Bodhilicious BREakfasts!
Keep on scrolling down to enjoy our delicious plant based breakfast recipes, retaining all of the yumminess whilst skipping all of the cruelty. Enjoy!
carob, cinnamon and tahini pancakes
Saturday morning is pancake morning in our house. I try to make all our meals as nutritious as possible and will sneak nutrient dense foods in to as many recipes as possible, to keep my family healthy with pancakes being no exception.
Often I'll experiment with different recipes, but then we'll get stuck on a favourite for a while. We've been loving our oat, spinach and banana pancakes for a while, but now our current number one are these decadent, buckwheat, nutrient dense carob powder, protein rich tahini and antioxidant rich flax meal, little beauties.
Gluten free and sweetened only with a few dates, they feel like a rich treat, but are in fact a burst of nutrition.
Recently I've been substituting cacao for carob powder as it has a delicious chocolate flavour but none of the stimulating effecting effects of cacao and is rich with nutrients and antioxidants.
Read on how to create this delicious breakfast treat and if you try them let me know how you get on!
INGREDIENTS
1 and a half cups of plant milk (I use soya or coconut and always try to buy a milk enriched with calcium)
2 cups of buckwheat flour
1 heaped tbsp of tahini
1 heaped tbsp of flax meal.
2 tbsps of carob powder
1 large banana
1tsp of bicarb of soda (preferably organic)
1 tsp of baking powder (preferably organic)
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
6 dates
coconut oil (only to grease the pan).
METHOD
Simply pour the milk in to a blender, followed by the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a smooth batter.
I use a special pancake pan which I grease with coconut oil.
Heat the oil over a medium heat (don't put the heat too high or your pancakes will burn), pour the batter in and cook until golden on one side, then flip to cook for an extra minute on the other side.
I serve with peanut butter, chopped banana and coyo (coconut yogurt). If the kids feel like an extra dose of sweetness they drizzle some extra agave syrup on top but its not necessary.
Serve and enjoy!
Often I'll experiment with different recipes, but then we'll get stuck on a favourite for a while. We've been loving our oat, spinach and banana pancakes for a while, but now our current number one are these decadent, buckwheat, nutrient dense carob powder, protein rich tahini and antioxidant rich flax meal, little beauties.
Gluten free and sweetened only with a few dates, they feel like a rich treat, but are in fact a burst of nutrition.
Recently I've been substituting cacao for carob powder as it has a delicious chocolate flavour but none of the stimulating effecting effects of cacao and is rich with nutrients and antioxidants.
Read on how to create this delicious breakfast treat and if you try them let me know how you get on!
INGREDIENTS
1 and a half cups of plant milk (I use soya or coconut and always try to buy a milk enriched with calcium)
2 cups of buckwheat flour
1 heaped tbsp of tahini
1 heaped tbsp of flax meal.
2 tbsps of carob powder
1 large banana
1tsp of bicarb of soda (preferably organic)
1 tsp of baking powder (preferably organic)
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
6 dates
coconut oil (only to grease the pan).
METHOD
Simply pour the milk in to a blender, followed by the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a smooth batter.
I use a special pancake pan which I grease with coconut oil.
Heat the oil over a medium heat (don't put the heat too high or your pancakes will burn), pour the batter in and cook until golden on one side, then flip to cook for an extra minute on the other side.
I serve with peanut butter, chopped banana and coyo (coconut yogurt). If the kids feel like an extra dose of sweetness they drizzle some extra agave syrup on top but its not necessary.
Serve and enjoy!
Breakfast chia cups
This is one of those dishes that seems like it's going to be really complicated to prepare, but actually it's not!
The key is to be prepared and have these ingredients prepared and on standby. I now soak chia seeds every Monday and then I have a supply that lasts me for 4-5 days in the fridge. Chia area really important calcium source and so we use the a lot. I also make a fresh batch of my home made granola every Monday, so that is ready to go too and it means that this dish just involves making up a fresh smoothie, which I use for these and then add some extra plant milk and blend up to give the rest to my kids as a delicious smoothie drink which they love!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHIA
1 cup of chia seeds
2 cups of plant milk ( I use calcium enriched macadamia milk)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla
FOR THE GRANOLA
1 and a half cups of walnuts
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pepitas
3 tbsps of chia seeds
3 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tbsps of cinnamon
FOR THE SMOOTHIE
2 x frozen bananas
1 sachet of frozen pitaya
1 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 dollop of coconut yogurt
A splash of plant milk.
