Sunday breakfast meals bring out the "made-from-scratch" in me and I think with Mother's Day just around the corner we should all make an effort to cook a nice meal for our mums, good friends or just for ourselves!  Vegans and Non Vegans alike will enjoy these great recipes I always use! Below I share two recipes: My vegan Hollandaise and a super tasty Polenta-like pâté made from ground sunflower seeds, cornmeal & potatoes.  And, of course, how can you make Eggs Benedict for your friends without HOMEMADE English Muffins. I made these foods from scratch from tried and true recipes that I love! BUT, of course, I alway give any recipe a bit of my own twist.  You should, too!  Have fun! and celebrate mothers past, present and future on May 11th - they make our wold a better place!

Another terrific appetizer, snack or protein main dish on Brunch Day is this wonderfully delicious Sunflower pâté. So flavorful and satisfying!  You will not believe it's vegan. Nutritional Yeast is what gives this pâté a rich, cheesy, nutty flavor. I LOVE this dish for picnics, lunches or parties.  See this and my Mock Arugula Hollandaise recipe below. 

This recipe is from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks that I picked up at the bottom of a pile in a thrift sale.  It's called Vegan Delights by Jeanne Marie Martin and was published in 1993.  Wonderful recipes in this book.  

Serves 6-8 people 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Sunflowers seeds, finely ground
  
• 1/2 cup corn meal
  
• 1//2 cup yellow nutritional yeast  - click here for more information on nutritional yeast
  
• 3 tsp. dried parsley flakes (I didn't have any but if you do, great!) 
  
• 1.5 tsp dried basil
  
• 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
  
• 3/4-1 tsp sea salt 
  
• 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves (I didn't have sage on hand and it still tasted great!)
  
• 1/4 tsp sea kelp powder
  

• 1 Cup finely grated potato (I just used grater on food processor)
  
• 1 and 1/3 cup water
  
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil or other natural oil (you can reduce this amount if you wish)
  
• 2 TBS soy sauce or Tamari
  

Optional: 3-4 tsp prepared horseradish.  I didn't have this on hand either so did not include this. Other things you could add include some finely chopped onions or minced garlic.  Keep the wet veggies to a minimum. 

DIRECTIONS: 

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Grate the potato and rinse it thoroughly to remove excess starch.  Squeeze and drain it after rinsing.  Add the remaining ingredients in the order given above, stirring in the potato last. Mix well. 

• Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Generously oil a 9" glass pie plate and scoop in the pâté mixture. Put it in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees.  Bake 35-45 minutes until well browned. 

• Let the pâté cool 1-2 hours and then chill it thoroughly before serving to set it completely.  It may be reheated later if desired.  It is tastiest when served at room temperature.  Keeps up to 7 days refrigerated or may be frozen in pie wedges (with reduced oil and no onions or garlic)
  

Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• 3 TBS Earth Balance or Butter Alternative.  Or - use Ghee or Butter - whatever suits you!
  
• 2 TBS Flour (I use gluten free flour)
  
• 1/4  to 1/2 tsp Turmeric (this creates the hollandaise color)
  
• 1 Cup Milk Alternative (Soy, Almond, etc) - I use homemade almond (none of the flavored stuff from the store:(
  
• 2 TBS Nutritional Yeast 
  
• Pinch cayenne
  
• 1/2 or 1 TBS Veganaise (Vegan Mayo - I use Wildwood Vegan Aioli) 
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste
  
• Small handful of baby arugula. 

DIRECTIONS

• Sizzle "butter" in heavy skillet on stove over med high heat
  
• Add flour & turmeric to butter and mix thoroughly to create a paste - (do not burn paste)
  
• Whisk in almond milk and keep whisking until smooth
• Remove from heat and add the nutritional yeast and pinch of cayenne
• At this point your "hollandaise" should be smooth, colorful and flavorful.  Next step is to the food processor 
• In a small bowl of your food processor add your hollandaise, handful of arugula and 1/2 TBS or 1 TBS of Veganaise. Blend thoroughly and add water by the TableSpoons to reach the correct consistency you desire.  I thinned mine a bit with water.  It will thicken each time your reheat it - you can add water likewise each time you reheat. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat when ready to serve.  Taste to your liking and add things you prefer!
  

I love texture - So my breakfast cereal has to pack a punch with each spoonful! 
This cereal features nicely simmered Quinoa (Keen-wa), flaxmeal, almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins and blueberries.  And, of course, I add my own Indian cuisine-like flare.  The result is a nice blend of creamy crunchiness with a touch of warming spices and sweetness. Recreate this meal with your own flare - see my recipe below and enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 cups water
  
• 1 cup Quinoa
  
• 1/4 cups flax meal
  
• Handful  (.5 cup of almonds)
  
• 2 TBSP (or more) of sunflower seeds
  
• 1/4 cup (more or less) of dried raisins and dried blueberries (preferably your own dried fruits)
  
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
  
• 1/4 cinnamon
  
• 1/4 ground cardamom
  
• dash each ground nutmeg & black pepper & pinch salt
  

NOTE:  I so wing it when it comes to adding spices - so add what works for you.  

