Hearty Skillet Cornbread (vegan)

Recipe from Vegan Yack Attack on the Go! By Jackie Sobon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
8 servings

This is no ordinary cornbread.  The flavor is fantastic.  The texture is more moist, almost casserole-like.  In fact, I was planning to serve it with soup like regular cornbread, but it was so substantial that I served it along with beans, a salad and fruit.  To us, it seemed more like a side dish, than a “bread.”  I will definitely make this again!!

For the Mix-Ins:
1 cup finely chopped zucchini
1 cup Soyrizo
1 cup corn kernels
½ cup diced roasted red pepper
½ cup diced yellow onion

For the Cornbread Batter:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour for a gluten free diet)
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
6 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/3 cup water
¼ cup (or a bit less) agave nectar or maple syrup
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

To Prepare the Mix-Ins:
Preheat the oven to 375F.  Heat an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini, Soyrizo, corn, red pepper and the yellow onions.  Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.

To Prepare the Cornbread Batter:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, flax meal, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the nondairy milk, coconut oil, water, and agave nectar (or maple syrup).  Fold the batter together until well mixed, with no dry spots.
Next, take the skillet off the heat and pour the batter over the sauteed. mix-ins.  Fold together a few times, then place the skillet in the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool the skillet on a rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting it.  Sprinkle the top with the cilantro, if using.

Soyrizo y Papas Breakfast Burritos (Vegetarian)

Soyrizo y Papas Breakfast Burritos (Vegetarian)
served with steamed broccoli and a clump of grapes

Recipe from Vegetarian Times

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

When you’re looking for a little spice in your life, make this delicious dish.  Soyrizo is a spicy meat substitute made from soy protein.  I love the flavor, the texture and also the fact that it’s not greasy.  It’s also vegan, although this particular recipe is not because of the eggs. (It’s also gluten-free, nitrite-free, non-GMO with no preservatives.) Soyrizo can be used to make tacos, soups, chili or any spicy Mexican style dish.

3 teaspoons canola oil or olive oil

1 medium russet potato, diced

8 oz. soy chorizo (Soyrizo)

Cooking spray

4 large eggs

4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas, warmed (I used blue corn tortillas.)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet (I would recommend a non-stick skillet.) over medium-high heat.  Arrange the diced potato in a single layer in the skillet.  Cook for 7 minutes, or until golden, turning once.  Move the potato to the side of the pan.  Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the opposite side of the pan.  Then add then soy chorizo; cook for 1 minutes, crumbling with a spatula.  Stir the potato and soy chorizo together; cook 2 minutes more, or until the potato is tender.  Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.  Wipe out the skillet, spray with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat.  Crack eggs in the pan, and cook 2 minutes or until the whites are set, turning once for over-easy.  Lay the eggs in the centers of warmed tortillas.  Divide the potato mixture among the tortillas and top with scallions.  Serve them open-face or roll them up burrito style.  Serve with sour cream and/or salsa, if desired.

Nutritional Information: (1 serving) 380 calories; 38 g carbohydrates; 208 mg cholesterol; 16 g fat (2 g sat. fat); 6 g fiber; 515 mg sodium; 4 g sugars

Soyrizo or Sausage Kale Bean Soup

Soyrizo Kale Bean Soup served with grapes
and homemade Easy Delicious Oatmeal Bread

Recipe from Food.com

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice’s Kitchen

I first tried this soup at our local food co-op, Lost River Market & Deli.  It was just so good, perfectly spicy and filling.  It was made with Chorizo sausage.  Now, my husband can’t have red meat due to a tick bite allergy. So, I bought some Soyrizo (a meatless soy chorizo) and tried the recipe using it instead of the sausage.  Oh, YUM!!!

This is good enough for company.  Serve it with a slice of homemade bread or cornbread for a fabulous tummy-warming winter dinner.

