for a lil’ salt and a lil’ heat (spice or temperature) for your first meal, this chapter is dedicated to you. I get you!
Apple Sausage Breakfast Bake
| HANDS-ON TIME: 30 min | TOTAL TIME: 1 h, 35 min | YIELD: 8 servings
After a memorable brunch that included dipping chicken apple sausages
in maple syrup, I knew I had to develop a recipe that combines those
flavors. Technically this dish is a mix of sweet and savory, as a hint
of maple and the caramelized apples bring out the rich savoriness of
ground pork. You’ll fall in love with the smell wafting from your oven
even before you take your first bite. This freezes beautifully, so I often
make a double batch, slice it into pieces, and keep some frozen for busy
weekday mornings. You can also try this with ground turkey, but I do
recommend getting the 94 percent lean mixture, which includes both
dark and white meat. I like to use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, but
play around with your favorites.
4 teaspoons avocado oil, plus
more for greasing, divided
2 medium apples, chopped into
½-inch pieces (a little less
than 4 cups—I don’t peel but
you can)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup (sub
monkfruit sweetener)
½ medium yellow onion, diced
into ¼-inch pieces (¾ to 1 cup)
1 pound ground pork breakfast
sausage
1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
½ cup canned full-fat coconut
milk (sub heavy cream)
1 cup blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and
grease an 8-inch square baking dish (an 8 × 10-inch pan also works)
with avocado oil.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together apples, 1 teaspoon avocado oil,
cinnamon, and maple syrup. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Roast for 30
minutes, then allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Don’t clean mixing bowl.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add remaining 3
teaspoons avocado oil. When oil moves quickly around the pan and
is shimmering, add onions and sausage. Cook, stirring every minute
or so to break up chunks of sausage, until the edges are golden
brown, approximately 10 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of water (2
tablespoons), scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Cook until water evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and
pepper, remove from the heat, then allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
In the mixing bowl you used for the apples, combine eggs, coconut milk,
almond flour, baking soda, vanilla, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk
to thoroughly incorporate.
Add cooled apples and sausage mixture to egg mixture, and stir well.
Scrape into the baking dish in an even layer, and bake for 40 to 45
minutes, until golden brown and puffy around the edges. Allow to cool
20 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Leftovers will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the
freezer for 2 months.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Combine 2 tablespoons
unsweetened, unsalted almond
butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened
almond milk, and a sprinkle of
ground cinnamon. Stir until well
combined. Drizzle on top of the
Apple Sausage Breakfast Bake.
NOTE
Omit ½ teaspoon salt from the
sausage mixture if you lean
toward less seasoning.
Sun-Dried Tomato & Broccoli
Vegan Frittata
| HANDS-ON TIME: 27 min | TOTAL TIME:1 h, 25 min | YIELD: 8 servings
I’ll never forget the first time I had a slice of “farinata” (Italian chickpea
cake) from Body & Soul Bakeshop in Union Square Market in New York
City. I’d been loving on their muffins and cookies for months, but for
some reason I was in a savory mood that day. There was something
uniquely satisfying about the dense, creamy texture combined with
slightly sweet roasted veggies. Now that I’ve made chickpea flour a staple
in the LL Balanced pantry, I’m thrilled to share a farinata-turned-frittata
