Applesauce Pancakes for One

Once the jar of applesauce is open, what are you going to do? Why, pancakes, of course!

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

Several sprinkles of ground cinnamon

A sprinkle or two of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

½ cup non-dairy milk (I like almond, but any will do)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

Slosh of vanilla extract

Non-dairy butter or coconut oil for frying

1. In a small bowl (I like to use a cereal bowl), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt. 
2. Add in the milk, applesauce, and the vanilla, and stir until just barely combined.
3. Put about 1 TBLSP of butter or oil into the skillet over medium-high heat. Plop the batter into the butter once it’s sizzling at about ¼ cup per pancake. You should get four of ‘em. When there are bubbles all over the surface of the pancakes, flip ‘em, frying until they’re golden brown.

Serve with sliced apples, bananas, or other fruit, and top with maple syrup, jam, or applesauce!

Variations:

• Put slices of apple underneath the pancake batter in the pan to get an artistic effect.
• Make a buttermilk version by combining the non-dairy milk with a slosh of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and letting it sit for a few minutes to curdle. Then proceed as above.
• I was running low on cinnamon, so I used cardamom. OMG. Try allspice or cloves, too. 

Beans on Toast for One

This is a simple English-style breakfast. You may not have had it, but once you try it, it will become a regular item. It’s fast, it’s filling, and it’s yummy!

1 slice of homemade bread (or store-bought, if that’s all you’ve got), toasted

2 TBLSP vegan cream cheese

4 TBLSP cooked beans (canned is fine. I like cannellini beans, but any will do)

1 green onion, chopped, greens and all

1/3 ripe avocado, sliced

2 TBLSP vegan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put the bread slice onto a tray, plate, or baking pan that can go under the broiler.
2. Slather the cream cheese on it (the bread, silly, not the pan).
3. Pile the beans on top of the toast in such a way that it’s spread nicely to the edges.
4. Sprinkle the green onion on top of that and spread out the avocado in yet another layer.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the whole mishegas and festoon with salt and pepper.
6. Put it under the broiler for 5 minutes (you’ll want to watch closely to keep it from burning).

Slice it into two pieces if you want to pick it up to eat it, or use a knife and fork as if you were a civilized person.

Tofu Frittata for One

Breakfast can be quick and clean, or it can be slow and messy. This treat is a tasty combination of both, plus it will keep your engine purring all day long.

2 ounces silken tofu (about ¼ of a package)

1 TBLSP vegan butter

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot

Pinch of baking powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Pinch pf turmeric

Pinch of onion powder

Pinch of garlic powder

Pinch of kala namak, or black sea salt

½ TBLSP olive oil

¼ onion, diced small

1 mushroom, diced

¼ zucchini, shredded

2 TBLSP frozen or fresh corn kernels

4 or 5 zucchini slices and some onion shreds for the top

Sprinkles of shredded vegan cheese

1. In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, butter, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, turmeric, onion and garlic powders, and the kala namak. Set aside.
2. In a small oven-safe skillet (non-stick, if you’ve got it), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and let them cook until they’re soft but not completely cooked through, 2 minutes or so.
3. Add the zucchini and corn to the onions and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the tofu mixture and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir the contents a few times to make sure that it’s all pleasantly intermingled and smooth the top. Decorate with zucchini and mushroom slices. Let it cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
5. Place the skillet under the broiler and let it cook for 3 minutes, until the top is browned.  Watch it like a hawk so that it doesn’t burn. When it’s golden, bring it out to sprinkle the cheese on it—not much! A little bit is all you need—and put it under the broiler again for another minute or so. Be sure to protect your hand from the hot handle!

Let it sit on a wire rack (or the stove’s burner) for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan and devouring. Eat the whole thing! You’ve earned it!  

Banana Bread for One

I eat a banana every day. Sometimes, I just can’t look at a bowl of cereal or a smoothie, though, and I have to burst out in happy banananess!

7 TBLSP flour

Large pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Small pinch of baking soda

A shake or two of ground ginger

2 ½ TBLSP sugar

4 TBLSP of mashed-up ripe banana

1 TBLSP melted vegan butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 TBLSP almond milk (optional, to moisten if necessary)

1 ½ TBLSP walnut bits

1 TBSPL chocolate chips

1 TBLSP raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a muffin tin (just two muffins) or mini-loaf pan with oil or cooking spray or line two muffin holes with paper.

1. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and sugar together in a small bowl.
2. Combine the mashed banana, melted butter, and vanilla together in another small bowl. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients.
3. Add milk by dribbles until it makes a wet and pourable batter that’s thicker than pancake batter and looser than bread dough. You may not need any milk at all, if your banana was moist enough.
4. Add the walnut bits, chocolate chips, and raisins, and stir just enough to incorporate them. Don’t over work it.
5. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth the top of the batter.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack. It will deflate a little bit.

 

Kale and Broccoli Nomlette for One

This is a quick and dirty omelet, just the thing when you have a long day of work ahead of you.

For the Filling:

Olive oil

Broccoli, chopped randomly and coarsely

3 slices onion, chopped coarsely

Handful of kale, chopped coarsely

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

3 TBLSP faux cheese (I like daiya mozzarella), shredded

Avocado

For the Nomlette:

4 oz. (1/3 package) silken tofu

2 TBLSP almond milk

1 ½ TBLSP nutritional yeast

1 TBLSP corn starch

1 teaspoon white or yellow miso

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of kala namak (black salt) (optional—adds an eggy taste)

Make the Filling:

1. Sauté the onions and broccoli in olive oil. 
2. When the onions are partially transparent, add the kale and garlic. When the kale has relaxed, set aside.

Make the Omelet:

1. In a blender or food processor, whirl away at the tofu, milk, yeast, corn starch, miso, onion powder, turmeric, salt and pepper, and kala namak until it’s smooth.
2. Slosh a little more olive oil into a non-stick skillet or omelet pan and heat it on medium high until it’s very hot. Pour the tofu mixture into the center of the skillet and smear it in a large circle evenly around the pan. It should be about 6-8 inches across. You might use a spatula or a spoon to smooth the top, just to make sure there aren’t any thin places.
3. When it starts to have bubbles fairly evenly across the top, spread the cheese across half of it, making a half-moon shape right to the edge.

Assemble the Nomlette:

1. Once the batter is starting to firm up enough that you can peel an edge up with your spatula, place your filling ingredients on top of the cheese on one half of it.
2. When the edges have dried out and the middle is no longer jiggly, loosen the omelet by sliding a spatula under the edges. You might want to work your way around, making sure that the omelet is free on all sides. If it’s not moving loosely in the pan, it’s not set, and if you try the next step too soon, you’re going to have scrambled tofu instead of an omelet. Don’t worry. It will still be quite yummy.
3. When it’s set, fold the empty half of the omelet over the full half. If your naked omelet half is oriented away from the handle of the pan, you can tip the pan and let gravity help a bit as you use your spatula to lift the rest. You can’t really flip this omelet the way you might an egg omelet or a crepe—it’s neither thin nor dry enough.
4. Slide it onto a plate and serve immediately. I garnished mine with avocado slices and some grapes.

Life is good. 

Buttermilk Biscuits for One

These little charmers are surprisingly delicious and fluffy. I used ‘em to make a sandwich (wasabi-ginger coleslaw—recipe coming soon—roasted asparagus, and melted vegan mozzarella), but they’d be great slathered in vegan butter or doused in some mushroom gravy too! (Makes two biscuits.)

½ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch baking powder

Pinch salt

Pinch baking soda

1 TBLSP vegan butter

¼ cup non-dairy milk (I like almond)

1 TBLSP apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
2. Cut the butter into small cubes and then work it into the flour with a fork. The mixture should be crumbly.
3. In a small bowl, glass, or measuring cup, add the vinegar to the milk. It will curdle almost immediately, but if it doesn’t, give it a little help with a stir or two.
4. Dump the buttermilk that you just made into the flour mixture and combine with a fork until it’s combined. It will be a wet and sticky dough.
5. Shape the dough into two disks. You can use a cutter If you like, or go for something more organic. I like to think of the shapes I make as “round-esque.”
6. Put the rounds on the baking sheet and make a thumbprint in the middle of each.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until browned.

Eat as soon as they’re cool enough to handle. They taste nice when they’re cold too, but you’ll have a dreadful time waiting that long. 

Plum Breakfast Bar for One

This little treat is substantial enough to keep you happy all day. It’s not terribly sweet despite the dates and banana, and get this—you can make it gluten-free, and it’s just as happy a plate of wonderful.

