9 Vegan Southern USA Recipes to round out 2012!

All of 2012 I've featured a different country each month, except the month I was travelling in Sri Lanka. All the countries were requested by readers. We've had Croatia, Chad, Bosnia, Iran, Scotland, Cambodia, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, Indonesia and finally, in December I featured Southern American recipes.

I posted seven delicious recipes in December inspired by the Southern states of the USA. But with all my Xmas cooking and other posts, I unfortunately didn't get the time to make and share all the things that I would have liked - so I ended up posting a couple more in January. I took a month off the featured countries this month, as I fancied having a break. Infact, this blog has been a bit quieter than usual in January while I take some time to cool off (figuratively and literally - as it's been super hot here!).

Starting tomorrow - the 1st February - I'll be back on the World Food Challenge for another year. Tomorrow we'll start delving into the delights of Costa Rican cuisine! I'm very excited and I've been busy consulting people who know more about it than I do to devise a delicious array of veganised Costa Rican dishes.

But first - here is the recap of the Southern USA posts I've had over the last two months. AND two very important questions which I've love your feedback on, if you have a moment to spare.

1) Which of the 11 countries have you enjoyed the most in 2012?
2) What dish do you think looks the best from the Southern USA?

~Savoury~

Chilli Pone

This is a dish that I had never heard of until a reader suggested that I try it for USA month. I'm so glad they did because it was wonderful and I'll definitely be making it again! It's an American "chili" style casserole - the chili is made from bulghur instead of mince meat - with delicious light and crispy cornbread baked on top. As soon as I ate it I wondered why I hadn't always been putting cornbread on my casseroles! Possiibly my favourite dish of the month (though, that is a tough call and I may change my mind later...) Check out the recipe here. 

Succotash

Remember that cartoon character that used to say "Sufferin' Succotash!" (I think it was Sylvester?) Well, I can't imagine how succotash could cause suffering to anybody! At first glance I thought it looked a bit plain and boring - it's just a big pot full of beans, corn and tomatoes. But I gave it a go and goodness was it good! It's lightly but perfectly spiced, and a good reminder that vegetables are simply delicious just the way they were made and stand up perfectly as the main event of a meal! The succotash was a huge hit with my dinner guests. Check out the recipe here.

Vegan Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a new favourite of ours now! This jambalaya is special. It's jam packed full of flavour and you don't miss meat in it at all - why would you when you've got juicy field mushrooms, two types of beans and tasty vegetarian sausages all through it? This dish can be made with white or brown rice and tastes just as good with either! Check out the recipe here.

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

This is the kind of dish I never thought I would cook! But it was very enthusiastically requested by several readers when I asked about dishes from Southern USA - so I obliged. Fried chicken on waffles is apparently a Southern American classic, and I do relish a challenge. It sure was a challenge! Once I had decided on a method to cook some tofu in the same batter and spices of Southern Fried Chicken - I then had to get my hands on a waffle maker and make up some vegan waffles. Well, mission was accomplished and it tasted great! Good news is, now I own a waffle maker - so look out for more waffle recipes coming your way! Check out the recipe here. 

~Sweet~

Peach Bourbon Cobbler

Cobbler is a gift from American to the rest of the world. There was no way I was going to feature USA without making a cobbler! Peach seems to be the classic cobbler fruit in the USA, so I stuck traditional but with a twist of bourbon to give it an even more American feel! Check out the recipe here.

Pecan Pie with Whipped Pumpkin Cream

Pecan pie was up very high on my list of things to make for December. I decided to make a slightly adult version though - using thick luscious blackstrap molasses in the place of sweeter thing like maple syrup. The result is a pecan pie which is much less sweet than usual and has the slightly adult taste of molasses. It is perfect accompanied by the spiced pumpkin whipped cream, which offsets the richness of the molasses. Combining pecans and pumpkin makes it a perfect autumn dish (or "fall" as the yanks would say), but you can enjoy this one any time of year. Check out the recipe here.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied Sweet Potatoes - also called Candied Sweets or Candied Yams - seemed like a bit of an odd dessert to me! But this world food challenge is all about trying new things so I went ahead and made them anyway. They're very easy to cook and make for a unique and cost effective dessert. Definitely worth a try, although I can't see these catching on much in Australia! Check out the recipe here.

~Beverages~

Mint Julep

I'm always keen for an excuse to try out a new cocktail, so I was excited to find several cocktails when I started to research the cuisine of the Southern USA states. The easiest one was a Mint Julep, apparently popular particularly in Kentucky, where they use spearmint. It was very refreshing served over lots of ice, perfect for a hot summer day! Check out the recipe here.

~Sauces~

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Last but not least - home made BBQ sauce anyone? You won't believe how easy it is to make your own delicious BBQ sauce, free of chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavours or artificial colours. Perfect for a summer BBQ or as a marinade for just about anything. Get this stuff on your burger! Check out the recipe here.

That's all folks!

Are you ready to start 2013 with a Costa Rican bang? Well, keep your eyes on this blog and I hope ya'll like rice and beans and corn. Sleep tight and I'll see you tomorrow in Central America!

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

I made this sticky, sweet and smoky BBQ sauce as part of my American food month, although, to be honest, I'm not really sure where BBQ sauce originates from! A quick glance at wikipedia sheds no light, as it states that "the precise origin of barbecue sauce is unclear". I think that USA BBQ sauce and Aussie BBQ sauce are pretty similar, the difference lies in the way they are used. In Australia, we tend to use BBQ sauce as a condiment - it's added to foods (particularly ones that have just come off a barbie) after they are cooked. In the Americas, it's used more as a marinade or a cooking sauce.

Whichever way you use your BBQ sauce, you'll never buy it again one you have tried this delicious and easy home made version. It whips up in about a minute and tastes great on burgers! Why make your own? Because this BBQ sauce doesn't contain preservatives or chemical additives. It doesn't contain anything that has numbers in it's name either. No artificial colourings or flavourings.

Home Made BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp agave nectar (can substitute maple syrup if you can't find agave, just has a slightly different taste)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp smoky paprika (add more if you like is super smoky)
1/4 tsp hot paprika (you can adjust this to taste, add more if you want hot BBQ sauce)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tbsp arrowroot powder

To Make
1. Grab a small bowl and a whisk (you could also just use a spoon). Add the ingredients in the order that they are listed, mixing well after each addition.
2. When you get to the arrowroot, sprinkle it gradually over the top and whisk through. Don't add it all at once or you'll end up with lumps.
3. Pour into a jar (or a squeeze bottle for easy use) and it's done!

NOTE: as this BBQ sauce has no preservatives, you'll want to keep it in the fridge. It should last quite a long time in the fridge though - I've had mine in their for about a month now an it's still fine.

Check out my other Southern USA recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles - A Southern USA Classic!

Despite the fact that Southern USA month was last month, I had a few loose ends to tie up so I'm carrying a couple of dishes through to this month. I know you'll look at this and think that it's weird, to be honest I'd agree. Fried chicken and waffles is not the kind of dish I'd normally go for. But when I featured USA, I asked some readers to suggest what they'd most like to see featured. Since the majority of my readers are American, I got quite a lot of suggestions. One of them came up often - Fried Chicken (Kentucky style) with waffles. Apparently this is a speciality of Southern USA and the enthusiasm to have this dish "veganised" was resounding. How can I say no to that?

It took me a while to get to this one, for a few reasons. Mainly because I had to get my hands on a waffle maker! To my great fortune a friend gave me one which she didn't want anymore, which mean't all I had to do know was to find the right mix of herbs for the batter.

I will confess that I'm not in the best position to replicate the exact flavour of true American Fried Chicken - chiefly because I've never eaten such a thing! Indeed, I've never even eaten the fast food franchise Kentucky Fried Chicken (although I've been told that even if I tried to replicate that flavour, I wouldn't be able to without getting my hands on some MSG). There are a lot of recipes on the internet, all of them use different herbs and spices, so I don't really know whether or not this tastes like 'authentic' Southern Fried Chicken. I'll look forward to some Americans trying the recipe and telling me what they think!

