Wintery Quinoa Porridge

Occasionally, throughout the year and to my considerable delight, freezer items will get shuffled or used; revealing bags of wild, Alaskan mountain blueberries that Todd and I picked in autumn.

Like a reticent squirrel, I stash the berries in the back of the freezer, praying they will tide us over until next fall when we'll continue the tradition of picking them all over again. Usually, come August, I realize I have barely touched them and find myself working the blueberries into a many number of dishes. It's similar to my obsession with  hoarding bath luxuries (I don't even take baths!) like the flowery bubbles, salts, and fragrant fizzies. I keep them stowed away "saving" them for a worthy occasion. Alas, they never get used and I end up throwing them away 10 years later when I eventually find the dust-covered derelicts. 

This will not happen with my blueberries. They will not become freezer-burnt. I shall be better about using them throughout the entirety of the year. I shall deem them worthy of everyday smoothies and oatmeal. Okay, maybe not the smoothies yet...I shall make more pies. I shall celebrate the little buggers, instead of suffocating them with love. 

So, while excavating a bag of the blueberries from the back of the freezer, I also discovered some rhubarb I picked and froze a few months ago. Huzzah! And just like that, this winter-inspired quinoa porridge just fell right into place! 

A most divine wintery breakfast to keep you toasty warm and satisfied on a snowy morning. Wild blueberries and rhubarb from autumn mingle with fresh, winter pomegranates in this timely and humble quinoa porridge, speckled with toasted nuts and seeds. 

You're going to want to save this one for Saturday morning! Oh Saturday...you can't come soon enough.

Did I tell you we finally got snow?! We actually when on a night ski yesterday. Do you night ski too?

Wintery Quinoa Porridge

A most divine wintery breakfast to keep you toasty warm and satisfied on a snowy morning. Wild blueberries and rhubarb from autumn mingle with fresh, winter pomegranates in this timely and humble quinoa porridge, speckled with toasted nuts and seeds. NOTES: Feel free to use any combination of nuts and seeds you like. Toasting them is an extra step, but well worth it!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, dry (I like red)
• 1/2 cup nut/seed mixture, chopped (I used pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds)
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. alma powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• small pinch of kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups frozen, wild blueberries
• 1 cup frozen, chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 pomegranate, seeded (about ½ cup of seeds)

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil with the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Drain all the water from the pot, leaving the quinoa.
2. Meanwhile, over medium heat, toast the nuts and seeds in a sturdy frying pan until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients to the quinoa, including the nuts and seeds, but excluding the berries. Stir well until the peanut butter is completely incorporated.
4. Now, add the berries and over low, heat the porridge until the berries are warm.
5. Serve with an additional splash of non-dairy milk and/or maple syrup.

Dutch Word of The Day

Porridge --> brij (bray)

Good Deed of The Day

Did you guys see that the very first vegan butcher shop is opening up in Minneapolis?! So cool! If I'm ever in the Twin-Cities...check it out more here. 

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Todd and I have made this recipe so many times. It's been perfected. Like it's my life's work, you guys. Each time we make it I ask, "Should we take the time to document it for the blog?" and every single time...."Nah, next round we will."

I'm so sorry about that. Sometimes a dish is so good, ain't nobody got time to be messing about with photography and the like. It's all you can do to wait until it's time to dig in! My bad. 

This insanely tasty burrito all started about a year ago when Todd decided he wanted breakfast burritos. My little brother used to make them all the time, even though I myself had never made them, I knew he used primarily potatoes, breakfast sausage, and scrambled eggs. Erm, not the taddest vegan but a super easy fix with plant-based breakfast patties and a fluffy tofu scramble.

A few tips here. Use the patties as opposed to the ground breakfast sausage, if you're able. The patties have a bolder "breakfast sausage" taste in comparison. I've used both and heavily favor the patties. The tofu scramble is extraordinarily fluffy and soft when the tofu that's packed in water in it's little bin is used, as opposed to the tofu that's vacuum sealed (which I normally favor). 

I'm terribly excited to finally share one of our very favorite dishes. Todd actually requested these for his birthday, but we've been so busy we only just got around to making them...two weeks later. Whoopsie.

This is a brilliant recipe for someone who's thinking about going vegan or just trying to adapt a more healthy, cruelty-free diet. Breakfast burritos don't really spring to mind as an inherently animal-free dish, but with my version you can have your vegan burrito and eat it too. You've really got to try them. There's no reason to have our furry friends (and chicken ovulation eggs...let's be honest) in a breakfast burrito! No reason I tell you!!

