Cook Yourself a (vegan) Full English Breakfast
Everybody likes a full English breakfast. But as a kind nation, nobody wants to start the day eating factory-farmed meat and sausages, nor mushrooms and tomatoes swimming in oil, or yucky fried bread. Instead, try plant-based kinder healthier alternatives. Spread Flora vegan butter (no palm oil) on your toast.
This vegan ‘all-day’ English breakfast (Meatless Farm) is sure to start your day right at the weekend, or makes a filling brunch, to carry you through to dinner. No fatty bacon streaks or mushrooms swilling in oil here. This is a protein-rich feast with fresh vegetables and tasty tomatoes.
Avoid sausages for young children or swallowing difficulties. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (many ‘human foods’ like salt and mushrooms are not safe near animal friends).
- La Vie vegan bacon is the brand of choice, found in all stores. Made with pea protein, this is made in France (farmers have tried to ban it!) it really does look and taste like the real thing. Recycle packaging at kerbside or in supermarket bag bins.
- You can find many vegan scrambled egg recipes online. Or cheat and use Tofoo’s ready-made scramble (made in Yorkshire with organic tofu).
- Moving Mountains is a good brand of vegan sausages. Made from natural ingredients, these are sold wholesale to hotels and restaurants.
Easy roasted breakfast potatoes (Feasting at Home) are easy to make, and are a lovely side dish for a cooked breakfast.
Use any thin-skinned (not Russet) potatoes with rapeseed or olive oil, fresh herbs and spices or garlic powder.
Beanz Meanz (trying a different brand!)
One of the ‘national dishes’ of England is undoubtedly baked beans on toast. And a good meal it is too, if made with wholewheat toast, vegan butter and good baked beans (rich in protein and calcium).
The leading brand (owned by a multi-national) does not come top in blind taste tests (it’s marketing!) Try homegrown organic brands like Biona, Mr Organic or Suma (which sells cans of baked beans of tomato sauce with vegan sausages)
This recipe for vegan pesto beans on toast (Ocado) is super-simple and speedy to make, an ideal quick lunch or snack. No butter required, just heat a drained can of butter beans with vegan pesto and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, then serve on toasted bread.
Once opened, transfer leftover tinned beans to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don’t keep leftover beans stored in the tin (food poisoning hazard).
Make Your Own Vegan Hash Browns
Hash browns (similar to Swiss Rösti or Polish latkes) are popular at fast food restaurants, but most (even if they don’t contain animal fats) are made with way too much oil (often palm oil) and sold in plastic packaging. In the USA, McDonald’s use dairy milk in their hash browns.
These vegan hash browns (Ela Vegan) use a German recipe so you don’t need to bar-boil the shredded potatoes. You can then cook them in the air-fryer or bake them (or pan-fry if preferred).
For best results, use Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, combined with onion, flour, oil, fresh parsley and a flax egg (grinding fresh linseed with water). You can also season with sea salt and smoked paprika.
American-Style Vegan Waffles
If you don’t want a full English, instead hop over the border and try these homemade waffles (The Veg Space) instead. They are super-easy to make with store cupboard ingredients.
Keep fresh dough away from children and pets.
Most waffle irons are lined with non-stick PFOA (the ‘forever chemical’) that is nearly everything and ends up in our oceans.
A good alternative is to simply grease a griddle pan with Flora vegan butter, then pour in half the batter when the butter foams, cook for 5 minutes and flip to cook the other side.
Don’t interchange recipes for pancakes (the latter is thicker with more fat, so recipes won’t work).
Just because a product does not contain PFOA does not make it safe around birds.
Apart from the fact that birds living in cages would likely be happier in aviaries, cooking fumes (and many other items) are dangerous around birds.
