We’ve got a hunch that no brunch should be without our Apple Crisp, Tofu Scramble, “Sausage”-and-Bean Burritos, “Bacon,” Potato, and Green Onion Frittata, Tomato-Pesto Platter, and Fresh Fruit Platter. Serve these dishes with assorted sweet breads, muffins, bagels, and jams and tofu cream cheese, hummus, and vegan margarine.

Apple Crisp

25 tart apples, peeled and sliced
2 cups dried cherries
2 cups Florida Crystals sugar
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan margarine
4 Tbsp. unbleached flour
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup Earth Balance vegan margarine, melted
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss together the apples, cherries, Florida Crystals, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Place in an 8- x 11-inch glass baking pan. Dot with the unmelted Earth Balance margarine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, melted Earth Balance margarine, and oatmeal. Sprinkle over the apples.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden.

Makes 25 servings

Tofu Scramble

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 sweet onions, cut into chunks
14 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. chili powder
2 yellow or green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cups sliced mushrooms
10 tomatoes, chopped
4 lb. firm tofu, drained well and cut into bite-size pieces
Tamari sauce, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh snipped chives, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and the spices, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppers and the mushrooms, stir-frying until tender-crisp. Add the tomatoes and the tofu. Gently stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Sprinkle with the tamari sauce and season with the fresh pepper and chives.

Makes 16 servings

‘Sausage’-and-Bean Burritos

For the Burritos:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
30 6-inch soft flour tortillas
2 cans spicy vegetarian refried beans
36 oz. vegan sausage crumbles
6 cooked potatoes, sliced
10 Sautéed yellow, green, or red peppers (optional)
1 white onion, sliced and sautéed (optional)
Tomatillo sauce (see recipe)
2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups vegan sour cream (Try Tofutti Sour Supreme)
2 cups guacamole
2 cups salsa

Warm the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Quickly heat the tortillas on each side.
Immediately fill each tortilla with a small portion of the refried beans, vegan sausage crumbles, potato slices, peppers, and onion and 2 to 4 Tbsp. of the tomatillo sauce, then wrap. Set seam-side down in a large oiled casserole dish. Do not stack the tortillas.
Top the entire casserole with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border sauce-free. Top with the vegan cheese.
Bake in a 350°F oven, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes, or until hot.
Remove from the oven and top with the cilantro. Serve with the vegan sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

For the Tomatillo Sauce:
8 tomatillos
3 jalapeño peppers, stems removed
1/2 bunch cilantro
Garlic salt, to taste
1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted (optional)

Remove the wrappers from the tomatillos.
Immerse the tomatillos and the peppers in boiling water until soft. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth.

Makes 30 servings

'Bacon', Potato, and Green Onion Frittata

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped, with the green and white parts separated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, shredded (or 2 cups frozen shredded potatoes)
2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
2 lb. firm tofu
2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce, to taste
4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
2-3 Tbsp. faux bacon bits (try Bacos brand)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the white part of the green onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes, 1 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping the potatoes regularly until well-browned.
Blend the remaining salt and pepper, the tofu, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast in a food processor until creamy. Fold in the faux bacon bits, the green part of the green onions, and the potato mixture and pour into a large oiled pie or tart pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is firm.
Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

Makes 6 servings

Tomato-Pesto Platter

2-3 rounded Tbsp. Basil Pesto (see recipe)
1 bottle Italian dressing or a combination of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

15 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 white onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh basil, 1/2 chevron and 1/2 for garnish

Mix the Basil Pesto and the dressing. Shake well.
Overlap 1/2 of the tomato slices on a platter. Insert a cucumber slice between every 2 tomatoes. Insert 1 or 2 onion slices between each tomato. Repeat. (This can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and refrigerated.)
Drizzle the pesto mixture over each tomato 20 minutes before serving. Decorate with the basil sprigs.

Makes 30 servings

Basil Pesto

3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy parmesan cheese

Place the garlic and the pine nuts in a food processor and process until minced. Add the basil, salt, and pepper and process until a paste is formed.
With the machine running, pour the oil into the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until well blended. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the soy cheese.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 2 cups

Fresh Fruit Platter

1/2 watermelon, seeded and cubed
1 honeydew melon, seeded and cubed
2 cantaloupes, seeded and cubed
2 pineapples, cored and cubed
4 kiwi, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 qts. strawberries, washed
1 coconut or seeded papaya, halved
2 pts. raspberries, washed
2 pts. blueberries, washed
1 bunch cherries, washed and stems removed
2 bunches grapes, washed
Fresh mint sprigs to garnish
Raspberry, kiwi, or apricot purée (optional)
Hot chocolate fondue (optional)

In a large square container, alternate layers of the watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and kiwi with layers of paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be done 4 hours ahead of time.)
One hour before serving, assemble the fruit on a large silver platter or on a 40-inch round table, covering the entire surface (pre-wrap the table in plastic wrap). Starting from the left, arrange the fruit in the following order: watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupes, pineapples, and strawberries.
Place the coconut or papaya halves in the center of the table, cut sides facing out. Fill one coconut or papaya half with the raspberries and the other half with the blueberries, allowing the fruit to cascade out from each side.
Arrange the kiwi in a cascade down the front of the table between the coconut or papaya halves. Arrange the cherries in a cascade at the back of the table. Randomly place the grapes among the other fruit.
Decorate with the mint sprigs. Serve with the fruit purée or the chocolate fondue.

Makes 50 servings

Back to Top