Breakfast Recipes

Every once in a while when I'm in a panic for a good, sweet recipe, I'll pull this book off the bookshelf: "Get the Sugar Out, 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet". The content of the book is true to the title. It's a great book with pointers and recipes throughout.

Recently, I had a humongous craving for sugar in the morning. I don't get humongous cravings often at all anymore, so I'm not sure why I was hit with one. Anyway, I made my all-time favorite breakfast food: French Toast. I was out of farm fresh eggs so I made my once-favorite vegan recipe for French Toast, which is just as good. While I was throwing the ingredients together, I grabbed my Get the Sugar Out book just to see what hidden breakfast recipes lurked. There are some great ones, one of which I am currently baking in my oven: Peanut Butter Muffins. I halved the recipe, which called for oil, and used oil in one bowl and coconut oil in another. We'll see how these two ingredients compare in this quick and simple recipe.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for my vegan French Toast. I have no idea where I got it....I've been making it for years. I rarely measure, so sorry!

French Toast

Batter:
dairy-free milk
nutritional yeast
pepper
cinnamon (lots)

Soak your sprouted wheat bread (or whatever healthy bread you currently have) in the batter and throw it on your lightly oiled griddle. I cover generously with Earth Balance and then a quick pour of maple syrup. This is how I get my sugar fix. It's so amazing with a mug of hot joe. If you want to use eggs, just add them to this batter.

Here are the recipes from Get the Sugar Out:

Banana French Toast

2 eggs
2 large ripe bananas
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1/2 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
6 slices spelt bread

Blend the eggs, bananas, whey protein, water, cinnamon, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Place the bread in the banana mixture and let soak until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes, turning the bread occasionally. Lightly coat a large heavy skillet with olive oil spray; heat over medium heat. Add the bread and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Freezes well. Serves 6.

This next recipe I am going to try tomorrow morning.....I like using leftover ingredients like canned pumpkin (which I used to treat my dog's digestive system) when I don't have enough to make an entire dessert.....

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 egg (or 1 and a half tsps Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed in two tablespoons water)
1 4-ounce jar sweet potato baby food (I'm going to use left-over canned pumpkin.....)
1 and a half tablespoons oil
1/4 C water
3/4 C brown rice flour

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Beat the egg lightly and add sweet potato and oil. Add water to the emptied sweet potato can, shake it a couple of times, and empty its contents into the liquid ingredients to get all the sweet potato. Add brown rice flour and mix again. Drop batter into 2-inch-round pancakes and cook until brown on one side. Flip over, push the pancakes down, and cook until done.

The muffins just finished baking. In the book, they are called Peanut Butter Muffins, but I used almond butter instead of peanut butter. I made two batches, one with canola oil and one with coconut oil.

[Almond Butter] Muffins

2 C whole wheat pastry flour (I used white whole wheat flour from TJ's)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1/4 C almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/3 C oil or coconut oil
1/4 C honey or molasses (I used molasses--love the flavor and how it moisturizes any recipe)
1 and a half C rice or almond milk

Stir flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix almond butter, oil, molasses and rice milk in a separate large bowl until smooth. Add dry mixture to liquid mixture and mix with minimal strokes. Do not beat. Fill 12 oiled muffin tins two-thirds full. [Or use baking cups.] Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven 25 minutes or until done. (Mine took 15 minutes).

These renegade muffins jumped out of the tray and tried escaping me, but they got what was coming for them anyway.

These turned out fabulous.

The coconut oil muffins weren't amazing, but they were okay. I forgot how much coconut oil takes over the flavor in a recipe. I could taste the molasses a lot better in the recipe with oil.