Vegan Mofo Day 10 Baking without Flour - Breakfast Brownie

Today's vegan mofo prompt is "Baking without Gluten".
Whilst this recipe *may* contain gluten due to the oats, it is a flour free recipe which is something that is very relevant to me as I shared in my Introduction Post! For a guaranteed gluten free version you can substitute quinoa flakes in place of the oats.
I am quite enjoying my flour free life and with delicious breakfast treats like this, it's no wonder that I am not feeling deprived at all!
It would also make a great dessert for anyone who wants a little after dinner treat! 

Single Serve Black Bean Breakfast Brownie

                                  You'll need:
                                        1/2 cup cooked black beans
                                        1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
                                        1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
                                        1/4 cup rolled oats
                                        1 small overripe banana
                                        1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients together in a mini food processor and pulse until lightly combined (best to keep some chunks for added satiety - Chew your food!). Add a splash of water if it's needed to combine the mixture into a thick batter. The water may or may not be needed depending on the size and ripeness of your banana and how well your beans are cooked.
Pour mixture into a silicone baking mould. I press my mixture into a quarter of a large square one. It doesn't spread as it cooks so this works well. Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and edges are crispy.

Delicious served with yogurt and berries.

Showing the pieces of banana and beans so you can see it's not pulsed thoroughly. 

*I find this sweet enough with just the banana, however if you'd like a sweeter version you can add 1 Tablespoon date paste to the batter.
*Multiply quantities if you want to make a multiple serves. 

Vegan Mofo Day 2 Emoji Inspired- White Bean Spread

This vegan MOFO I'm hoping to follow along the plan that has been set up! 

You can see a list of the upcoming themes and prompts by clicking here! 

That means I'm starting the month off with Inspiration Week! 

Today's inspiration is bought to you by Emoji's!!!

             

When I was thinking about emoji's I checked my phone to see my most recently used ones to get my inspiration, and other than smiley faces and blowing kisses (mainly to my husband!) my most commonly used ones are the tasty face and a thumbs up! Generally speaking I use the 'thumbs up' emoji when I'm thinking "too easy"!

So today I bring you a simple creation that truly is tasty and is so quick and easy it's worth a thumbs up!  

WHITE BEAN SPREAD

You'll need:

(to serve one)

1/2 cup cooked white cannellini beans
1 small overripe banana

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of cinnamon powder

Combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a smooth spread. 

Use as soon as it's made because the banana will begin to brown if stored. 

Delicious served over rice-cakes, with berries, nuts and/or nut butter! 

This spread is delicious and has no 'beany' taste due to the other ingredients! 

I highly recommend you give it a try! 

Want to try another delicious alternative - replace the white beans with black beans and substitute the lemon juice for 1/2 teaspoon cacao powder! 

Let me know in the comments below what creative ways 

you would like to eat this delicious spread....
And don't forget to use the 'tasty' emoji if you take a picture!!! 

Easy Pancakes

There's endless ways to make pancakes! Here's a quick & easy recipe that uses basic ingredients and doesn't require flour.

                          EASY BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
                                  To serve ONE - 4 small pancakes

          1/3 cup rolled oats
          1 generously heaped Tablespoon ground flax seeds
          1 small overripe banana
          1/3 cup soymilk
          1/8 teaspoon each vanilla essence, ground cinnamon
          2 Tablespoons blueberries (optional)

In a food processor combine the oats, flax, banana, soymilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Pulse several times until the mixture comes together but is not completely broken down.
Stir through the blueberries if you're using them.
Heat a non-stick frying pan, then reduce to medium heat. Pour the batter into the frying pan in quarter lots to make 4 small pancakes. As the pancakes begins to bubble around the sides, flip and allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

Serve with toppings of choice - shown with soy yogurt & raspberries.

NOTE: For pancakes that have a lower calorie density you can replace the soymilk with water.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What's your favourite topping for pancakes?

Flourless Sweet Potato Waffles

My potato waffles have been a huge hit amongst the plant based community. They make a great bread replacement for burgers!
But today I bring you a sweet potato waffle that works fantastic as a sweet breakfast treat!
And honestly who wouldn't want a breakfast like this?!?!?

