LIVING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE #79

By Rhonda Jones

We have definitely entered the season of food, drink, and merriment. And most of it does not include a plant-exclusive diet, so what does a plant-eater do?

I did offer some suggestions in my last column. One of the best things to do is to cook your own food and make dishes that bring joy to your life.

Lots of traditional recipes can be plant-exclusive recipes with just a few alterations to ingredients. My first holiday season was a challenge after I decided to eat an animal-free diet, but I soon learned how to make great versions of some of my favorite dishes, and I want to share those recipes.

First, I love cornbread and cornbread dressing. My mom taught me how to make both when I was very young, and later, I took Mom’s recipes and made plant-based versions.

So, here are my cornbread and cornbread dressing recipes. Nothing is set in stone, so feel free to tweak these recipes to make them your own.

Cornbread

1 ½ cups cornmeal

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plant milk (I use unsweetened soy)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and use a non-stick pan or line a round or 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Add the apple cider vinegar to the milk and set aside.

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. After the milk has thickened from the vinegar, add it to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is browned.

Cornbread dressing (We aren’t stuffing it in anything.)

1 to 1 ½ cups each of chopped onions and chopped celery. Sauté over medium heat, adding water to prevent sticking. Cook until soft.

Turn off the heat and add some chopped, fresh sage. I use about ¼ to ½ cup.

Add crumbled cornbread, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons Ms. Dash or any salt substitute, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 to 3 teaspoons of sage, and 3 cups of vegetable broth.

Stir the mixture well, then taste to see if the seasoning needs adjustment. Pour into an oven-safe dish and cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Mushroom Gravy (Ann Esselstyn)

1 large, sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cups vegetable broth

2 teaspoons white miso

2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons flour (oat, whole wheat, any flour)

Black pepper to taste

Cook the onion in a pan with some water until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, and add water as needed to prevent sticking.

Add 1 cup of broth and stir. In a small bowl, combine the remaining broth, miso, tamari, and flour, stirring until the miso and flour are dissolved. Add the mixture to the pan and cook until the gravy begins to thicken. When thick, season with pepper to taste and serve warm with dressing or mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes (Nature’s Plate recipe)

2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup raw cashews

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons nutritional yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt substitute or 1 teaspoon salt

Cover the potatoes with water and boil until tender. Blend all the rest of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add to the drained potatoes and mash to the desired consistency.