Whole­ Grain Cornbread

This picture shows how moist Whole Grain Cornbread 

is with the cheese, corn kernels, and jalapeño.

Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

12 square servings

It’s getting cooler here in Hoosier-land and that, for me, means I’m thinking of soups, stews and breads to go with.  We sure do love Me Me’s Cornbread, but only have it a couple of times of year because we consider it a decadent treat because it’s made with bacon grease and butter!  We also love gluten-free Double Corn, Quinoa & CheddarMuffins.  I wanted to try a cornbread recipe using whole-wheat flour.  I will say that it takes a bit longer to prepare than usual cornbread recipes, but we found it to be moist and flavorful and definitely worth the extra effort.

• ⅔ cup plus 1 Tablespoon whole­-wheat flour, divided
• ½ cup whole grain cornmeal, preferably organic (Arrowhead Mills, Bob’s Red Mill or a local brand)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup fresh sweet corn kernels or frozen sweet corn
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (This is totally optional.  I added it because I was cleaning out my fridge.)
• ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk or skim milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk.)
• 1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup or local honey
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• ½ cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (I tried one batch with pepper cheese and another with cheddar.)
• Oil spray (for preparing pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour together with cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

In a small pan over medium heat melt the butter. Whisk in 1 Tablespoon whole-wheat flour and keep whisking until it begins to brown. Add the corn kernels and, if using frozen corn, let thaw in pan for a minute. Pour in heavy cream or buttermilk and whisk entire mixture together until it thickens a bit. Mix in 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup and remove from heat.

Add creamed corn mixture from the pan, the eggs, the sour cream (or yogurt) and grated cheese to the dry flour mixture. Blend this together well without over mixing.

Pour batter into an 8-inch square pan** that has been sprayed with a bit of oil.

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the cornbread to cool a bit before cutting into squares.

**A reviewer on the original recipe site mentioned doubling the recipe ingredients and baking in a 8”X12” baking pan, but I’ve not tested that.  It sounds like a good idea to me J

 

Whole Grain Cornbread along side a simple salad.

Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip

Recipe by Becky Hardin of The Cookie Rookie

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yields 8 servings

We were invited to attend a double birthday party where everyone was to bring an appetizer.  It was the height of the summer season and so there was a lot of lovely produce to choose from.  At the party, the appetizer buffet was filled with wonderful dishes featuring blueberries, eggplant, tomatoes, blackberries, peaches, etc. I chose to make this yummy dip using sweet corn.  It got rave reviews.  This dish can be prepared a day in advance and then popped in the oven for a short time just before the guests arrive.  The sour cream and cheeses help to tame the heat of this dish.  We all thought it had just the right amount.

16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons hot sauce (or your favorite wing sauce)

Juice from one lime (about 2 Tablespoons)

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided

2 fresh sweet corn kernels

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (leave the seeds in for extra spice, or remove the seeds for a milder flavor)

2 Tablespoons red onion, chopped

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 1½-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a high-powered blender, combine cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce, lime juice, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Blend until fully combined.  (Because the mixture is quite thick at this point, you may need to stop the blender and stir the mixture several times.)

Scoop the cream cheese mixture into a large bowl and add the remaining one-cup cheese, the corn, feta, pepper, onion, and cilantro. Stir to combine.

Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Garnish with more cilantro, feta, lime slices and/or hot sauce, if desired.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

Recipe from Barbara Lauterbach, Cooking Light and Southern Living

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 4 servings

This tasty and colorful salad gets a spicy kick from its buttermilk dressing which includes chili powder and cayenne.  What a great meal for a picnic or the lunch box!

1 cup uncooked orzo (I used whole-wheat orzo.)

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used 3 very small tomatoes, large dice.)

3 green onions, sliced

1 cucumber, large dice (This is optional, but it’s summer and I had an abundance of cukes.)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used cooked dried black beans that I had made in the slow cooker.)

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons light sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt.)

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne pepper)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (Optional)

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse; drain well. Place orzo, corn, and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss.

Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture; toss. Top with avocado; garnish with remaining cilantro and parsley.

Nutritional Information: (serving size: 1 3/4 cups orzo mixture, 2 avocado wedges, 3/4 teaspoon cilantro, and 3/4 teaspoon parsley) Calories 424; Fat 15.3 g; Saturated fat 2.3 g; Mono fat 8.4 g; Poly fat 2.7 g; Protein 12.7 g; Carbohydrate 63.8 g; Fiber 10.1 g; Cholesterol 6 mg; Iron 1.8 mg; Sodium 607 mg; Calcium 80 mg

Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives

Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives 

served along side Simple Turkey Meatloaf 

and Spicy Gingered Asian Slaw

Recipe from The Food You Crave

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Here are some home-style potatoes with a nice tang of just a bit of sour cream. They’re a bit more healthful than regular mashed potatoes because the skin is left on the potatoes, and in place of butter, flavorful broth is used.

1 ¼ lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 medium), left unpeeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

¼ cup** vegetable or chicken broth, warmed (I used Homemade Vegetable Broth.)

¼ cup sour cream

1 ½ Tablespoons chopped fresh chives (you could substitute scallions)

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a steamer basket fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover and steam until the potatoes are knife-tender, 12 -15 minutes.  (You can also just boil the potatoes until tender.)

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.  Add the warm broth and coarsely mash.  Stir in the sour cream and chives (or scallions), season with salt and pepper and serve.  **If the potatoes seem stiff, add more warm broth.

Nutritional information for ¾ cup serving:  130 calories; 2 grams fat; 4 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2.5 fiber; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 22 milligrams sodium