¼ cup whole wheat flour (spelt or almond flour would do just as nicely)

¼ cup oats

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch baking powder

Pinch salt

1 or 2 (depending on their size) dates, chopped

Slosh vanilla extract

1/3 ripe banana

4 teaspoons non-dairy milk (I like almond)

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 fresh plums, pitted and sliced thinly

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 5-inch baking pan. I used an oval casserole.

1. In a small bowl. Combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix them well.
2. Using a blender or food processor, whirl the dates, vanilla extract, banana, milk, and vinegar for a bit. It will be a little lumpy.
3. Add the date mixture to the flour mixture and combine it well.
4. Plop the batter into the bottom of your baking pan and spread it out, making the surface flat. Arrange the plum slices artfully on top.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before pulling it out of the pan and slicing it. It has just the right amount of chew to go with your cuppa.

Variations:

• Leave off the plums and add dried thyme to the dough instead of cinnamon, and top it with olives for a savory version. 

Zucchini and Banana Muffins for One

This quick bread will make your head explode with happiness. It’s fast, it’s made from ordinary things, and it tastes spectacular. Try it! 

½ cup grated zucchini

½ ripe banana (about 2 or 3 inches), mashed

2 ½ TBLSP applesauce

2 ½ TBLSP brown sugar

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

Slosh of vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch baking soda

Pinch baking powder

Shake ground cinnamon

Shake nutmeg

Shake ground cloves

Pinch salt

Pinch granulated sugar for topping

Pinch cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 4 muffin cups with paper liners

1. In a small bowl, combine zucchini, banana, applesauce, brown sugar, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.
3. Add flour mixture to zucchini, and stir until just barely combined.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups about ¾ full.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve naked and fabulous, or top with a little vegan cream cheese or a blop of your favorite jam.

Variations:

• This recipe makes four muffins, so why not spoon two of them into muffin tins just as they are, and then add 1 TBLSP raisins and 1 TBLSP walnut pieces to the remaining half.
• Try it with a small handful of chocolate chips for a sweeter offering.
• Use brown sugar instead of the cinnamon and sugar topping for a crispier crust.

Banana Muffins with Caramel Sauce for One

These muffins are great on their own, but if you peel off the wrapper and let them soak their dainty feet in some caramel sauce, you will think that the planets have aligned and all your troubles will fade to nothing.

4 teaspoons non-dairy milk (I like almond, but anything will do)

Slosh of apple cider vinegar

7 TBLSP whole wheat flour

Pinch baking powder

Pinch baking soda

Half an over-ripe banana, mashed

2 2/3 TBLSP granulated sugar

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

Several shakes of ground cinnamon

Several shakes of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Slosh of vanilla extract

1 1/3 TBLSP chopped walnuts (optional)

1 1/3 TBLSP raisins (optional) OR skip the caramel and add chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. You’re making buttermilk.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In another small bowl, mush together the banana, the curdled milk, sugar, vegetable oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix until just barely incorporated. If it seems too wet (because of the banana), add more flour; if it’s too dry, slosh in a little milk. Add in the walnuts, chocolate chips or raisins, if desired.
5. Line two muffin openings or ramekins with cupcake liners. Pour in the batter, filling it right to the top.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

While they’re baking, make the caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

¾ teaspoon brown sugar

1 TBLSP non-dairy creamer (use regular milk if you don’t have the thick stuff, and add a sprinkle of cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken it a bit)

1 teaspoon vegan butter, softened

Tiny splash of water

1. Combine the brown sugar, cream (or milk and arrowroot), and the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, and let it boil for 1 minute, until thickened.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the splash of water.

Serve sloshed over your favorite pie, muffin, toast, or fresh-cut fruit, or make a puddle of it and settle your cake right down into it. Mmmm. 

Pan-Fried Biscuit for One

This bready little meal is sugar free, can easily be made gluten free, and has infinite possibilities for variation. It's quick and delicious, too!

1 ½ TBLSP ground flax seed

2 TBLSP water or non-dairy milk

7 TBLSP all-purpose flour (or use gluten-free flour)

Sprinkle of cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 TBLSP applesauce

Oil for frying

1. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water (or non-dairy milk). Set it aside to form into a nice gloppy mess.
2. In another small bowl (a cereal bowl works well for this), combine the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Stir in the applesauce and the flax glop. The batter will be thick, almost like dough. It will also be sticky, so you’ll have some trouble forming it into patties, but keep after it!
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the patties into the hot oil. When a peek at the underside shows golden brown, flip them over. Cover the pan for a few minutes to make sure they’re cooked inside.

Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Variations:

• Toss in some chocolate chips. A tablespoon will do ya.
• Toss in some blueberries. A quarter of a cup should be more than enough.
• Serve with jam or marmalade instead of fresh fruit and syrup.
• Grate some zucchini and add it with the applesauce.
• Grate some carrot and add it with the applesauce.
• Mash up some left-over roasted sweet potato and add it with the applesauce. 

Savory Corn Fritters for One

These tasty treats made a satisfying breakfast, but they’d be just as good for lunch or dinner, or even broken up in a salad.

½ cup frozen corn, thawed

1 TBLSP finely chopped shallots (use green onions if you’re out of shallots)

Pinch dried chives

1 clove garlic, diced finely

1 TBLSP coriander or parsley leaves, chopped finely

2 TBLSP flour (I use all-purpose, but brown rice works just fine, too)

2 TBLSP corn meal

2 TBLSP water (more or less)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients until you have a batter that’s loose, but firm enough to plop in a blob onto a hot skillet. It will be quite chunky.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and spray it evenly with vegetable oil (or brush it with a thin layer of veggie oil).
3. Drop enough fritter batter into the skillet to make a 3- or 4-inch fritter. It should be fairly thin, almost like a pancake, because you want it to cook through to the middle. Cook until the bottom is a golden brown and firm to the touch.
4. Flip the little darlings over and cook the other side until golden.

Serve with savory sauce. I used left-over pineapple dressing in this image, but chutney, ranch dressing,  fig tapenade, banana ketchup—just about any savory sauce would be yummy. 

Strawberry Coffee Cake for One

A gentle, not-terribly-sweet breakfast was high on my list of things to do today. So I whipped up this nice little offering and started my day with a bite of sunshine.

For the Cake:

5 1/3 TBLSP all-purpose flour

2 2/3 TBLSP rolled oats

Pinch baking powder

Sprinkle of salt

Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

1 1/3 TBLSP (4 teaspoons) coconut oil, melted (or vegan butter)

1 1/3 TBLSP (4 teaspoons) maple syrup

2 2/3 TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond, but they’re all good)

Juice of one lemon wedge

Slosh of vanilla extract

2 strawberries, chopped

For the Topping:

2 2/3 TBLSP all-purpose flour

½ TBLSP granulated sugar

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Sprinkle of salt

2 teaspoons soft vegan butter (or coconut oil)

For the Glaze:

3 TBLSP confectioner’s sugar

Slosh of non-dairy milk or lemon juice (depending on how sweet you want it)

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a single-serving or mini loaf pan or two ramekins.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In another small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until well mixed. Fold the strawberries in gently.
4. Glop the batter into the loaf pan or ramekins. It should be full almost to the top.

Make the Topping:

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter (or oil). It should be pretty crumbly.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Sprinkle the topping over the batter and press it gently into the top. It should almost make a crust.
2. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The loaf will be quite puffy and golden brown.
3. Let it cool before removing from the pan. You can make the glaze while it’s cooling.

Make the Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar and milk. You need to balance the ingredients in such a way that the glaze will hold its shape but still be thin enough to drizzle on top of the cooled cake.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. You might want an open pattern so that you only get a little glaze in each bite, or you might want it more thickly applied. It’s up to you.

Strawberry Oat Squares for One

You can get strawberries pretty much all-year-around, and this tasty treat can make just as good a breakfast as it can a dessert. What are you waiting for?

For the Jam:

¼ cup finely chopped strawberries

½ TBLSP granulated sugar

Slosh of vanilla extract

For the Crust:

1 slightly heaping teaspoon chia seeds

½ TBLSP warm water

3 TBLSP oats

2 TBLSP all-purpose flour

Pinch baking soda

Pinch salt

1 TBLSP brown sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons vegan butter, melted

1 TBLSP maple syrup

Make the Jam:

1. In a small pot, combine the strawberries and sugar. Heat over medium heat until the strawberries begin to lose their water.
2. When it has relaxed a bit, bring the little lovelies to a simmer, turn the heat down to low, and let it bubble away for 10-15 minutes.
3. When it’s thick, toss in the vanilla and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes or so. You can use the fridge to speed things up. Once it’s cool, use an immersion blender or food processor to make it nearly smooth. You’ll want an occasional lump, I promise. So maybe, if you chopped the strawberries small enough, you don’t even need the blender.