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Vegan Breakfast Burritos

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-27-2014

An insanely delicious and easy vegan breakfast burrito loaded with roasted potatoes, seasoned tofu scramble, browned breakfast patties, and cheddar cheese. Tofu scramble recipe adapted from Isa Chandra.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. mixed baby potatoes, cubed
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkling of seasoning salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. water
• heaping ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 6 frozen vegan breakfast burrito patties, thawed
• 6 burrito sized flour tortillas
• dollop of vegan mayonnaise
• 8 oz. package of vegan shredded cheese
• dollop of salsa
• sprinkling of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

First, remove the breakfast patties so they can thaw out. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash, dry, and cube the potatoes. Spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and coat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with a seasoning salt and a dash of ground black pepper. Stir well to coat evenly and bake at 400 F for about 40 minutes, until fork tender.In a large rimmed frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Next, coat the pan with a nonstick cooking spray and crumble in the tofu with your hands. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the cumin through and including the water in a small bowl. Add to the tofu and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, scraping up bits that stick to the pan with a metal spatula. Then, stir in the nutritional yeast.Once the tofu is done, transfer to a serving bowl. Add the breakfast patties to the frying pan and break apart into small pieces with a metal spatula. Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, until browned. Add the tofu back to the pan to warm and combine if you like. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds. To assemble, place a dollop of mayo in the middle of the tortilla, followed by a pile of potatoes, then some breakfast patty and tofu scramble, a bit of cheese, followed by salsa and cilantro. Fold in the left and right sides first, and then roll away from you to form a burrito!Serve warm with additional salsa if you like.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 6

German Word of The Day

Breakfast for dinner --> Frühstück zum Abendessen

Good Deed of The Day

How awesome is this? Vegan nutritionist, Micah Risk, is on the the cover of the October 2014 Runner's World, sporting VEGAN socks! Pick it up at your local magazine stand today to read up! 

How awesome is this? Vegan nutritionist, Micah Risk, is on the the cover of the October 2014 Runner's World, sporting VEGAN socks! Pick it up at your local magazine stand today to read up!

Blueberry Maple Baked Oatmeal

I am making a concerted effort to refrain from making the blueberry crisp from a few posts back. That crisp was so delicious I ate the entire thing in two days, by myself. If I knew it could even adequately sustain human life, it's all I'd eat. A healthier substitute had to be created. 

In full confession, bashfully, I made this oatmeal bake yesterday and by tonight it will be completely gone. All me, yep. This is not a surprise, I knew it would happen. My blueberry gluttony apparently knows no bounds (it's a wonder that I don't need to be rolled around everywhere like the giant blueberry girl from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory), however, this time I was smart and made something that's both irresistible and healthy. 

My blueberry maple baked oatmeal can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert....or yes, dinner I too suppose. That's what I did (shhhh! omg and it's my lunch today too, don't tell). It's minimally sweetened and full of the nutritional goodness of old-fashioned oats and wild blueberries. Flaxseed and walnuts make an appearance for good measure, as well. No butter and just one tablespoon of oil. 

So give it up to a breakfast/dessert/dinner(..../lunch?) you don't have to feel guilty about. Even if you do eat half the thing in one night...like me. 

Not to mention it's done in 30 minutes flat. 

Blueberry Maple Oatmeal Bake

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

Healthier than a crisp, this adaptable blueberry oatmeal bake is flavored with sweet maple syrup and speckled with toasted walnuts. It’s a wonderful, wholesome, and delicious breakfast or dessert. Notes: Feel free to use any flour, milk, oil, and nuts of your choice. This is a very adaptable recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats, dry
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• ¼ heaping cup of flour (I used whole wheat white)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened, plain coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. maple extract (optional)
• ¼ cup whole walnuts
• 2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and coat a square 9x9 inch or round 9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a food processor, add the oats through and including the cinnamon. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the milk through and including the maple extract. Slowly pour into the dry mixture while stirring.
4. Fold in the blueberries and then spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
5. Add the nuts to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the oatmeal and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:20
Total time: 00:30
Yield: 4-6 servings

German Word of The Day

Oatmeal --> Haferflocken (halfer-flocken)

Good Deed of The Day

Did you know at Martha's Vineyard they hold six lemur races a day from August 21-24th? Yuck. Lemurs are an endangered species and no animals should be crammed into tiny crates then forced to race, solely for the pleasure of screaming onlookers. Seriously? People have no other means of entertainment? Let's try and stop that. It reminds me of the mice races at our state fair. Even as a kid they made me sad. It makes sense now why I seemed to be the only one disturbed by this.