THE REST
Peanut butter
METHOD
Firstly for the chia seeds, simply place all the ingredients together in a bowl and stir really well for two minutes to make sure you don't get any lumpy bits. Cover and place in the fridge for at least a few hours, or if like me it's there ready to go for the rest of the week.
For the granola, Place the walnuts. pecans and cashews in the blender and pulse until they are a mix of powder and chunkier bits (you will only need to pulse a few times)
Turn out in to a baking dish and stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then store in an airtight container.
For the smoothie, place all of the ingredients in the blender and mix until thick and smooth.
Layer a nice thick dollop of peanut butter at the bottom of your cup. Layer the chia pudding, followed by the granola, followed by the smoothie. Repeat adding another layer of chia, granola and smoothie. Serve with a nice fresh sprig of mint and enjoy!
The key is to be prepared and have these ingredients prepared and on standby. I now soak chia seeds every Monday and then I have a supply that lasts me for 4-5 days in the fridge. Chia area really important calcium source and so we use the a lot. I also make a fresh batch of my home made granola every Monday, so that is ready to go too and it means that this dish just involves making up a fresh smoothie, which I use for these and then add some extra plant milk and blend up to give the rest to my kids as a delicious smoothie drink which they love!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHIA
1 cup of chia seeds
2 cups of plant milk ( I use calcium enriched macadamia milk)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla
FOR THE GRANOLA
1 and a half cups of walnuts
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pepitas
3 tbsps of chia seeds
3 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tbsps of cinnamon
FOR THE SMOOTHIE
2 x frozen bananas
1 sachet of frozen pitaya
1 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 dollop of coconut yogurt
A splash of plant milk.
THE REST
Peanut butter
METHOD
Firstly for the chia seeds, simply place all the ingredients together in a bowl and stir really well for two minutes to make sure you don't get any lumpy bits. Cover and place in the fridge for at least a few hours, or if like me it's there ready to go for the rest of the week.
For the granola, Place the walnuts. pecans and cashews in the blender and pulse until they are a mix of powder and chunkier bits (you will only need to pulse a few times)
Turn out in to a baking dish and stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then store in an airtight container.
For the smoothie, place all of the ingredients in the blender and mix until thick and smooth.
Layer a nice thick dollop of peanut butter at the bottom of your cup. Layer the chia pudding, followed by the granola, followed by the smoothie. Repeat adding another layer of chia, granola and smoothie. Serve with a nice fresh sprig of mint and enjoy!
Under the sea smoothie bowls
I see more and more children interested in opting for a plant based diet with more and more baffled parents, confused as to what to feed them and concerned that they'll be able to keep them healthy. It's prompted me to work on more family recipes that can be enjoyed by both young and old.
This way of eating is super healthy when done correctly and once you're in the flow it becomes effortless.
I am also trying to involve my kids in the process of creating these dishes as much as possible to make it fun for them.
They loved helping me make these smoothie bowls which are a beautiful shade of blue thanks to the super food and antioxidant rich blue spirulina powder.
We then used peanut butter and my home made granola to create the sand and cut up fruit to enrich the scene.
I always keep a good supply of frozen organic fruits in the freezer to make smoothies and smoothie bowls easy to create.
These bowls were eaten that much faster due to the excitement of creating them, so I encourage you to cut up some fruit and get creative with your kids in the kitchen!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SMOOTHIE BOWL
1 cup of mango
3 small bananas or 2 large
3 tbsps of chia seeds
1 tsp of blue spirulina powder
4 tbsps of coconut yogurt (I use coyo)
1/2 cup of coconut milk
To decorate I used sugar free peanut butter. homemade granola (you can see the recipe in the post below this one), oranges for the fish with coconut flakes for the stripes and cacao nibs for the eye, star fruit for star fish, pepita seeds for small fish and dill for sea weed.
METHOD
Simply put all of the smoothie ingredients in the blender and blend until you have a nice thick and creamy consistency. Turn out in to the bowls and decorate!
This should make 3 large bowls or 4 small.
This way of eating is super healthy when done correctly and once you're in the flow it becomes effortless.
I am also trying to involve my kids in the process of creating these dishes as much as possible to make it fun for them.
They loved helping me make these smoothie bowls which are a beautiful shade of blue thanks to the super food and antioxidant rich blue spirulina powder.
We then used peanut butter and my home made granola to create the sand and cut up fruit to enrich the scene.
I always keep a good supply of frozen organic fruits in the freezer to make smoothies and smoothie bowls easy to create.