Make the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a mini-loaf pan with parchment paper and oil the sides and bottom. You could also make a much thicker crust in a ramekin and just make one big bar. Yummy!

1. In a small bowl, combine the chia and warm water. Set aside to form a gooey viscous glop.
2. In a small bowl, mix the oats, flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another small bowl, mix the brown sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, and the chia glop you made earlier.
4. Add the butter mixture to the oat mixture and combine thoroughly.

Assemble the Bars:

1. Using half of the oats, press the lovely mess into the bottom of the lined pan with your fingers, the back of a spoon, or a rubber spatula. Make sure it’s fairly smooth or the strawberries will try to escape.
2. Glop on the strawberry jam and smooth it across the oat crust.
3. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top of the strawberry glop. I make little patties and placed them. It’s a very organized sprinkle.  
4. Bake for 20 minutes until the topping is little browner than golden.
5. Allow to fully cool before removing from the pan. Slice it into two bars, and then store it in the refrigerator until tea time.

Variations:

• This would be nice with any berry. Peaches, apricots, or plums would also be super good.
• Why limit yourself to fruit? These could be done with nut butters, chocolate nut butters, or even pumpkin butters! 
• Top with a coupled of pinches of sesame seeds or shredded coconut, or maybe even some crushed nuts.

Coffee Cake for One

Sometimes, even if breakfast isn’t late, you want brunch. This quick little cake will make you so happy, you’ll sing through the rest of your day—don’t worry about whether it’s annoying to someone else! They didn’t have homemade coffee cake for breakfast.

6 ½ TBLSP all-purpose flour

2 TBLSP granulated sugar

2 ½ TBLSP brown sugar

Sprinkle ground nutmeg

Sprinkle ground cinnamon

Sprinkle salt

2 TBLSP canola oil

2 ½ TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond milk)

2 teaspoons non-dairy yogurt (like soy) or non-dairy sour cream

Splash apple cider vinegar

Splash vanilla extract

Pinch baking soda

Pinch baking powder

1 heaping TBLSP finely chopped nuts (I like walnuts, but anything is nice)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a mini-loaf pan or two ramekins, or one 4-inch across baking dish. The cake will rise a bit, so make sure it’s a little taller than you think you need.

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Add the oil and mix until it’s all absorbed, a crumbly pile. Set aside 2 TBLSP of the mixture to become the topping.
2. In another small bowl, combine the milk, yogurt or sour cream, vinegar, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
3. Add the milk mixture to the larger collection of crumbs. Mix well and the pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).
4. Add the nuts to the topping mixture and mix well. Toss the topping onto the top of the batter in the pan and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let it rest in splendor on a rack for 5 minutes before removing it from the baking vessel and devouring it like a herd of adolescent wombats.  

Scrambled Tofu for One

There are many variations on this theme, and here is a nice simple one. It’s quick, it’s nutritious, it’s filling, and it’s delicious. Oh, and a very solid protein content, too!

1/2 pound firm tofu (a little more than half a package)

1 TBLSP nutritional yeast flakes

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of salt

Several grinds of black pepper

1 TBLSP chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 mushrooms, sliced

1 green onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Soy sauce or tamari (optional)

1. Drain the tofu. Put it into a small bowl and mash it with a fork. You want smallish chunks. You could also dice it up, but I like the texture of the fork-mashing better.
2. Stir in the yeast, turmeric, salt, pepper, and parsley
3. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and sauté until they’re soft and a little brown around the edges.
4. Add the tofu, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, just to heat it through. Slosh with a little soy sauce or tamari, if you like.  

Makes about 2 cups.

Brown Rice Congee (Jook) for One

The first time I had this satisfying and filling breakfast, it was as a late night snack in a San Francisco restaurant. I had it again when I was hiking in China, and that’s where I became a real fan. The nice thing about this savory meal is that it’s never the same twice, and you can make a big batch to reheat and eat all week, if time is a problem.

4 or 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (or fresh)

Slosh of vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

3 thin slices of fresh ginger,

¼ cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained

2 ¼ cups water or veggie stock

¼ cup thinly sliced greens (bok choy, spinach, kale, fennel, broccoli, etc.)

