"brunching out", or on how He makes me breakfast.

some women like flowers and chocolates, i like waking up to the smell of fresh espresso and the warm aroma of spelt toast, the sort with edges just slightly too crispy and blackened.  whether its with a smear of almond butter, a spoon full of cassis jam, a drizzle of honey, or some savory tofu scramble or a bright yolk to wipe out, i absolutely adore my morning food! and i've been very lucky.  both of the men with whom i've had meaningful and "domestic" relationships discovered this wisdom and, as a result, i've had some wonderful breakfasts and brunches to wake up to over the years. and i never took it for granted: it was always such a treat!

when i was vegan for a couple of years, i discovered how wonderfully versatile tofu was as a morning food.  savory scrambles, omelettes, frittatas, "ricotta" topped pancakes.  all with tofu, some recipes to modify, and a little imagination.  of course, i made scrambles for years before that, but going fully vegan, made me experiment all the more.  and experiment i did, so there are some tofu scrambles, an 'omelette' and an 'egg' salad on this blog, if you are keen to try, are vegan, or just looking for alternatives. 

today, all these things are still my morning mainstays, though lately i've also taken to eating eggs again. not often, and always free run and organic, but i really do enjoy an egg now and again. why? well, i think i like eggs for the very same reasons i like most of the foods i like. because they are nutritious, satisfying, and because they make me reminisce about people and events.

but eggs? yes, eggs too remind me of so many people and things. they remind me of the egg sandwiches my mom would make and pack for my school day trips and picnics; during those empty store shelf days of the mid to late 1980s Poland.  or those eggs that would swim in the sorrel soup that she made with this wonderful tart-green-leaf we'd pick at the back of my granny Stasia's garden. or that - one of many - version of beet soup that granny Irena made; slightly sweet and all creamy from the diced egg whites and crumbled golden yolks sprinkled over the ruby red broth. and not having to go that far into the past, eggs also remind me of my friend Eun-Mi, who taught me how to poach my first one. "crack the egg into a cup, swirl the hot vinegar-water with a spoon, drop the egg, watch it wrap itself into its own little pouch" she'd instruct me.  i still remember our first poached egg breakfast.

there are those who are not morning eaters; who would rather just subside on coffee and let their bodies wake up fully before filling their bellies.  i, on the other hand, go to sleep with the thoughts of breaking the night's fast in the morning.  well, unless there are more pressing issues on my mind, of course.  and He knows that, so He makes me breakfast. 

sunday morning to honour Lorinda

this breakfast is in honour of my friend Lorinda.  she likes pancakes, that i know. and last weekend, she ran her first half-marathon and did so with so much grace, there was a big smile on her face when she finished! "its a good distance", she said to me a couple days later.  well, for a rookie runner, and i say that because i know she's not been running for that long, that is pretty impressive and inspiring! and i had every intention to greet her at the finish line with a stack of vegan pancakes (she is vegan); to congratulate her and help her replenish all those spent calories... but then the thesis got in a way, as only a thesis can...  the deadline was too close for comfort, the panic had set in, so all i could do, was make some pancakes in her honour and fuel my own, though much slower, caloric burn...   because the brain, particularly when you are really putting it under some serious pressure, needs that too, doesn't it?

pancakes are super easy, take not that much time, and can be pretty healthy if you use the right ingredients.  mine are vegan, made with spelt and blueberries and almond milk.   the other variation that i love, particularly in the winter, are banana walnut buckwheat ones - the banana goes right into the batter. yum! but i know that Lorinda is not fond of bananas, so blueberry pancakes they are.

when MO and i were eating up our stacks, thinking of Lorinda and sending her all the good vibes we could muster, of course, i also remembered what else i like about pancakes:  they are the perfect food for feeding hungry boys, or hungry girls for that matter.  even when made with really wholesome, healthy ingredients, pancakes are pretty inexpensive.  you always make a bunch, and they are so filling!  i remembered this pancake-fact as i told MO about my little brother Maciek's visits when i lived in Windsor, ON.  once, for instance, he showed up with another friend and they stayed overnight. in the morning, i, the lone law student living on a serious budget, was faced with two hungry and slightly hangover teens...   pancakes saved the day and everyone was happy: i got to play a gracious host, the boys got full, and i didn't break my budget.

ok, so here is the recipe. 

vegan blueberry pancakes (for Lorinda)

1 cup spelt flour
1 cup almond milk
1T baking powder
1T ground flax (optional)
1t orange extract
1-2T maple syrup
1T canola or grape seed oil, plus more for frying
1/4t salt
1/2-1 cup frozen blueberries (thawed)

mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt... no sifting necessary).  mix the almond milk, orange extract, maple syrup and oil together.   in a large bowl, mix the dry with the wet, just enough to incorporate.  add half the blueberries.

fry up! i find that using coconut oil is great if you are trying to use less.  its solid, so you can just take a little and smear it all over the pan without having to use a lot.  as it heats, it will melt and you have the entire pan covered with coconutty goodness. and then your pancakes have a very slight coconut flavour.   otherwise, just a little canola or grape seed oil goes a long way...

serve doused with yummy maple syrup and the remaining blueberries.
yum!

for the buckwheat, walnut, banana variation, you need the same amounts of four, milk, baking powder, salt, oil, maple syrup, etc.  of course, the flour is buckwheat, not spelt.  and i use vanilla extract for these.  then, mush up one very ripe banana with 1T of cinnamon and add that to your batter.  also, stir in  a good handful of walnut pieces. these come out amazing! serve with banana slices and maple syrup. 

rise and shine!

sunday mornings are reminiscent of brunch - be they home-made morning feasts or outings to our favourite spots around toronto. tofu scramble - one of the staples at a veggie brunch - is easy and quick enough to enjoy any morning though. and there are so many things you can do with it! this morning, i made myself some "huevos rancheros" inspired scramble.

this recipe is for one, but you can easily multiply and share the goodness with friends and family.

100g tofu (firm, crumbled)

1/4 red onion

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1/4 avocado

2-3T diced tomatoes or 1 small ripe tomato

salt, cumin, pepper and a dash of tamari (to taste)

cilantro or green onion for garnish.

saute the onions in 1t of olive oil until translucent, add the bell pepper and saute for another 2mins, add the tofu and fry for 1-2 mins, add the tomatoes, seasoning and cook until some of the tomato juice/liquid becomes absorbed (but don't let it dry out too much). add the avocado and tamari and cook for another minute or so. adjust taste with additional seasoning if necessary. serve with a little cilantro or green onion.

other easy versions:

shitake, broccoli - just add more tamari for flavour

curried carrot, yellow and red bell pepper and spinach (grate the carrot)

egg(less) salad

egg salad reminds me of family day trips. well, not so much egg salad, but it's more deconstructed version - devilled eggs on bread! i don't eat eggs anymore but yesterday i was really craving something eggy so i resurrected my old and much neglected egg(less) salad. but this time i didn't bother with making tofu-mayo, i added some tahini, avocado and dijon mustard instead. it worked beautifully! this one doesn't really need a recipe. just crumble some good tofu, dice some red or green onion, red pepper and avocado. mix and add some tahini, dijon, salt and pepper. some cayenne or cumin is nice too. its yummy and very creamy!