B is for Breakfast, gluten free vegan style

Hooray for Vegan MoFo day 2! I loved reading everyone’s posts yesterday and was super excited to be included in the day 1 round up last night (I too am wondering what in the dickens I’m going to do about the letter x but am incredibly excited to read about 31 days of vegan cupcakes) Today we’re talkin’ Breakfast!

Can you believe that prior to joining Weight Watchers, I almost never ate breakfast? (Unless it was a gigantic pastry or muffin from Starbucks or maybe a Holt Renfrew croissant or two) Even when I was a kid I refused to eat in the morning! I remember one time my mom even let me have cherry pie for breakfast because I she wanted me to have something before school. Nowadays, breakfast is such an important part of my day and I really consider it the fuel that keeps me going.

Being gluten free and vegan means that I can’t rely of some traditional breakfast foods that many people grab on the go (like wheat-laden toast, bagels with cream cheese, eggs or yogurt) but that is perfectly fine with me. I’m generally a lot happier when I make meals at home and I love keeping things interesting and healthy in the morning.

Hot cereal is an amazing option, especially now that the weather is getting colder. I love rolled quinoa, amaranth or gluten free oats.

As many bloggers will attest, with hot cereal it’s all about the toppings! I usually add some sort of fruit (bananas, pear or apples usually), something sweet (agave and/or dates), some sort of protein (either some nuts or some nut butter), liquid (usually almond milk, but using tea can also be nice) and lots of cinnamon! While it might seem easier to grab a packet of instant oats, making your own and adding toppings takes only a extra couple of minutes and is so much more satisfying. If you’re on the go, you can put your oats and dry toppings in a little bag and bring the liquid toppings with you and mix them once you get to work. And if you’re in need of a new texture, blending your oats (a la Chocolate Covered Katie) can make them smooth and creamy.When I’ve got a bit of time I love to make pancakes. They remind me of being a kid (back then, chocolate chip pancakes were my absolute favourite!) After trying a couple of different recipes, I adapted one from La Dolce Vegan and came up with these guys:

3/4 c. Bob’s gluten free flour blend
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/8 c. agave nectar
Coconut or grapeseed oil for pan

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the almond milk, coconut milk and agave and stir until just mixed.

Warm a bit of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Spoon/pour pancake batter onto pan and cover (I usually use my 2 tbsp scoop from Pampered Chef for cute little pancakes). Let them hang out on medium heat. When the pancakes have bubbles in the center, flip them over and cook until golden brown. Once golden on both sides, take them off the heat and repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Makes 4-8 pancakes depending on how big you make them. They are light, fluffy and absolutely delightful! Enjoy them on their own, with some fruit or jam or with a drizzle of maple syrup or agave.

I also enjoy scrambled tofu once in awhile – very yummy!Nice way to get some veggies in first thing in the morning!

If I’m in a rush I’ll grab a piece of fruit and a muffin from my freezer or some cold cereal (Whole-O’s or Corn flakes are my favs) with almond milk or I’ll make myself a smoothie and take it to go (banana-almond milk-date-agave-almond butter is one of my favourite combinations!) There’s also no rule that says you have to eat “breakfast foods” for breakfast. Maybe cherry pie isn’t the best choice, but you could also enjoy leftovers from the previous evening, or something more savoury if that’s what you like!

Whatever you eat, it’s important to set yourself up for success by eating something in the morning. Figure out what it is that you like, make it accessible and easy for you to pull together and make it happen! By doing so you’ll have more energy, be more alert and be better equipped to go through your day.

VeganMofo asked yesterday on Twitter: do you eat the same thing every morning? Or do you like to switch things up? Are you breakfast-challenged? Do you have a favourite breakfast recipe?