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Brunch is an art form unto itself. It’s an excuse to eat waaay more than you might at breakfast because you are getting in two meals’ worth of food at one sitting. And since none of these recipes take more than thirty minutes to complete, you’ll have ample time to relax and enjoy. Whether it’s Tofu Scramble, Tempeh Bacon, and Seasoned Spuds, or crepes, French toast, and pancakes, these recipes are sure to please. So invite your friends over and get your brunch on!

WALNUT-SPRINKLED FRUIT BOWL

The variations of fruits and nuts you may use for this dish are limited only by what is available to you. Consider this recipe a starting point. The idea is that a bowl of fresh fruit, sprinkled with some chopped nuts and covered in your favorite kind of milk, is a lovely and refreshing breakfast. We highly recommend using fresh almond milk (see page 42).

SERVES 2

1 large mango, peeled and cubed

(see Tips and Tricks)

2 large figs, chopped

2 medium-size bananas, sliced

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup nondairy milk of choice

1. Prepare all of the fruits and divide them evenly between two bowls.

2. Sprinkle each bowl with the walnuts and cover with ½ cup of the nondairy milk. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

The easiest way to cube a mango: Slice off the stem end. Hold the mango with the stem end flat on the cutting board and turn it so that you can slice off the narrower sides, avoiding the seed but coming as close to it as possible. Then slice the thin strips off either side of the seed. Take the two larger pieces and score a checkerboard into the fruit with your knife. Use a spoon to scoop out the cubes. Then score the narrow strips and scoop out the cubes. We always carve whatever fruit we can off of the seed as well.

Quicker and Easier

For a quick breakfast treat, slice a papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Enjoy with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice and a pinch of chile powder for a bold combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy. You can also add some fresh berries and sliced banana for a fruit salad on the go. (The lime and chile combo also goes well with pineapple slices).

BANANA-BERRY BLISS

This is another dish that’s at the height of simplicity and bursting with flavor and color. Summer mornings when berries are abundant, this is the dish for you. Vary the fruits, or swap the macadamia nuts for cashews in the cream, to create different flavors. Make a double batch of the cream and use it for Banana Pudding (page 255) or Live Fruit Parfait (page 261).

SERVES 4

4 small bananas, sliced

4 cups blueberries, raspberries,

blackberries, sliced strawberries,

or a combination of all

1 recipe Crème de la Crème

Mint leaves

Crème de la Crème

(yields 2¼ cups)

1 cup macadamia nuts

3 tablespoons agave nectar, or to taste

¾-1 cup water or coconut water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Using your creative abilities, decorate a bowl with the banana slices and fresh berries.

2. Combine all the Crème de la Crème ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. You will need to adjust the water depending upon the strength of your blender.

3. Top the fruit with a dollop of Crème de la Crème and garnish with the mint leaves.

Variations

• In addition to the berries, create the fruit salad of your dreams with peaches, nectarines, mangoes, papaya, and pineapple.

• Replace the macadamia nuts with cashews.

• For a supercreamy version of the Crème de la Crème, you can add ½ cup of medium-soft coconut meat (see page 29), or mashed banana.

Quicker and Easier

Açaí—the high antioxidant purple berry of the açaí palm, native to the Amazon, is most readily available in frozen form. For an energizing breakfast and popular way to enjoy this berry, blend some açaí with a banana or two, pour into a bowl, and top with your favorite granola.

MULTIGRAIN CEREAL

A step above a simple bowl of oatmeal, in this cereal the quinoa and kasha add a hint of nuttiness and create a grounding way to start the day, especially on cold winter mornings.