These bowls were eaten that much faster due to the excitement of creating them, so I encourage you to cut up some fruit and get creative with your kids in the kitchen!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SMOOTHIE BOWL
1 cup of mango
3 small bananas or 2 large
3 tbsps of chia seeds
1 tsp of blue spirulina powder
4 tbsps of coconut yogurt (I use coyo)
1/2 cup of coconut milk
To decorate I used sugar free peanut butter. homemade granola (you can see the recipe in the post below this one), oranges for the fish with coconut flakes for the stripes and cacao nibs for the eye, star fruit for star fish, pepita seeds for small fish and dill for sea weed.
METHOD
Simply put all of the smoothie ingredients in the blender and blend until you have a nice thick and creamy consistency. Turn out in to the bowls and decorate!
This should make 3 large bowls or 4 small.
Homemade granola
Nuts and seeds are an important part of a plant based diet, providing calcium, protein, iron, omega 3s, magnesium and more.
I always have a good supply of them in glass jars on my shelf so it's easy to create recipes and I also like to sprinkle them on salads and other dishes.
This homemade granola is easy to make and is delicious and super nutritious. By itself it is quite rich, so I use it sprinkled over other cereals, in smoothie bowls or over coconut yogurt as pictured here, where I served a paw paw filled with Coyo and sprinkled with my granola. A feast for the belly and the eyes!
INGREDIENTS
1 and a half cups of walnuts
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pepitas
3 tbsps of chia seeds
3 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tbsps of cinnamon
METHOD
Place the walnuts. pecans and cashews in the blender and pulse until they are a mix of powder and chunkier bits (you will only need to pulse a few times)
Turn out in to a baking dish and stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then store in an airtight container.
I always have a good supply of them in glass jars on my shelf so it's easy to create recipes and I also like to sprinkle them on salads and other dishes.
This homemade granola is easy to make and is delicious and super nutritious. By itself it is quite rich, so I use it sprinkled over other cereals, in smoothie bowls or over coconut yogurt as pictured here, where I served a paw paw filled with Coyo and sprinkled with my granola. A feast for the belly and the eyes!
INGREDIENTS
1 and a half cups of walnuts
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pepitas
3 tbsps of chia seeds
3 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tbsps of cinnamon
METHOD
Place the walnuts. pecans and cashews in the blender and pulse until they are a mix of powder and chunkier bits (you will only need to pulse a few times)
Turn out in to a baking dish and stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then store in an airtight container.
Oat, banana & Spinach pancakes with toffee sauce
These pancakes are a hit with the kids and a great way to pack nutrition in to them without them realising!
They are also super simple to make. We some times have them for breakfasts, but they are also great as snacks. I love them sweet with this homemade toffee sauce, but my husband likes to eat them more savoury with salad and chutneys.
They are also great for the lunchbox.
If you give them a try, let me know what you think!
Makes x 10 small pancakes.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 cup of spinach (I use frozen and it equates to about 5 cubes)
1 large banana
1 cup of oats
1 cup of soya milk (organic and unsweetened)
2 tbsps of chia seeds
Dash of salt
FOR THE SAUCE
4 x medjool dates
1/3 cup of cashews
1 tbsp of tahini
2 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tsps of vanilla essence (I buy organic vanilla powder)
1/2 cup of soya or coconut milk.
METHOD
Simply place all of the pancake ingredients in the blender and pulse until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
The best results will be achieved with a special pancake pan. I have a non stick pan with makes 6 small pancakes at once. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in the pan over a medium heat and then pour out the pancake batter, cooking on both sides unit you achieve a nice golden colour.
For the sauce again simply place all of the ingredients in the blender. I do tend to chop the dates smaller before I place them in the blender. Pulse until you have a nice thick sauce.
The pancakes are delicious served stacked with toffee sauces and sliced banana between each layer!
They are also super simple to make. We some times have them for breakfasts, but they are also great as snacks. I love them sweet with this homemade toffee sauce, but my husband likes to eat them more savoury with salad and chutneys.
They are also great for the lunchbox.
If you give them a try, let me know what you think!
Makes x 10 small pancakes.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 cup of spinach (I use frozen and it equates to about 5 cubes)
1 large banana
1 cup of oats
1 cup of soya milk (organic and unsweetened)
2 tbsps of chia seeds
Dash of salt
FOR THE SAUCE
4 x medjool dates
1/3 cup of cashews
1 tbsp of tahini
2 tbsps of coconut oil
2 tsps of vanilla essence (I buy organic vanilla powder)
1/2 cup of soya or coconut milk.