You can also make this recipe with seitan or with a commercial chicken substitute. I don't have any available that don't have egg in them, so I just used tofu.

Ingredients

The Fried Tofu

400g hard tofu, drained and squeezed gently to get as much liquid out as possible

3 cups soy milk

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Batter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp vegetable stock powder

1 cup of the soy milk used to marinate the tofu

Seasoned Flour

1 cup flour

1 tsp vegetable stock powder

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika (or chilli powder)

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp oregano

The Waffles

1 1/4 cups wholemeal flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup soy milk

2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

To Make

1. Whisk the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside to thicken. Slice the tofu into eight equal pieces and submerge them in the soy milk. Marinate for 2-3 hours, or longer if you have the time (you can marinate overnight).

2. Combine all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the ingredients for the seasoned flour in a separate bowl and set aside.

4. Mix the dry ingredients for the waffles together in yet another bowl. Make a well in the middle and gently stir in the soy milk and oil. Heat up your waffle iron (be sure to spray with oil to prevent sticking) and make the waffles according to the instructions of your waffle maker. This batter should make 4 waffles, although this may vary slightly depending on the size of your waffle maker. Place the cooked waffles on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Heat about a cup of peanut or vegetable oil in a fry pan (you can also use more oil and deep fry instead of shallow fry). Take a piece of tofu and dip it in the batter, coating liberally. Then coat in the seasoned flour and drop into the hot oil. Cook for a few minutes and then turn over to cook both sides (if you deep fry, you don't need to turn them over). Remove and drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of tofu.

6. Serve the fried tofu on or next to the waffles, with maple syrup to taste.

Serves 4.

I've entered this dish in the Vegan Virtual Linky Potluck.

Check out my other Southern USA recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Mushroom and Bean Vegan Jambalaya

A month of American food wouldn't be complete without my favourite American dish - jambalaya, a Louisiana speciality. Discovering this delicious dish essentially made me want to go to Louisiana! This jambalaya uses field mushrooms and vegetarian sausages instead of the traditional meat. Traditional jambalaya is also laden with green capsicum, however, I've left this out because it makes me sick - but if you are partial to a bit of green capsicum feel free to add it in, although I don't think it needs it!!

I've also made this recipe using brown rice instead of white, it was also fantastic. You just need to increase the amount of water by about 2 cups and increase the cooking time by at least 20 minutes. 

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 field mushrooms, washed and chopped in large chunks

3 vegetarian sausages, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1/2 cup dry sherry

4 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups basmati rice

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tin diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

2 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tin cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tin Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

(More hot water, as required)

To Make

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot. Sauté the onions and celery for 2-3 mins. Add the mushrooms and veggie sausages and sauté until the veggies are cooked.

2. At this stage you'll notice the bottom of the pan is getting all brownish from frying the veggies. So - deglaze the pan by adding the sherry (you'll notice all the browny bits come right off the bottom and make your dish a lovely rich colour). Add the tomato paste as well and heat through.

3. Add the uncooked rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and all herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring very frequently for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through, you may need to add more water as you are going to stop the rice sticking onto the bottom depending on how thirsty your rice is.

4. When the rice is almost cooked stir the tinned beans through. When the rice is fully cooked serve.

Serves 4.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

I've submitted this recipe to the Vegan Virtual Linky Potluck - click here to see the other entries.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Here is a slightly unusual dessert for those of us not from the US of A. Candied sweet potatoes, also known as candied yams or candied sweets. This is a dish which represents traditional American cooking, and it often part of thanksgiving traditions.

It may seem an odd concept, but using sweet potato as a dessert is common in many countries. When I had Cambodian food month, we had a sweet potato and sago dessert which was delicious. These candied sweet potatoes are simple to prepare, make for a very affordable dessert and will surely be novel and surprising to any guests you serve them up to.

Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes (or 3 large)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest

To Make
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, and arrange in a baking dish.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and place over a medium heat and heat through.
4. Pour over the sweet potatoes and cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes, taking it out and stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the foil and lower the oven heat to about 160. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
6. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving bowl and spoon the syrupy sauce over them. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Vegan Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

As soon as Southern USA was requested by a reader to be my featured cuisine for a month, I immediately knew I had a prime excuse to make pecan pie! I love pecans, but sadly they're so expensive that I don't get to use them very often in my cooking. But now I had an excuse - so I went out and loaded up on expensive delicious pecans! Nuts are also very festive, so pecan pie is a perfect Christmas dessert.

This pecan pie is a bit of an "adult" version - laden with rich sticky molasses instead of sweeter alternatives such as maple syrup. I did this because I love molasses and because blackstrap molasses is so good for you that I can almost convince myself that it's something healthy! 

The perfect accompaniment is this light pumpkin whipped cream. Made from whipped coconut cream and flavoured with pumpkin and Christmas spices. Santa will surely remember you favourably next year if you leave him out a slice of this pecan pie tonight!

Pecan & Molasses Pie

Ingredients
Crust:
100g plain biscuits
10 dates, soaked
1/4 cup date soaking water
2 cups almond meal
1 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Filling:
250g raw pecans
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
2 tbsp arrowroot
1/2 cup soy milk
3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

To Make
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place the biscuits in a food processor and blend until reduced to crumbs. Remove and set aside.
3. Place the dates in the processor and puree until they form a smooth paste. You can add some of the soaking water in to help the process. Add the almond meal, flaxseed meal, cinnamon and biscuit crumbs and pulse a few times to combine. Then add the 1/4 cup of date soaking water and process until it comes together.
4. Grease a 22cm springform cake pan (or pie dish if you prefer) well and line the bottom with baking paper. Press the crust mixture into the sides and bottom of the pan. You don't need to go very far up the sides, as it is only a shallow pie. Even it out by pressing firmly with your fist or with the bottom of a tumbler.
5. Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside while you prepare the filling.
6. Spread the pecans out on a tray and lightly toast them in the oven - should take about 7-10 minutes (this varies, depending on how hot your oven is!).
7. Whisk together then soy milk, vanilla, salt and ground flaxseeds and set aside. Place the molasses and rice malt syrup in a small saucepan and place over a low heat, stirring often, until melted. Sprinkle the arrowroot over the top and whisk it into the hot molasses. Remove from the heat and whisk in the soy milk.
8. Transfer the pecans to a bowl and stir through the molasses mixture. Spread this over your crust and bake again for about 20 minutes. It'll be bubbling hot when you take it out of the oven, so allow it to cool completely before you add your pumpkin whipped cream (otherwise the cream will melt all over it).

Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream

Ingredients
1 can coconut cream, refrigerated for at least 24 hours
3 tbsp pureed cooked pumpkin, cold
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To Make
1. When you open the tin of coconut cream you will notice that the top is a very solid thick cream. Scoop out all of the solid thick cream on top (you can reserve the liquid to use in another meal – like a curry or a smoothie).

2. Put the thick cream into a bowl and mix well using a hand held electric mixer. Move the beaters up and down to try and get as much air into the cream as possible. Add the cold cooked pumpkin, vanilla and the spices and continue to beat until it forms a thick cream.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Succotash (American Beans and Corn)

I'm actually finding it quite challenging to fit all my Southern USA posts and my Xmas posts in at the moment, especially because I'm also busy getting everything ready for Xmas itself! But I've managed to find a few minutes to share another recipe with you from Southern USA. It's a deceptively simple one. You might look at it and think it'll be a bit ordinary, but you have to believe me when I say it is quite special. Simple - yes. Easy - yes. Healthy - yes. But also full of flavour!

