breakfast bakes, revisited

There was no resolution making last year.

There will be no resolution making this year.

However, there are things I want to accomplish.  Things that have nothing to do with Jan 1st or 2012.  Just things. 

One undertaking I’ve been meaning to start for quite some time, is revisiting the oven-baked, vegan + gluten free buckwheat bakes.  While I already have a large list of breakfast bake recipes, many of them could use a little tweaking.  They’re a bit temperamental and vary with every ingredient you add or take away.  A few months back, I made the discovery that using plain ground flax instead of flax eggs, works much better.  In using this method, I’ve had more success with baked goods cooking fully and not having a gummy center. 

With that discovery, and your appreciated comments + substitution questions, the ideas I have for this breakfast creation are endless.

Even with working from home, I’ve grown a bit lazy on baking these in the oven in the morning.  When I wake up I want food immediately.  I also want to start working immediately and not wait 35min for the oven to go off before my day can start.  Look at me, complaining about my own recipe! 

The microwave bakes have become so easy.  Too easy!  While they are tasty and great in a pinch, I prefer the oven-baked versions.

Prepping 2 or more of these at a time, takes only minutes longer than prepping one.  You can store them in the fridge for the week, or wrap tightly and freeze.  Thaw in your fridge the night before, re-heat in the morning + top with nut butter.

My favorite way to re-heat the bakes is to add a bit of coconut oil in a pan over medium heat, slice the bake in half and brown on both sides.  Then sandwich banana + nut butter in the middle.

With 5 total trials, including 2 flops, I have 3 new recipes to share. 

Three new breakfast recipes, that you will make time for.  Whether in the morning, or at night, you need to carve out a little time to pop these in the oven.

Mornings never tasted so good.

Vegan + Gluten Free Breakfast Bakes

With each new bake recipe, I’ll be trying out different mixes of flours and add-ins.  This means I won’t be offering as many substitutions since I know these combinations definitely work.  Instead of always using buckwheat flour and adding chia seeds, I’ll explore other methods + ingredients.  Tips + substitutions will follow at the end of the 3rd recipe.  More options coming soon!

Banana Oat Bake [serves 1]

For those that can never seem to find those pesky raw buckwheat groats, or locate raw buckwheat flour, this recipe is for you.  Gluten-free or not, grind up some oats into flour and try this out for your next breakfast.  The texture is doughy, dense + delicious.

• 3T banana, well mashed
• 5T oat flour
• 1.5T GF rolled oats
• 1T chia seeds
• 1T ground flax meal
• 5T milk
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• 1/2-1t cinnamon
• 1/4t baking powder

1. Preheat your oven to 350* [high altitude, use 370*] and thoroughly grease a small baking dish [~5” diameter].
2. In a bowl, mash the banana completely, add in all the other ingredients and stir until just combined.  *do not over stir
3. Spread the thick batter into the greased dish and bake for about 35min.  The top will be set, the edges will be brown and you want a toothpick to come out moist but not gooey.
4. Release from the dish by sliding a fork around the edge.  Top + serve!

Blueberry Banana Oat Bake [serves 1]

A simpler + more cake-like version than above, this bake leaves out the chia seeds and adds blueberries and a little extra flour.  With the blueberries + banana, no additional sweetness is needed.  Just slather on the nut butter and maybe a sprinkle of coconut, and you’re good to go.

• 3T banana, well mashed
• 6T GF oat flour
• 1T GF rolled oats
• 1T ground flax meal
• 1/3c frozen blueberries
• 1/4c milk
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• 1/4t baking powder

1. Preheat your oven to 350* [high altitude, use 370*] and thoroughly grease a small baking dish [~5” diameter].
2. In a bowl, mash the banana completely, add in all the other ingredients and stir until just combined.  *do not over stir
3. Spread the thick batter into the greased dish and bake for about 35min.  The top will be set, the edges will be brown and you want a toothpick to come out moist but not gooey.
4. Release from the dish by sliding a fork around the edge.  Top + serve!

Cocoa Buckwheat Bake [serves 1]

If you like chocolate any time of the day, this breakfast has your name written all over it.  With a little added sweetness, this breakfast will leave your every craving satisfied.  Feel free to leave the sweetener out, or add banana for a cocoa banana version.  While pumpkin makes an appearance in this bake, it’s taste is undetectable.

