Blissful Bites (6 page)
There is a saying in cooking known as
mise en place
(pronounced
meez an plahs
). This literally means “set in place” in French. It refers to having all your ingredients “in place” before you start your recipe.
So the first thing you do when trying out a new recipe is read the recipe once all the way through. This ensures that you know what steps will be happening so nothing sneaks up on you while you are cooking! It also helps you to have all the necessary equipment and tools for the recipe out on the counter. Then you get all your ingredients ready and put them all together near your cutting board, bowl, sauté pan, or whatever tools you are using to prepare the recipe. I call this the “prepping station.” It's good to have out numerous glass bowls in a variety of sizes to hold your ingredients.
Start by measuring all the wet and dry ingredients, measuring out the spices, cutting the veggies, and whatever else you need to do for the recipe before combining ingredients.
VoilÃ
. It's all
mise en place!
“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”
â Julia Child
mixed berry couscous surprise
ââââââââ
We often don't know what to eat for breakfast once we make the switch to a plant-based diet. We typically default to eating cereal and switch to soy, rice, or almond milk, but what if you want something more nutritious, or more captivating? And what about those times you want to impress your friends or make a lovely brunch for a loved one on their special day? These recipes give you healthy breakfast and brunch options, some of them being familiar, while others may be a new exploration for you.
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orange-pumpkin ginger french toast
roasted sweet and yukon potatoes
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apricot-blueberry fruit compote
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breakfast porridge with raisins
gluten-free banana walnut pancakes
coconut bliss granola
coconut bliss granola
⢠Makes 8 servings
â¢
CHEF FAVE
Store-bought granola is usually full of oil and sugar. Yet it's so easy to make yourself for half the costâand half the guilt. You'll fall in love with this granola recipe, which you can serve with nondairy milk or with
key-lime soy yogurt
, on this page. Store in an airtight container and it will last a few weeks.
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup shredded dried coconut, unsweetened
1 cup brown rice crispy cereal
3
â
4
cup sliced almonds
1
â
2
cup walnuts, chopped if whole
1
â
4
cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1
â
2
cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
Pinch sea salt
1 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Mix all dry ingredients, except raisins, in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Transfer to a 9x13 glass casserole dish and evenly smooth across the top. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
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blissful suggestions
I prefer to use vanilla flavoring instead of vanilla extract because it can be found without alcohol and has a richer flavor. But if you can't find it or alcohol-free vanilla extract, you can substitute regular extract.
Always use raw unsalted nuts for recipes.
⢠Makes 4 to 6 servings
This is tastier than store-bought vegan yogurt, but it's missing the acidophilus. No worriesâyou won't miss it, because it's still healthy and actually has no refined sugar like store brands.
2 packages Mori-Nu silken tofu
1
â
2
cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 small lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Be sure to scrape the edges of the bowl a few times to incorporate all the tofu. Blend until smooth. Layer with
coconut bliss granola
, on page 35, and fresh berries for a parfait.
⢠Makes about 6 crepes
Since going vegan, I find it impossible to get crêpes at a restaurant. So I decided to make a healthier version that has no refined sugar and uses kamut flour. This whole-grain flour can be found at natural food stores, but if you can't find it, try substituting spelt flour. Crêpe-making is an art and takes patience. The first or second time you do it will probably be a bust, so keep trying and you'll get the technique down in no time!
Oil spray, for pan
1
â
3
cup plus
1
â
2
cup water, as needed
1
â
2
cup rice milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon oil
1
â
2
cup kamut flour
1
â
4
cup unbleached white flour
Pinch sea salt
Whisk together
1
â
3
cup water and the next six ingredients until well combined, with no lumps remaining. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Whisk in more water as needed to get a very watery batter. Heat nonstick skillet over medium flame and spray lightly with oil. Pour in a small amount of batter (about
1
â
3
cup) while twisting the pan to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Do this quickly, otherwise the crêpe will be too thick and not cook throughout. When it looks almost cooked through, carefully flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
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blissful suggestion
I prefer to use unsweetened, plain rice or almond milk in my recipes, but you are welcome to substitute any non-dairy milk. Soy milk is pretty neutral but keep in mind that hemp, oat, or hazelnut milks may change the taste of the recipe drastically.
⢠Makes about 2 cups
This creamy sweet sauce is so tasty you might have to stop yourself from licking it right out of the bowl. But it's okay if you do because it's guilt-free! This egg-free, sugar-free sauce is lovely with crêpes, as a topping for pancakes or brownies, or served as layers of a parfait.