Weekends are my time to make big breakfasts (as in… more than just toast and coffee), and this past weekend I whipped up a batch of delectable coconut orange pancakes.

This is another tester recipe for Tay and her blog Vegan in the Sun. These were so tender and delicious I am still thinking about them days later. We ate them topped with margarine, maple syrup and freshly shredded coconut.

Although I can’t share the pancake recipe with you, I can share with you…

How to open a coconut

1. Drill three holes in the three “eyes” of the coconut, through to the inside cavity.

2. Place drilled coconut upside down over a measuring cup to drain the coconut water. (Don’t throw this coconut water away… drink it, it’s yummy and nutritious.)

3. After coconut water has drained, wrap coconut in a towel and put it on a hard surface such as a garage floor.

4. Whack the coconut a couple of times with a mallet. The force of the mallet will separate the coconut flesh from the hard shell. You may have to give it another whack or two if there are still some bigger pieces with the shell not yet detached.

5. Using a sharp paring knife or a vegetable peeler, remove the brown skin that is remaining on the coconut flesh. Rinse pieces with water to remove any bits of detritus.

6. Coconut can now be shredded (food processor makes this easy).

I made these muffins two days ago, and have been walking around in a happy little fog since then because these little vegan morsels of yumminess are so incredibly AWESOME.

Light and tender, moist and chocolately, what more could you want in a muffin? If I had a cafe, these would be on the menu every freakin’ morning.

I adapted a recipe found here. I cut the sugar to 2/3 cup, and they were still really sweet, so next time I’ll cut it to 1/2 cup.

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Grease a muffin tin, or use muffin liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well mixed. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, add water to the powdered egg replacer according to the package directions for the equivalent of one egg. Whisk mixture together until foamy. Put the yogurt, oil and vanilla into a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until emulsified. Then whisk yogurt mixture into egg replacer until well blended.

4. Gently fold wet mixture into dry, just until evenly mixed. Do not overmix. Fold in mashed bananas and chocolate chips.

5. Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

6. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating tin halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Cool five minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 incredible muffins.

After being inspired by denny’s morphing of my vegan meatball recipe into Miss Meatballs, as well as Happy Clucks Clucks “Chicken” Strips, I decided to transform said meatball recipe into vegan breakfast patties.

The process is pretty much the same as the meatballs, except that I sauteed the onions & garlic for extra flavour instead of just adding them in to the mix raw, and I didn’t bother with the final bake in the oven.

Breakfast patties are a Canadian/American thing, not known on this side of the pond. As a result, Mr Thrifty had never tried breakfast patties, meaty or veggie version. I don’t think I ever had the meat ones, and it’s been years since I had veggie ones, so I couldn’t say how closely these resemble either of those.

I can tell you that these are tasty little morsels which are seasoned just right, hold together nicely and are toothsome but not too chewy. Perfect with a side of home fries. I found the recipe for the fries at food for living. Unfortunately I didn’t have any multi-coloured potatoes, but my combination of new potatoes and oca worked well.

Vegan breakfast patties

1. Make the TVP mixture ahead of time, as it needs to cool completely. Stir the prepared beef-style bouillon, Marmite and optional gravy browning together in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add TVP and stir well. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. While TVP mixture is cooling, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Take care not to burn it. Add the garlic and continue to saute for another minute or two. Stir the onion/garlic into the TVP mixture and set aside to cool completely. The mixture must be cold before adding the other ingredients.

3. Mix together the coconut oil and remaining vegetable oil until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.

4. For the liquid mixture, put beef-style bouillon cube in a glass measuring cup. Add a couple tablespoons of boiling water, and mix until bouillon cube is dissolved. Add ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and herbs & spices. Then add enough cold water to equal 165ml (2/3 cup). Set aside. Note that this must also be cold before adding to the other ingredients.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine wheat gluten, besan, breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast and stir well.