• 3T pumpkin puree
• 5T raw buckwheat flour
• 1T raw buckwheat groats
• 1T chia seeds
• 1T ground flax meal
• 1T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4c + 2T milk
• 1-2t honey/maple syrup
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• pinch of cinnamon [opt]
• 1/4t baking powder

1. Preheat your oven to 350* [high altitude, use 370*] and thoroughly grease a small baking dish [~5” diameter].
2. In a bowl, add in all the ingredients and stir until just combined.  *do not overstir
3. Spread the thick batter into the greased dish and bake for about 35min.  The top will be set, the edges will be brown and you want a toothpick to come out moist but not gooey.
4. Release from the dish by sliding a fork around the edge.  Top + serve!

tips/substitutions: Oat flour can be ground finely from raw oat groats, steel cut oats, Scottish oats, or even rolled oats.  Buckwheat flour can be ground finely from raw groats [not Kasha or toasted buckwheat].  Fresh flours are best stored sealed in the fridge.  Fresh ground flax works noticeably better than store bought.  Always stores flax seeds + flax meal in the fridge.  Baking times will range from 33-40min.  To freeze: let fully cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or sealed container.  Thaw in the fridge the night before you want to eat.  Unsweetened almond milk worked perfectly in all 3 recipes.  I have found some oils to be better at greasing dishes than others.  Sunflower + safflower oils do not work well at all, but coconut oil seems to work extremely well.  I typically smear it all around the baking dish with wax paper.  You can also use parchment paper for the easiest release.  Also feel free to make these in muffin tins, but bake time will be reduced.

These are definitely my favorite vegan/GF bake recipes to date! 

While resolutions aren’t my thing, I’m still extremely excited for the new year.  I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.  So far, things are looking pretty promising!

Ashley

best of 2011 part II

Continued from part I, here are the rest of my favorites from 2011!  Regular posting will resume this week!

Savory Veggie Buckwheat Bake

Lemon Basil + Grilled Corn Pasta

Quinoa Egg Veggie Bake

Cake Batter Cashew Butter

Cinnamon Cake Doughnuts

Pumpkin Cream Puffed Cereal

Vegan + GF Zucchini Bread

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Herb Crusted Tempeh

Pumpkin Cornbread

Quick Cocoa Buckwheat Bake

Herb Baked Stuffing

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

Vanilla Bean Pumpkin Spiced Pie

Skillet Millet Stuffing

Sun Butter Banana Protein Bars

Molasses Doughnuts

Chai Spice Almond Butter

Southwestern Soup

Cornbread Skillet Stuffing

Pineapple Fried Rice

Marinara Topped Creamy Pasta

Gluten Free Mandel Bread

Twice Baked Potatoes with Smoked Tempeh Crumbles

Hoping the best is yet to come!

Ashley

cinnamon sugar bread bake

THREE recipes in ONE post.

You are sure to find your Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years Day, or post holiday breakfast below.

1. We have a family sized gluten free cinnamon sugar bread bake.
2. Then, there is a healthed up single serving cinnamon buckwheat bake.
3. And last, but surely not least, the gluten free + vegan single serving version, with a family sized option.

Holy moly.

Are you ready for this?

I am.  Actually, I’m past ready.  I’ve been chowing down on this all day long.  Straight from the fridge.

Growing up, the Christmas breakfasts I distinctly remember, were cinnamon rolls + cheesy eggs. 

I could never resist Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. 

So.freaking.doughy.

I haven’t attempted GF cinnamon rolls yet, and with this recipe in the lineup, I’m not sure I’ll need to.

First, we start off by making a cinnamon quick bread.  Similar to a fluffy banana bread in texture, but with a slightly sweet, cinnamon flavor.  Despite this being gluten free, the texture had the perfect crumb!  Cube after cube went straight into my mouth, even before getting to the second part of the recipe.

With a swipe of butter or nut butter, you could stop right here.  But really, you should continue on.

 

While those cubes were cooling + then toasting up in the oven, I got working on the healthed up, single serving version.

While the 2 other recipes I’m sharing are nowhere near unhealthy, this goes the extra mile by reducing the sweetener and making a few other adjustments.  An everyday breakfast. 

The texture is dense + bready.  If you’ve tried any of my other buckwheat oven bakes + enjoyed them, this is right up your alley.

Top however you please!

You can also cube the bake, after it’s cooled for a few minutes, then toast the cubes and bake in a ramekin with the vegan part 2 version you’ll find below.

