I try not to miss the foods I used to love. I don't know how most vegans do it and I suppose it makes a difference whether you came to veganism by way of environmental activism or animal rights instead of food allergies, but there are some food rituals that are hard to replace. A weekend breakfast of pancakes and bacon is one of them. It's not so much the taste of the food that I miss (though it certainly tasted delicious), it's the ritual of my husband cooking breakfast for us every weekend, and enjoying it together at the table. His breakfasts also gave me a much needed reprieve from the kitchen after a week's worth of daily meal preparation. Now I don't ever get a reprieve from cooking. Eating a restrictive vegan diet means you almost never, ever get a break from the kitchen.
He still cooks breakfast for himself and the kids (minus the bacon) but I cook my own weekend breakfasts these days. I try to make them a little bit special and not just throw some things in a pan. Luckily, it's easier to start new food rituals in the summer, when fresh foods are everywhere and ripe fruit is literally falling off the vine. And how can you complain about that?
Quinoa-Coconut Pancakes with Fresh Berries
Ingredients:
2 tblsp. coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan
1 tblsp. ground flaxseed
3 tblsp. water
1 cup quinoa flour
2 tsp. arrowroot powder
2 tblsp. coconut crystals
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water or non-dairy milk of your choice
Fresh berries or other fruit
Maple or brown rice syrup for serving
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together flaxseed and 3 tblsp. water with a fork and let stand to thicken. (This is used in place of one egg.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients (including flaxseed mixture) to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Add more water or flour to get the consistency you want.
4. Lightly grease a skillet with some coconut oil and turn to med-high heat. Spoon pancake batter onto pan and cook until lightly browned on each side.
5. Serve with fresh fruit and top with unsweetened shredded coconut and syrup, if desired.