FLOURLESS SWEET POTATO WAFFLES

(To serve 1)

               1 small sweet potato
               1 heaped tablespoon ground flax seeds
               1/4 cup boiling water
               small drop of vanilla essence
               1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 
Preheat your waffle iron.

Place the sweet potato in a microwave and cook for approx 5-6 mins until inside is tender. Note that time will vary in different microwaves. If you don't have a microwave you can cook the sweet potato in the oven. But I don't recommend boiling the sweet potato over a stove top as the consistency will end up different.
Whilst the sweet potato is cooking, prepare the flax mixture. Pour the boiling water over the ground flax seeds and whisk with a fork til thickens. Allow to sit for a few mins.
Remove the sweet potato flesh from the skin, discard the skin & mash the flesh into the flax mixture. Add vanilla & cinnamon, stir until completed combined. The mixture will be quite sticky.
Pour the mixture into the waffle iron & cook on medium for 8-10 mins. You can cook on a higher heat if you'd rather, but the waffle will come out darker. Don't lift the lid while it's cooking or this will pull the waffle apart. It needs to be fully cooked before the lid is lifted. You can wait longer, up to about 15mins on a lower setting and it will be fine. If you are in doubt, they are better to be left a little longer, not shorter!

When your waffle is done, remove & serve with desired toppings!
Shown here with homemade soy yogurt, banana, raspberries & walnuts:

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Have you experimented with other types of waffles in your waffle iron instead of just flour-based mixtures?

Easy Banana Granola - SOS Free

I know I'm been MIA for quite some time.
Truth is that I've lost a lot of motivation to blog when there are soooooooo many blogs out there these days & I'm not sure that I offer anything extra special above others!
I started writing a cookbook, which I have dreamed of doing for about 9 years now.... but I fear my food photography skills are rather lacking. I haven't given up yet.... I am just doing it quite sloooooowly! 

Also we've been eating so simple lately that I kinda feel like our food is "boring"!
Not that it's boring to us because we have honestly found that our taste buds change, so that when we eat simple unrefined foods in their whole form, they are just delicious like that.

But recently I've had quite a few people ask me for various recipes, or asked me to get back into it.....
SO........
I shall attempt to find some motivation to get blogging again!
Some recipes may be quite simple - but hey - sometimes we just need simple ideas to motivate us to make a meal!


Today I bring you a simple breakfast recipe that I've been making for a few years.So many store bought varieties of cereal these days have so much junk added to them! My version is completely junk free! It's also very versatile. You can add any dried fruit or nuts to it if you wish. It can be a granola or muesli base, or just used as a cereal - which is what I do mostly. Just add motherless milk and fresh fruit for a delicious brekkie that's quick and easy to serve, and isn't too much effort to make either.

EASY BANANA GRANOLA

You'll need:
2 large overripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
3 cups rolled oats

Mash the bananas well. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and flax and stir til evenly distributed.
Stir through the oats until they are reasonably well coated by the wet banana mixture. 
Spread evenly onto a large lined baking tray.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 30 mins, stirring half way through. 

 

Allow to cool completely before transferring to a container.
This will keep for about 2 weeks in an air-proof container.  

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
To my other blogging friends.... have you ever lost your blogging mojo?
To my readers who follow along for the recipes.... What do you reckon- Does this look boring, or do you like the idea of simple recipes that don't include junk?

Blueberry Breakfast Muffins

These are a delicious, sugar fee, oil-free, yet moist muffin. They are easy to make and we often prepare them the day before if we will be staying somewhere overnight and want a quick and easy breakfast. My husband always said he didn't like blueberry muffins..... now he LOVES them!

BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST MUFFINS

To make 4 jumbo muffins you'll need:

1 cup oats

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup dates (soaked in boiling water)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup motherless milk of choice

Optional extras:

2 Tablespoons chocolate chips

small handful of walnuts

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking powder, flax seeds and cinnamon. 

Place the drained dates, milk, and vanilla in a blender and blend til smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir til combined. Add the blueberries and fold through the batter gently.

Pour into a lined or lightly sprayed jumbo muffin tin.

Top with crumbled walnuts if desired.

Place in a preheated 180C oven for 25-30 muffins until cooked through.

 

ENJOY! :-)

Question of the day:
What's your favourite muffin flavour?

