Holiday Recipes Remixed

This is not one of those recipe posts where you have to scroll down to the bottom just to get to what you came for: the recipe! I will say that these are not new dishes; instead they are the usual Southern “holiday” dishes, just with a little flare. A plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian flare, because I opt to remix our favorites without the guilt. I have a family of four, so these recipes feed my family with extra servings. I don’t know the exact measurements of seasonings because who does? I’m Black and my ancestors guide me in the kitchen. Also, when I first began cooking, I would ask my mom for exact measurements and she would say I would know when it was enough… so yeah. These recipes are kid approved and husband tested, so you’re in the clear.

*I’m sharing select recipes because some family recipes cannot be made by just anyone. Some things we deserve to gatekeep. Ya’ll cannot get the mac & cheese, greens, pie, or cake recipes. If you’re searching for more seasonal recipes, fellow contributor Anna Claire has you covered on all things pumpkin.

Vegan Cornbread

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet just proceed to the next recipe. I mean you can make this cornbread without it butttt are you really Southern, if you do? Probably not, so bless your heart.

Ingredients:

-½ cup cornmeal

-1 ½ cups of flour

-1 ⅓ cup of sugar

-1 tbsp baking powder

-½ tsp of pink Himalayan salt

-3 tbsp of melted butter (we use Earth Balance, soy free butter 
but any plant-based butter will do)

-⅓ cup of cooking oil (we usually have grapeseed, olive, and vegetable 
oil in our pantry)

-1 ¼ cup of oat or almond milk

-½ cup of applesauce (this is your egg replacement)

Cook Time:

Do I really have to tell you how to mix your ingredients? I hope not but mix dry, then mix wet, then combine.

-Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes

No Chicken, Chicken & Dressing (it’s not stuffing, so stop being weird-it’s dressing)

There’s no physical chicken added but chicken broth will be used. I haven’t figured out an alternative to the chicken broth just yet.

Ingredients:

-1 pan of cornbread (self-rising cornmeal, 1 egg, plant-based butter, 
unsweetened hemp milk)

-1 can of cream chicken, celery, and mushroom

-1 ½  cans of chicken broth

-2-3 ribs of celery (the stalk is the “bunch” of celery)

-1 green bell pepper

-1 onion (sweet or yellow)

-Sage

-Pink himalayan salt

-Pepper

Cook Time:

-Combine all ingredients

-Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes, broiling the last 5-7 minutes for a 
slight crisp on top

Cabbage

I prefer to cook with red cabbage because it looks better. Green cabbage is cool, too.

Ingredients:

-1 head of red cabbage

-pink himalayan salt

-pepper

-paprika

-onion powder

-garlic (powder or 3 chopped cloves)

-cajun seasoning (if you’re feeling fancy)

-⅓ to ½ cup of chicken broth (so be mindful when adding salt)

Cook Time:

Add all ingredients in a cooking pan. Cook covered.

-Bring to boil, then adjust to in between low and medium heat. You know 
what I mean.

-Cook for 15-20 minutes

Candied Yams

This dish doesn’t really consist of yams, but sweet potatoes. As Americans, we always get it wrong. Learn about the history and difference of yams versus sweet potatoes here. Also, marshmallows don’t belong near a sweet potato. Again, stop being weird and step away from the sugar-filled cotton balls.

Ingredients:

-3-4 sweet potatoes

-cinnamon (sticks or ground)

-nutmeg

-clove

- A hint of brown sugar, probably like less than a tsp 
(butter brings the sweetness out)

-2 ½ tbsps of butter (remember plant-based butter, soy free if you can)

-1 to 2 cups of water (I don’t know the size of your baking dish)

Cook Time:

I shouldn’t have to tell you to peel and slice your potatoes, but I feel like I have . Do that. I like to boil first just to help with cooking time.

-Boil for about 20 minutes

-Place all ingredients in baking dish

-Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

-1 cup of butter (see butter for vegan cornbread)

-1 ¼ cup of granulated sugar

-¼ cup of applesauce (remember egg replacement)

-2 tsps of vanilla extract

-½ tsp almond extract (it’s good without it though)

-2 ½ cups of all purpose flour

-½ tsp of baking powder

-½ tsp baking soda

-¼ tsp pink himalayan salt

Cook Time:

-Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

-Mix dry. Mix wet. Combine.

-Roll dough into 1” balls and roll in sugar

-Place 2” apart

-Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes.

Look, if the finished product of these recipes aren’t fire, then it’s you, not me. That’s your bad. Now, I don’t believe I skipped any ingredients or steps but if I did, then that’s my bad.