6. When TVP and liquid mixtures are cold, first add oil mixture to TVP and combine well. Then add the liquid mixture and stir again. Now add this to the gluten mixture and mix it until it is evenly combined.

7. Form into balls, then flatten balls to make small patties. I made 12 patties, each about 2 inches in diameter.

8. Prepare your steamer insert by lining it with baking paper so the patties don’t stick. Place patties in steamer insert with a gap between them. My steamer is not very big, and I did three patties at a time.

9. Bring an inch of water to boil in the bottom of your steamer, then turn heat down to maintain water at a simmer. Steam patties for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them over and steam for another 10 minutes. Remove them to a baking paper-lined tray to cool. Steam the rest of the patties the same way. Check the water level periodically to ensure the pot doesn’t boil dry, and add more boiling water if necessary.

10. Panfry steamed patties in a little olive oil, until lightly browned.

Makes 12 meatless breakfast patties.

Home fries

1. Cut potatoes into 1.2cm (1/2″) cubes. Put into a small pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Whilst potatoes are cooking, mix together salt, paprika, pepper, onion granules and garlic granules.

3. Heat a bit of olive oil in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron). Saute potatoes until golden and crunchy.

4. Push potatoes to the side of the pan. Add a bit more oil and saute shallot for a few minutes, until softened. Mix it all together and sprinkle on the prepared spice mixture to taste (I didn’t use all of it.)

Makes 2 servings.

When I moved to this side of the pond, I was introduced to the Full English breakfast, vegan style.

A full English breakfast is typically sausages, bacon, hash browns, eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast, along with coffee (or tea) and fruit juice. Anyone partaking of this cholesterol extravaganza will usually be able to hear their smaller arteries slamming shut partway through the meal.

Vegan versions are fairly widely available, though they’re usually abbreviated to hash browns, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast. If you’re lucky, vegan sausages will be available, and if the gods are smiling down on you, vegan bacon will also be on the menu.

This morning, I decided to make my own version of the full English vegan breakfast. Homemade breakfast sausages, hash browns, tofu scramble, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast, along with coffee and fruit juice. I haven’t experimented with homemade bacon (yet), and couldn’t find any in the shops, so that wasn’t included.

The tofu scramble used the same recipe as the one I’d made last week (except I was out of lemons and therefore lemon juice, but I couldn’t say I noticed a difference).  The breakfast sausages had been made the day before. I tried a new recipe for hash browns, and it was the most successful yet, though it does require precooking the potato the day before. The beans were organic ones from a jar, and the mushrooms and tomatoes were simply fried with a bit of vegan margarine and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Needless to say, it was delicious, and I’m happy to report that not only were no arteries closed during the meal, but my karma survived brilliantly. What more could one want on a cold February morning?

Seitan breakfast sausages

1. If you’re starting with whole almonds, grind them in the blender first while it’s still clean and dry, then remove and set aside.

2. Crumble the tofu into the blender. Put the bouillon cube into a glass measuring cup and add a couple of tablespoons of boiling water; stir to dissolve the cube. Add soy sauce to measuring cup, then add enough water so the mixture equals 100ml (6-1/2 tablespoons). Add this to the blender.

3. Add remaining ingredients to blender EXCEPT gluten. Blenderise until completely smooth. Empty into a large mixing bowl.

4. Add gluten and mix well, until you have a uniform soft dough.

5. Divide dough into 12 or 16 pieces, depending on how big you want your sausages. (I made 12 this time.) Roll each piece into a sausage shape. Wrap each sausage in parchment paper and then in either aluminium foil or cheesecloth. Lightly twist the ends together if using foil, or tie them with string if using cheesecloth.

6. Bring water to boil in a pot that has a steamer insert. Arrange wrapped sausages in your steamer insert. If using foil, arrange with seam side down as this reduces the likelihood of a foil blowout. Packing the sausages tightly in the steamer also reduces this chance. I arranged six sausages on the bottom of the steamer insert, then another six at a 90 degree angle on top of them.

