Vegan Egg McMuffins

July 1st is the worst day of my professional year every single year. There is tons of work and stress and time constraints but, lucky for you, I just lived it and have no intentions of rehashing the whole thing. After working about 10 hours, I collapsed on my couch to watch some TV and turned on "Delicious TV Totally Vegetarian". After a few minutes Kay wandered in and sat down as well. She was so amazed by how these sandwiches looked, she asked me to make them. So this is what we had for dinner.

First of all, the "egg" part really looks like the egg on an Egg McMuffin. I was shocked. We had ours on toasted sourdough bread with fake bacon (which we LOVE!). When eaten like a sandwich, I thought it tasted pretty authentic and I don't know that I would have realized it wasn't egg if I hadn't been the one who cooked it. Kay ate one of hers as a sandwich and the other by itself. She thought it tasted more like egg in the sandwich than alone.

These were really easy to make. I'm not sure how quick it went but it is 5:40 now and I didn't stop working until 5:00 so within 40 minutes we watched the show, fixed the food and ate it. Not too bad.

Vegan Egg McMuffin

Actually this recipe is just for the egg part. You'll have to figure the rest out yourself!

1 pound firm or extra firm tofu

1 cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Turmeric

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet.

Mix the cornstarch and salt in a bowl.

Slice the tofu into 4 slabs. We cut ours into circles because that's how they did it on TV but it would work just as well as rectangles. Dip each slice into the cornstarch, coating well. Sprinkle turmeric on one side and place that side down in the pan. Sprinkle the top with more turmeric. Repeat with other pieces.

Cook about 4-5 minutes per side until nicely browned.

Serve with toast, bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, or whatever else sounds good to you.

Kay: If you eat it plain it doesn't really taste like egg but if you eat it with fake bacon and bread, it tastes like an egg mcmuffin but a lot less greasy.

Dana: Unfortunately our home computer is in my home office and my work computer keeps beeping at me about new e-mails. I was tempted to ignore them since if I was still on the couch, I wouldn't have even known about them, but in the end, I couldn't so I'm back to work again. At least I got a dinner break!

Banana Bread

Last Halloween, we weren't going to buy a pumpkin but on our way home from my parent's house, we noticed a sign that said "pumpkins $1". Who could pass that up? It was at this small tent set up in the parking lot of a small candle and craft shop. I had seen it there all summer but that was the first time we stopped.

A couple weeks ago, Kay and I noticed they were back so we stopped there after going to the library. I don't know where the produce comes from but there is a lot of it and the prices are really really REALLY low. We've started going there every week and I'm always amazed at how much we get for so little.

This week when we were checking out, the guy who I think is the owner said "You want some bananas for a dollar". Why not! He gave us two huge bunches of bananas and then said "I give you more if you can use them - no charge". 15 bananas is more than enough for us though!

So over the next week or so, we are going to post recipes using all of these bananas. The first thing I made was banana bread. Kay doesn't like banana bread and didn't even help make it this time (she is always at tennis) but Bill loves this recipe and he is very child-like at times so it counts as a child friendly food! I messed around with several recipes until Bill declared that it was perfect a few years ago.

I pulled this out of the oven just a couple minutes before Bill walked in the door. As you can see, one disappeared before I could even get my camera!

I usually make mini loaves but I only have 2 pans and this makes 4 and I didn't feel like doing two batches so I tried it in giant muffin pans and it worked great. Plus we don't feel as guilty eating a whole muffin (no matter how big) as we do when we eat a whole loaf!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup milk (I used rice this time)

2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mashed bananas (usually around 2 bananas)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon ground flax

Mix all the wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix the dry. Add the wet to the dry and stir until just mixed.

For small loaves or large muffins, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

For a regular size loaf, bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

The small loaves work a lot better than the regular size one.

Soda Bread

A while ago, my mom was telling me that she saw soda bread in the store and was tempted to buy it but didn't. Then a few days later she saw it on Martha Stewart. She had never tried it before which I find shocking because I've been making it for years. I had planned to make some for them but then we got sick and lost about a month of our lives but now we are better. So Kay and I made some bread Friday night and then we all got up early and took it down to their house for breakfast.

