This recipe is an oldie but a goodie.

If I had to recommend one dish for someone who wants to eat less animal products it would be scrambled tofu. It looks just like eggs and you can really flavor it however you like. Not to mention it only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

I started eating less scrambled eggs and more scrambled tofu after watching Vegucated on Netflix. I won’t go into personal ethics on why I made the switch but it’s a good documentary to watch on Netflix in between marathons of Being Human and United States of Tara.

You can easily change this recipe to make it more flavorful by adding herbs and sautéed vegetables into the mix. I usually use curry powder to make mine a little spicy.

Scrambled Tofu

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mash the tofu with a fork lightly until it’s textured to resemble scrambled eggs.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Mix the turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder in with the tofu until it’s evenly coated.
4. Sauté the tofu in the oil until it’s heated through and takes on a vibrant color.
5. Remove from the pan and serve hot.

Afterwards I put a big pile of ketchup on the side of the plate. What’re eggs and hash browns without ketchup?

It’s been getting harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning lately. I’m used to freezing temperatures in New England by now but I’ve never learned to like them and it’s only getting colder from here on out. Blankets are getting thicker, showers are getting longer, and breakfasts are getting tastier because they’re always the best reason to get out of bed.

These pancakes are an older recipe that I wanted to revisit and spend more time on. It’s hard to find good gluten-free pancakes and the more flavors you can get the better. They’re entirely naturally sweetened, too, until you pour the maple syrup on top which is a must. A little pat of cinnamon butter and it’d be heaven.

The recipe only makes about one serving. I would recommend doubling or tripling it and storing the extra pancakes in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator to have extra for another morning.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(makes 1 serving):

• 1/3 cup mashed banana(about a medium-sized banana)
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4-1/3 cup water

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the mashed banana, chickpea flour, egg, cinnamon, baking soda and 1/4 cup water and mix.
2. Add more water if necessary to get the consistency somewhere between thick-runny and runny.
3. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
4. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Only cook 1 or 2 at a time to avoid overcrowding.
5. Cook on one side until the top is bubbly, then flip and cook for about another minute. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Definitely worth waking up for.

I’m a sucker for sweet breads. So far this Summer we’ve made banana bread and zucchini bread. That got me wondering what other fruits and vegetables you can bake into bread?

As unglamorous as they are, carrot desserts are some of my favorites; I’ve had carrot cakes at multiple birthdays throughout the years. Some people think they sound too healthy to make a good dessert, but if you slap enough cream cheese frosting onto anything it will taste good, right?

This bread isn’t quite as sweet as a carrot cake or carrot cake muffin would be; I like that because the last thing I need in the morning is a sugar coma. Instead it’s rather spicy with jewels of sweetness from the raisins. You can swap in toasted walnuts for the coconut for a nuttier flavor and added crunch. Of course you can also add white chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting; it’s all about how decadent you want to go.

Gluten-Free Carrot Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup tightly packed shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 6oz container plain yogurt
• 4 extra large eggs
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the almond flour and brown sugar to make sure there aren’t any clumps.
3. Add in the carrots, oil, yogurt, and eggs and mix completely.
4. Toss in the raisins, coconut, salt, baking powder and spices and mix again.
5. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50 minutes or until the center of the loaf has set.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into slices.

It didn’t take me very long to mix some powdered sugar and cream cheese and spread it onto a hot slice. It didn’t take me long at all.

I’ve been neglecting a lot lately.

Neglecting writing blog posts this week because I’ve been swamped with finals.

Neglecting eating healthy most of this semester because it’s easier to make excuses than roast vegetables.

Neglecting restarting the 30 day Shred workouts because I don’t like being yelled at through my own TV.

But most significantly I’ve been neglecting this pancake recipe. And that’s the biggest shame of all; no one should go pancake-less for months at a time. I usually eat oatmeal in the morning because that’s quick and I can make it in a microwave. But sometimes breakfast is worth making a fuss over and that’s when a reliable recipe like this comes in handy.

For the record, chickpea flour does not actually taste like chickpeas at all. It has a really neutral flavor to it. You can find chickpea flour in some specialty markets. The kind I used is by Bob’s Red Mill.

Chickpea Flour Pancakes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 medium-sized pancakes):

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (heaping) Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• Butter or oil for greasing

Method:

1. Whisk together the flour, water, egg, sugar, baking soda, and salt until all the clumps are gone from the batter.
2. Heat a pan or skillet over a burner set to medium with some butter or oil.
3. Scoop about 3 Tablespoons-1/4 cup of batter into the pan.
4. Cook until the edges firm up and bubbles come through the batter. Flip and cook for another 15-20 seconds until the other side has set. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
5. Serve while still hot with syrup, sauce, and/or butter.

Here’s to a Summer of not neglecting.

I’m glad so many people have liked and tried the hot banana breakfast quinoa recipe. In 2 weeks I don’t think I can count the number of times I’ve eaten that on just my hands. It’s too easy and too tasty not to get in a rut over.

One change I have tried is this pumpkin version of the same breakfast topped with creamy almond butter and crushed raw almonds for a crunchy chew. It’s just as healthy and quick and easy to make. The only difference I noted was that it rises and falls more in the microwave than the banana version, so be careful not to fill the bowl too much.

Hot Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients(Makes one serving):

• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup(optional)
• Nuts, nut butter, and dried fruit for topping

Method:

1. Mix the pumpkin, quinoa, eggs, salt, spice, and sweetener if using in a small bowl.
2. Pour into a ramekin or other microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes until the center is cooked through.
3. Remove from the microwave. The top will fall slightly. Top with nuts, nut butter, or dried fruit.

The pumpkin breakfast quinoa is slightly denser and less sweet than the banana version without the optional maple syrup. Personally I prefer the banana but this brings a nice seasonal twist to breakfast.