I’m so excited to be taking part in Robin Asbell’s Virtual Breakfast Potluck. The potluck is to celebrate the release of Robin’s new cookbook, which is a gorgeous collection of healthy vegan dessert recipes. If you’ve been looking for dessert recipes that rely on whole grains and natural sweeteners, this is your cookbook. The book is also filled with beautiful photographs by Joseph De Leo.
There are so many recipes that have caught my eye, like Cocoa-Almond Granola Bars, Espresso and Nut Butter Chunks, Cherry Almond Snackers, Coconut Mango Breakfast Cookies, Raspberry Tart with Cashew Pastry Cream, Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread, Spiced Sweet Potato Bake with Coconut Crumble Topping, Cashew Blondies, Carrot Orange Cake with Marmalade Glaze and Mini Fruitcakes with Rum Glaze. There is also a nice handful of recipes in the book that are naturally gluten-free too, or could pretty easily be made gluten-free.
My potluck dish is the Pine Nut Polenta with Cherry Sauce. I tried to photograph the finished dish, but unfortunately the winter lighting in my kitchen is terrible. I think I might need to invest in a light box or something (let me know if you have any suggestions on that front).
Robin and her publishers at Chronicle Books have generously let me share the recipe with you. It’s a fun change of pace from your ordinary breakfast fare (or at least my usual bowl of oatmeal). I love that Robin includes instructions if you don’t have amaranth and want to use all cornmeal too, which I will probably do in the future. Cornmeal is one of those staples that I buy in bulk and always have in my pantry. And, lucky for me, my freezer is stuffed full of cherries from this summer (it was one of those crazy moments where you can’t say no to 40 pounds of cherries for $10, and your husband grumbles every time he opens the freezer and is pelted with giant bags of frozen cherries. But that’s another story for another day). Fortunately I even had a small bag of amaranth that was waiting to be used.
I found that it was super easy to make and chill the polenta the night before, and then cook it up along with the sauce in the morning. The recipe came together really easily.
So for a chance to win a copy of Robin’s gorgeous new book Sweet & Easy Vegan, simply leave your name (and a way to reach you should you win!), and a comment about your favorite breakfast dish or healthy dessert. Good luck everyone!
Pine Nut Polenta with Cherry Sauce
by Robin Asbell from Sweet & Easy Vegan
Serves 4 to 6
This polenta, enhanced with your choice of ancient grains and liberally doused with sweet cherries, makes for a fun and tasty breakfast. This method, in which you prepare the polenta the day before, chill it, and then fry or bake it the next morning, results in a slab with crispy edges, essentially giving your hot cereal some texture and visual appeal!
Polenta
1 cup/140 g coarse cornmeal
3 cups/720 ml water
1 cup/200 g amaranth or teff, or 1 cup/140 g additional coarse cornmeal
1 cup/240 ml vanilla nondairy milk
1/2 cup/55 g pine nuts, toasted
Sauce
10 oz/280 g frozen dark cherries
1/2 cup/120 ml maple syrup
1/2 cup/120 ml apple juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
Oil a 9-by-5-in/23-by-12-cm loaf pan.
To make the polenta: Put the cornmeal in a medium saucepan, then add the water gradually while whisking continuously. Whisk in the amaranth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook, whisking continuously and still over medium heat, until thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nondairy milk and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half of the pine nuts.
Scrape the polenta into the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts on the top and press to adhere. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. In a cup or small bowl, whisk the juice and cornstarch together until smooth, then stir the mixture into the cherries. Cook until shiny and thickened, about 5 minutes.
To serve, slice the polenta and either fry it in a lightly oiled, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or bake it on an oiled baking sheet at 400 °F/200°C/gas 6 for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through and browned. Serve topped with the warm sauce, reheating it if need be. Stored in separate airtight containers, the polenta and cherry sauce will keep for about 1 week.