7. Steam for 40 minutes over gently simmering water. If you’ve arranged your sausages in two layers, switch their positions halfway through the cooking time (bottom ones on top and top ones on bottom). Turn heat off and let cool.

8. To cook, gently pan fry until golden.

Can be frozen for future use (leave them wrapped and place in a plastic freezer bag).

Makes 12 to 16 sausages.

Homemade hash browns

Plan ahead, as the potato needs to be pre-cooked the day before.

1. The day before, steam potato (unpeeled) for 20 minutes, until tender (some firmness in the center is okay). Cool, then refrigerate in a plastic bag overnight.

2. The next day, grate potato using a coarse grater, discarding any large pieces of skin. Put in a large bowl. Add minced onion, garlic (if using), plus salt and pepper to taste. You can also season with herbs.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Form potatoes into three patties and fry until golden brown, then carefully flip and fry the other side. Keep in a warm oven if not eating immediately.

Makes 3 patties, enough for 2 or 3 servings.

Before yesterday morning, I’d last made tofu scramble quite a few years ago. At that time, I remember it being decidedly… meh… okay but not really something I was in a hurry to make again.

Then I saw a recipe for Golden tofu scram over at Gapers Block. Mmmm, now that looked like one delicious tofu scramble.

So I made it, with just a few additions for extra seasoning.

And it was awesome. A delicious savoury taste with crunchy bits from the seeds, and scrunchy bits from the golden-fried tofu. YUMM! I wouldn’t say it tasted like scrambled eggs (which I never much liked anyway), but I would say that it tasted better than scrambled eggs.

It’s quick to make, and perfect for a weekend breakfast. We ate it alongside Creamy mushrooms on toast.

Don’t forget to check out the original recipe at Gapers Block… they have a helpful photo tutorial, which I was far too lazy to include in my post.

Enjoy!

1. In a medium-sized bowl, make the sauce by whisking together the tahini, sesame & sunflower seeds, lemon juice and soy sauce.

2. Break off a big chunk of tofu and crumble it with your hands into the bowl of sauce. The goal is to have small bits that will become thoroughly coated with the delicious sauce. When all the tofu is crumbled into the bowl, mix it thoroughly.

3. Next add the nutritional yeast, and seasonings to taste. I used salt, pepper and onion granules, but you could use anything your little heart desires. You can also add a pinch of turmeric to impart an eggy goldenness, but this is optional.

4. Heat a heavy skillet (I use cast iron) on medium heat and add a bit of groundnut (peanut) oil. Spread the tofu into a thin layer and fry until it is golden on one side. Then flip it over in sections and brown the other side.

Makes 2 servings.

I’ve tried many versions of vegan pancakes, but these are the best I’ve had.

So what makes a perfect vegan pancake?

Why, the same things that makes a perfect non-vegan pancake, of course: quick to make, no hard-to-find ingredients and a tender, moist and fluffy result. Sometimes vegan pancakes can be heavy and doughy, but not these little babies. The first time I made them plain; the second time I made them with blueberries. They’re great either way. I’m sure these would be fab with any number of fruity additions.

I found this recipe via Vegan in Bellingham, who found it on the site A Bellingham Foodie Blog.

Perfect vegan pancakes

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the fruit and toss to coat the fruit with the dry mix.

2. Combine the wet ingredients in a measuring cup.

3. Heat a heavy pan on medium-low heat. (I use a well-seasoned cast iron pan.) If you’re not going to serve them as they come out of the pan, turn the oven on to low with a baking sheet (or two) inside, to keep them warm until they’re all cooked.

4. Stir the wet mix into the dry mix and combine until fairly smooth. Add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if the mixture seems too thin. (It should be thin enough to spread out when the batter is spooned onto the pan, but not so thin you end up with crepes!)

5. When the pan is hot, spoon the batter into the pan to make small (10cm/4″) or medium-size (18cm/7″) pancakes. They’ll look quite thin when first spooned into the pan, but will puff up as they cook. I don’t need to add oil to my well-seasoned cast-iron pan, but this may vary with a different type of pan.