Cinnamon Buckwheat Bake [serves 1-2]

• 6T raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw groats]
• 2T almond meal
• 1 large egg
• 3T pumpkin puree
• 3.5T unsweetened milk
• 1/2T sunflower oil
• 2t brown rice syrup/honey/maple syrup
• 3/4t cinnamon
• 3/4t vanilla
• 1/4t baking powder
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350*
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, pumpkin, milk, oil, brown rice syrup + vanilla until combined.
3. Add the buckwheat flour, almond meal, cinnamon, baking powder + salt.
4. Stir until just combined. *do not over stir
5. Pour into a greased + lightly floured [can use buckwheat] 4-5” diameter baking dish.
6. Bake 32-37min. 
7. Test with a toothpick and pull out when still slightly moist, then let cool for 5min before sliding a knife around the edge to release from the dish.  Top as desired.

tips/substitutions:  Oat flour can be used instead of buckwheat.  Coconut flour can be used instead of almond meal.  3T well mashed banana, butternut squash or sweet potato puree, can be used in place of pumpkin.  Melted coconut oil can be used for the oil and I would assume melted nut butter as well.  If you leave out the liquid sweetener, add 1/2T extra milk.  *high altitude – bake at 375*, use 1/8t baking powder.

Now back to the main attraction.  You can make the quick bread the day before or the morning of.  Toasting the cubes, really helps hold everything together and absorb the milk + egg mixture.

Eggs + milk are combined and gently stirred with the cubes in a large bowl, then emptied into a baking dish.

After baking for 25min, an oat + cinnamon mixture is sprinkled on top and baked again until crispy.

Gooey on the bottom, crispy on the top and full of cinnamon.  Just like every breakfast should be.

Still with me?

Toppings really aren’t necessary, as this has enough moisture, flavor + sweetness.  However, honey or maple syrup and a pad of butter, are always welcome.  If you’re dying for a cinnamon roll type glaze, just make a 1-2 batches of this pumpkin spice doughnut glaze and you’ll be set.  Or, for an apple cider glaze, mix 1/2c powdered sugar [or sucanat powdered sugar] with 1-2T apple cider, until smooth.  Make 2 batches if needed.

Cinnamon Sugar Bread Bake [serves 6+]

• 1/2c raw buckwheat flour
• 3/4c GF oat flour
• 1/2c almond meal
• 1/4c sweet rice flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1T ground flax
• 4T pure cane sugar
• 3T sunflower oil
• 4T brown rice syrup/honey/maple syrup
• 1/4c pumpkin puree
• 1/2c unsweetened milk
• 2t cinnamon
• 1T vanilla
• 1t baking powder
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350*
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, brown rice syrup, pumpkin, milk + vanilla until combined.
3. In another bowl, mix together the the buckwheat flour, oat flour, almond meal, sweet rice flour, ground flax, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda + salt.
4. Stir the wet into the dry with a large spoon, until just combined. *do not over stir
5. Pour into a greased + lightly floured [or parchment lined] 9x9 pan.
6. Bake 30-35min. 
7. Test with a toothpick and pull out when still slightly moist. 
8. Let cool for 30min, or overnight.
9. Cut into 1” cubes and toast on a baking sheet, in a single layer, for about 15-20min at 350*, turning once until golden brown.  When cubing, the bake will most likely be gooey in the center.  It will firm up when the cubes are toasted. 

Part 2

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2c unsweetened milk
• 1/2c walnuts, chopped [opt]
• 2T pure cane sugar + 1/2t cinnamon + 3T GF oats + 3/4T butter

1. With oven still at 350*…
2. Whisk together the eggs + milk..
3. In a bowl, combine bread cubes with milk mixture [and walnuts, if using], tossing lightly until combined.
4. Fill in a lightly greased baking/casserole dish and cover with foil. [about 9x9 or slightly larger]
5. Bake for 20-28min, until the egg mixture is set.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, then bake uncovered for 5-7min until golden brown.
7. Serve hot with desired toppings.

tips/substitutions:  All oat flour can be used instead of buckwheat + vice versa.  Coconut flour can be used instead of almond meal.  3T brown rice, white rice or sorghum flour + 1T tapioca starch, will work instead of the sweet rice flour.  3T well mashed banana, butternut squash or sweet potato puree, can be used in place of pumpkin.  Add any other spices you choose.  I added 1/4t ground cloves.  Melted coconut oil can be used for the oil.  Also, feel free to scoop single servings into lightly greased ramekin dishes.  Cover with foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes, checking to make sure the egg is cooked, then add a little topping to each and bake for 5min uncovered.  *high altitude – bake at 375* for the actual bread, then lower to 350* for everything else, use 3/4t baking powder.

