Yummy Vegan Breakfast

I've been wanting to do a food-related post for a while. Tim, Brennan and I are vegan and, while we don't like to proselytize, we do enjoy letting people know just how good vegan food can be. Most people assume that we must have a tasteless, boring diet. Honestly, when we first became vegans, this was the case. We were undergraduates living in Pensacola, FL with one smallish health food store, Everman. Before becoming vegan, we didn't do much research and had no idea what to eat. Fortunately, this was well before LB was born (we're talking about 13 years ago) because we weren't very healthy. I didn't know that soy margarine existed and had no idea what to eat on a baked potato. I actually used both Italian dressing and A1 Sauce. I have to say, I still occasionally eat a pit of potato with A1. It really takes me back! We also made our own soymilk from a powder. I have distinct memories of Tim sitting on a step with a jug of water and powder shaking and shaking and shaking to mix it. Then it had to chill. We were forever running out of it, and it always had a powdery aftertaste. So, the point is, we come from humble beginnings. We eventually learned a great deal about the products that are available to us and I, for one, learned to cook. The point of this long story is to tell you that I plan to share some yummy vegan recipes that we love, in part because we want to improve awareness about the vegan diet and, in part because this food just tastes good.

I actually haven't made the recipe below in a while. I'm sure this entry is going to prompt my husband to beg! However, it is one of our faves and is a good example of how easily non-vegan food can be veganized. These are great on their own or with tofu scramblers or fruit. If you use the cast iron pan as recommended, each biscuit is two servings. They are huge. The original name for this recipe is "Cheddar Bacon Biscuits," but they are now "Soy Cheddar Fakin' Biscuits." This recipe was adapted from one that came from a cast iron biscuit pan I purchased from Williams Sonoma over five years ago. That one is now unavailable, but I suggest using one like it. I found a couple that look similar, but I can't vouch for them because I haven't tried them out. Mine is circular in shape, like this one, but I am sure this rectangular shape would be fine too.

3 c all-purpose flour (I've never tried whole wheat, but I really should.)
4 t baking powder
¾ t salt
8 T (1 stick) soy margarine
1 c finely shredded cheddar-style vegan rella
1/3 c chopped fresh chives
6 Smart Bacon slices, fined chopped and fried until crisp
1 ½ c soymilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a biscuit pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the soy margarine until it resembles course meal. Add the soy cheese, chives, Smart Bacon; using a fork, stir until evenly distributed. Add the milk; using a rubber spatula, stir until just combined. Divide the batter among the wells of the pan. Bake until the biscuits are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

And, yes, I did post an item on etsy today. My challenge is almost over!