Sweet Cornbread

When I finally got around to seasoning the cast iron skillet that we bought years ago, I started looking for opportunities to use it. My first experiment was this sweet cornbread recipe from allrecipies.com. I have since cooked several batches and have tweaked the original just a little.



Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. As indicated above, I used a cast iron skillet. Freshly seasoned, there was no need for greasing it, but after a few uses, a thin coat of shortening on the pan helped avoid sticking.

Put all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and then mix them together fully. I like to leave a little volcano crater in the middle as a place to pour the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and beat until smooth ( I used an electric mixer). Pour the batter into the skillet and then bake for 15-18 minutes. Take it out of the oven once the edges start to brown and pull away from the side of the skillet. Check with a knife or toothpick to make sure that it is fully cooked in the center. Let cool, then cut.

I tried this recipe with regular milk, with a couple of tablespoons of butter, and with buttermilk. The buttermilk version was definitely the most moist, and I think the best. If you like your cornbread crumbly, stick with regular milk.

I'm thinking of adding some jalapeño next time for a sweet and spicy batch.

Vegetable Pasties

Medina and I had our first pasties while walking on King's Road in London during our honeymoon. Ever since then I've been craving the authentic working-man's British street food. Tonight, I succeeded in recreating them. I started with this recipe from allrecipies.com, and modified it to suit our tastes.



Ingredients
Dough:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups cold water

Veggie filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons water
1 cube vegetable bouillon
salt and pepper, old bay seasoning to taste
1 egg, beaten

The first step is to put the dough together. Lacking whole wheat flour, I just went with regular unbleached white flour. Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the shortening in until the mixture reaches a crumby consistency, then mix the water in until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. I started with an electric mixer, but ended up using my hands to get the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into eight roughly equal pieces and roll those pieces into a ball, cover, and set aside.

Next, cut up your vegetables. Chop the onions and garlic first and put them into a large heavy skillet with the olive oil to begin them sautéing. Chop the potatoes, sweet potato, and carrots into small, roughly equal pieces to ensure even cooking. Once the onions are translucent, add the other vegetables, water, and veggie bouillon to the skillet. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste. Cook the veggies until they are soft enough for your liking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough balls out into 6-8 inch circles and place a little less than a cup of the veggie mixture in the middle. Fold the dough over in half and pinch the edges together. Place the pasties on a baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Mac & Cheese w/ spinach, red onion, and Italian sausage

Got this recipe from the October 2011 edition of Everyday Food. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium. Add 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced (or diced), and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Add 4 cups macaroni & cheese (recipe below) to skillet, gently stirring to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups), and cook until spinach begins to wilt, 4 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.

Note: I used all of the macaroni & cheese, not just 4 cups.

Three-cheese Macaroni

Coarse salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
8 ounces white cheddar, shredded (3 cups)
4 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In separate pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minutes.
3. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk. Cook, whisking along bottom of pot, until boiling, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon butter, mustard, Old Bay, and cheeses. Stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth; season with salt. Pour sauce over macaroni and stir to combine.

Cheese Grits Casserole

Last night I decided to put a pork roast in the crock pot. I turned the crock pot on at 11:30 and let it cook on low until I woke up this morning - around 8:30. When I woke this morning the smell was intoxicating and I couldn't resist trying a bite. The meat was so tender. Roast makes a good breakfast, right? I made a cheese grits casserole to accompany the roast. Oh man, it was so good!




Boil 4 cups of water w/ 1 tsp salt
Add 1 cup grits and cook for 20-25 minutes (less time if you're using quick grits)
Lightly beat 4 eggs and stir into grits
Add 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
Stir in a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Pour into a sprayed 2 qt dish
Sprinkle with paprika
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is puffed and lightly brown and firm
Spoon cheese grits onto a plate and top with tender pork roast & 1 tsp a jus
Declare the wonders of roast & cheese grits