Succotash

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cobs fresh corn
2 x 400g cans lima or butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeño chilli (I used preserved ones from a jar, so they are slightly milder. If you use fresh, just use half)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

To Make
1. Heat oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, or until transulcent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes (including any juices) and cumin and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Cut the corn kernels off the cob (reserve as much of the liquid that comes out if it as well). Add the corn (and any corn juices), beans, chopped jalapeño and vegetable stock.
4. Simmer, covered for about 10 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Serves 4

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA.
Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Vegan Chili Pone (Texas Chili Con Carne Casserole with Cornbread)

This month is Southern USA month, and I feel like it wouldn't be complete without a shoutout to the American phenomenon of "chili". Because I'm focusing on Southern USA, of course I'm talking this time about "Texas Chili". This is a dish which presents a challenge to non meat eaters. Why? Because Texans are adamant that Chili should not contain beans (more is the pity!). I'm also allergic to capsicum which means that is out for me as well. So if I remove the meat and capsicum from my Chili and I'm not allowed to put beans in - what am I left with?? Tomatoes, onions and chilli. Not really enough to work with.

So I decided to substitute the meat with bulghur, which has a similar chewy 'minced' sort of texture. It doesn't taste like beef of course, but I put in a bit of beef stock (no animal content) to try and beef it up a bit. Excuse the pun. Since it was a pretty simple Chili, I decided to make it into a 'Chili Pone' (I'm not sure how that is pronounced - is it pone to rhyme with cone?). I'd never heard of this before, but it was suggested to me by a reader when I started featuring Southern USA food. Chili Pone is a casserole of Chili topped with cornbread, which sounded right up my alley because I love cornbread!

I've made cornbread for this blog before, my Razlevjak (Bosnian Cornbread).But I'm always happy for an excuse to experiment with cornbread! A few things I should point out about it - firstly, American cornbread it made with cornmeal. Cornmeal is slightly finer ground than polenta and slightly coarser than maize flour (not to be confused with cornflour/cornstarch which is the white powder used for thickening). As far as I'm aware I've never seen this cornmeal as defined this way in stores in Australia. I have access to maize flour, corn starch and polenta. So, I used polenta because I didn't have any cornmeal and because I love the textured corny taste that polenta gives to cornbread.

Secondly, I was told adamantly by an American that Southern cornbread is unsweetened, so despite the fact that most of the Southern Cornbread recipes I found on the internet involved adding sugar, I left out the sugar.

The result? The cornbread casserole idea is genius and I'm going to make so many more casseroles with cornbread on top now! The Chili turned out delicious, although, I have to say would have been even better with some beans in it :)

Southern USA Chili Pone

Ingredients

Bulghur Chili
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 jalapeño chilli, fresh or preserved
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp smoky paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup bulghur
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 cup strong beef stock (use a vegetable based stock powder such as Massel)
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste

Cornbread
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 cup flour
1 cup polenta
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water

To Make:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and sauté a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the dry spices and cook for another 30 seconds then add the bulghur and stir to coat with the spice mix.
4. Add the tomatoes, oregano, beef stock, soy sauce and tomato paste. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
5. To make the cornbread: combine the soy milk, apple cider vinegar and ground flaxseeds. Whisk together and set aside for about 5 minutes to curdle and thicken.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir well. Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the soy milk. oil and water. Mix well until it forms a smooth batter.
7. Once the Chili is cooked, remove from heat and transfer to a medium sized casserole dish. Spoon the cornbread batter over the top of the Chili. It doesn't have to be too neat, as the cornbread will expand and rise to create an even covering as it cooks.
8. Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is crisp and golden. Serve.

This dish can also be made in advance and reheated in the oven. It is important, however, to always reheat the dish (and the leftovers) in the oven, otherwise the cornbread will go soggy!

Serves 4-6.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Southern USA month is a great excuse to make cobbler, which is a dessert that we don't make often enough! There are plenty of different fruits commonly used in cobbler, but I thought I'd go with a classic peach cobbler, jazzed up with a splash of bourbon. It was great to have an excuse to use up the bourbon that I had sitting in my booze cupboard (yes, I have a whole cupboard dedicated to booze) which I bought to make Rainbow Banana Pancakes with Bourbon Syrup. I don't have much else to use bourbon for, so the bottle has been sitting there ever since. Now, thanks to this juicy cobbler, I have one less bottle in my booze cupboard!

