the pretty fluted edge!)

Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven.

Let cool completely before decorating.

The Icing:

This icing is so easy it’s hardly worth explaining. Into a small bowl mix together 1/2 container of Kite Hill Cream Cheese, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla. You can use the entire container of cream cheese if you plan to double to cookie recipe (This recipe makes 12 medium cookies.)

The Assembly:

After the cookie crusts are nice and cool, frost the tops of the cookies and arrange fruit (or other toppings) to your liking. Keep cool before serving.

Better Than Canned, Vegan Crescent Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting!

If you grew up as an 80’s kid like I did, canned cinnamon rolls were a Saturday morning tradition. Probably the best thing you can really say about canned rolls, as an adult, is that they are quick and easy, crack open the can, plop them into a dish and bake. But would you believe that in the time it takes to preheat your oven you can up your cinnamon roll game by using another canned doughy staple from your childhood? That’s right…we’re talking crescent rolls!

Ever since I realized that canned crescent rolls are are #accidentallyvegan I have been thinking about using them to make some dairy free cinnamon rolls! And...WOW am I glad that I did because these bad boys turned out absolutely amazing. These quick and easy rolls are everything you love about cinnamon rolls and everything you love about crescent rolls all in one bite!

What you are going to need to buy:

Canned crescent rolls. (The Pillsbury brand is vegan!)

Non Stick Cooking Spray

1 cup of White Sugar

3 Tablespoons of Ground Cinnamon

Dairy Free Cream Cheese

Powdered Sugar

Vanilla or Maple Extract

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat your oven to 350.
Yes, the back of the can will tell you to bake at a higher temperature…don’t do it! We are going to bake these rolls at a lower temperature for longer than what you would bake traditional crescent rolls.

Crack open your crescent rolls and carefully unroll them onto a piece of parchment paper.
Do not break apart along the perforated edged into individual pieces. The goal is to get one rectangle of dough.

Take your fingers and gently press the perforated seams that you would normally use to separate into individual crescent rolls back together.

Spray the dough rectangle with the non-stick cooking spray. This is going to give the cinnamon sugar something to stick to.

Combine your cinnamon sugar and sprinkle a liberal amount onto the entire rectangle, leaving a one inch seam on one of the short ends. This is where you will close your rolls and you want the dough to stick to itself after rolled up!

Begin at the opposite end from where you left your sugarless seam and roll the dough onto itself until you get a log. Go slow and try to make sure that the whole log stays together. You can use the parchment to help you roll.

With a very sharp, serrated knife, cut the roll in half, then in half again and one final time so that you have 8 equal pieces.

Lightly spray the pan you are going to bake the rolls in.

Note: I like to bake mine in a round pan but if you want to use a 9 by 9 pan that is fine too but you will want to cut your rolls into 9 pieces so that they fit nicely into 3 rows of three!

Place the rolls onto the center rack of a hot oven and bake for 15 minutes with a piece of tin foil draped over the top of the baking dish. This doesn’t need to be sealed on the edges, just lay flat onto the top. The crescent dough will brown faster than it cooks so you want to guard aganist the tops of your rolls getting too brown, too quick!

After 15 minutes remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown and fluffy!

I like to frost these rolls with cream cheese that I have added just a pinch of powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Personally, I don’t like my frosting to be too sweet because there is so much sugar in the rolls. The tang of the cream cheese is the perfect balance to all the sweetness and butter inside the rolls!

Let sit for 1-2 minutes after baking before frosting.
Enjoy!

Carrot Bacon Topped Avocado Toast

If you have been in the veg community for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about the wonder that is, Carrot Bacon! And, while I can’t lay claim to this recipe nor the base idea, I do have enough people ask me about it when I post photos that feature it that I thought I would share with you all how I make my Carrot Bacon!

I believe that the original recipe came from, the reigning vegan queen herself, Ms. Tabitha Brown, or at least that who I first saw share it! She uses a veggie peeler and an air fryer and my version uses a mandolin and the oven…just one more example of how most of cooking really is just good improv! Feel free to jump down to the end of the recipe if you just want my quick tips and tricks!

What you are going to need to buy:

Fresh Carrots

Liquid Smoke

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)  

Maple Syrup - (The good stuff, not pancake syrup.)

Garlic Powder, Paprika, Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper

Avocado

Sliced Vegan Cheese (like this ONE from Field Roast)

Tomato

Bread

Vegan Feta (this recipe uses the Block Feta from Violife!)

