The holidays are here again. I’m grateful, especially because my family and I will have more absolutely delightful eats, some old recipes and some we’ve yet to try. I’m still deciding on what our main entree will be. I’ve made plant based nut and mushroom loaves, a seitan brisket (see below) and a seitan stuffed roast past holidays. I’ve made each of these plant based, main entrees only once, except the nut loaf, nevertheless, I was quite happy with my results. I’ve shared images of my past vegan holiday main dishes with their recipes in prior posts.

I love that food making is such a gifted experience. I’m also pleased with the thoughtfulness of my foodie friends. We find pleasure in exploring non-traditional recipes, including for the holidays. For instance, some of us have served vegetables as our holiday main entrees, such as a roasted stuffed squash. Then of course, added complimentary sides. Recently, my family and I were out to dinner. My mom ordered a stuffed butternut squash served with a roasted delicata squash. Both the stuff and roasted squashes are great ideas for main entrees on the holiday dining table.

There are many foods that can become a holiday main dish. As noted above, I’m still deciding on what mine will be. As I’m deciding, I’ll start working on our sides. We already have part of our holiday dinner refrigerated and ready to be prepared. This is also why I love being plant based. Edible plant foods are fairly easy, if not completely simple to prep and make, versatile and delicious raw or heated. Since my beginnings in the plant based world my menu has significantly grown. The plant based journey is indeed quite intriguing.

Rather than share a traditional vegan, holiday main entree recipe in this blog, I’m including a couple of sweet treats that can be served with a festive brunch, dinner or as dessert. One of these sweet treats is my vegan bread pudding. In one of my blogs, entitled, PLAIN BREAD ENDS… CULINARY CREATIVITY BEGINS… as well as on my social media sites, you’ll see a variety of my homemade bread puddings made using Ezekiel bread ends. You’ll also find my bread pudding ingredients list either in my blog or on my Instagram page under Dana Rondel. The bread pudding in the image below has much of the same ingredients as others I’ve made. To give it a rich and delectable chocolate flavor, I added cacao powder to my liquids and chocolate chips were mixed in and sprinkled over the top. The sauce poured on the piece shown is my two ingredient custard. It’s made with vegan coconut milk yogurt and condensed coconut milk.

This next plant based selection is my Raisin Sweet Potato Cornbread Cake. My family and I recently enjoyed this bread cake as a dinner side, however, it’s also great for brunch and as dessert with a vegan honey butter or plain butter spread.

If you would like to try my Raisin Sweet Potato Cornbread Cake I’m including the recipe following. This bread cake was moist, perfectly sweet and yummy. I hope you get to make it and enjoy it with family and friends. I don’t usually measure my ingredients, because I do most of my food prep and making intuitively, so here’s my list of ingredients. Follow your intuition for measurements and enjoy the experience…

Raisin Sweet Potato Cornbread Cake

• Steamed sweet potato (mashed)
• All-purpose flour
• Corn meal (finely ground)
• Organic cane sugar
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Apple cider vinegar
• Pink salt
• Vegan butter
• Plant based milk
• Organic raisins
• Cinnamon powder
• Vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Once thoroughly mixed pour batter into an oiled or non-stick bread loaf pan. Bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you prefer to dehydrate like I sometimes will, turn oven temperature down as low as it will go and leave in oven for approximately 5 hours or more. Depending on your surroundings, elevation and other environmental factors it’s possible your bread cake might be ready in less than 5 hours. Check your bread cake every one or two hours until it is completely done inside and out.

My last list of ingredients to add to your holiday brunch or dinner spread are: a generous amount of fortuitous joy and fruitful happiness. Share with family… and with your friends… Healthy and Happy Holidays… BIG SMILE…

We have the capacity and potential to always be a blessing in our own lives, in the lives of others and in this magical and magnificent world of ours…

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