The Perfect Brunch: Blueberry Breakfast Cake and Heirloom Tomato Salad

the brunch spread

Like most D.C.-ers, I love a good brunch. However, I have discovered that vegan brunch food is pretty hard to come by. Some of my favorite brunch staples--like omelets, sausage, and lox and bagel--are pretty much impossible to create sans animal products. So when I was making plans this weekend with Andrew's family to go out to brunch while my mom was in town, I feared that it would be difficult to find a quality place with vegan options. Thus, I decided to take out the middle man and offered to cook brunch myself. I get a strange satisfaction out of cooking for other people, so I was more than happy to accept the challenge.

beauty.

I perused my favorite vegan blog, Fat Free Vegan, for some recipes, and I was immediately sold on the blueberry breakfast cake. It looked like a moist and fruity crowd pleaser, and the fact that it was fat free was very appealing.

I was a little apprehensive to bake, because I have been burned in the past...literally. My baking ventures rarely turn out well, because my cooking style is much more throwing things together and hoping for the best than carefully measuring ingredients, which is pretty crucial in baking. In fact, I made chocolate cheesecake brownies for a swim team pot luck dinner in high school, and I overheard two girls pointing to my brownies and betting each other $5 to try one. Thus, I am a little anxious about breaking out the mixing bowls.

However, I am so happy to say that the cake turned out GREAT, and people were shocked that it was both vegan and fat free. It was also very simple to make, and I am already scheming an excuse to make it again asap. I followed the recipe to a letter, so CLICK HERE for the full recipe.




I like mixing sweet and savory food for brunch, so I was on the prowl for something else to pair with my breakfast cake. I was wandering around Whole Foods this morning and I came across some beautiful looking heirloom tomatoes and I just couldn't pass them up. I sliced them up and arranged them nicely on a plate, and drizzled them with the simplest vinaigrette I've ever made. Not only was it a tasty hit, but it looked beautiful.

Ingredients

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes of your choice
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Pepper to taste

1. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a plate
2. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt
3. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, and lemon juice together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle over the tomatoes. Enjoy!

Yes, please!