The Best Vegan Cornbread

No, seriously...

My quest for the perfect vegan cornbread has ended!  This simple, no frills recipe has single handedly beat out all other cornbread recipes I've tried to date.  It is fantastic! 

I want to thank Chef Vino Girl over at Food.com for posting it.  I see she received it in an email from Cooks Illustrated, developepd by an 11-year old girl.  Apparently, the Blue Ribbon Cornbread winner that year was a VEGAN recipe, too. Even better!

VEGAN CORNBREAD
(Recipe with nutritional info. can be found here)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

6 tablespoons water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1/4 cup canola oil

*1/2 tsp butter extract, just for something special (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 and spray an 8" round or square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Mix the ground flax and water in a small microwave safe dish, and microwave for 30 second intervals, then whisk until thick ~OR~ (Original Directions): Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the ground flax seed, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.    *I was a bum, and didn't want to dirty the extra pan
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
4. Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, and canola oil to the flour mixture.
5. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix.)
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer.

One taste, and you will see exactly why this recipe is a Blue Ribbon winner.  Try it out, and let me know if you think so, too! ^_^ 

Thanksgiving Leftover Pie Surprise

"Did you come in for a pie, sir? Do forgive me if me head's a little vague..."  Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

So, I survived hosting Thanksgiving Dinner at our house for the first time. I normally do quite a bit of the cooking for Thanksgiving, (desserts, side dishes) but I end up having to prep in advance, pre-cook, and then transport it all to my parents' house.  This year, my folks were living in Italy for the Fall, so my brother, his wife, kids and various friends all came to OUR house to celebrate.

And, boy did we celebrate!

My menu was pretty close to last year's, with a few exceptions.  I swapped out the green bean dish in last year's post with PPK's Green Bean Mushroom Casserole, which always gets rave reviews.  And, for a starter, I also made up a pan of my Spinach and Artichoke Dip.

One thing I never realized about hosting Thanksgiving is that even after all the guests have scooped their left-overs "to-go", I was still left with a metric TON of food.

My dear friend, Scott, and his Dad joined us this year, and during the dinner, they were talking about how they used up their leftovers in Thanksgivings past:  They make a pie!

Brilliant!  One (1) box of puff pastry later, and I was ready to roll. I decided to use my lovely cranberry stone Pampered Chef pie plate, which got no use this year because I made Pumpkin Cheesecake instead of pie.  

Assembly:  I started constructing this labor of love with a nice, thick layer of my mashed potatoes.  I thought that would make quite a suitable bottom layer.  Then, I added my remaining four (4) CHICKPEA CUTLETS, sliced into bite sized pieces, and topped that with my home made gravy. Next, came a layer of Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole, followed by a sprinkle of leftover Apple Cider Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

And, last but not least, my favorite: A thick layer of cornbread stuffing with onion, celery and sage. I pressed down gently on the layers, and then topped the pie with a sheet of puff pastry.  I crimped the sides of the pastry around the pie plate, and made two (2) little hearts with the trimmings (aw).

Then, I brushed the whole pie with some unsweetened almond milk, sprinkled the top with a bit of Old World Seasoning from Penzey's spices, and cut a few slits in the top for the steam to escape.  I then baked this (quite solid) pie in a preheated oven (400°) for 30-40 minutes, until the crust was puffed and golden brown.

So, there we have it! Comfort food made completely from leftovers, that would even give Mrs Lovetts a run for her money o_O

My lunch! (so, you could see the layers)

"HEART"

Scallion & Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Veganized from Gourmet Magazine. These were fan-FREEKIN-tastic! You might remember my Buttermilk Biscuit making post from a few months back.  I actually made these for St. Patrick's Day, 2012. They turned out fluffy, flaky and were very simple to make. I used Daiya Vegan Cheddar cheese shreds, and reduced the amount of cheese to 1 cup (instead of 1 1/2, which was in the original recipe).  If you want more vegan cheesy goodness, go for it and use the full amount.  For me, sometimes a little Daiya goes a long way... 


I also used my large cookie scoop from Pampered Chef to make the drop biscuits puffy and even.

SCALLION & CHEDDAR DROP BISCUITS

Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened (or unsweetened soy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery sticks, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup vegan cheddar cheese, grated (I use Daiya brand)
4 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

• 1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.
• 2.  Add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to 1 cup almond milk and set aside to curdle while you measure the dry ingredients.
• 3.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in the Earth Balance with your fingertips or a pasty cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 4.  Stir in the Daiya Cheddar and scallions.
• 5.  Add buttermilk and stir until just combined, do not over mix.
• 6.  Drop dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart onto a greased large baking sheet.
• 7.  Bake in middle of oven until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.