Cornbread and Sausage Dressing

Every Thanksgiving, there are two things that are on the table, without fail. Cranberries, and a cornbread and sausage dressing. It just wouldn't be the same without them.

Cornbread and Sausage Dressing

One package of cornbread of choice, baked ahead of time
One package of vegan ground sausage (I use Lightlife)
One onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 c. corn kernels
Vegetable stock
1-1/2 t. thyme
1-1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. rosemary
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. parsley

Break up the cornbread into chunks and place in a large bowl.

Cook the sausage with the onion and celery until vegetables are softened.

Add the sausage mixture to the cornbread, in the bowl. Add the corn, herbs and seasonings. Add enough vegetable stock to make everything very moist, but not soupy. Stir everything well.

Pour into a casserole dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350.

Serve. Enjoy!

Fall Fare

I love when the seasons change, and spring and fall are my two favorite. Pleasant temps, wonderful smells and beautiful colors! I am so ready for cooler temps now. Where I live the summers get pretty hot (read: understatement!) and when fall finally rolls around, we are all so very ready for it.

So, of course, I wanted to celebrate it with some that reminds me of fall, but would be light, since it is still warm here.

Salad with Spiced Cornbread

One package cornbread mix, or use your own favorite recipe
Mixed salad greens
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. vegan butter
1 T. vegan sugar
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

Make the cornbread. I chose to use a packaged mix and baked it in iron cornbread pans that shape the cornbread like little corn cobs.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pour this dressing over the salad greens and mix well.
Melt the butter and brush over the tops of the cornbread. Mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle this mixture over the buttered cornbread. Place a piece of the cornbread on a plate and top with the dressed salad greens.

Fruity Soup

3-1/2 c. red grape juice (or pomegranate juice)
A piece of tangerine peel
1/2 t. dried cilantro (aka coriander)

Heat the juice until just before boiling and remove from heat. Add the tangerine peel and cilantro. When ready to serve, ladle through a sieve into bowls.

Fruit Sorbet

One package frozen cranberries
One package frozen raspberries
1-1/2 c. water
1 c. sugar

Bring the cranberries in 1 c. of water and the sugar to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook about five minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 c. water and raspberries. Allow to cool a bit. Place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a pan, cover and freeze. When ready to serve, scoop out into bowls.

This was a very light meal but filling.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

You Say Catfish, I Say Tofish

I love cookbooks. I have two bookcases full of them. I also love reading through them at bookstores and the library. One recipe I spotted had the name tofish in the title. I rather like it. I have found it a simple matter to convert most fish dishes vegan using tofu. So, tofish works quite well!

Growing up in the South, catfish is probably the most often fish dish you'll find. Fried and blackened are the two most common ways to prepare it. I have several catfish recipes, mostly fried, of course, that I look forward to veganizing. This is one of those.

Front Porch Fried Tofish

One package black soybean tofu*, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced
One package cornbread mix (I used sweet cornbread. See note.)
1 T. garlic powder
2 T. dried thyme
1/2 T. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. ground red pepper
Vegan milk of choice (I used unsweetened soy)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the milk in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices first in the milk, then into the cornbread dry mix and coat well. Fry a few pieces at a time in oil. When nicely browned, drain on paper towels. Serve as is, or with tartar sauce.

Note: read the ingredients on any packaged cornbread mix you buy. Many contain animal products. If you can't find a suitable one, make up your own.)

I used the sweet cornbread variety, but next time might try it with regular cornbread.

*I chose to use this new type of tofu I found, black soybean tofu. I was intrigued by it, never having seen its like before, so bought it with the idea of using it to fry up some *fish*. It isn't as white as regular tofu and has a sprinkling of black throughout. I liked it, and will buy it again, but I can't tell you whether or not it had a different taste.

You can't have fried *cat*fish without fries, and, never one for doing anything simply, I made mine spicy.

Mexican Fries

One package frozen french fries
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. chili powder

Bake the fries at 425 for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the three spices. After the 10 minutes are up, sprinkle the spices over the fries, and return to the oven to bake another 10 minutes. When done, shake the fries up a bit to further distribute the spices.

My family devoured it. No leftovers. Even my non-vegan son tried the tofish and declared it *pretty good!* I call that a success!