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Brunch can be as easy as a pancake/waffle bar—complete with sliced bananas, strawberries, and blueberries; chopped nuts; chocolate chips; three kinds of syrup; and vegan whipped cream. Or it can get as elaborate (yet remain kid-friendly) as a first course of a mixed fresh fruit salad with vegan muffins; a second course of scrambled tofu, veggie bacon, and roasted red potatoes; and brunch “dessert” of vegan cream cheese and fruit-stuffed French toast cut into finger sandwiches. Freshly squeezed juice gains any brunch at least two stars.

For more brunch ideas, check out Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For—From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Sweetened Steel-Cut Oats

This warm, nutty, almost brown rice-esque oatmeal takes on the sweet flavor of maple syrup and soy milk, making the heartiness of this powerhouse food more palatable to kids.

1 cup water

¼ cup steel-cut oats

1 cup plain soy milk

2 TB. pure maple syrup

2 TB. walnuts or pecans

2 TB. raisins, chopped dried apricots,

dried apples, or dates

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes

Serving size: 1 cup

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Pour in oatmeal and stir.

2. When oatmeal begins to thicken, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, removing lid to stir occasionally.

3. Remove from heat, and divide oatmeal into 2 bowls. Over each bowl, pour ½cup soy milk, drizzle 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon walnuts or pecans and 1 tablespoon preferred dried fruit. Serve immediately.

Vegan Vocab

Steel-cut oats are the least processed of any form of oatmeal. Many people find the taste and texture of these oats far superior to other forms of oatmeal, but if your child is new to oatmeal or not a huge fan, you may want to start with the quick oats and gradually move to the heartier version of oats. Once you get hooked on steel-cut oats, regular oatmeal tastes and feels far too wimpy!

Kids’ Scrambled Tofū

The hearty texture of extra-firm tofu mixed with zesty yellow curry and soy sauce and topped with a sprinkle of melted vegan cheese is simple enough to please even the pickiest kids.

1 (2-lb.) pkg. extra-firm tofu

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. mild yellow curry powder

2 TB. low-sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s

Liquid Amino Acids

2 TB. olive oil

¼ cup vegan rice-based cheese

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serving size: About 1 cup

1. Drain and dry block of tofu by wrapping it in paper towels and squeezing over the sink. Using your hands, crumble tofu into a medium bowl.

2. Add sea salt, turmeric, yellow curry, and soy sauce, and stir gently until blended.

3. In a high-sided cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add tofu mixture and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes or until some of the tofu has browned nicely. (Don’t sauté until too much tofu gets browned, however; you want more egglike chewy tofu than browned.)

4. Sprinkle top of tofu with rice cheese (if using), reduce heat to low, cover, and allow cheese to melt.

5. Serve immediately.

That’s So Vegan

Many scrambled tofu recipes include vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, diced onions, and chunks of sautéed zucchini kids turn up their noses at. Ours leaves those out. For the veggie-loving adults, sauté these veggies (or your favorites) in a separate pan and mix them in after the plain portions have been dished out, topped with diced fresh tomato and a leaf or two of fresh basil.

Tortilla Wraps

Leftover Kids’ Scrambled Tofu creates a chewy center for these crispy breakfast tortillas served with mild salsa and vegan sour cream.

1 (8-in.) flour tortilla

½ cup Kids’ Scrambled Tofu (recipe earlier

in this chapter)

¼ cup grated vegan rice cheddar cheese

1 TB. mild salsa

1 TB. vegan sour cream

Yield: