Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Crunch:

I haven't been eating breakfast much lately. (Gasp!) I know, I know. It's awful for my brain, my metabolism, and my all-around-life in general. However, this recipe is going to change that. I used cashews and sunflower seeds to give this recipe a bit of crunch, but almonds or walnuts would also work deliciously here. And who says you can't have chocolate for breakfast? Throw it together in less than 5 minutes, and you're out the door and ready to take on the day.

Ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced

1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped

1 to 2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Vegan chocolate syrup

Instructions:

 Add the bananas to a medium bowl. Top with the peanut butter and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with the chocolate syrup and serve. 

Sunday Brunch: Vegan Grits, Tomatoes, Onions, and Spinach:

Over the past year or so, I've fallen in love with grits. A traditional Southern comfort food, I think that they've surpassed mashed potatoes as one of my favorite foods. They can be made in 5 minutes, and I've come up with the perfect vegan version.

I cook the grits in salted water, and then I whisk in a tablespoon or two of almond milk, a tablespoon of Earth Balance buttery spread, and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast in the last 2 minutes of cooking. The result: creamy, comforting grits.

I paired the grits with some sauteed tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach in this recipe. The acidity of the tomatoes combined with the creamy and savory grits creates a lovely marriage of flavors, while the onions and garlic lend the perfect amount of umami flavor. Pair this recipe with mimosas, and I guarantee a delicious Sunday brunch. Happy Sunday!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup instant grits

1 2/3 cups water

1 ripe tomato, sliced

1 cup spinach

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. plain unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tbsp. vegan buttery spread

2 tsp. olive oil

A few dashes of salt

Dash of paprika

Serves 2 of me, but serves 4 people with normal appetites. 

Total Cook Time: about 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and a dash of salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring when necessary.

2. Next, whisk in the almond milk, buttery spread, and nutritional yeast. Let cook on low for another 2 minutes or so.

3. Add the onions and garlic to a large skillet. Cook on medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side.

4. In a small skillet, add a tablespoon or two of water, and the spinach. Cook on medium-high heat until wilted. Drain any remaining water.

5. Serve the tomato mixture and spinach on top of the grits (preferably with mimosas).

Melty Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches:

There's just something about banana and peanut butter sandwiches. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the subtle banana flavor combined with the salty, savory, and creaminess of peanut butter or the way the combination melts in your mouth so easily. Either way, it's delicious.

I often eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches for a filling breakfast before school. It keeps me full and gives me a pretty good protein fix to start the day. Today, I was feeling like getting a little more fancy with it, so I decided to grill the sandwiches in a skillet in order to achieve that melty, gooey effect. It worked. This is perfect for a filling, healthy start to your day or as a hangover tamer. Obviously a recipe isn't really necessary for this, but here it is just in case:

Ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 cup peanut butter, divided

4 slices of whole wheat bread

1 tsp. non-dairy butter spread, divided

Makes 2 sandwiches. 

Total Cook Time: less than 10 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Spread 1/4 cup of peanut butter out on 2 slices of bread. Cover each slice with one banana's worth of banana slices. Next, assemble the sandwiches: top each peanut butter and banana-covered slice of bread with a plain slice of bread. (You can add more peanut butter if you want)

2. Heat 1 tsp. of buttery spread on medium-high heat in a  medium skillet. Add the sandwiches, and flip them so that both sides have butter on them. Cook each sandwich until both sides are browned, about 3 minutes on each side.

3. Slice in half, and revel in the melty glory.