The doughy bottom layer was my favorite part.

I wanted to make a vegan + GF version, so everyone in the room was covered [or almost everyone, hopefully!].  Don’t tell your family this is vegan or gluten free.  In fact, don’t tell them anything.  Just sit this down in front of them and watch their eyes bulge from their heads.

It looks so unassuming.  I might even go as far to say that the vegan version has a 1 point lead over the above version.  What this has that the other doesn’t, is a extreme doughy-ness.  It’s not as light + fluffy as the gluten free-only version.  Baking the cubes with the flax + milk mixture, in the small ramekin, also helped with the dough factor. 

I called Kelsey, to come over immediately.  She happily obliged.

Vegan Cinnamon Bread Bake [serves 1-2]

• 2T raw buckwheat flour
• 3T oat flour
• 2T almond meal
• 1T sweet rice flour
• 1T ground flax
• 1T pure cane sugar
• 3/4T sunflower oil
• 2t brown rice syrup/maple syrup
• 2T pumpkin puree
• 3T unsweetened milk
• 3/4t cinnamon
• 3/4t vanilla
• 1/4 + 1/8t baking powder
• pinch of baking soda
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350*
2. In a small bowl, whisk the pumpkin, milk, oil, brown rice syrup + vanilla until combined.
3. Add the buckwheat flour, oat flour, almond meal, pure cane sugar, sweet rice flour, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda + salt.
4. Stir until just combined. *do not over stir
5. Pour into a greased + lightly floured [can use buckwheat] 4-5” diameter baking dish.
6. Bake 35-40min. 
7. Test with a toothpick and pull out when clean, then let cool for 5min before sliding a knife around the edge to release from the dish. 
8. Let cool for 10min, or overnight.
9. Cut into cubes and toast on a baking sheet for about 12-15min at 350*, turning once until golden brown.

Part 2

• 1/2T ground flax
• 1/4c unsweetened milk
• 1/2T pure cane sugar + 1/8t cinnamon

1. With oven still at 350*…
2. Whisk together flax + milk.
3. In a bowl, combine bread cubes with milk mixture, tossing lightly.
4. Fill in a small, lightly greased baking dish and cover with foil.
5. Bake about 15-20min, uncover and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar then bake again for 5min.  Will be golden brown and set on top and very doughy underneath.
6. Serve hot with desired toppings.

tips/substitutions:  Oat flour can be used instead of buckwheat.  Coconut flour can be used instead of almond meal.  2T well mashed banana, butternut squash or sweet potato puree, can be used in place of pumpkin.  Melted coconut oil can be used for the oil and I would assume melted nut butter as well.  *high altitude – bake at 375* for the actual bread, then lower to 350* for everything else, use 1/4t baking powder.

For a 9x9 serving:

• 1/2c raw buckwheat flour
• 3/4c oat flour
• 1/2c almond meal
• 1/4c sweet rice flour
• 1/4c ground flax
• 1/4c pure cane sugar
• 3T sunflower oil
• 3T brown rice syrup/maple syrup
• 1/2c pumpkin puree
• 3/4c unsweetened milk
• 2t cinnamon
• 1T vanilla
• 1.5t baking powder
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt

Part 2

• 2T ground flax
• 1c unsweetened milk
• 2T pure cane sugar + 1/2t cinnamon

1. Follow directions above.
2. Feel free to make 6 individual servings in ramekin dishes, or bake in larger [appx 8x8] baking dish. 

*high altitude – bake at 375* for the actual bread, then lower to 350* for everything else, use 1 1/4t baking powder.

It’s like a cross between bread pudding and a French toast bake.

In other words.

Irresistible.

Which will you be making this weekend?  Or what is on your holiday breakfast menu?  Despite the long-looking directions, these weren’t hard to make at all! 

I’m seriously having a hard time deciding between the vegan/GF and plain GF version.  May have to do 1/2 + 1/2!  While that decision has yet to be made, one thing I know for certain, is that there will be a huge pile of cheesy eggs on my plate.

I love eggs.

And that is that.  I think I’m done with recipes for 2011.  CRAZY!

We leave for Ohio on Saturday, then drive 5hrs to PA on Monday, then back to Ohio on Friday,  then back to Colorado on Saturday.  And then it’s New Years.  I’ll definitely be keeping you posted on what we’re up to back East, but am going to try to relax as much as possible.  Keyword: try. 

Safe travels everyone!

Ashley