Vegan Breakfast Tostadas from Food52 Vegan

Hi! Hello! It's FRIDAY!

Let's talk cookbooks. What are your current favorites? Do you only collect but not really use your cookbooks? Do you use them all the time? I want to  know! I'm fairly obsessed with cookbooks myself, but I'm sure you could have guessed that. I go through phases of using and not using cookbooks, but when I do use them I kick myself for the times I don't use them. They're such a source of inspiration for me when it comes to meal planning, developing my own recipes, and photography. They also have this soothing affect on me. Flipping through a cookbook can instantly chill me out, especially if the couch, a blanket, and coffee are involved.

So today I'm sharing a savory vegan breakfast recipe for Breakfast Tostadas with Refried Black Bean and Cabbage Slaw! Uhh, yum. Right?? This recipe is straight from the recently released Food52 Vegan cookbook, written by my talented + sweet friend Gena! Girl knows her way around a kitchen.

I obviously had to share a breakfast recipe, and I know many of you have asked for more savory vegan breakfast ideas, so I thought this would be perfect. And I actually made TWO of Gena's savory breakfast recipes, to get you even more excited for this book!

The second recipe (you'll have to buy the book for this one!) I made were Gena's Tempeh and Sweet Potato Hash. Both recipes are loaded with flavor and such a fun change of pace for breakfast or brunch. 

Gena has filled the pages of this book with so much goodness. You'll find everything from simple recipes perfect for weeknights and busy mornings, to timeless classics with a vegan twist. But Gena doesn't stop there! She also adds so many impressively creative recipes you never would have though to create on your own.

If you've been intimidated by vegan cooking in the past, or are simply looking for a cookbook with recipes you'll actually want cook all of the time, I highly recommend Food52 Vegan!

I should also mention, the photography in this cookbook is beyond stunning. I'm a HUGE fan of James Ransom's work (he's the food photography at Food52) and love flipping through the pages to see his work.

Here are some of the recipes I'm dying to try!

• Cauliflower and Oyster Mushroom Tacos
• Mushroom, Chard, and Quinoa Enchiladas
• Greek Salad with Tofu Feta
• Jamaican Jerk Chili with Quinoa and Kidney Beans
• Creamy Tomato Soup
• Peach Crumble Coffee Cake
• Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Print Recipe!

Reprinted with permission from Food52 Vegan, by Gena Hamshaw,copyright © 2015, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of PenguinRandom House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2015 by James Ransom

Breakfast Tostadas with Refried Black Beans and Cabbage Slaw

vegan, gluten-free // serves 4

You can make these tostadas as fancy or as simple as you like. If you know you’ll be short on time, prepare the refried black beans a day in advance, then throw the cabbage salad together in the morning. If you’re preparing them for brunch on a leisurely morning, it’s worth your while to make the cashew queso (see the Flavor Upgrade at right), too. It’s the ultimate comfort food sauce—tangy, salty, and versatile. Once you try it, you’ll want to smother everything with it, from baked potatoes to steamed broccoli to rice and beans.

Refried Beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 poblano or jalapeño chile, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups (510g) cooked black beans (see page 000)
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ⁄2 cup (120ml) vegetable broth, or as needed
• 2 1 ⁄2 tablespoons lime juice, divided

Tostadas

• 3 cups red or green cabbage (or a mixture of both), finely shredded
• 2 green onions, green parts only, chopped
• 1 1 ⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• Salt and pepper
• 8 (6-inch/1) corn tortillas
• 1 large Hass avocado, sliced
• 1 ⁄2 cup (20g) chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

2. To make the refried beans, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chile and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the black beans, salt, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through, adding the vegetable broth as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth, without many whole beans—or to whatever texture you prefer; alternatively, you can use a potato masher or even a fork to mash the beans.

3. To make the slaw, put the cabbage, green onions, oil, lime juice, and agave nectar in a bowl and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place the tortillas in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until crispy. To assemble each tostada, spread about 1 ⁄4 cup (60ml) of the refried beans on a tortilla. Top with 1 ⁄4 cup (60ml) of the slaw, a few slices of avocado, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro.

Flavor Upgrade
Cashew Queso: In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup (130 g) cashew pieces that have been soaked for at least 3 hours then drained, 1 ⁄3 cup (25g) large-flake nutritional yeast, 3 ⁄4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 ⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (265ml) water, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice until totally smooth. Drizzle on top of each tostada before serving.

Now, we eat breakfast tostadas and cheers to Friday. But before you break out the Friday cocktails, don't forget to grab yourself a copy of this book!

Ashley

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles + $200 Rejuvenation Giveaway

It's waffle time. You ready?

Silly question. You're obviously ready.

Today we're talking about the cinnamon apple buckwheat waffles you see below and one of my new favorite stores, Rejuvenation. (Read to the end for giveaway details!)