Summer breakfast ideas

I am a breakfast preson :-)
I just LOVE having breakfast - however, I must admit that I find I get bored with breakfast easily.
Here's 2 recipes that I've been loving over summer when it's too hot for having warm oats..... and I'm not bored with them!

Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast

3/4 cup buckwheat
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 medjool date, pitted
splash of motherless milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Place the buckwheat in a bowl of water and soak overnight.
In the morning drain the buckwheat and place in a blender with the blueberries, date and motherless milk. Pulse a few times until the mixture is combined and broken down but not completely smooth.
Serve in a bowl with the flax. 

 

  So creamy and delicious :-)

Anything purple is appealing to me!

Banana Soaked Mango Oats

1 banana
1 teaspoon coconut essence
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 mango

Place the banana and coconut essence in a blender with just enough cold water to cover it. Blend til smooth.
Place the oats and flax in a bowl and pour over the banana mixture. 
Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 
The mixture will thicken and the oats will fluff up slightly.
Serve with a sliced mango.

Tropical flavours for breakfast :-)

So refreshing. 

 

Question of the day:
Do you prefer something different for breakfast in summer than winter?

Choc-Orange Pancakes

Welcome to the final edition of Meatless Monday A-Z.

Today's ingredient is Zest.

Although I have been eyeing off our neighbours overflowing lemon tree for the past couple of weeks, I decided not to pinch any without seeing them & asking them first!!!
So today, although I had high hopes of bringing you a lemon zest recipe, you instead have an orange zest recipe. But don't worry, I'm sure it won't disappoint!

Choc-Orange Pancakes

You'll need:

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water

1/2 cup motherless milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)

1 Tablespoon orange zest

1 Tablespoon dairy-free chocolate chips

Make a "flax egg" by combing the ground flax with the boiling water & whisking together with a fork. Set aside to thicken.

In a measuring jug combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and whisk til milk starts to separate and thicken slightly.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour & baking powder. 
Add the zest & choc chips. Stir through til evenly distributed. 
Make a well in the centre and combine all the wet ingredients. Mix well.
Pour spoonfuls of mixture onto a preheated frying pan & turn when bubbling. Give the final side a minute or so before removing and serving. Repeat until all the batter is used.

This will make about 12 small or 6 large pancakes and "should" serve 2.

Though they are reallllllllllllly good, so perhaps you're not willing to share ;-)

Question of the day?
What's your favourite chocolate combination flavour? 
I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that mine is choc-orange, though I do also really like choc-mint!

Meatless Monday - Raisins

Welcome to another edition of Meatless Monday!

Today we're cooking with raisins.

I resisted the urge to do yet another cookie - as much as I love raisins in cookies I decided to get a bit more adventurous than that!

You see, all this hot weather reminds me of the need for ice-cream! And well, obviously there isn't much range in a regular ice-cream store that appeals to me. So when I need that creamy rum and raisin flavour that I'm so fond of, this does the trick instead! Afterall, I'm not really a big ice-cream eater!

So, today I bring you:

Rum & Raisin Rice Porridge

To serve one you'll need:

1 cup pre-cooked brown rice
3/4 cup plant milk (or half water, depending how creamy you like it)
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon rum essence (or vanilla essence)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until heated through.
Using a stick blender, blend til porridge is desired consistency.
Serve :-)



Option: Make a big batch and store leftovers in the fridge if you'd rather this cold. 

Question of the day?
Is there any particular flavour combo that you enjoy..... but eat it in a different way than how it is usually prepared?

Easy DIY Cereal

Cereal's these days container many additives, and that's not even the cereal that people KNOW is bad for them!
Here's a great alternative to store-bought cereal. Yes I've used some sweetener - that way it's enjoyable, but with much less sugar than other cereals!

Its really tasty and easy to make.

You'll need:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup golden syrup

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. 
Spread onto lined baking trays (I used two).
Bake at 160C for 40 minutes stirring every ten minutes.

This doesn't end up as crunchy as granola and its not as moist.
It is definitely more like a 'cereal'.

Of course, you could always make this cereal without baking it - just omit the apple sauce and golden syrup. It just won't have quite the same flavour.

WIAW - Choc-Hazel-Goji Granola

Welcome to WIAW

I haven't done a Wednesday post for some time, so enjoy today's one!
It comes with a super yummy breakfast recipe.

