Every once in a while, it's nice to make breakfast a treat instead of just a utility. It's worth a few extra steps to make it something special, especially when guests are involved. This past weekend, two of our friends from Baltimore stayed overnight, and on Saturday morning, I made baked oatmeal from Faith Durand's Not Your Mother's Casseroles. Although I did not make it vegan this time, it can easily be adapted to remove dairy products, and I've included those changes in the recipe below. This is an easy-to-prepare, comforting breakfast that can be changed and tweaked to suit individual preferences.
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups soy or almond milk (you might want to decrease the sugar if you use a sweetened variety)
- 1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries and raisins)
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla, maple, or almond extract (opt.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber mixer. Pour mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Serve the oatmeal hot with maple syrup, extra brown sugar, and/or extra milk, if desired.
Nutty sweet potato soup with harissa and spinach (4-6 servings)
0 comments Posted by Kate at 1:26 PM
This year's inaugural Vegan MoFo recipe comes from the October 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times. (The recipe hasn't been posted online yet.) It's a spicy, slightly smoky soup that's on the thin side yet still filling. Searching the county for a tube of harissa was worth it!
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts sliced thinly and rinsed of grit
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 Tbsp harissa paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium-if possible)
- 3 oz (2 packed cups) spinach leaves, thinly sliced (use a pizza wheel!)
- crushed peanuts for garnish
- Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, peanut butter, harissa, garlic, turmeric, and cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add sweet potatoes, broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, adding more water if soup is too thick. (It definitely wasn't for me.) Stir in the spinach leaves and garnish with crushed peanuts.
It's that time of year again! October is the Vegan Month of Food, also known as Vegan MoFo. I will once again try to post one new vegan recipe per week to get in the spirit of things. Be sure to check back often! If nothing else, it'll motivate me to get off my arse and keep posting!