METHOD
Simply place all of the pancake ingredients in the blender and pulse until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
The best results will be achieved with a special pancake pan. I have a non stick pan with makes 6 small pancakes at once. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in the pan over a medium heat and then pour out the pancake batter, cooking on both sides unit you achieve a nice golden colour.
For the sauce again simply place all of the ingredients in the blender. I do tend to chop the dates smaller before I place them in the blender. Pulse until you have a nice thick sauce.
The pancakes are delicious served stacked with toffee sauces and sliced banana between each layer!
Vegan french toast!
So I stumbled across this recipe quite accidently through a series of cravings.
I was craving bananas but also something fried.
So I did a little experimentation and voila I realised I had made a great plant based alternative for French toast!
This is definitely going to be a go to yummy snack fro me from now on!
Read on to discover how to make and enjoy this simple, yet delicious recipe yourself!
NB this makes about 6 slices
INGREDIENTS
Bread (I use gluten free)
1 banana
Half a cup of coconut milk
A pinch of nutmeg
A level tsp of cinammon
Coconut oil
Whatever you want to add on top. I used coconut yogurt, berries, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder and agave syrup.
METHOD
Place the banana, milk and spices in a blender and mix.
It should form a liquid with a similar consistency to egg yolk.
Turn out in to a bowl and soak the slices of bread. Heat the oil in a pan and then cook the bread on each side for roughly a minute.
Serve with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!
I was craving bananas but also something fried.
So I did a little experimentation and voila I realised I had made a great plant based alternative for French toast!
This is definitely going to be a go to yummy snack fro me from now on!
Read on to discover how to make and enjoy this simple, yet delicious recipe yourself!
NB this makes about 6 slices
INGREDIENTS
Bread (I use gluten free)
1 banana
Half a cup of coconut milk
A pinch of nutmeg
A level tsp of cinammon
Coconut oil
Whatever you want to add on top. I used coconut yogurt, berries, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder and agave syrup.
METHOD
Place the banana, milk and spices in a blender and mix.
It should form a liquid with a similar consistency to egg yolk.
Turn out in to a bowl and soak the slices of bread. Heat the oil in a pan and then cook the bread on each side for roughly a minute.
Serve with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Gluten free, vegan waffles!
I bought a waffle maker and totally improvised a recipe from scratch that worked first time! Woohoo!! I love it when that happens! These are plant based, gluten free and sugar free, making them a healthy, yet delicious treat. I served mine with coconut yogurt, seeds, organic berries and agave syrup but my kids had them with 'over the moo' vegan ice cream and both went back for seconds and thirds! read on and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of rice flour
1 cup of buckwheat flour
equivalent of 3 eggs using (preferably organic) egg replacer
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp of vanilla essence
2 heaped tbsps of a natural sweetener such as coconut sugar or xylitol
1 heaped tsp of cinnamon.
METHOD
Simply mix all the ingredients together with an electric mixing spoon if you have one. Turn on the waffle maker and allow it to heat, then ladle the mixture, which should be a nice thick batter in to the waffle maker. You can spread it out roughly, but when you close the machine it tends to spread the mixture out to create the right shape.
Once ready, which should only take a few minutes, serve perhaps with toasted nuts and seeds, coconut yogurt or vegan ice cream, fresh berries and agave syrup.
This recipe should make about 8 waffles!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of rice flour
1 cup of buckwheat flour
equivalent of 3 eggs using (preferably organic) egg replacer
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp of vanilla essence
2 heaped tbsps of a natural sweetener such as coconut sugar or xylitol
1 heaped tsp of cinnamon.
METHOD
Simply mix all the ingredients together with an electric mixing spoon if you have one. Turn on the waffle maker and allow it to heat, then ladle the mixture, which should be a nice thick batter in to the waffle maker. You can spread it out roughly, but when you close the machine it tends to spread the mixture out to create the right shape.
Once ready, which should only take a few minutes, serve perhaps with toasted nuts and seeds, coconut yogurt or vegan ice cream, fresh berries and agave syrup.
This recipe should make about 8 waffles!
Gluten Free, Vegan pancakes
Breakfast, as the saying goes, is the most important meal of the day.
And it's true. You need to start your day right loading up on slow burning fuel that will see your energy and attention levels remain stable throughout the morning.
Pancakes is a personal favourite breakfast choice of mine. But let's face it, there's very little health benefit in the conventional variety.
