Cajun Cornbread Casserole

The vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon is giving Well readers a sneak peek at her new cookbook, “Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes.” This delicious and spicy cornbread-topped casserole is a complete meal, with grains, beans and vegetables all in one dish. Serve with hot sauce on the table.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (commercial blend, or make your own)
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons raw sugar (optional)
• ¾ cup nondairy milk
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    314 calories; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 566 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or casserole dish.
2. Drain tomato juices into a skillet, and chop tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set chopped tomatoes aside to use in Step 5.
3. Add water as necessary until a thin layer of liquid covers the skillet.
4. Sauté onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper over high heat until onion is translucent, bell pepper slices are tender and all of the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
5. Turn off heat, and mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning, chopped tomatoes and kidney beans, stirring to combine. Set aside.
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk cornmeal, baking powder, salt and, if desired, additional Cajun Seasoning (several dashes, so the mix looks speckled when stirred). You can also add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar if you like a sweet cornbread topping. Then stir in nondairy milk and applesauce. It should be thick but spreadable, like hummus, and not dry.
7. Pour bean mixture into your baking dish, and pat down firmly with a spatula. Spread cornbread mixture on top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cornbread is a deep golden, cracked and firm to the touch. Allow to set out for 15 minutes before serving.

1 hour 15 minutes