Living in the South, I knew replacing my favorite "soul foods" would be a priority in my transitioning from Vegetarian to Vegan. You can't expect a Southern girl to give up her biscuits and cheese grits! I had to figure out a way to enjoy my Southern classics Vegan style.
One meal my husband used to adore was "Shrimp and Grits". This is a southern classic with fried, spicy shrimp served over cheesy grits with sausage. Southerners are very picky about this dish. it ranks up there with a proper sweet tea, biscuit and mac -n- cheese. This is, obviously, not Shrimp and grits. I could have bought vegan shrimp, but my husband would have (at this point, anyways) totally rejected the idea of vegan shrimp. I would never get him to try something so similar to the dish he loves using a "fake" protein. I had to take that inspiration and make a new Vegan classic dish up for my family.
First, I had this meal for brunch and I smiled all day long. This is "Vegan Soul Food!" It made me warm, sleepy and happy...all the things a good Southern meal will do to you afterwards. I just made the Biscuits to show off my Southern Girl skills. I knew we needed them if I was going to make a real southern meal! The only thing missing from this meal was my Banana Pudding Pie , Vegan fried Green Tomatoes , NC Style Pulled Jackfruit Sandwhiches , Vegan Chick'n (jackfruit) Casserole and a big glass of overly sweet iced tea in a mason jar. Hope you get the feeling of the south with this meal.
Crispy Buffalo Tempeh over Vegan Cheese Grits:
1 package of Tempeh, sliced into 1/4" strips
Olive oil
Buffalo sauce of your choice
2 cups of freshly cooked Grits (cooked according to package)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan butter
1/4 cup Vegan cheddar style shreds
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1 tsp Chia Seeds
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tempeh strips and cook until golden brown on both sides. Place strips on a paper towel to drain any extra oil.
Add butter, cheese, nutritional yeast and chia seeds to your freshly cooked grits and stir to incorporate. ( You can add more butter and cheese to taste)
Toss tempeh in buffalo sauce to coat. Place tempeh on top of grits and serve.
Vegan "Cheddar Bay Biscuits"
2 1/4 cups Bisquick ( Yes it's Vegan!!)
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Vegan cheddar style shreds
Earth Balance Vegan butter
Preheat oven to 450.
Stir Bisquick, milk, garlic powder, and cheese together until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 10 times.
Roll dough out 1/2" thick and cut with 2 1/2" cutter ( should make about 8 biscuits)
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 8- 10 mins, until golden brown.
Brush tops of biscuits with butter and serve.
I will probably add a little crumbled vegan sausage to my grits next time I try it, just for that "shrimp and grits" feel, but this definitely made my day. A southern Style classic made in under 30 mins and good enough for any Southern table. Let me know how you like the recipe.
