Vegan Soul Food

Sweet Butter Cornbread

I’m not a bake-from-scratch kind of person, so most of the baking recipes you’ll see will have a shortcut. This is a replica of honey butter cornbread, using agave instead of honey (vegan-friendly).

Ingredients

• 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup cream corn
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp agave
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together
3. Pour mixture into a 8×8 nonstick baking pan or a muffin pan
4. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes
5. Let cool and cut into squares
6. Serve with butter spread and drizzled agave if desired

Black Eyed Peas & Collard Greens

A soul food classic! You can make this using a crockpot or cook it traditionally in a stockpot. This recipe is another easy dish that’s all about the spice combo for ideal flavor.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. package of dried black eyed peas (presoaked overnight before cooking)
• 24 oz. or 3 cups of chopped collard greens
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 chopped yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp oregeno
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil and cook chopped onion until translucent
2. Add in minced garlic and stir for a few minutes, then add in the spices, bay leaf, and black eyed peas
3. Add in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil
4. Bring heat down to a low setting
5. Cook on low for 45 min. – 1 hour
6. Once black eyed peas are tender, add in chopped collard greens and simmer for another 15 minutes
7. Turn off heat and serve warm

Banana Blossom Fried Fish

What is banana blossom? It’s a purple-skinned flower that grows at the end of a banana fruit cluster. It’s a great meat subsitiute used for seafood dishes, like fish. You can find jars of it at most asian food markets (also Nori Furikake mentioned later). This fried fish copycat is the same method most use when frying fish. Some take the wet batter option, others fry using a dry coating. I’ve found the best fried anything best starts with a wet batter.

Ingredients

Pre-fry marinade (20 min.):

• 1 jar of brined banana blossom
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Nori Fume Furikake seasonining
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (O’bay seasonin)
• sprinkle salt & pepper

Fish fry batter:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp Nori Fume Forikake
• 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• sprinkle salt & pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Before frying the banana blossom, open the jar of banana blossom, drain the liquid, and marinate it in the pre-fry marinade for 20 min.
2. To begin frying, heat a frying pan to medium heat and pour the vegetable oil into the pan (this recipe you can shallow fry)
3. In a medium bowl, mix the fish fry ingredients together until it forms a smooth batter
4. Begin dipping the marinated banana blossom pieces into the wet batter, fully coating the banana blossom
5. Remove the battered banana blossom and dip into heated oil, fry on both sides until golden brown. (pictured above)
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for all banana blossom pieces
7. Place fried blossoms on a paper towel to drain and serve warm