Yep, you read that title right. I am known for all manner of Chex Mix. Some leftover okra chips after our Christmas Cheer Open House inspired this particular recipe. I gave it away as a couple of New Year’s gifts, but not before sampling a gracious plenty of it. Mmmm!

All of the ingredients are inspired by a bowl of gumbo: rice Chex for the rice, of course, Cheerios for the wheat that goes into French bread; Bugels for the corn as a nod in the direction of those that prefer cornbread with their gumbo; celery seed, crispy fried onions, and crispy fry bell pepper for the mirepoix; and fennel to suggest the sausage, Chesapeake Bay seasoning to suggest the seafood, and poultry seasoning to suggest the chicken that various folks prefer in their gumbo. Tomato paste and faux chicken bouillon, of course, represent the broth, along with Cajun seasoning and gumbo filet (ground sassafras). And I added pecans because they are just so darn Southern.

Feel free to play around with the spices, but I love it like it is. It’s a little on the salty side, so knock back a Sazerac while you enjoy a handful …or five.

Cajun Gumbo Chex Mix

1 cup butter
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
3 tablespoons gumbo filet
7 cups Rice Chex
7 cups Cheerios
7.5 ounces bugles
2 cups pecan halves
4.5 oz Okra Chips (I use Farmers
Market brand from Harris Teeter)
6 ounces French’s Crispy Fried Onions, Caramelized
5 ounces French’s Red Pepper Crunchy Toppers

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in large roasting pan. Whisk in next 6 ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients. Roast for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely before packaging in air tight containers.

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If, after Thanksgiving and Christmas–or whatever winter holidays you celebrate–you can’t look another Brussels sprout in the face, you might want to try this tasty redux.

To make this quick and very light lunch or appetizer, I simply processed together about a half cup each roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted cauliflower, 2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon fig infused balsamic vinegar, a tiny bit of onion powder, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

To serve, I swirled it on a plate and topped it with a couple tablespoons each dried cranberries and pistachios, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, sea salt and a few sprouts.

It was delicious and satisfying on cucumber slices. And it looked festive without looking like a rehash of holiday meals and hors d’oeuvres.

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Yesterday, on Facebook, I posted all of the pretty pictures of the food from our 4th annual Christmas Cheer Open House. But what I didn’t share was my sweet potato bruschetta fiasco.

Depicted is what I intended to serve, which I prepared for myself this evening as a snack with a glass of Pinot Grigio. It was as delicious and pretty as I had hoped it would be. Darn it.

I had baked about five glorious foil-wrapped sweet potatoes in the oven on Tuesday in preparation for our open house yesterday. But then I forgot about them and let them sit overnight.

Research indicated that after 2 hours, I could reheat them to 160 degrees and kill any bacteria that might have grown, but after that, there could be a concentration that would not be killed by the heat and would be toxic.

Over the fence I tossed them and I had to create a new appetizer, which thankfully proved to be a hit.. (I will share it in another post.) Later, we saw a squirrel eating a piece of one of them on the fence, so all was not lost.

If you would like to try this stupid-simple appetizer, all I did was slice warm baked sweet potatoes and top with a dab of plant-based cream cheese, a toasted pecan half, sprouts, fresh thyme, a tiny drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Out of this world and so nutritious!

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I am excited to share this recipe with you because, in vegan baking, the basics–like Blondies–just have to be just right. And I have experimented endlessly to dave you the trouble.

As an egg replacement, I highly recommend Neat Egg, a new product to me, which I found at Kroger.

3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark
1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 vegan egg substitute (I like Neat Egg)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or chunks
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease and flour a 5 by 9″ loaf pan. Place all the ingredients in a medium to large mixing bowl and whisk until a thick batter forms. Fold in chips or chunks and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly to fill, but avoid packing down. Bake until light brown around edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 23 minutes. Avoid over-baking. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, invert onto a rack, and cool completely. To serve, cut into squares or rectangles with a serrated knife.

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Yield: 2 to 3 servings

My secrets (and recipe) for PERFECT Vegan Cauliflower Puree–better than mashed potatoes! Rave reviews at last night’s Starlight Supper Club…

1) cook only until tender; avoid overcooking
2) after cooking, even if you steam the cauliflower in a bag, drain it well on paper towels
3) for 12 oz raw cauliflower, use 1 tablespoon vegan butter and 1 tablespoon vegan cream cheese; don’t omit the cream cheese!
4) fold in the zest of one quarter or more I have a large lemon–this is a game-changer!

12 ounces raw cauliflower florets (I used the steam-in-bag microwave variety)
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 tablespoon vegan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one quarter or more of a large lemon to taste
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary sizzled in 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter

Cook cauliflower just until tender, drain if necessary, and drain again on paper towels. Break up any large florets and process with vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat if necessary and fold in zest just before serving. Drizzle with optional rosemary butter.

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This is about the most festive–and tastiest, not to mention easiest–candy going!   Peppermint Fudge is so nice to have on hand in the fridge when friends and family stop by.  And it looks so beautiful on the fanciest of tables.  But, once the mixture is chilled, I’m guessing–though I’ve not tried it yet–you could roll the mixture in little balls and then into very finely crushed peppermint for an even more formal truffle.

What I have done when I was in a rush is add just a drop of peppermint extract to the chocolate mixture, forgo the peppermint topping and stand some peppermints up in a pretty glass next to the platter of fudge.

This year, I went to three stores and could not find those “chalky”  peppermint sticks (not the slick ones), but I needed to run into the Dollar Tree for a few things and there they were at the checkout.  So, if you have a Dollar Tree in your area, check there.

Cut the pieces small, this is some very rich fudge!  The secret?  (Vegan) coconut cream (available with cocktail mixers in the grocery store) replaces non-vegan condensed milk!  And I use a mixture of both melted vegan chocolate and cocoa.  Yowza!