Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet (41 page)

2.
Start-Right Breakfasts

Quick Mix

(Complementary protein mix for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, muffins, coffeecake, etc.)

Pancakes

Oatmeal-Buttermilk Pancakes

Johnnycakes

Fruit Pancakes

Waffles

Wheat-Soy Waffles

Cornmeal-Soy Waffles

Cereal

Easy Crunchy Granola

Chunky Granola

Rice Cream and Sesame Cereal

*
Nut French Toast

*
California Scrambled Tofu

*
New recipe
.

Most breakfast foods lend themselves easily to spiking with protein.

1. To make instant protein-rich cold breakfast cereal, add to leftover grain (rice, bulgur) your choice of:

Toasted sunflower seeds

Ground toasted sesame seeds

Wheat germ

Peanuts

Yogurt

Buttermilk

Milk

Cottage cheese

Ricotta cheese

Honey

Dried fruit

Fresh fruit

2. To make your hot cereal into a protein-rich breakfast
while cooking
add your choice of:

Soy grits (1 tablespoon per serving—they cook in just a few minutes)

Extra nonfat dry milk powder (1 tablespoon per serving)

Ground toasted sesame seeds Wheat germ (to taste) (to taste)

3. If you like just toast in the morning, you can still have a healthy breakfast.

Make your own bread and include extra nonfat dry milk, wheat germ, soy flour or grits, ground sesame or sunflower seeds. The Whole Wheat Quick Bread is a terrific breakfast bread.

Spread your toast with low-fat cottage cheese. One of my favorites is a toasted pumpernickel bagel with a thick coat of cottage cheese and a little orange marmalade.

4. For waffles or pancakes that give you protein as well as energy, add:

Soy flour (¼ cup soy flour to 1 cup whole wheat flour)

Extra nonfat dry milk (at least

3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk to 1 cup whole wheat flour)

Wheat germ

or top your pancakes with ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese and fruit.

Quick Mix

This complementary protein mix is all-purpose—great for making pancakes, waffles, biscuits, muffins, coffeecake, or tempura.

6½ cups whole wheat regular or pastry flour

1½ cups soy flour

1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup instant dry milk

1/3 cup baking powder

2½ cups wheat germ

Mix thoroughly and store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.

Complementary protein: wheat + soy + milk product

Pancakes

About 8 pancakes

1 egg

1 cup low-fat milk, buttermilk, or yogurt

3 tablespoons oil

1½ cups Quick Mix

Beat egg and combine with milk and oil. Stir in mix and fry on a griddle.

Waffles

About 6 waffles

2 eggs

1½ cups low-fat milk

3 tablespoons melted margarine or oil

2 tablespoons honey

1¼ cups Quick Mix

Beat eggs and combine with milk, margarine, and honey. Stir in mix. Bake in a preheated waffle iron. To make lighter waffles, separate the eggs and beat whites until stiff; fold into batter just before baking.

Biscuits

About 16 biscuits

1/3 cup oil or melted margarine

2/3 cup low-fat milk, buttermilk, or low-fat yogurt

2¼ cups Quick Mix

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine oil and milk and stir in mix. Turn out on floured board and knead lightly. Pat or roll out 1 inch thick, cut with a biscuit cutter, and put on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

   
Variation:
Cut dough in triangles, fill with brown sugar and cinnamon, and roll up.

Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup low-fat milk, buttermilk, or low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons honey or molasses

2½ cups Quick Mix

Optional:

chopped dried fruit (dates, apricots, raisins, etc.)

chopped nuts

fresh berries

canned fruit, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat eggs and combine with milk, oil, and honey. Stir in mix and dried fruit or other addition. Pour into muffin pans or cups and bake for 15 minutes. For lighter muffins, separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff. (Fold into batter just before baking.)