½ lb. ground Italian sausage or Chorizo or 12 oz. Soyrizo

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

5 large cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (divided)

1 lb. kale, rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn or cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)

(To make this even more filling, you can add 1 large potato, cut into cubes, to the broth.  Add a few mushrooms too if you wish.)

Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the sausage or Soyrizo and cook, working to break into bite-sized pieces, until lightly browned.  (You might need to add more oil when using Soyrizo because there’s no fat.) Remove the sausage or Soyrizo from the pot and set aside.  (If using sausage, leave the rendered fat in the pot.)

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant.  Add the garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage or Soyrizo and half of the beans.  Mash the remaining beans with a fork or wooden spoon.  Add them to the pot, stirring to distribute. Stir in the kale.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover the pot and simmer until the kale is bright green and tender, about 10 minutes or so.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest.  Serve with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Spicy Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing

Serves 12

Recipe from Vegetarian Times

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I had a batch of cornbread crumbs leftover from Thanksgiving.  I thawed them in the fridge overnight and then made this zesty cornbread stuffing.  Wow!  This is a keeper.  Because I already had cornbread made, I didn’t use the cornbread recipe that came with this stuffing recipe.  However, I’ve included it below because it is gluten-free.  Check out this fabulous Husband-Tested Recipes Pinto Bean Tacos recipe using Soyrizo . 

Stuffing

Crumbs from one batch of cornbread**

1 12-oz. pkg. soy chorizo, such as Soyrizo, crumbled

3 small yellow onions, finely chopped

2 large celery ribs, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)

1 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 teaspoons smoked paprika (“Regular” paprika would work as well.)

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

To make Stuffing: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread cornbread crumbs on large baking sheet, and toast 20 minutes. Cool, and then place in a very large bowl.

Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet.  Sauté chorizo in skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until crumbles begin to crisp. Stir in onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, or until onions and celery are softened, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley, sage, and thyme, and then stir chorizo mixture into cornbread crumbs.

Beat eggs in separate bowl, then whisk in broth and smoked paprika. Stir egg mixture into cornbread mixture until moistened.

Lightly spray a 9” X 12” baking dish with cooking oil. Spread stuffing in the prepared baking dish, and drizzle with just 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until top is lightly browned, and sides look dry and crisp. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional information per 3/4-cup serving:  Calories: 193; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Cholesterol: 63 mg; Sodium: 504 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 4 g

**Cornbread (This cornbread recipe has not been Husband-Tested.)

2 cups fine yellow cornmeal

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

6 green onions, chopped (1 ½ cups)

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil

To make Cornbread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Stir in buttermilk and eggs, then fold in green onions.  Heat oil in 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in Cornbread batter. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake 25 minutes, or until Cornbread is firm and golden. Cool.

Pinto Bean Tacos

Serves 6

Recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I was looking for a meatless dish to make for Meatless Monday and came across this recipe, which got great reviews.  It calls for Soyrizo, a meatless soy chorizo.  Lost River Market & Deli carries Soyrizo in their freezer section. (Chorizo is a fatty pork sausage flavored with paprika and/or chili peppers.) My husband and I give this dish a big thumbs up.  It was good enough for company.  It took less than a half-hour to make.  I promise you won’t miss the meat.

12 6-inch corn tortillas (I used whole wheat lavash.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small red onion, divided: half of onion diced, half sliced

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

4 oz. soy chorizo sausage, such as Soyrizo (You will find a 12 oz. package of Soyrizo in the freezer section at Lost River Market & Deli.)

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies (I used a can of diced tomatoes plus a cube of frozen chili pepper. If you don’t like hot and spicy foods, you can leave out the chilies.)

2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, sliced

⅓ cup crumbled queso fresco or grated Cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar.)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap tortillas in foil, and place in oven to warm. (I warmed the whole-wheat lavash in the microwave just before serving.)

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, and sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Crumble soy sausage into pan, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir in beans, and cook 2 minutes more, or until beans are warmed through.

To assemble tacos: Fill tortillas with bean mixture. Top with sliced onions, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with salsa and hot sauce, if desired.