Vegan Holiday: Ninja Skillet Cornbread

Oh dear; it's almost Christmas and I have so many holiday-worthy recipes to post!  We are very busy here in the Fur Ninja house - almost have all of our shopping done and presents wrapped, tree decorated and lots of homemade Christmas decorations up around the place.  I'm hopefully starting the cookie baking today.  Here is a recipe that I made as part of a cornbread stuffing recipe (that one soon to follow) but is also a delicious addition to your holiday table as-is.  I don't like to toot my own horn, but this is THE BEST cornbread I have ever eaten, vegan or otherwise.  You will need a cast-iron skillet in order to make this recipe turn out perfectly, and if you don't have one I recommend that you purchase one.  Cast iron is simply the best, not just for cornbread, but also for making other fried things nice and crispy without anything burning or sticking.  I got my cast iron skillet for about 10 bucks from Target, so they are very affordable too.  If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can make this in a 9x9 square pan by mixing the melted butter in with the wet ingredients, and then putting the fully mixed batter into the pan and baking as directed.  However, the cast iron skillet gives a wonderful, browned crust to the outside of the cornbread while keeping the inside nice and moist.  This not-too-sweet and easy to make bread is perfect for any holiday or just an every day meal.

Ninja Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup non-dairy butter


Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  Combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup or small bowl and allow to sit for a minute to curdle.  Mix together the curdled non-dairy milk and applesauce in a small bowl.  Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  A few lumps are okay.
Melt the non-dairy butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over low heat.  Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat and pour the batter into the hot butter.  Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently scrape at the batter until it is mostly incorporated with the melted butter.  A little bit of melted butter on top or around the sides is okay.
Place the whole skillet in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Serve this cornbread right away while it's still warm, or use it in my cornbread stuffing recipe (coming soon!)  I hope you love it as much as we did.  I will definitely be making more of this for our Christmas dinner!

More recipes very soon; until then, enjoy your holiday preparations and be sure to take some time out amid all the hustle and bustle for good food and those you love.

Love,

The Fur Ninja <3