Today's eats:

Breakfast was the totally delicious granola recipe below - sure beats nutella on toast!

Lunch I made a quick salad with cooked wholemeal pasta, salad leaf mix, grated carrot, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped capsicum and spring onions - topped off with a big dollop of hummus. Quick, easy, delicious :-)
Dinner was roasted sweet potato with a mexican bean mix with capsicum, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, borolotti beans and mushrooms.

Now for the promised recipe:

Chocolate Hazelnut Goji-berry Granola

You'll need:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup goji berries
1/4 cup raisins

Smash the hazelnuts by placing them in a zip-lock bag and beating with a meat-mallet until broken into little pieces.
In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, smashed hazelnuts, pepitas, cocoa powder & coconut. Stir well.
Pour in the apple sauce and brown rice syrup.
Stir until well combined & all the oats have been coated with the moist ingredients. It will look like it won't all combine but keep stirring and it eventually does.
Pour mixture onto a lined baking tray and spread evenly and as thin as possible.
Place in a preheated 160C oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
Remove tray from the oven & allow to cool.
Stir in the goji berries & raisins until evenly distributed.
Pour into an airtight container for storage.

Here's a picture-tip for how to easily transfer the granola into the storage container:

Because sometimes in life we need all the tips we can get right!!! ;-)


Here's another one then...... don't start nibbling on this before putting it in the container - its soooo good that you won't have much left to transfer otherwise!!!

Mother's Day Breakfast Mushrooms

With this weekend being Mother's Day I started to think about breakfast in bed.....
I started to dread breakfast in bed.....
I HATE CRUMBS IN THE BED.
Thankfully my family know this! 

Back to thinking about breakfast then......

I LOVE mushrooms for breakfast...... but I feel sadden that it is generally considered that the best way to make breakfast mushrooms is to fry them in more butter than there is mushrooms.
Now as a mushroom for breakfast eater, let me assure you that to make them taste good it has nothing to do with the butter and more to do with the herbs and spices that are added.

Let me show you how to please mum's taste buds as well as her thighs ;-)

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups chopped button mushrooms
1 chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon each: minced garlic, paprika, sage, thyme 
1 large handful baby spinach leaves
1 Tablespoon tomato paste



Add the mushrooms, onion and all herbs to a frying pan and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Don't stir. Mushrooms work out best when they aren't stirred! They release more of their own juices then.
You can add a few teaspoons of water if the mushrooms stick to the bottom of the pan too much.
When you can see that the mushrooms are nearly cooked, stir in the spinach and tomato paste.
Stir for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Serve on toast.

Make sure you're hubby sees this before Sunday morning!

Talking about men, I want to share with you all this awesome soon-to-be released book for men:

Preorder it now to get the added bonuses :-)

You can read more about the book on the vegans are cool website.

Do you have anything special planned for mothers day?

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan 

veggie nook 

greenthickies

WIAW and a Product Review

Happy Wednesday to all my readers :-)

Today I'm not only going to share with you What-I-Ate but also one of my favourite products.

Recipe links:
Lunch - Cabbage Shiitake Stirfry
Dessert - Chocolate ice cream

Now let me share with you a product that I totally LOVE:

Lowan Rice Porridge

This is such a great alternative to oats for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I do love my oats but sometimes I like something different. 

This porridge is just brown rice (in flake form) with dried fruit. No added nasties. 

Its cooks really quickly and tastes delicious (even when cooked just with water).  It totally ticks all the boxes - low fat, high fibre, low salt, no additives, and made in Australia by an Australian owned company. Its also gluten free for those who need that option. Its readily available in the health food section of grocery stores & is very reasonably priced.

Put it in your grocery trolley this week and I promise you won't be disappointed! :-)

I first tried this porridge when I initially went vegan. I was won over straight away, however I did used to put quite a bit of brown sugar on it - which I realise now was my massive sweet tooth that I previously had! I still LOVE this porridge but I am now pleased to say that I am perfectly satisfied with the sweetness coming just from the dried fruit!

Isn't it amazing how our taste buds can change over time?!?

 

Question of the day: 

Have you noticed that your taste buds have changed over time? 

Did you do something to help that process or did it just occur naturally?