Enter my own personal recipe for a chickpea flour and coconut milk variety and you have a healthy treat with all of the flavour and the added bonus of being packed full of protein and good fats.
Here I served them with a delicious selection of fresh, organic fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, dragonfruit and melon, fresh coconut chunks, chia seeds and edible flowers which added to the nutritional value of the meal as well as making it look super pretty! To sweeten I poured over a generous layer of agave syrup at the end. Yummy!
However, whilst I would recommend it served this way you can of course stick to your favourite toppings. Just try to keep it healthy!
Try the recipe out and please do let me know what you think!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of chickpea (aka gram) flour
1 and a quarter cups of coconut milk (look for a brand with no added sugar)
Egg replacer (use the equivalent of 2 eggs which is 4tsps of powder mixed with 4tblps of water)
Coconut oil to cook.
A sprinkling of salt.
Fresh fruits and coconuts to serve.
Agave syrup to sweeten.
(makes roughly 4 pancakes)
METHOD
Mix the egg replacer at the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
Sieve in the chickpea flour and then stir in the coconut milk, mixing well until you have a smooth batter.
Stir in a sprinkle of salt.
Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Pour in an even layer of batter. Note that pancakes tend to taste better when you create a thin layer. However, it may take some practice to create a pancake that is thin enough to be delicious and crispy yet thick enough to hold together.
Wait until the one side is cooked properly so the pancake does not break when you flip it, then carefully turn over and cook on the other side.
Serve with a layer of fruits, chia seeds, coconut chunks and agave syrup and enjoy!
quinoa porridge
This is a truly delicious way to start your day. Packed full of protein and nutrients this will fill you up for a good few hours without leaving that heavy feeling.
As a vegan I always have a good supply of quinoa, coconut milk, nuts and seeds in my cupboard as I use them so frequently and if you’re interested in healthy eating I would suggest you do the same.
This recipe here will give you enough to eat for a few days. Simply store the quinoa in the fridge in a covered bowl and add the extras daily.
INGREDIENTS
For the quinoa porridge
1 and a half cups of quinoa (cook with 3 cups of water)
1 can of coconut milk
3 tsps of cinnamon
Juice of1 lemon
3 medjool dates finely chopped
1 tpsp of low GI natural sweetener such as xylitol or agave syrup.
3 heaped tbsp of coconut powder or coconut flakes
For the garnish
strawberries
dried cranberries
pistachio nuts
walnuts
chia seeds
sunflower seeds
flax seeds
a squeeze of agave syrup or apple juice concentrate syrup
METHOD
Place the quinoa in the pan with the water and bring to the boil. Then turn down to a medium heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until light and fluffy.
Place in to a bowl and mix the rest of the porridge ingredients.
Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the ingredients to marinate.
Every day when you’re ready to eat remove your portion of quinoa from the fridge.
In a bowl place a layer of quinoa followed by a layer of strawberries, followed by a layer of quinoa, followed by a layer of strawberries.
Sprinkle the dried cranberries, nuts and seeds on top finishing with a squeeze of syrup and maybe even a sprig of fresh mint.
Serve and enjoy!
As a vegan I always have a good supply of quinoa, coconut milk, nuts and seeds in my cupboard as I use them so frequently and if you’re interested in healthy eating I would suggest you do the same.
This recipe here will give you enough to eat for a few days. Simply store the quinoa in the fridge in a covered bowl and add the extras daily.
INGREDIENTS
For the quinoa porridge
1 and a half cups of quinoa (cook with 3 cups of water)
1 can of coconut milk
3 tsps of cinnamon
Juice of1 lemon
3 medjool dates finely chopped
1 tpsp of low GI natural sweetener such as xylitol or agave syrup.
3 heaped tbsp of coconut powder or coconut flakes
For the garnish
strawberries
dried cranberries
pistachio nuts
walnuts
chia seeds
sunflower seeds
flax seeds
a squeeze of agave syrup or apple juice concentrate syrup
METHOD
Place the quinoa in the pan with the water and bring to the boil. Then turn down to a medium heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until light and fluffy.
Place in to a bowl and mix the rest of the porridge ingredients.
Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the ingredients to marinate.
Every day when you’re ready to eat remove your portion of quinoa from the fridge.
In a bowl place a layer of quinoa followed by a layer of strawberries, followed by a layer of quinoa, followed by a layer of strawberries.
Sprinkle the dried cranberries, nuts and seeds on top finishing with a squeeze of syrup and maybe even a sprig of fresh mint.
Serve and enjoy!