Apples are great any time of the year. They are full of vitamins and minerals and are just great eaten as they are. But during this chilly, or downright cold, time of year, warm apples really hit the spot. Vegan Scalloped Apples make a wonderful side dish to warm you up after a cold day.

Vegan Scalloped Apples

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon light vegetable oil or light olive oil
• 4 medium apples
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 medium orange

Directions:

1. Slice apples in half, and then into quarters. Cut out the seeds and slice quarters into thin slices.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in medium size skillet.
3. Add apples to skillet and cook until apples become golden and tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Sprinkle cornstarch over apples and stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
5. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle sugar over apples and stir.
7. Slice orange in half and squeeze the juice from each half over apples and stir until sugar is dissolved.
8. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
9. Serve while hot.

Here is a Vegan recipe for cornbread that has gotten some great reviews.   Enjoy!

Vegan Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, melted or safflower oil, plus a little more for the baking pan
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup evaporated natural cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk
• 1/2 cup silken tofu

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Oil a 13×9 inches baking pan, set aside.
3. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, set aside.
4. In blender, combine milk, tofu, and 1 tablespoon oil until smooth.
5. Stir the blended mixture into the cornmeal mixture then pour into the oiled baking pan.
6. Bake for about 20 min- until golden brown and edges start to pull away from the pan.
7. Let cool and pig out!

[Recipe Courtesy of Recipe Zaar]

What’s Christmas without a fruit cake? Fruit cakes of olden days were often a joke. But this vegan version is moist and yummy and will make a great addition to your holiday traditions.

Vegan Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Candied pineapple
• 1/2 lb Citron
• 1/4 lb Candied citron
• 1/4 lb Candied orange & lemon peel
• 1/4 lb Candied cherries
• 1 1/2 lb Raisins
• 1/2 lb Currants
• 1/2 cup Grapefruit juice
• 1/4 lb Whole mixed nuts without peanuts
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Shortening
• 1 cup White sugar
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 5 tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Almond extract
• 6 tablespoons Grapefruit juice

Directions:

1. Combine pineapple, citrons, peels, cherries, raisins & currants in a large bowl.
2. Add 1/2 cup grapefruit juice, mix very well.
3. Cover & let stand overnight.
4. The next day, add the nuts & 1/2 cup of the flour to the fruit mixture & mix well.
5. Combine the rest of the flour with the baking soda, salt & cinnamon in a separate bowl, & mix well.
6. In a third bowl, beat the shortening for 30 seconds.
7. Gradually add the sugars, creaming well as you add them.
8. Stir in the cornstarch.
9. Add the beaten shortening & sugars to the fruit.
10. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
11. Add the almond extract & the rest of the grapefruit juice, stirring well until the mixture is well combined.
12. Preheat oven to 275F.
13. Grease a 10″ square cake
14. Line with parchment paper & grease the paper.
15. Transfer the cake mixture to the cake tin and press down gently.
16. Bake for 3 hours, but check after two hours. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with some waxed paper.
17. After it is cooked, remove from the oven & place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
18. Gently remove cake from the tin & peel away the paper.
19. Let cool on wire racks till completely cooled. Wrap in waxed paper & keep in a cool place.
20. If icing the cake, layer with marzipan & then decorate as desired.

[Recipe courtesy of Recipe-search.co.uk]

This is a very simple and easy recipe. The best part is you can adjust the recipe for your family: add more veggies and less beans, use different veggies, or add different spices. Mix it up and make this recipe your own.

Vegan Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. dry navy beans
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cubes vegetable stock
• 8 cups water
• 1-2 drops of liquid smoke
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Heat soup pot over medium heat.
2. Saute celery, carrot and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent.
3. Meanwhile, rinse Navy Beans.
4. Add navy beans, vegetable stock, water and liquid somke.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 min to and hour or until beans are tender.

[Recipe courtesy of Vegweb.com]

This is an easy and simple dish that is full of nutrition. Pumpkin and carrots are full of Vitamins A & C and Folate. This dish has an Asian flavor and makes a great side dish or main dish when served with white rice. The orange and black color make it a great dish to serve in the fall, but Vegan Stir-Fried Pumpkin is great any time you can find fresh pumpkin.

Vegan Stir-Fried Pumpkin

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 cups cubed fresh pumpkin
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onions begin to brown.
2. Stir in the pumpkin, carrot, soy sauce, salt, and pepper; cook another 5 to 7 minutes, until pumpkin is tender.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

[Recipe Courtesy of Allrecipes.com]