Salt or soy sauce

Pepper to taste

Garnish Ideas:

Sliced scallions

Fried shallots

Chopped fresh cilantro

Parsley

Roasted or fried peanuts

Toasted sesame seeds

Pickled ginger

Soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste

1. If you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, set them in a small bowl of water to soak for 20 minutes or so. You can discard the water, or toss it in with the rice, if you like. Remove the woody stems from the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
2. In a heavy pot, sauté the garlic, ginger and mushrooms in the oil until the mushrooms are droopy.
3. Add the rice and water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking. Cook for about an hour.
4. Add in the greens and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until it is like oatmeal or porridge. Some people like it soupy, some people like it pudding-y. It’s up to you. If you simmer too long and need it thinner, add boiling water.
5. Season to taste with salt or soy sauce and pepper. Serve hot with the garnishes of your choice.

Doubles well. 

Raisin Crumb Bars for One

This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t like to eat first thing in the morning. I like to see what’s happening in the world and go get some exercise and THEN I’m ready to think about food. So I don’t really mind if something takes a while to prepare. Once you’ve had this tasty treat, you won’t mind either.

For the Filling:

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup raisins

4 TBLSP orange juice

2 ½ TBLSP shredded coconut

For the Crust and the Crumb:

5 ½ TBLSP all-purpose flour

5 ½ TBLSP rolled oats

3 ½ TBLSP brown sugar (packed)

Pinch baking soda

2 ½ TBLSP vegan butter

2 ½ TBLSP chopped peanuts

Cinnamon to taste

Make the Filling:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the raisins and orange juice. Cook over medium heat until it thickens.
2. Stir in the coconut.
3. Set this raisin mixture aside to cool.

Make the Crust and the Crumb:

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda and mix them well.
2. Add the butter and cut it in with a fork or pastry knife until the mixture resembles large crumbs.

Assemble the Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. In an ungreased mini-loaf pan, two ramekins, or three muffin tin holes, press enough of the crumb mixture into the bottom(s), to make a crust. Mine was fairly thick in the mini-loaf pan. You definitely want to use half of the crumb mixture for the crust.
2. Spoon in the raisin mixture, dividing it evenly among your various vessels and spreading it evenly to completely cover the crumb crust.
3. Stir the chopped peanuts into the remaining crumb mixture, and spread the mixture over the top of the bars. Press it slightly into the raisin mixture. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, and then, if necessary, cut into squares. You might need to run a knife around the edges to make the cake come out of the pan. When you turn it over, it will lose lots of crumbs, so do it over a plate or the sink (and not the floor).

Simple Cauliflower Scramble for One

Among the many nice things about this dish is how many variations you can come up with. You could toss in just about any vegetable, use whatever herbs and spices make you happy, or keep it simple and serve it along with a lot of interesting breads and such. Yummy!

¼ head cauliflower

Slosh of coconut or olive oil (you could use vegan butter too)

1 or 2 slices of onion, diced (about 2-3 TBLSP)

2 TBLSP mushrooms, diced (optional)

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of oregano

Pinch of garlic powder

Sprinkle of turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

2 TBLSP (or less) water

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1. Remove the stem from the cauliflower and dice the rest up. You don’t need to preserve the floret shape unless you really want to.
2. In a skillet, over medium heat, heat up the oil of your choice and add the onion and mushroom (if you’re going this route). Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent but haven’t lost all their shape.
3. Add the cauliflower and spread it out evenly across the bottom of the skillet. Without stirring or moving it, let it cook for about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown a bit.
4. Toss in the thyme, oregano, garlic powder, and turmeric, and add the water if it seems a little dry. You could instead add a little more of the oil/butter if that’s the way you roll. Now that you’re stirring it, the cauliflower should be golden all over plus the yellow color of the turmeric. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until your desired softness is reached. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (you don’t want to do this earlier or the cauliflower will be dry).
5. Add in the nutritional yeast and combine well.

Serve with toast, waffles, fruit—whatever is your morning pleasure.

Variations:

• Wrap it into a tortilla with faux cheese and some greenery for a lovely breakfast burrito.
• Put a layer of chopped-up asparagus on top of the cauliflower in Step 3 and let it steam while the cauliflower is browning. That’s what I did in this photo. Yummm.
• Switch out the herbs for something more clearly ethnic, like chili and oregano for Mexican, garum masala for Indian, basil and tomato of some sort for Italian. You see where I’m going with this.
• Leave out the turmeric and serve it as a side dish with something more substantial for dinner.

