I LOVE cornbread, but since I have a problem with wheat and dairy I usually abstain.

But when I heard that turkey chili was being served at my neighbor’s Superbowl party, I knew I just had to have some cornbread with it.  

So I took a very traditional recipe, swapped spelt flour for regular flour, soy milk for regular milk, and coconut sugar for regular sugar (because it’s supposed to be lower on a glycemic index).  Guess what? Everyone LOVED the cornbread and nobody guessed that is was made with spelt and dairy free.

So double this recipe for you next party, and enjoy!!!

Spelt Cornbread

1 cup corn meal

1 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/3 cup safflower oil

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray an 8”x8” pan.  If you have a cast iron pan all the better!

In a large bowl mix your cornmeal, spelt flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a smaller bowl mix your soymilk, oil and egg.  Add to the dry ingredients and blend gently.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Serves 10!

I was playing in the kitchen and deciding to take some of my favorite flavors and just whirl them together to make a vegan pudding. Let’s see, dark chocolate, cinnamon, peanut butter, coconut.  Hmmm…

And it came out great!

Prep time is about 5 minutes, and there are only 5 ingredients.  And it’s vegan, full of protein, has antioxidant rich dark chocolate and dark cocoa, and is low in sugar.  So eat your pudding and forget the guilt!

Dark chocolate & peanut butter vegan pudding

1 package mori-nu firm tofu

2 heaping tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 TBL peanut butter

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

2 tsp coconut

Simply whirl tofu, cocoa, cinnamon and peanut butter in a blender until smooth.  Melt chocolate chips in a microwave (or double boiler) and add.  Process until smooth.

Divide among 4 parfait glasses or small dishes, and top with a little coconut.  

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Serves 4

These muffins are dairy free, wheat free, and mostly sugar free. 

Hold on with your negative attitude, try them before you knock them. “They’re quite delicious,” said a wheat eating muffin enthusiast friend of mine!

Pumpkin Muffins:

1 2/3 cup white spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

¾ cup honey

1 tablespoon molasses

½ cup melted vegan butter

¼ cup almond milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

¼ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup chopped walnuts

Topping:

1 tablespoon vegan butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In one bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, and cinnamon. In a larger bowl combine the eggs, honey, molasses, vegan butter, milk, pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet. 

Once the batter is mixed well add the walnuts.

Spray or line your muffin tins and pour in batter so that it fills ¾ of the tin. 

In a small bowl mash the butter, cinnamon and sugar until it is nicely incorporated, sprinkle the mixture over the muffins.

Bake a REGULAR sized muffin tin for 35 minutes.

As soon as the muffins come out of the oven top them with a bit more brown sugar.

Enjoy!

Makes 16 muffins

Ah, the soup you can make with your leftover turkey.

So many options!

If you don’t have the energy to deal with soup making after cooking the meal you can put the bones, along with some turkey still intact, in a ziplock and freeze until you’re ready.

If you didn’t cook, and are feeling the love from the cook ask him/her for the bones to take home.

The leftovers make a rich, delicious stock.  Just follow this easy recipe, add whatever veggies you like to the pot, and enjoy!

Turkey, Veggie and Farro Soup

2 Tbl olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 large carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

Turkey bones and meat

8 cups chicken stock (you can use just water if you have lots of bones)

1 cup farro (or barley)

1 bay leaf

1 fennel bulb, sliced

2 cups frozen peas

2 ears of corn, kernels removed

3 cups of spinach, kale or chard

salt and pepper

Take a large stockpot, add a little olive oil, and saute onion, carrot and celery until fragrant.

Add turkey bones and meat, then cover with 8 cups of chicken stock and additional water if needed water.  Bring to a boil, add farro and bay leaf, then lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove bones and turkey and add fennel, peas and corn.  Remove turkey from bones and add back to pot.  Add spinach or greens and simmer until wilted.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8-10

Have you tried delicata squash yet?  It has an oblong shape and a striped green and yellow skin.  It’s sooooooo delicious and easy to prepare.

I love roasting it and serving instead on potatoes with anything from chicken, to braised tofu, to turkey (hello Thanksgiving).

Here’s what you do:

Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Take 3 squash (to serve 4) and slice in half, then remove seeds.

Place squash halves in a pan skin down, then sprinkle with cinnamon, sprinkle with vanilla extract, squeeze on a little agave, and add a bit of vegan butter to each half.

Roast for about 60 minutes.

That’s it!

You can eat the entire thing, skin and all.

OK!  So prunes are now dried plums, for all the people out there that consider prunes senior only fare.

I love prunes (and all dried fruit), so I don’t feel the need to call them dried plums.  But just in case you think you don’t like prunes, give this recipe a try.  The prunes give the dish a sweetness that balances the spices.  So try it, you’ll like it!

Braised Chicken with dried plums, onion and ginger

1 whole cut up chicken 

2 onions, diced

1 inch ginger root, minced

1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon

sprinkle of hot pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ tsp spelt or whole wheat flour

1 ½  cups organic chicken broth

½ cup dried plums (prunes!)

First, take your chicken, put on some disposable gloves and get to work!  Remove the skin and cut the breasts in two. You can leave the thighs, drumsticks and wings as is.

Take a large pot and add a little oil.  Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove and place on a plate.

Put a little more oil in your pan and cook the onion until translucent.  Add the ginger and cook a little longer.

Put chicken back in pot and sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, hot pepper flakes and flour.  Add broth and prunes.  Bring to a light boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 40 minutes.

Serves 4

I love sweet potato pie but don’t like the fuss and calories of a traditional crust.  So I’ve come up with this crustless version, which also included another favorite ingredient…coconut.

The graham crackers and coconut on the bottom of the pie give a texture and flavor contrast that makes you forget about the crust!

This pie is healthy, easy to prepare, and yummy…but it’s not the prettiest pie.  So don’t expect ohs and ahs until you and your guests take a bite!

Coconut and Sweet Potato Pie

4 graham crackers

½ cup coconut

1 ½ cups vanilla soymilk

1 whole egg and 1 egg white

1 Tbl cornstarch

1 can sweet potato puree

1/3 cup flour (I used spelt)

1/3 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Spray a pie pan with oil and preheat oven to 350.

Grind the graham crackers in a blender and sprinkle evenly on the bottom of the pie pan, and then sprinkle with coconut.

Put everything else in the blender and process until smooth.  Pour into pie pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and golden.

Cool and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.

I topped mine with a thin layer of whipped cream (non-dairy) and toasted coconut and fresh berries, but it’s also good with sliced bananas and toasted almonds.

Serves 8!