Most recipes I've seen for soda bread call for raisins but my dad hates dried fruit so we used mini chocolate chips instead. You can also use nuts or a combination of all of them. You can also use herbs instead of the cinnamon and put Parmesan on top instead of sugar and serve it with dinner. It is really flexible.

Soda Bread

In a large bowl, mix:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

Cut in 1/2 cup margarine.

Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts.

In a medium bowl, mix:

1 cup soy milk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Let set 5 minutes. Then add in one egg or two egg whites.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Knead lightly to bring the batter together. It will be dry.

Form the dough into a round and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut an X into the top of the loaf and brush it with soy milk. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Kay: I don't like raisins so I was glad we used chocolate chips instead. This was fun to make. I like kneading.

Mom (Dana): This is a very dry bread. The first bite is always a little bland to me but the flavor develops as you eat it.

If you don't have white whole wheat flour, you can use 4 cups of all purpose instead.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

I noticed a very different feeling this year on Christmas morning. First of all, Kay slept in. Then when she did get up, we sat around for a little bit, made cinnamon rolls and then she opened her gifts in a very relaxed manner. That was when I realized the excitement-filled Christmas mornings were over. Then I thought of my parents and realized that even after Kay has kids, we probably won't be any closer to the excitement than they are. It was a little depressing but then Kay opened her MP3 player and got just as excited as she was with her puppet theater at 4 years old!

Also, we haven't reached the point yet where she insists on taking a shower and doing her hair and make-up before opening gifts (a phase that I remember going through)!

These cinnamon rolls are very easy. Bill and I used to have them way too often when we were first married. For some reason I quit making them and just thought of them again about a month ago. Kay really liked them (who wouldn't) so we decided to make them for Christmas breakfast.

This is an old Pampered Chef recipe. We use the same frosting (I mean vanilla syrup) as we used for the chocolate waffles but make it a little thicker.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

2 tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 cup margarine

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Separate the dough into 8 rectangle pieces and roll the seams together. Mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread the mixture on the dough. Roll each rectangle of dough going the long way. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and place into a deep dish baking pan so that the swirl design is facing up. Place the pieces close together. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with frosting of your choice.

Kay: These remind me of Cinnabons but you can make these at home and you don't have to eat a big roll. Mine looked like a Christmas tree when I put it on my plate.

Mom (Dana): It doesn't get any easier than this. Bill and I used to eat the whole pan ourselves so we were a little bothered to now have to share with Kay!

Honey Puff Pancake

Like I've said before, we like to have breakfast foods for dinner. They are quick and easy and we usually have all the ingredients on hand even if it's been awhile since our last grocery trip. This is one of those recipes that we only have when Bill isn't going to be home because he doesn't like eggs. Kay loves this recipe so as soon as she heard that he was going to dinner with his cycling friends, she asked me to make it.

Honey Puff Pancake

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

6 eggs (I use a yolkless egg product similar as Egg Beaters)

3 oz cream cheese, softened (this was the first time using soy - didn't notice any difference)

1 cup milk (used rice milk)

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash (optional)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with 1 tablespoon butter. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the pan and place it in the oven. Leave until the butter is completely melted.

In the meantime, place the eggs, cream cheese, milk, honey, sweet potatoes, flour, salt and baking powder in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Remove the pie plate from the oven and immediately pour the egg mixture into it. Bake 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with toppings such as maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or powdered sugar.

Kay: This is really good. I like the smaller portions my mom made this time because then I wasn't tempted to eat too much.

Mom(Dana): This time I used ramekins instead of a pie plate. It worked just as well and I didn't have to adjust the time at all. I throw the pureed vegetables in to add a little extra nutrition when I have them on hand. It doesn't change the taste or texture at all.

Cinnamon Mini Muffins

We are lucky to have a water park in our town but not too lucky because it is really expensive. Fortunately, Kay has been invited by two friends who had free passes for her and also went for free with the school since she passed all her required reading books last year. Yesterday we had beautiful weather (not too hot) and she went with her friend Anna. Unfortunately, because it wasn't too hot, Kay didn't notice that the sun was burning her to a crisp. She woke up this morning looking very much like a lobster and feeling pretty sore.

