The Veggie Table: Vegan-Friendly Mother's Day Brunch
What better way to treat mom than with a healthy, homemade breakfast in bed or a hearty brunch spread? With Mother's Day in a day, I've rounded up some of my favorite vegan-friendly breakfast and brunch ideas for mom.
Don't give up on pancake mix just because it calls for eggs! You can use ground flax in place of eggs in the batter to make light and fluffy pancakes. To replace one egg, simply whisk one tablespoon of ground flax with three tablespoons of warm water and set aside for a few minutes. Add this to the mix according to the directions and you'll be boosting the fiber and healthy fat content of the pancakes, too. Try adding blueberries or strawberry slices to the batter for a fresh, fruity addition. Or check out these delicious Slow Rise Pancakes I made from Vegan Yum Yum.
Extra firm tofu resembles scrambled eggs well when you sauté it with a variety of spices and seasonings. The trick to having scramble-style tofu is to drain it as much as possible before fork-mashing it. I usually sandwich a block of tofu between two plates in the sink, and add a heavy pan to the top plate to add weight to the tofu and squeeze out extra water. A simple tofu scramble can have sautéed onions, diced peppers, some cumin seasoning, salt and pepper. My favorite tofu scramble includes roasted red peppers and a cheesy sauce made from nutritional yeast. You can enjoy your tofu scramble solo, scooped onto a slice of toast or wrapped into a breakfast burrito. Here are two of my favorite tofu scramble recipes:
Can't imagine brunch without bacon? You can have a healthy side of tempeh "bacon" with your tofu scramble. The liquid smoke and soy sauce in this Vegetarian Times recipe for tempeh bacon mimic the flavor of regular bacon, and the tempeh lends a nutty taste and chewy texture. Try a tempeh bacon and soy cheese breakfast sandwich and add some juicy tomato slices for a savory Mother's Day breakfast.
Whip up a fresh fruit salad to round out your Mother's Day meal. Try making it tropical by using mango chunks, papaya pieces, and pineapple. You can even add a squirt of fresh lime juice and some mint sprigs for a refreshing fruit salad.
Janel Ovrut, MS RD LDN, loves experimenting with vegetarian and vegan cooking. Read her food blog, Eat Well with Janel, and follow her on Twitter @DietitianJanel. Catch up on her previous posts here .