6. Cook until the pancakes forms bubbles on the surface and start to look “set” on top (three or four minutes). Then flip them over and cook for another two minutes or so, until the other side is golden. If not serving immediately, put on preheated tray in a warm oven. Don’t stack them, as it will make them soggy (or so pancake wisdom says).

7. Serve with margarine and maple syrup or fruit syrup. We served these with blueberry syrup.

Serves two hungry people.

Unless you’re British, you probably don’t know what a “butty” is. Wiki says it’s another word for sandwich, but that’s incorrect, I’m afraid.

A butty is a sandwich (a filling between two slices of bread), but a sandwich is not usually a butty. “Butty” has a much narrower definition than sandwich does.

Mr Thrifty was extensively questioned on this, and after much consideration and deliberation, he issued the following statement:

There are two types of butty: The Chip Butty and The Bacon Butty. Anything else between two pieces of bread is merely a sandwich.

The Chip Butty is a sandwich made from two slices of untoasted bread (or an untoasted roll) plus fresh-cooked chips — and may I stress that I am talking about “proper” chips, not crisps or french fries. The bread may be spread with margarine or mayonnaise, and salt, vinegar and ketchup may be used. As simple as it may sound, I can assure you The Chip Butty is delicious.

This morning I made hashbrowns for breakfast, served on toast that had been spread with vegan mayo, and topped with ketchup. Was this a butty, I asked Mr Thrifty. He frowned. I pointed out the similarities between my hashbrown creation and The Chip Butty. Fried potatoes on bread. Ketchup. Mayo. Surely there could be some flexibility in the interpretation.

Mr Thrifty tasted. He got that gleam in his eye that he gets when he tries something he really really likes.

Yes, he declared, this tasty morsel of potatoey goodness was worthy of the “butty” moniker.

And thus The Hashbrown Butty was born.

Hashbrown butties

1. Peel potatoes and shred them. Spread on a plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand five minutes.

2. Mince shallot.

3. When potatoes have sat for five minutes, take handfuls and squeeze them as hard as you can to extract as much moisture as possible. Mix with minced shallots.

4. Heat olive oil in a heavy frypan over medium heat. When hot, add potatoes and spread into a thin, even layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fry until golden on one side then flip over to brown other side. You’ll probably have to cut the giant hashbrown in pieces to do this.

5. When hashbrown is done, toast bread. Spread with vegan mayo. Top with hashbrowns and ketchup.

Makes two servings.

This one of my favourite things to have for a weekend breakfast. It goes great with a side of vegan bacon and a soya latte. I’ve been inspired by Mo’s (Mosetta Stone) top five favourite breakfast type things, and wanted to share some of the breakfast things I like.

I adapted this recipe from a cookbook whose name I can’t recall. I do remember quickly scribbling it down, as discretely as I could, whilst standing in a bookstore salivating over various recipes in cookbooks (I must have been hungry).

The recipe calls for chives, which were growing in our garden this summer, but are now no more, so I used three-cornered wild garlic instead (the above-ground green part, not the bulb), which is still growing in our garden.

For the vegan cream cheese, I used Provamel Soft Cheese because I’d bought some a few weeks ago to try. I usually use Original Creamy Sheese. They’re both equally good in this recipe. For margarine, I used my usual Pure.

1. In a heavy pan, saute mushrooms in one teaspoon olive oil over medium heat until they are moist. Remove from pan. Turn heat down to low.

2. Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the teaspoon of margarine to pan, and saute garlic until fragrant but not browned, about one minute.

3. Add mushrooms back into pan and turn heat to medium. Saute until the mushrooms start to get browned and crispy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add balsamic vinegar and half of chives/wild garlic and stir well. Remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese with remaining chives/wild garlic, and toast the bread.

5. Spread cream cheese mixture onto toast, and top with mushrooms.

Makes two servings.