Directions: 

• Pulse nuts in food processor or chop into manageable bits to eat
  
• Bring water to a boil on stove
  
• Once water has boiled add all ingredients to water and cover
  
• Turn to low-ish & simmer covered for approx. 12 minutes or until water is absorbed -  being sure to stir every couple of minutes near the end so things don't stick
  
• Once water is absorbed, pull off the stove and let sit covered for 10 minutes
  
• Fluff and put into bowls
  
• Add almond milk, soy creamer or milk & a swirl of maple syrup or honey (I like to add my own homemade almond milk - so yummy)

Enjoy and eat with gratitude in your heart!

Ahhhh ....Nori Seaweed.  Many of you know Nori as the green seaweed wrap used in Sushi cuisine.  Here on the Mendonoma coast Nori grows abundantly wild along with many other edible sea vegetables.  One doesn't need to harvest much to produce a lot of dried/finished product!  A small zip lock bag full of Nori for my personal consumption is enough to last a very long time - and for this I am forever grateful to nature!  What a treasure it is.  I harvest it, dry it in the sun and then roast it with sesame seeds and a bit of sesame oil - once done I flake it down and put it into jars and use it as a roasted snack, in homemade granola or sprinkle it virtually on any foods I eat... I even put it into my breakfast cereal!  It is THAT GOOD! and incredibly nutritious. And for those concerned about a "fishy" or brine-like flavor ... FEAR NOT!  Roasted Nori has a salty, nutty flavor and it is tastier with a sesame flare. 

Nori (Porphyra porforata) is a rich source of vitamin C and contains up to 25% protein by weight. Nori also adds vitamin B12, carbohydrates and trace minerals to your diet. It is the seaweed highest in protein, iron and vitamin B-12. In fact, there is no land vegetable that packs the same kind of nutritional & mineral rich punch as NORI or any fresh Sea Vegetable for that matter.  Not one!

Here on the Mendo Coast one may harvest no more than 5 lbs a day for personal use.  And, believe me, 5lbs is WAY TOO MUCH.  I pull about an 1oz of the stuff and it lasts forever! I harvest responsibly - so, if you choose to harvest be sure to talk with someone that does harvest and do so responsibly.  It makes you appreciate it more when you do the proper homework and research to collect this precious gift. 

How to prepare Nori:  You can purchase Nori dried in its raw/harvested form.  Look up Mendocino Seaweed retailers.  Or if you have some that has been harvested and dried in the sun this is what you can do:  Grease your hands with sesame oil and massage the dried Nori, ensuring that you have coated it as best you can with a very thin layer of oil from your hands.  Sprinkle with raw sesame seeds, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in a 300 degree F oven for about 5 minutes being sure to check on it every 2 minutes.  It should turn a rich emerald green as shown above in my photo.  I then jar this in an air tight glass container and store it in the pantry.  Actually , I always have it out and use it in everything. 


**IMPORTANT TO NOTE:  For those not familiar with eating this type of nutritional vegetable - it is important not to overdose on eating this.  It is rich in Iodine and Iron - so, it is important to take a break every two weeks or so.  Our american diets are not rich in seaweed normally (but they should be)... so, if you are pregnant or have iodine issues - please be sure to check in with your practitioner and do some reliable Internet RESEARCH. 

Vegan Granola Bars with a Cocoa/Vegan Chocolate Sauce... 

• 1/4 cup Agave nectar or maple syrup (if you have sugar issues, the agave acts as a binder for this. I haven't tried a sugar substitute for this - but you would need something that will "bind" the food - Flax seed meal soaked in water until it is a paste might work as a binder - but I haven't tried this alternative either). 
  
• 1/8 cup Grape seed oil
  
• 1 cup raw, slivered organic almonds

I use an approximate HANDFUL of the following raw nuts/seeds: 

• pumpkin seeds
  
• golden flax seeds
  
• sunflower seeds
  
• walnuts
  
• sesame seeds
  
• Gluten Free Oats (I use Bob's Red Mill) - about 1 cup
• 1/2 cup or more of freshly roasted Nori sesame flakes. 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hing (garlic substitute)
  
• 1 tsp red aleppo pepper flakes or any kind of spicy pepper flake
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to about 325 degrees F. 

• Combine oil and agave nectar in a small saucepan on stove and bring to a rolling simmer being sure to constantly keep stirring and moving the liquid in the pan.  Simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens but don't simmer too long or it will turn into candy.  Be sure not to let it get too brown or burn either.  Just so it thickens. 
• Remove from stove and add in all ingredients and combine thoroughly.  The ingredients will be covered and sticky but the granola itself will be kind of loose (not in a big huge clump)
  
• Spray an 8" x 8" glass brownie pan with vegetable spray and then spread granola mix into pan being sure to press it down firmly so that it is fixed and flat.  It will seem a bit loose but will definitely be flat and sticky. 
• Bake for about 25 minutes being sure to check on it after 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that until the granola is browned and the edges are browned.  Do not let burn (yuck!).  
• Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.  When you first remove it - it will seem like it is not sticking together or is even crunchy ... but don't worry!  After it cools thoroughly it will be crunchy and you will be able to cut pieces with a sharp knife
• Cut into squares for a nice snack or top with my Vegan Chocolate sauce for a healthy dessert.  See chocolate sauce receipt below. 
  

VEGAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE:  1 TBSP Dark Cacao powder mixed with 2 TBSP of agave nectar ... mix slowly until well blended (it is a bit of a bear to mix initially but it slowly begins to come together.  Check consistency and add more agave nectar to thin this sauce out.  That is it.