Ingredients
2 kg peaches
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tbsp flour

Topping
2/3 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 cup castor sugar
7 tbsp non dairy margarine
1 tbsp bourbon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup flaked almonds (optional)

To Make
1. Wash the peaches, remove the stones and slice roughly. Place in a bowl and add the bourbon. Stir through and set aside to macerate for an hour or so.
2. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
3. Whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb and sugar. Cut the margarine into the mix and mix with an electric hand mixer until it forms a crumbly consistency.
5. Add the bourbon and cinnamon to the thickened soy milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Add 1-2 tbsp flour to the peaches and stir through. Layer the peaches in a large baking dish and spoon dollops of the batter on top. You don't have to smooth it out, the batter will expand and come together as it bakes, giving you a cobbled texture.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top. Switch your oven to the "top"/grill setting and cook the cobbler for an extra 1-3 mintutes, or until the almonds are slightly browned. Keep your eye on this the whole time, as flaked almonds burn really easily! As you can see from my picture, I took my eye off mine for a second and they overcooked slightly. It's a fine line!

Serve warm, you can add ice cream or whipped cream if you like.
Serves 6.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Mint Julep

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce

Mint Julep for Southern USA Month

Quite exciting news - December is here! That means summer has arrived, Xmas is close and another year is almost over. I love December. But there is another exciting thing happening this December - Southern USA Food Month. Requested by a reader, initially I was surprised to have the US suggested. Not that I have anything against the US, it's just that most of what the rest of the world sees of US food is cheeseburgers, ribs and fast food in general. Not really my cup of tea. But, he went on to specify - not just anywhere in the US, he wanted Southern USA food. 

It's a good thing that he specified because it seemed to me that once I started looking I found all sorts of region specific food. USA is a BIG country so I would never be able to do justice to all the regional foods. So, for those of us who don't live in the USA (yes, I had to google this) - what exactly does Southern USA encompass? 

This is just a map I got from google images, not sure why PR is on there.

There are a few different definitions of which states make up Southern USA (or I should really say - South Eastern USA). Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. That's what I'm going with this month, although I won't have time to showcase cuisine from each state.

As the majority of my readers are from the USA, I'd love you to offer up some suggestions as to what I should cook. My initial reading has yielded some great ideas that I will be giving a try, and I was very pleased to find reference to several classic Southern USA cocktails. I'm always keen for an excuse to try out a new cocktail, so I noted them down to try. The easiest one was a Mint Julep, apparently popular particularly in Kentucky, where they use spearmint. 

I recalled reference to a mint julep in one of my old cocktail books, so I dug it out and had a look. It's pretty straightforward. Smashed mint with sugar, bourbon and crushed ice. I made up the first one according to my cocktail book. But I was underwhelmed, in fact it felt like drinking straight bourbon on ice. More mint needed! So I went back and changed it around quite a bit - I don't know if that means it's no longer authentic, so I apologise if any American Cocktail fanatics take umbrage at my changes!

Ingredients

1/2 bunch fresh mint

3 tbsp castor sugar

2 tbsp water

4 measures bourbon

Crushed Ice (Note: crushed ice can be hard to come by if you don't have an ice crusher or snow cone maker. I don't have either. You can put some ice in a ziplock bag, cover with a tea towel and smash it up with a sturdy rolling pin or meat tenderiser).

To Make

1. Tear up the mint and put in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the sugar and the water. Smash the mint into the sugar. I use the end of a large wooden spoon for this, but I believe bartenders have a specific tool for this sort of ingredient-smashing. Use whatever you like, just make sure the mint is well smashed up. It should form a bit of a pulpy paste with the sugar and water.

2. Add the bourbon, put the lid on and shake. 

3. Fill 2 glasses (or a pewter cup, which is what a mint julep is traditionally served in) with crushed ice and pour the whiskey evenly between them. Drink immediately.

Serves 2.

This month I'm featuring lots of delicious food from Southern USA!

Check out my other recipe posts:

Peach and Bourbon Cobbler

Vegan Chili Pone (Chili Cornbread Casserole)

Succotash

Pecan & Molasses Pie with Spiced Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mushroom and Bean Jambalaya

Vegan "Fried Chicken" and Waffles

Home Made Smoky BBQ Sauce