super excellent hangover cure waffles with whipped coconut cream, mango, macadamias & maple syrup.

(by blackmountain)

crepes with almonds, home-made soy yoghurt & cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla poached apples and syrup.

bircher muesli!

oats, almonds & sunflower seeds soaked overnight in apple juice, with home-made soy yoghurt & blueberries.

vegan french toast (by blackmountain)

SWEET VEGAN (BANANA) FRENCH TOAST WITH RASPBERRIES & MAPLE SYRUP.

to make this you’ll need:

• one long baguette, preferably on the stale side! sliced diagonally.
• 1 ripe/over-ripe banana
• 1 cup of non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• a teaspoon of cinnamon
• optional: a splash of vanilla paste (or vanilla essence) 
• optional: a tablespoon of maple syrup
• oil for frying, i used canola

1. mash the banana! add the milk, flour, cinnamon & vanilla paste and whisk thoroughly into a smooth batter (some lumps are ok though!!).

2. pour batter into a small baking dish & place baguette slices cut side down to soak up. approx. 1 minute each side.

3. oil a large fry pan & fry your soaked baguette slices on low heat. turn up to low-medium after a few minutes. when nicely browned, flip & repeat! serve with maple syrup & your choice of fruit, preserves or condiments!!

sweet breakfast polenta porridge with blueberry compote (by blackmountain)

SWEET BREAKFAST POLENTA PORRIDGE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE to have on a rainy morning! (makes 2 servings)

To make polenta you will need:

• 1/2 cup of cornmeal
• 2 cups of water (but check the cooking instructions on your packet of cornmeal, you may need more or less depending on the coarseness of you cornmeal). 
• pinch of salt
• 1-3 tablespoons of maple syrup (or agave) depending on your sweet tooth. i top my polenta off with extra maple & the berry compote will be slightly sweet too, so keep that in mind!
• a knob of dairy-free margarine, such as nuttelex
• a splash of non-dairy milk, 2-3 tablespoons

1. Bring water to a boil, turn it down to simmer. Add cornmeal and whisk to combine. Add pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes (or as suggested by the instructions on your cornmeal packet!) whisking occasionally. You can start making your berry compote while the polenta simmers away!

2. Once you are happy with the creaminess & consistency of your polenta add maple syrup, margarine & non-dairy milk of your choice.

To make blueberry compote you will need:

• 1 cup of frozen blueberries (you can use any berry or combination of berries, fresh too)
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons of water
• a heaped teaspoon of arrowroot

Combine everything in a pan over medium heat, mix & leave to simmer for 6-9 minutes, stirring occasionally until you are happy with the taste & the berries are squishy but still a bit firm.

To assemble: spoon polenta into bowls. Top with a bit of maple syrup, blueberry compote & some chopped nuts. I used almonds, but I think hazelnuts would work nicely too!

summertime granola (coconut, macadamia, almond, apricot, cranberry) with home-made soy yoghurt and fresh strawberries. eating this every day (sometimes for dinner) since i made the granola!! so good.

in anticipation of my soy yoghurt culture arriving in the mail yesterday (i just started a batch) i made granola. the jar on the left is maple, cinnamon, pecan, almond, fig and date! and the jar on the right is agave, coconut, macadamia, almond, cranberry and apricot. they both include chai seeds & flaxseed too.

pierogi; some mushroom, some potato & caramelised onion.

blood grapefruit & apple blackcurrant juice!

QUINOA PORRIDGE WITH CARAMELISED FIGS
(makes 3 portions or 2 mammoth sized ones for very empty bellies).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 cup of rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• a dash of vanilla essence
• 3 fresh figs
• approx. 3 tablespoons of sugar (i used white) or alternative such as agave.
• a handful of toasted almonds (walnuts or pecans would be good too).

step 1: wash the quinoa to remove the bitter tasting saponins that surround the grain. most store bought quinoa is already pre-washed so i simply soak the quinoa for 15 minutes prior to cooking & then massage it with my fingers to rub off any remaining coating.

step 2: combine quinoa with water in a saucepan and bring to simmer, stirring regularly until the water is absorbed. pour in rice milk and vanilla essence and simmer until desired consistency.

step 3: while your quinoa is simmering, turn on the grill. cut your figs in half and place them (cut side up) on the grill pan. sprinkle the figs with sugar (or alternative) and grill for approximately 3 minutes or until the figs are cramelised and soft (you want to be able to easily cut them with the side of a spoon).

step 4: toast your nuts by placing a handful into a dry frypan, agitating frequently so they don’t burn, until golden brown.

step 5: assemble the dish. ladle the porridge into bowls. place figs on top and sprinkle with nuts. enjoy!