It is hard to believe that we are already coming to the end of 2022, but the calendar doesn't lie, and here we are—celebrating the holidays, traveling to visit with family, and trying to navigate some pretty impressive swings in the weather and outside temperatures! This time of year is also a golden opportunity to celebrate the incredible versatility of plant-based cuisine, exploring new flavors, experimenting with new recipes, and of course, enjoying our tried-and-true favorites! My hope with this newsletter is to provide a regular venue for sharing recipes, a few helpful tips, and a convenient place for us all to learn and grow together in our plant-based journeys. Each issue will be published on my website and archived for you to find throughout the year, whenever the need for inspiration strikes!
With that in mind, I have a couple of exciting recipes to share with you—I hope you enjoy!
First, plant-based sausage is HERE. As a non-sausage person, I have been testing a new recipe for whole foods, plant-based sausage, and I LOVE it! With just a few tweaks on the spices we have arrived at a version that everyone in our family loves, and it’s so quick and easy! The original recipe is the Spicy Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties from Shane & Simple.
• 2 tsp paprika (I used 1/4 teaspoon) • 2 tsp oregano (I used 1½ teaspoons) • 1 tsp ground sage (I used a scant teaspoon) • 1 tsp ground fennel (I omitted the fennel) • 1 tsp dried thyme (I used ½ teaspoon) • 1 tsp cumin (I used ½ teaspoon) • ½ tsp salt (I omitted the salt because I used Better than Bullion to make the veggie stock) • ¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper (I omitted the cayenne)
The recipe also called for liquid smoke, which I chose to leave out altogether. Whether you’d like to make these same modifications or not, I think you’ll be pleased with this plant-based sausage recipe, and perhaps it will be a great addition to your traditional holiday feasts!
Next up, GINGERBREAD. This recipe was originally designed to make small gingerbread cookies, and that recipe can be found in Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook, on page 273. With a couple of modifications, however, we found that by doubling the measurements and pouring the batter into a round cake pan we could make DELICIOUS, spicy-sweet gingerbread!
Here we go:
Ingredients
2 cup + 4 TBSP flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 TBSP ground ginger ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 cup maple syrup ¼ cup molasses 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a round baking pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with a trimmed sheet of parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the applesauce, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, tapping and shaking the pan lightly to evenly distribute the batter.
Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or almost clean. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Slice and enjoy!
B-12 is one of those crucially important nutrients that we all need to be mindful of, and hopefully this article can answer any questions you have!
I'll wrap it up there, and I hope you all have a wonderful New Year! I will see you all again in 2023 and look forward to bringing you another issue of the newsletter in the near future with more recipes and tips! Here's to a fantastic and blessed 2023!