Southern influence

Yesterday I got up and in a frenzy busted out some sweet potato and black bean chilli. I had a cup of beans leftover after soaking them to make a version of a recent Vegetarian Times recipe for Edamame and Black Bean Sliders ... me I had tortilla to use up (nothing comes in small packages here!), that is another delicious post in the making, but I was flummoxed about what to serve it with after a rice heavy week last week and I ended up giving these cornbread muffins a crack. Awesome, if a little on the sweet side, next time I will trust my instincts and reduce the maple syrup content more than I did this time!

Cornbread (Adapted from The Kind Diet cookbook)

1/2 cup maple syrup (I used half a cup and skipped the brown rice syrup)

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 + 1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 + 1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Preheat oven 400F. You can use 9″ x 9″ baking dish, but I used 12 cup muffin tins instead.
2. Combine maple syrup, rice syrup, almond milk and oil in a bowl and mix well.
3. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix just until well combined. Stir the batter just enough to combine the ingredients. Muffins can become heavy and tough if you over-mix the batter.
5. Pour the batter in the baking dish or muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cornbread/muffins comes out clean.

And PS. I even cooked up some collard greens, waaahooo!

Brunch

Recipe for zucchini bread from here Vegan Zucchini Bread  - inspired by a birthday gift of local cafe produce from Madeline I made two loaves last night with a loaf tin borrowed from a new friend Heidi (she is in H's program, a german modernist!) It was great toasted with some Earth Balance Butter. I am writing cards of thanks and feeling lucky in this cool fall weather. I want to try and photograph something each day this week - out of the house - to get me outdoors to sense the change. I want to share it with you, as currently I have the luxury of time (and I realise it is a luxury!!). All my love xx