Biscuits and Gravy for One

I’d heard about biscuits and gravy for years but never tried it. It sounded strange to me. But when a friend from the south danced around my living room touting the virtues of this particular dish, I decided that I had to find out for myself.

For the Biscuits:

¼ cup almond milk

1 tsp vinegar

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 ½ TBSP cold vegan butter

For the Gravy:

1 ounce white button mushrooms (or a variety), about half a cup

1 teaspoon vegan butter

1 teaspoon minced shallot (or onion)

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (possibly a pinch or two more)

¼ cup veggie stock or water

Pinch of fresh or dried thyme

Pinch of salt

A few grinds of pepper

Make the Biscuits:

Preheat a baking pan or baker’s stone in a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven. A hot pan makes browner, crunchier edges. If you don’t want it crunchy, don’t preheat the pan.

1. Add the vinegar to the milk and stir. Set it aside
2. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and combine. Cut the butter in with a fork or a pastry knife until it resembles wet sand.
3. Add the milk and vinegar, which should be nicely curdled by now, slowly and stir until combined. (You may not need all of the liquid, so add it slowly. It shouldn’t be too wet, but all the pieces should clump together.)
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, sprinkle a little flour on top, and knead the dough two or three times. You’re not trying to get a glutinous mixture, you’re just trying to make sure the fats are well-distributed.
5. Press the dough into a circle or rectangle. Don’t overwork it, or the biscuits will be tough. Cut with a biscuit cutter or shape into disks. This should make three very large biscuits or four or five medium/small ones, depending on how thin you press it out. It doesn’t rise much, so keep that in mind.
6. Place the formed biscuits on a hot stone or line the hot baking pan with parchment paper and put the biscuits there. Bake for 10-13 minutes.

While the biscuits are baking, make the gravy.

Make the Gravy:

1. In skillet over medium to medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and mushroom and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and brown, and most of their liquid is evaporated.
2. Stir in the flour and reduce heat to medium. Cook for another minute or two.
3. Slowly add veggie broth or water while stirring to reduce clumps.
4. Add in the thyme and stir it in too.
5. You may want to use an immersion blender at this point if you want smooth gravy. I love the tang of biting into a mushroom, so I almost always skip this step.
6. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to stir until it reaches desired thickness, about 5 minutes. If it appears too thin, add a touch more flour and whisk. If it’s too thick, add more broth or water.
7. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.  

Assemble the Plate:

1. Place the baked biscuits on a plate in a pattern that pleases you. I like a straight line or a slightly curved one, depending on how many biscuits I plan to eat in a single sitting.
2. Slosh the gravy over the top of the biscuits. Again, I like a line, but another way to go would be to make a puddle of gravy and settle the biscuits into it. 

Shown here with fresh fruit salad.

Persimmon and Pecan Muffin for One

Autumn has arrived rather suddenly and persimmons are in every shop and on every tree. I’m not normally a big fan, so I was delighted when I figured out this great way to consume this nutritious gem.

Makes two muffins.

For the Muffin:

¾ TBLSP ground flax seed meal

1 TBLSP warm water

4 TBLSP granulated sugar

2 ½ TBLSP melted coconut oil

1/3 cup persimmon pulp (a little less than half a persimmon)

Splash of vanilla extract

4 teaspoons almond milk (or the non-dairy milk of your choice)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

A pinch of baking powder

A dash of cinnamon

A pinch of kosher salt

4 teaspoons chopped pecans

For the Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about as wedge’s worth)

½ teaspoon lemon zest

To Make the Muffin:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two muffin tin spaces with parchment cup/muffin liners.

1. In a small bowl, stir the flax seed and warm water together. Leave them alone to form a glop, about five minutes.
2. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and the coconut oil. Add in the persimmon, vanilla, milk, and the flax seed glop.
3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Add in the pecans. Don’t over mix!
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, filling to the top of each cup.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before glazing.

To Make the Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, juice, and zest until it’s smooth. Add more juice if it’s too thick, more sugar if it’s too thin.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the muffins once they’re cooled.

Variations:

• Skip the nuts and toss in some chopped candied ginger.
• Try adding raisins. 
• You could use pumpkin pie spices in the batter--or, just for fun, in the glaze!