Blissful Bites (8 page)

This is a new take on breakfast cereal. It's perfect for summer when you want a breakfast that is quick cooking yet nutritious and delicious. The kids will love it!

3 cups filtered water

1 cup yellow polenta, washed

2 pinches sea salt

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cup unsweetened rice or almond milk

2 tablespoons raisins (optional)

Dash cinnamon

1 tablespoon sweetener, more or less to taste

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cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (page 24)

Bring water and polenta to a boil in medium saucepan with sea salt. Simmer, whisking frequently for about 10 minutes, while polenta gets thick and creamy. Stir in milk, raisins, cinnamon, and sweetener to polenta. Whisk over low flame for a few minutes to incorporate the ingredients.

Pour into bowls immediately and sprinkle walnuts over porridge. Serve hot.

orange-pumpkin ginger french toast with roasted sweet and yukon potatoes

• Makes 3 to 4 servings

After going vegan, it was hard to find a French toast recipe that I enjoyed, so I came up with my own. A fellow vegan blogger tipped me onto using ciabatta bread and it works best. If you don't have orange extract on hand, use the zest of one orange and one tablespoon of the juice, or just leave it out.

Oil spray, for pan

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin, or 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree*

1 cup unsweetened almond or rice milk

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon arrowroot, dissolved in
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cup rice milk

1 tablespoon flax meal

1-2 teaspoons ground ginger

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teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch sea salt

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut in
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inch slices

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except oil and bread until well combined. Let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with oil. Dip each piece of bread in the batter, brush off the excess, and then place on cookie sheet. Continue with the rest of the bread. Bake for eight minutes, flipping each piece at the halfway point.

Heat skillet with oil over medium flame. Place as many pieces of bread that will fit in skillet and fry each side until medium brown or darker, about two minutes on each side. Continue with the rest of bread, spraying your pan with oil as needed.
 

to make pumpkin puree:

Take a two- to four-pound pumpkin, cut off the stem, then cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Lay facedown in a casserole dish with 1 cup of water. Cover with foil. Bake pumpkin at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until flesh is soft. Scoop out flesh from the skin and puree in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate in airtight container up to one week or freeze in a plastic bag up to three months.

• Makes about 12 pancakes

This is a great way to use up that leftover pumpkin after Thanksgiving, or whenever you're in the mood for fancy pancakes. They are fluffy and not too sweet, so feel free to add more maple syrup to the wet ingredients.

Oil spray, for pan

1 cup whole grain flour (or mix whole grain with unbleached white flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch sea salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1
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cups unsweetened almond or rice milk

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cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree (page 43)

1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil

Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine thoroughly so no lumps remain. Heat skillet over medium flame. Spray pan with oil. Wait until the pan is hot before adding the pancake mix. When ready, pour about
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cup mix into skillet and allow it to sit until the sides begin to get firm and bubbly. Do not try to flip them too soon! Flip each cake, press down with a spatula, and cook for a few more minutes. Move them to a plate and repeat with the rest of the pancake batter. Serve with vegan butter and real maple syrup.
 

• Makes 3 to 4 servings