See more of Robin’s virtual breakfast potluck here:
Mocha Scones with Cacao Nibs
Shaina Olmanson’s Food for my Family Blog
Jumbo Buckwheat Cakes with Strawberry Sauce
Leinana Two Moons Vegan Good Things Blog
Coconut Banana Granola
JL Fields JL Goes Vegan Blog
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Kelly C October 15, 2012 at 11:05 am
I still love good old blueberry pancakes for breakfast!
gail October 15, 2012 at 11:08 am
love any kind of waffles
Mari October 15, 2012 at 11:11 am
My favorite breakfast food is definitely waffles! Would love to win this cookbook
sheree October 15, 2012 at 11:17 am
Steel cut oats and blueberry muffins are my 2 favorites!
Laura October 15, 2012 at 11:39 am
My favorite breakfast food is waffles, though I’d be hard-pressed to choose just one kind of waffle.
Emma October 15, 2012 at 11:54 am
Love the look of this book, the polenta and cherry sauce sound delicious. I do love a good bowl of porridge but for special breakfasts I’m a pancake girl through and through!
Beth October 15, 2012 at 12:18 pm
I know what you mean about husbands grumbling over full freezers, haha! I went nuts for the strawberries this year and never heard the end of it.
For the giveaway, my favorite breakfast food is tofu scramble cuz I can change it up for the season or whatever I’m craving.
Cassie Adams October 15, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Many years ago I tried a “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ‘Blizzard’”. It’s basically a Dairy Queen Blizzard, but much more healthy (or less unhealthy?!). It combined edible (no egg and milk) cookie dough with delicious vegan vanilla ice cream. It was amazing and it satisfied my cravings for Dairy Queen Blizzards, without all of that unnecessary added stuff!
Beth October 15, 2012 at 1:27 pm
What a great giveaway — I just bought Robin’s Big Vegan cookbook and would love to win a copy of her new dessert book! My favorite breakfast food is pancakes with lots of maple syrup.
Marcy October 15, 2012 at 2:07 pm
My favorite breakfast is “Vegan Diner” granola. So good I can’t eat store bought.
Lori October 15, 2012 at 2:22 pm
I love muffins and experimenting with new and different muffin recipes is one of my favorite hobbies.
Lizzie October 15, 2012 at 6:05 pm
I love fry bread – so simple, so tasty. Smeared with some Earth Balance and a sprinkling of sugar, it’s my favorite!
Ashley October 15, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Yum! Any breakfast where I can sip a vegan cappuccino at my leisure is my favorite- but it’s a bonus if there are croissants involved!
Cece October 15, 2012 at 7:41 pm
I’m a huge fan of waffles! Though I never cook them because the SO loves them just as much as I do and gets up earlier
What a beautiful book!
Ieda October 15, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Love vegan banana bread warm from the oven with Earth Balance.
Jeni October 15, 2012 at 8:38 pm
I love overnight oats for breakfast!
Josiane October 15, 2012 at 8:38 pm
One of my favorite breakfast dishes is actually pretty close to the recipe you’ve just shared. I’ve discovered when I was living in the Caribbean. It’s called coucou, and it’s basically a polenta made with (fresh!) coconut milk and shredded coconut; it’s eaten as a porridge on the day we make it, and any leftovers are cut into slabs and panfried the next morning. Yummy stuff!
Nora October 15, 2012 at 10:59 pm
I love the chocolate mousse in the Jazzy Vegetarian cookbook! So easy. So yummy!
megs October 15, 2012 at 11:49 pm
I really like savory breakfast polenta–lots of nooch, a little EB, salt and pepper.
Brandon October 16, 2012 at 8:01 am
I love having a Larabar for breakfast- especially the blueberry muffin kind!
Kelly Garbato October 16, 2012 at 11:49 am
I’m an oatmeal girl, too. I’m way too out of it in the morning to even think about making a more complicated breakfast – which is why I always enjoy pancakes, waffles, hash browns (etc.) for dinner!
janet @ the taste space October 16, 2012 at 12:39 pm
I love oatmeal for breakfast although lately I am devouring a pumpkin-spiced version.
moonsword October 16, 2012 at 12:48 pm
My favorite breakfast is always blueberry pancakes. If the blueberries are big and plentiful, I don’t need syrup or anything…just a couple of giant sweet fresh-from-the-griddle blueberry-heavy pancakes will make me happy all day.
