Vegan breakfast patties & home fries

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

British				American
TVP mixture
60g		textured vegetable protein (TVP)		3/4 cup
125ml		prepared vegan beef-style broth		1/2 cup
1 teaspoon		Marmite		1 teaspoon
3 drops		gravy browning (optional)		3 drops
25 grams		very finely chopped onion		1/4 cup
1		clove garlic, minced		1
Oil mixture
20g		coconut oil		1-1/2 tablespoons
1-1/2 tablespoons		vegetable oil		1-1/2 tablespoons
		(or use 3 tablespoons vegetable oil)
Liquid mixture
1/2		vegan beef-style bouillon cube		1/2
		(or equivalent amount for 1 cup of water)
1 tablespoon		ketchup		1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon		soy sauce		1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon		vegan Worcestershire sauce		1 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon		freshly ground black pepper		3/4 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon		dried sage		1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon		dried marjoram		1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon		dried thyme		1/4 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		cayenne pepper		1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		dried coriander		1/8 teaspoon
		water as needed (see directions)
Dry mixture
80g		vital wheat gluten flour		2/3 cup
30g		gram flour (besan, chickpea flour)		1/4 cup
2 tablespoons		dry breadcrumbs		2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon		nutritional yeast		1 tablespoon
To finish
		olive oil for frying

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

British				American
225g		new potatoes		1/2 pound
1/4 teaspoon		salt		1/4 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		paprika		1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		freshly ground black pepper		1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		onion granules		1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon		garlic granules		1/8 teaspoon
1 small		shallot, diced		1 small

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.