Warm And Delicious Venezuelan-Style ArepasEasy-To-Make Gluten-Free Vegan Corn Cakes

Low-fat, gluten-free arepas are delicious at any meal!

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Arepas
My friends introduced me to arepas - petite guten-free corn cakes made from pre-cooked corn flour. They are a staple in Venezuela and Colombia. I prefer the smaller, thicker, Venezuelan-style arepas that are about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. In Colombia they make them larger and thinner. They are made from a precooked corn flour called masarepa or masa al instante. I like using the white maize meal, harina de maiz blanco. If you can't find it at a local Latino grocery store, you can find it on Amazon.

Precooked white maize meal.

You won't believe how easy these are to make!

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Venezuelan-Style Arepas
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 arepas]

1 cup arepa flour (pre-cooked cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil plus some for pan

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

Mix the oil and water. Pour into the flour and mix until well combined.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Shape each ball into a disk 2 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.

Place the arepas in a heated, greased, non-stick frying pan. Place the arepas in the pan, flattening them with a spatula, and cook until slightly brown on each side, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and place on a cookie sheet or foil-lined, shallow roasting pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Serve them hot with any meal for a gluten-free bread substitute. They are great with vegan cream cheese or Earth Balance buttery spread. My favorite way to serve them is as an appetizer covered with guacamole dip.

Per arepa: 78 calories, 0.4 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 145 mg sodium.

Healthy Vegan Cornbread And Cornbread Stuffing - Perfect For Thanksgiving!

Make a loaf of cornbread 1 to 2 days before you make stuffing.

Cut cornbread into cubes and let dry for a day or two.

Grated sweet potatoes - the secret ingredient!

This Stuffing has a Secret Ingredient!

There are many variations of Thanksgiving stuffing. People add chestnuts, pecans, cranberries, sausage, even oysters; and the list goes on. I wanted to try something a little different, something healthful, something colorful, and of course, plant based!

Shredded yams or sweet potatoes make an excellent addition to this recipe, especially if you've decided not to add the sweet potato casserole to the menu this year. They add color and a sweetness that goes well with cornbread.

Not enough sweet potatoes for you? Then you definitely must try our very popular Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole. After all, you can never get too much of this sweet and healthful spud.

If you are only serving a few items, this recipe will serve 8 but if it's one of many dishes, as is typical of a Thanksgiving feast, you probably can feed 10 or 12.

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Vegan Cornbread

[serves 8, as cornbread - makes about 8 cups of cubes for stuffing]

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

3 tablespoons water

1 cup degermed cornmeal

1 cup white whole wheat or all purpose flour

1/4 cup organic cane sugar

1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus some to grease pan

1 cup soy or other non dairy milk

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Make a flax egg by mixing the ground flax seed and water. Set aside, mixing it occasionally until it gets gooey. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt.

Add oil, soy milk and flax egg and mix thoroughly.

Spread batter evenly into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean.

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan and remove.

Serve as cornbread or reserve for stuffing.

Per serving: 221.7 calories, 8.5 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 31.8 g carbohydrates and 2.6 g dietary fiber.

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Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

[serves 8 to 12]

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 tablespoon vegan buttery spread, like Earth Balance

1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, coarsely grated

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning *

2 tablespoon dried or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, (or to taste)

8 cups cubed, dried cornbread

1 cup veggie broth

* you can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground sage and 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme for the poultry seasoning.

Grease an 11x7 inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On medium heat, in a Dutch oven, sauté the onion and celery in olive oil until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add buttery spread, sweet potatoes, poultry seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper and stir until buttery spread melts and the sweet potatoes are well coated.

Gently stir in the dried cornbread cubes and slowly add the veggie broth until all of the cubes are well coated.

Pour into the baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes to brown up the top.

Per serving (8): 292.6 calories, 12.0 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.5 g protein, 41.3 g carbohydrates and 4.4 g dietary fiber.

Per serving (12): 195.0 calories, 8 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.7 g protein, 27.5 g carbohydrates and 2.9 g dietary fiber.