What you are going to need to do:

For the Carrot Bacon:

Using a mandolin or a veggie peeler slice your carrots into long thin strips/ribbons. This is why you want those fat carrots because they do tend to shirk up quite a bit in the oven.

Into a zip-top baggie that is large enough to hold your ribbons add:

1 -2 tablespoons of Liquid Smoke

1-2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon on minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon each of the spices. (Garlic Powder, Paprika, and Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper)

Let the carrot ribbons marinate for anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

On a baking tray lay out your carrot ribbons and place them in the oven to crisp up for 15-20 minutes. (Keep an eye on them, flipping after 10 minutes. You can also baste the reverse side with the leftover marinade when you flip them.

Feel free to turn on your broiler for the last 5 minutes or so to get your bacon extra crispy but watch is carefully so that it doesn’t burn…because it will!

Remove from oven and let sit for 1 -2 minutes until cool enough to handle.

The Assembly:

Apply your best practices for standard avocado toast preparation! I like mine to resemble a BLT and use tomato layered over some sliced vegan cheese and topped with dairy-free feta

Now, for the TIPS & TRICKS:

🌿 Use giant carrots...like really the fattest ones you can find. My local Asian Market has the biggest carrots I’ve ever seen!
🌿 Use a mandolin or a peeler because you won't be able to slice the carrots thin enough with a knife. I love my Pampered Chef Simple Slicer. I use it for everything!
🌿 The longer you can marinate the carrots, the better the flavor!

🌿 I bake mine on parchment because when that sticky marinade cooks onto your baking sheet at 400 degrees, it’s a pain to get off!

🌿 Use the leftover marinade to base when you flip the bacon half-way through cooking

🌿 Use the broil feature of your oven at the end to really crisp up the bacon but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn! - I leave the oven door cracked so I can keep an eye on what’s happening!

Enjoy! And as Tabitha says…

“Hey, you have a good day, but if you can't, don't you go out messing up nobody else's.”

Knock Off Starbucks Egg Bites with JustEgg (Vegan)

I have been intrigued with the egg bites from a (ahem) certain national coffee chain for quite some time and this past weekend I finally got around to trying my hand at making a vegan version of this cult-classic breakfast on the go! Bonus: My at home version didn’t cost $5 for only two…and I didn’t need to get out of my PJ’s. Win, win.

Full disclosure: I have never has the st*rbucks version but I can't imagine that they could be any better than this! These have mushroom, tomato, and feta (yes, leftover from the kebobs from last night...) But I think that;s part of what makes this recipe so great! You can customize it for your own tastes, or even make a couple of versions! So quick and easy and the texture was perfect!

What you are going to need to buy:

Just Egg, the liquid. It can typically be found right by the eggs in the cold case at the grocery store. There really isn’t a substitute for this…if you want “eggs” that actually taste like the real thing, just try Just Egg. You’ll thank me later.

Sour Cream - (I’m a pretty die-hard Tofutti fan, so that’s what I always use!)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional Add Ins: For this recipe I used mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes, Vegan Feta and some leftover pesto.

That’s it! Crazy, I know!

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium glass bowl whisk together one cup of JustEgg and 1/4 cup of Tofutti Sour Cream.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste, and add in your favorite breakfast add ins. Try to get as much moisture from the add ins as you can so that your egg bites don’t become soggy. I pressed my tomatoes and mushrooms between paper towels before adding them.

Spray a medium muffin tin with a cooking spray and fill each section half-full with the batter. Don’t over-fill.

You can also use a mini-muffin tin but your cooking time may decrease.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until center is set. Let cool in the tin for 1-2 minutes.

Serve garnished with fresh herbs, like chives!

This recipe should make 6-7 medium Egg Bites.

Creamy Mocha Date Hazelnut Spread

Homemade Creamy Mocha Date Hazelnut spread for the win! Bonus...technically, it can be made Raw Vegan so, even better. Shout out to Publix for having these beautiful Raspberries but you could serve it with any fruit you like…or just eat it right out of the mason jar you store it in! No judgement here.

I hesitate to call this homemade Nutella or “Healthy Nutella” because it has a flavor all it's own and I will admit that it’s not as sweet as the original but with only 6 ingredients and zero added processed sugar...let's just say I feel a lot better about having this than the jarred stuff!

