Plant-Based Recipes for Health and Vibrance
I’m a savories-for-breakfast type of person, although you wouldn’t be able to tell when looking at the breakfast section in our recipe index. I’m working on correcting that and including more non-sweets in the mix. I enjoy an occasional smoothie bowl or porridge with dried fruit, especially when making them for Paloma, but having a breakfast that’s not too sugary always sets me up for the day in the best way possible.
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Every weekend, I try to make time for preparing snacks for the week, along with a few other essentials like a big batch of green juice, homemade almond milk, a pot of grains or beans, some kind of sprouted seed or legume, and a sauce to top quick salads and bowls. I don’t always have time to check all those items off my list, but having a head start on things like that helps immensely when it comes to sticking to healthy, homemade meals throughout the week.
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Paloma often asks for açaí for breakfast, meaning the açaí bowl. It’s an easy and nutritious thing to make if you have frozen açaí puree on hand. Paloma loves it because it’s fruity, drinkable and, most importantly, purple. I make different variations on the bowl, but the ingredients that stay consistent are frozen puree of peruvian acai berries, ripe bananas, almond milk and some veggie protein. I often add other fruits, greens, and some nut butter, and top it with anything from bee pollen to cacao nibs.
I was recently introduced to a similar product, a frozen raw pitaya or dragon fruit puree, and my first thought was to turn it into a pitaya breakfast bowl.
To my surprise, dragon fruit has its origin in Central America, while I’ve always thought of it as a strictly Asian fruit. Pitaya is a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, fiber, active enzymes, and B vitamins. It energizes, aids digestion, supports the immune system, and, as Paloma put it, it’s very pink!
It’s hard to believe that this week we will be saying goodbye to 2014.
2015 will mark the fifth year of Golubka Kitchen. Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!
Pitaya Breakfast Bowl
Note: Pitaya Plus, the company that makes the frozen puree, sent me some of their product to try. Aside from making a raw, single ingredient, additive free puree, they are on a mission to help struggling farming communities in Central America, getting local farms certified, and taking their sustainably grown fruit to the larger market.
2 packages frozen pitaya puree (buy here or here)
1-2 bananas
1/2 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup almond milk, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons vegetable protein powder, such as hemp, pea or your favorite nut butter (I use this one)
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Divide between bowls and garnish with bee pollen, goji berries and hemp hearts. You can also enjoy it as a smoothie.
I’m always looking for ways to include vegetables in every dish, desserts included. After making vegan sweet potato muffins with great results, I one day thought of trying other root vegetables in a muffin. Turnips, rutabaga, kohlrabi are not the most popular among their category, but rich in health benefits and culinary opportunity, so I try to pay them as much attention as I can. Lately I’ve been eating a lot of salad turnips from the local farm – they are great raw, with a squeeze of lemon juice, some salt, pepper and light drizzle of olive oil.
For these muffins, I made a turnip mash to include in the batter and the technique did not disappoint – I got a nice, light batter. Blueberry season is here, and we’ve been celebrating with these gluten free treats. I will also be making them with other berries and chocolate.
And if you enjoy this type of baking, you will like our Parsnip Cake with Candied Kumquats.
Turnip Blueberry Muffins – Vegan and Gluten Free
1 medium to large turnip
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil – soft, at room temperature
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup of blueberries
1. Boil turnip for 20 -30 minutes or until soft when pricked with a fork. Drain immediately once done. Cool, peel and shred on the finest side of a box grater. You should have about 1 cup of puree.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Using a hand mixer, beat coconut oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in the turnip puree and mix in well. Add almond milk, lemon juice and vanilla, stirring well to incorporate.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mix to combine. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Distribute between 12 muffin holes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Note: These muffins are best the same day, but can be kept tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.