After lots of "likes" on Facebook pics of my kitchen forays and many requests for recipes, I decided to start this blog! This will be a place for recipes, pretty pictures of food, and musings about veganism and good-for-you things. And, where better to start than with one of the greatest gifts to mankind: brunch.
brunch [brʌntʃ]
n
a meal eaten late in the morning, combining breakfast with lunch
Brunch is perhaps the chillest meal of all meals. Stress-free. It allows you to wake up late on a Sunday and say "Hey. You know what I want? Pancakes. Or some waffles. And French toast. Smothered in strawberries. Raspberries. Blueberries." It's culturally sanctioned, cropping up on many a hip restaurant menu. Feeding our desire for breakfast-y goodness at an otherwise inappropriate hour.
My earliest memories of brunch are of going to Bob Evans following an hour long church service (which, for a kid, seemed like an eternity.) After listening to the preacher for the first few minutes and checking out people's fancy Sunday digs for the rest of the hour, brunch was my karmic reward. Now, as a college-kid, I feel the same urge to brunch it up on Sundays. Maybe it's a good preparation for the hectic week ahead, or maybe it's just nice to do something kind for yourself every so often.
Cut to 10 AM today. Barely after I had rubbed the sleep from my eyes, John said the magic words.
"French toast?"
And thus the saga began. We already had the necessaries, but we were missing the magic ingredient...non-dairy yogurt!
When I went vegan three years ago, one of the first things I tried to veganize was French toast. It was a favorite of mine growing up, and a go-to comfort food. All the recipes I tried left something to be desired-I fiddled around with mixing egg substitutes (Ener-G, anyone?) and soy milk until I was blue in the face, but my French toast always wound up soggy. After some experimentation, I discovered that combining the binding magic of flaxseeds and the thickness of non dairy yogurt made for the perfect consistency and that homestyle crispness I was looking for.
After a quick walk to Giant Eagle and a tea/coffee stop, John and I hiked it over to his dorm, which is blessed with a small, albeit functional kitchen. About an hour from our idea, we were chowing down!
Vegan Blueberry-Stained French Toast with Fresh Blueberry Syrup
makes six slices
6 pieces vegan whole wheat bread (or whatever you have)
5 oz non-dairy yogurt (I used almond milk yogurt)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy, but flax milk is my favorite!)
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt (optional)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (fresh work best!)
1 tsp Earth Balance (or any other vegan margarine)
2 tbsp coconut sugar (a.k.a. the nectar of the gods)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (try Ghiradelli!)
+ margarine for fryin'
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In a shallow bowl (or a deep plate), whisk your yogurt of choice, non-dairy milk, ground flax, cinnamon, vanilla, and pinch (or not) of salt. Let it stand for about five minutes.
In the meantime, toss the blueberries with coconut sugar in a small bowl. Heat a small skillet on medium heat and add your earth balance. Once it has melted, add the blueberry mixture. Stir regularly. After 5-10 minutes, deep purple juice should start seeping from the heated berries. And, voila! Fresh, beautiful syrup is born!
Preheat another skillet on medium heat with about a teaspoon of Earth Balance. For the French toast, take a piece of bread and coat it evenly in the batter. Use your fingers or a fork to scrape off the excess. Toss your masterpiece into your preheated skillet-cook until golden brown on both sides. If desired, use a spoon (or a pastry brush if you're fancy) to drizzle/paint blueberry juice onto your French toast as it cooks. The result is beautiful indigo streaks of blueberry magic. Continue the same process until you're out of bread!To serve, scatter chocolate chips between slices of French toast and smother with blueberry goodness. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and you're ready to eat!