Jill October 16, 2012 at 7:39 pm
My favorite breakfast is home-made granola with almond milk with chopped up pears, grated ginger root, and teaspoon of Chia seeds.Such a fun combination of flavors!
Heather October 16, 2012 at 7:51 pm
My favorite breakfast is definitly Jay’s crepes!
Jessica October 17, 2012 at 4:55 am
I like muffins chock full of fruit and nuts or a tofu breakfast sandwich made with a ww english muffin, a couple pieces of baked or fried tofu, slice of tomato and Veganaise! That breakfast will stay with you for a long time and it’s fast and easy to make!
Hindy October 17, 2012 at 5:55 am
I really love a good protein filled breakfast sandwich. Keeps me full all day!
Barbi October 17, 2012 at 6:57 am
My favourite breakfast is pancakes at the moment! I have been on a real pancake kick trying different recipes lately. One of my current favourites is banana split pancakes from “Chocolate Covered Katie” and Lemon Poppy Seed pancakes from Ripe from Around Here.
Amanda KP October 17, 2012 at 7:55 am
Favorite breakfast dish – huevos rancheros or overnight oatmeal with sauteed apples!
bookwormbethie October 17, 2012 at 1:00 pm
lately i have been swooning for stove-top oatmeal. 1/2 cup quaker old fashioned oats + 1 cup soy milk + handful of raisins + ground flax seeed + real maple syrup = heaven. i love this and get excited once it starts to cool off so i can have a warm, hearty breakfast.
Ashley October 17, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I love overnight oats! Or a smoothie
Thanks for the giveaway! ammauceri@gmail.com
Melissa October 18, 2012 at 9:56 am
My fave breakfast is vegan biscuits and gravy!
Sarah October 18, 2012 at 9:57 am
I LOVE breakfast! But eating it out isn’t the joy it used to be, seems like the menus still have limited vegan options. Banana or pumpkin bread makes me sooo happy! Or delicious and easy: a bowl of mixed cereals like grape nuts and cheerios w/ coconut milk & topped w/ ground flax, sliced banana & mixed berries and stevia or maple syrup… Yum!
Melissa Powers October 18, 2012 at 10:45 pm
I generally like savory foods for breakfast. I particularly love leftover spaghetti and marinara fried in a pan. So good.
But a healthy breakfast/dessert is my Portuguese mother’s rice pudding which she and her sisters made, more or less the same. Her version contained eggs,a stick of butter,and real milk but it easy to omit the eggs all together (depending on how many eggs you use, you can have a pudding that can actually be sliced and hand held for those not to concerned with messiness). It’s easy to substitute EarthBalance for the butter (or leave it out–it just adds richness), and non-dairy milk (I find almond or coconut milk are great subs). My mom would sometimes add raisins which I didn’t like until I tried it myself with golden raisins. Some Portuguese cooks flavor their rice pudding with lemon but my mom stuck with vanilla. Anyway, rice pudding is a healthy dessert that my mom always let us eat for breakfast.
Nicole October 20, 2012 at 6:25 pm
My favorite breakfast is blueberry pancakes with Earth Balance!
John October 20, 2012 at 6:27 pm
I would love to win this cookbook! My favorite breakfast is tofu scramble with smokey soy curls!
Julie Hasson October 21, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Yum!
Carolsue October 22, 2012 at 2:53 am
My favorite breakfast dish is yogurt with granola and berries
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
AndreiaV October 23, 2012 at 3:02 pm
I´ve been enjoying so much oats, pumpkin pure with cinnamon and nutmeg
Jenna Z October 24, 2012 at 2:34 pm
I LOVE cookies! chocolate chip oatmeal cookies most of all!