Coffeecake

1 egg

¼ cup oil plus 1 tablespoon

¾ cup low-fat milk, buttermilk, or low-fat yogurt

¾ cup tightly packed brown sugar

1½ cups Quick Mix

Dried fruit (as above) (optional)

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup nuts

½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat egg and combine with ¼ cup oil, milk, and ½ cup sugar. Stir in mix and dried fruit. Combine cinnamon, remaining ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon oil, nuts, and coconut. Sprinkle crumbly mixture over batter and bake for 30 minutes.

Oatmeal-Buttermilk Pancakes

6 servings (18 to 24 four-inch pancakes)

These pancakes are moist and deliciously chewy.

½ cup water

½ cup instant dry powdered milk

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups buttermilk or milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar

1½ cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Salt (optional)

1 to 2 eggs, beaten

Mix water, milk, and honey and stir in buttermilk and oats. If using unrefined rolled oats, refrigerate overnight so the oats can soften. Beat in remaining ingredients and fry on a hot griddle. For even better results, let stand for 1 to 24 hours. If batter becomes too thick, add more milk or water.

Complementary protein: wheat + milk + oats

Johnnycakes

6 servings (about 24 four-inch cakes)

These cakes have a different flavor and texture from pancakes; a welcome change.

1 cup water

½ cup instant dry milk powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup freshly ground cornmeal

1/3 cup soy flour

¼ cup whole wheat flour (or more as needed)

Mix water and dry milk. Beat egg and add to milk, along with honey and oil. Combine cornmeal, soy flour, and whole wheat flour and add to liquid ingredients. Add more whole wheat flour to the consistency you prefer. Pour like pancakes onto a hot oiled griddle or skillet. Serve with honey and margarine or other favorite topping.

Complementary protein: corn + soy + milk + wheat

Fruit Pancakes

6 servings

You can omit 1 egg yolk if you want to reduce cholesterol.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sesame seed meal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 eggs, separated

1½ cups low-fat milk (or more for a thin batter)

¼ cup oil

2 cups cooked brown rice (¾ cup uncooked)

1 cup fruit chunks (apples, pears, peaches, bananas, berries, etc.)

Mix together flour, sesame seed meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Mix egg yolks, milk, oil, and cooked rice and stir into dry ingredients, using the fewest strokes possible—just enough to wet the dry ingredients. Beat egg whites until stiff and gently fold into batter along with fruit. Bake on a hot oiled griddle.

Complementary protein: rice + sesame seed + milk

Wheat-Soy Waffles

About 5 Waffles

These are delicious, light waffles. They are especially good with the addition of about ½ cup chopped nuts. Make a lot and keep leftovers for toasting.

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup soy flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1½ cups milk

3 tablespoons melted margarine or oil

2 tablespoons honey

Combine flours, salt, and baking powder. Combine eggs, milk, margarine, and honey and beat well. Stir into dry ingredients. (Lumps are okay.) Bake on a hot oiled waffle iron. For an even lighter waffle, separate the eggs, beat the whites until stiff, and fold them in as the last step. To reduce cholesterol, omit 1 egg yolk.

Top leftover toasted waffles with creamed tuna, sliced tomato and melted cheese, or whipped cottage cheese with fruit topping.

Complementary protein: wheat + soy + milk

Cornmeal-Soy Waffles

6 waffles

These are surprisingly delicious waffles, golden and crunchy, easy to make. Make lots and freeze leftovers. They are just as good popping out of a toaster. I love them with cottage cheese and honey on top.

2 eggs

1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons molasses

1 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup soy flour

Salt (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

Beat eggs and add milk, oil, and molasses. Blend well. Stir together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder and add to liquid ingredients. Bake in a hot oiled waffle iron, using about ½ cup batter per waffle.

Complementary protein: corn + soy + milk

Easy Crunchy Granola

About 12 cups

7 cups rolled oats

2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast

1 cup rolled wheat (or more oats)

½ to 2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup wheat germ

½ cup vegetable oil

1¼ cups ground sesame seeds

½ to 1 cup honey