Note: You’re going to need a high powered blender for this recipe. Not a stick blender. Not a hand mixer. Not a food processor…a blender! I don’t normally dictate hardware in my recipes but you’re essentially making nut butter and neither hazelnuts nor dates are cheap! I don’t want anyone to buy these ingredients and not be able to actually make the recipe in the end…

What you are going to need to buy:

Hazelnuts (I used 2 cups)

Dates (one medium container, about 10-12 ounces)

Cocoa powder, to taste (I used about 1/3 cup)

Maple Syrup

Vanilla

Salt, to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

Water

What you are going to need to do:

This recipe is really more about processing and assembly than cooking but to begin you need to preheat your over to 400 degrees. If you want this recipe to be officially “Raw Vegan” you don’t have to toast your hazelnuts of your dates and can skip this step…but the flavor is much better, in my opinion, if you toast them.

Spread your hazelnuts and dates onto a baking sheet and roast on 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Be careful that they do not start to smell burned.

Allow to cool on stove-top 1-2 minutes. Pour hazelnuts into blend and pulse to chop until fine. Blend hazelnuts on medium high until they release their oil and a “butter” texture starts to form. If the mixture feels too dry to the blades get stuck add 2 tablespoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoon of water.

Finely chop the dates into small pieces and once the hazelnuts start to become creamy, add the chopped dates, along with another 1/2 cup of water and the cocoa powder and salt.

Blend on high until well incorporated and creamy.

If you want your spread to be sweeter, add more maple syrup. Need more Mocha flavor…add a bit more cocoa and water. Continue to blend, taste, and tweak until you get the desired taste and texture that you like.

I ended up using, probably 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup and 1 cup of water, total to get both the taste and the texture I was looking for.

Store in a glass jar, and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal with Creamy Yogurt and Fresh Summer Berries

One of my absolute favorite breakfast recipes is baked oatmeal. You probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients that you need to make this delicious breakfast in your pantry right now! It’s easy to mix up, hard to mess up, and everyone, even picky eaters, seem to love it!

I had never heard of this dish until I spent several years living up in Ohio’s Amish County where, needless to say, there were not a lot of vegetarian dishes on the menu very often. Brunch potlucks and Saturday morning community breakfasts were always overloaded with bacon and eggs - biscuits and sausage gravy, and casseroles filled with ham but the bright spot in my little plant-based world was always the baked oatmeal! The great part about this dish is that it’s hearty enough to be satisfying and simple enough to make either a vegetarian or vegan option. A crowd-pleaser for sure!

What you are going to need to buy:

Quick Cooking Oats (3 cups )

Brown Sugar - (you can also use coconut sugar) (1 cup)

Baking Powder (2 teaspoons)

Vanilla (1 Tbsp)

Pinch of Salt

Powdered Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove - (you can also use pumpkin pie spice) (1 teaspoon each)

2 Eggs - (Or the vegan equivalent such as Just Egg, which is what we used)

Milk - (Substitute your plant based favorite - we like Oat Milk, for this recipe, for obvious reasons! The Vanilla Oat Milk from Rise Brewing is great for baking. (Almond and Cashew also work well) (1 cup)

Butter, melted - (or vegetable oil, vegan spread) (1/2 cup) - (We like Earth Balance)

Yogurt, for topping! (We used this non-dairy option from the Forager Project)

Honey - (or Maple Syrup/Agave)

Fresh Fruit
 

What you are going to need to do:

Okay, here is my disclaimer for this recipe: I know that I always say that I don’t do measurements and 99.9% of the time that is true…but baking is another whole animal. If I’m honest, I don’t do it often. I’m not great at it. (Which may be why I like this recipe, because it’s hard to screw up) Having said that…I did go ahead and offer measured suggestions for this recipe. Happy Baking!

The Baking.

Preheat  over to 350.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, oats, sugar, (yes, the sugar is considered “dry” for this recipe), baking powder, salt and spices.

In another bowl beat, by hand, lightly, the eggs and vanilla and then add the milk and the butter or oil. If you’re using the Just Egg, BONUS: no need to beat, just lightly mix to incorporate.

Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well incorporated.

Spoon into a nine inch pan that has been sprayed with baking spray and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Now, the timing on this one can be tricky. Every oven is different. Glass pan vs metal pan, etc. I like to check on mine at the 30 minute mark because you really don’t want to over-bake this dish. The center should be set, but if your toothpick comes out just a little sticky (not runny) you should be okay. In this instance we want the center to set but we are NOT looking for the toothpick to come out too “clean” or dry. The dish will continue to set up a little on the counter after you take it out of the oven.

Let rest 2-3 minutes before serving.

The Toppings.

Many of the Ohio Amish serve this dish, in a bowl, and pour milk over it. (Also, the way that a lot of them eat shortcake) but that’s not really my style. I like the creaminess of yogurt! I also like to mix in just a little honey (or maple/agave syrup for the vegan version) to slightly sweeten the yogurt and loosen it up just a little.

Top with your sweetened yogurt and fresh berries. Red, white, and blue seemed appropriate for Memorial Day, coming up at the end of the month, but use whatever fruit your family likes. In the fall this dish topped with stewed apples is a total game changer. We also love fresh peaches in the summertime!

Fluffy Pear and Pecan Pancakes

We don't have a partridge but we do have pears! These pecan and pear pancakes made with vanilla oat milk from Rise Brewing Company are super easy to make and are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast!

I’ve tried to make a lot of vegan pancakes in my day…a lot! Most aren’t bad…some have been terrible but these, THESE might just be the best that I have ever had! Light and fluffy, the texture is perfect, and with only a handful of ingredients they come together so quick and easy…the best part, no one even needs to know they are dairy free!

What you are going to need to buy:

1.5 cups of Flour

3 teaspoons of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons Sugar

1/2 cup of small Pecan pieces

1 and 1/4 cup of Oat Milk - (We love the Vanilla Oat Milk from Rise Brewing)

1 Egg or your favorite vegan Egg Substitute - (We used Just Egg from Just Foods)

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Diced Pear

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

What you are going to need to do:

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.

Stir in egg, oil, and oat milk until mixture comes together. If mixture is too dry add a bit more oat milk or and additional teaspoon of just egg.

Do not over mix.

Stir in pecans.

Let mixture set while you dice the pear into small chunks

In a small saucepan, over medium/high heat bring the diced pear and maple syrup to a quick boil, mix, and remove from heat. Stir in a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Heat a lightly oiled pan or griddle over medium heat and cook pancakes until brown on both sides.

Serve warm with your favorite plant based butter and pears drizzled over the top.

Sauteed Sweet Onion and Sundried Tomato Avocado Toast with Pistachios

Avocado Toast. Call me a hippie, call me granola, either way I love it. Pseudo healthy, super trendy, foolishly expensive, and something that yes, I happen to eat way, way too much of. I’ll be the first to admit that avocado toast at home tends to get a little boring but not with this recipe! Perfect for a lazy Sunday brunch the entire dish takes about 15 minutes to make…but only about half that time to wolf it all down!

So, full disclosure…this recipe is a bit of a hack job that I may or may mot have ripped off from a local joint in my neighborhood! They have an avocado toast on their menu that, to the best that my taste buds can determine, is served with caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes. (All things that I happen to love.) I also love this recipe because so many avocado toast recipes these days seem to be either served with cheese, in some form or fashion, or an egg but this one is sans both and with the complexity of flavors, I promise that you won’t miss either…even if you aren’t plant-based.

What you are going to need to buy:

Your favorite loaf of crusty bread

Sun Dried Tomatoes - (We love California Sun Dried jarred tomoatoes)

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)  

1/4 Small Sweet Onion, Sliced

Olive Oil

Avocado, medium

Salt & Pepper

Lime Juice

Pistachios

What you are going to need to do:

This is the kind of recipe that feels a little silly to even type out and post…but here we go.

In a small skillet saute onions and garlic on medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent and take on a caramel color (6-8 minutes) After the onions have cooked 5 minutes or so, reduce heat to low and add in 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sun dried tomatoes (along with a little of the oil they are packed in) Cover skillet and let cook another 3 minutes or so. Stir occasionally. Be careful not to let the tomatoes burn.

Open and remove pit from your avocado.

Take one half of the avocado and gently mash with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of lime juice until soft enough to spread.

Toast your bread.

Srpead the mashed avocado on the toast and top with the warm onion and tomato mixture.

Using the second half of the avocado, gentle slice in strips and fan over the top of the tomatoes and onions.

Garnish with crushed pistachios, a little more lime juice. Any oil left in the skillet can be drizzled over the top of the finished dish.

Enjoy.