This post + giveaway are sponsored by Rejuvenation. All opinions are always my own. I only partner with brands I love and think are a fabulous fit for this blog. Thanks for your continued support!!

It's been awhile since I've made a recipe featuring one of my all-time favorite ingredients, buckwheat flour. Despite "wheat" being in the name, this is actually a gluten-free grain. Way back in the day I was slightly obsessed with making buckwheat bakes for breakfast. If you're a long time EP reader, I'm sure you remember.

I love buckwheat flour for its hearty texture and slight earthy flavor. When using raw buckwheat groats (photographed above) the earthiness is subtle and it pairs tremendously well with the cinnamon in these waffles. I find buckwheat flour to really help with the texture of gluten-free baked goods in things like muffins, waffles, quick breads, etc. 

A few months ago I connected with Rejuvenation through my good friend Melissa. She raved about working with them and also about the quality of products they sell. So when I had the opportunity to work with them myself, I jumped at it. 

Rejuvenation's focus is in home lighting. And they have what seems like an endless amount of options. For instance, you can pick a light you like and then sort through 80 different shade options for that light and pick different finishes, and so on. It's pretty amazing. 

But beyond their lighting, they also have a fun assortment of kitchen items, interior furniture, outdoor furniture, cabinet hardware, and so much more. I definitely got stuck searching their site for hours. When I got to looking at their kitchen items I found so many things I had been on the search for for quite some time. You can see all of those items in this post!

So what did I think of my Rejuvenation home + kitchen goods? Honestly, I have been loving them all. They've been in my kitchen for a few months now, so I was really able to test everything out. And you know, if I didn't love it, I wouldn't be reviewing it.

Both glass cake plates make such a statement. They're super sturdy with a lovely vintage flair and will make any stack of waffles look fancy, and I love the vintage flair.  I've been looking for a set of quality white nesting bowls for awhile now and am so happy with this trio from Rejuvenation. They're a creamy white milk glass and are the perfect size for all of my baking needs. I'm also loving the casual look of these enamelware, black-rimmed plates. The bright white color really makes food POP! And the adorable serving trays? They're perfect for catching waffle crumbs and maple syrup spills when serving up breakfast to a crowd. And finally, a spoon rest that's sleek + white and easy to clean!

Okay, one more thing. Did you notice the adorable wooden box accent light? I'm sure you did. I am in love. Each light is hand crafted in Portland, OR by A-Lamp Design. You can pick from a few different colors and it comes with a sweet, LED Edison-style bulb you can see in the photo above. The wood box is super sturdy and I love the heavyweight cord that's attached. The craftsmanship and style are top notch. 

I had more fun than you want to know playing with my new props and creating this recipe to help show them off.

Now let's do that waffle thang.

Print Recipe!

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles

gluten-free, dairy free // yields 2, 6" Belgian-style waffles

• 3/4 cup raw buckwheat flour (ground from raw buckwheat groats)
• 1/2 cup almond flour 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
• scant 3/4 cup peeled and grated crisp apple (use the large side of your grater)

Preheat your waffle iron and grease according to manufacturer's instructions. (I like to set mine a slightly over medium heat.)

In a large bowl combine the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir well.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg. Then whisk in the milk, applesauce, and syrup. Whisk in the melted oil then pour immediately into the dry bowl. Whisk until just combined (when you no longer see dry flour). Fold in the grated apple and let the mixture sit for 2-4 minutes. (It will thicken a bit as it sits.)

Pour half of the mixture (or more/less depending on your waffle iron) into your waffle iron and cook until deep golden brown in color. 

Serve immediately for the best crispy texture and cook the remaining waffle. Top as desired.

---

Notes:

You can sub in 2%, whole milk, or soy milk instead of almond milk if desired.

Buckwheat flour can be easily ground in a blender right at home. Look for raw buckwheat groats (pale green/yellow in color) in the bulk aisle at your store or packaged by Bob's Red Mill. Grind about 1 cup of groats at a time until flour-like in texture. Sift if needed to remove any un-ground pieces. Store excess in a sealed container in the fridge to preserve freshness. Most packaged buckwheat flour has a much earthier flavor, due to the husk being ground into the flour along with the groats. However, store-bought buckwheat flour will work! Avoid using "kasha" buckwheat groats (red/brown in color) as these are toasted buckwheat groats and they have a much stronger, overpowering flavor. 

And now for the best part!! Rejuvenation is giving one lucky reader the chance to win $200 to their store to buy anything you want! And be sure to read the entry options carefully, as the email list signup will get you FIVE entries and a 10% discount code to their store that will be emailed once the giveaway ends.

Enter below to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ashley

This post + giveaway are sponsored by Rejuvenation. Thanks for your support!