Because I am so nice, I made her these mini muffins. I normally would have picked something a little less fussy but she looked so miserable that I softened. Plus, she offered to help. Somehow when we got the the fussy part of dipping them in butter and cinnamon sugar, she disappeared to reapply her sunburn lotion and conveniently didn't return until I was done. Hmmm...

But look how cute they are. Obviously worth it.

Here is one in Kay's hand so you can see how petite they are. Luckily the camera adjusted to compensate for Kay's red hue.

Cinnamon Mini Muffins

1/3 cup softened butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites)

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms of 36 mini muffin cups. Mix the softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar and egg thoroughly.

Sift together the flour, nutmeg and baking powder. Stir the flour mixture and milk into the wet mixture. Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 15 minutes.

Immediately dip into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Eat while warm.

Kay: The first time we made these, my mom and I both got burnt trying to get the muffins out of the pans. My mom got burnt first so while she was running cold water on her hand, I tried to get them out and got burnt too! These are really good though so now we are just more careful.


Mom (Dana): Luckily Kay didn't remind me of the burning incident until after I made them this time or I probably would have changed my mind!

Blueberry Muffins

Every summer I get so jealous of all the great ingredients everyone seems to be getting from their local farmer's market. Unfortunately, we don't have anything like that around here. The few farm stands we do have are not very thrilling and I actually find better produce at the grocery store. One of the few exceptions is blueberries. My mom stumbled across a small stand in a neighboring town a couple year's ago and now we anxiously await their appearance each year.

This recipe falls under the category of foods Kay likes to cook, not eat. But that is ok because her dad absolutely loves them so it just leaves more for him!


This is a Martha Stewart recipe. Most of her recipes, although they taste good, I find to be way too fussy and detailed for my patience (or lack thereof). This one is very straight forward though.
Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup softened margarine
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Place the blueberries in a fine sieve and dust with 1 tsp of the flour mixture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the margarine and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, beating until combined. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add the milk, beating until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn the muffins on their sides and let cool.

Kay: The only reason I like making them is to surprise my dad and to eat the batter without any blueberries.

Dana: Forget about letting them cool. I ate one almost straight out of the oven!! Two notes about the pictures. First, all we had were Halloween liners. Also, today was carnival day at day care and Kay got her face painted. I don't want anyone to think she walks around with a filthy face!

Chocolate Waffles

We often eat breakfast foods for dinner. They are nice and fast and we always have the ingredients on hand. A few years ago I came across a recipe for chocolate waffles and I thought that would be a nice treat. Big mistake. Now Kay and her dad will only eat chocolate waffles. I've come up with tons of other interesting waffle options but I end up eating them alone while they make their own separate chocolate batch!

In order to ease my guilt over serving what basically amounts to dessert for dinner, I did two things. First, I insist that they call the topping "vanilla syrup" and not "frosting". I know it is a minor detail but I feel better if the word frosting is not part of our dinner! Second, I messed with the recipe trying to add a little nutrition to it. I figured any little bit would help!

So here is our not-quite-so-dessertlike recipe for chocolate waffles.

(Kay loves any recipe involving sifting!)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped fine (or any other nut of your choice or it can be left out completely)

1/3 cup sugar

1 T baking powder

3 T cocoa powder (we use a mixture of the regular and the dark)

1 tsp expresso powder (optional)

2 eggs

4 T melted butter or margarine

1 cup milk (we use soy)

1/2 cup plain yogurt (we use low fat)

Sift together all the dry ingredients except the walnuts. Stir in the walnuts. Beat together the wet ingredients and add them to the dry. Cook according to your waffle irons directions. Our's uses about 1/2 cup of the batter.

Vanilla Syrup

1 T softened butter or margarine

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 T milk (again we used soy)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix together. Add extra milk if needed to make it thin enough to drizzle.

Kay: This recipe was kind of dry before we added the yogurt. Now it is very soft and chewy. I thought this would be good made with chocolate soy milk but Mom said no! I really want my own frosting bowl so that I can put as much as I want! Sometimes I help Mom and other times I make these all by myself.

Mom: Kay, it isn't frosting, it is syrup!!!

She really does make these herself a lot of the time. Usually she'll ask for them and then I whine that I don't feel like making them so she gets up and does it! But to prove that I'm not the worst mother ever, I usually do get up and at least clean the dishes as she uses them!