Parmesan Cornbread Mini Biscuits for SRC

Hi Friends! I know its been a while! I do have some cool things to share with you, but I am just trying to get motivated this new year to start sharing with you again. I just haven't been feeling that inspired... I think that's why I procrastinated so much this month before even looking at my assignment for SRC (which by the way, I had two months to work on, but no, I baked and blogged the night before it was due). I am now so sad that I procrastinated to much - the blog I was assigned is AWESOME!!! I was assigned the blog Mangia this month. It is a great blog written by a beautiful gal named Chelsy. Check out her blog - I'll still be here when you get back! I've flagged a couple more recipes to try from her blog this coming weekend because everything just looked so mouthwatering.

I decided to make Chelsy's Black Pepper Cornbread Biscuits (with a couple of my own twists!) and man were they delicious! Even hubby who swears he doesn't like anything with cornmeal loved them! If you click the link above you can find Chelsy's original recipe - its gluten free, so for any of you who like to cook/ bake gluten free or for those of you that must, do have a look! Otherwise, my non-gluten free take on the recipe can be found below.

Parmesan Cornbread Mini Biscuits
Recipe adapted from Mangia

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp prosciutto and chipotle sea salt (or regular is fine too!)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2-3 tbsp. finely grated parmesan

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (except parmesan). In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, water, eggs and honey. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until ingredients come together and are just moistened. Add a bit more water if necessary to get a muffin batter-like consistency.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each mini muffin with a bit of parmesan. Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes or until just set and golden on the sides and bottom. Let cool slightly then enjoy on their own or with a bit of butter!

These little guys would be delicious with chili or stew - awesome for dipping! Or just delicious for a little afternoon snack. Either way, do try them out - they come together in under half an hour and make the house smell great! Thanks Chelsy for an awesome recipe - I look forward to trying several more. :)

 



BBD #36 - Corn Jalepeno Lava Bread

Well - this is my first time participating in Bread Baking Day! It is a monthly event where people who are passionate about baking bread make bread that falls within a specific theme. Participant entries are rounded up on the first of each month and posted on the host's blog. This month the theme was "Corny Bread" hosted by Girlichef .

I didn't want to just make corn bread (although I love cornbread), so I settled for making Corn Jalepeno Lava Bread. I found the recipe on CookingBread.Com. I had never seen that website before, but it really is a great resource for people who like to bake bread or people who would like to learn or improve their skills. There are so many great recipes with step-by-step instructions and photos! Do check it out when you have a minute.

This bread was a bit time consuming to make - you make a mixture the night before and leave it sit overnight, then there are two 2 hour rises and another 1/2 hour rise prior to baking for 35 minutes. So definitely do this on a day when you have all day! But I promise - its worth it! The bread is absolutely delicious - so tender and flavourful and don't forget cheesey. And don't cut back on the jalepeno - it sounds like a lot, but trust me, it is not spicy at all - the jalepenos must mellow out as they are baked in the oven because they add a lot of flavour, but not much heat!

Now, on to the recipe:

Corn Jalepeno Lava Bread

Recipe from CookingBread.Com

Ingredients:

The night before:

• 1 1/4 cup bread flour (I used regular all purpose)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast

The day of:

• 1 3/4 cup luke warm water
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups bread flour (I used regular all purpose flour)
• 1 cup diced, seeded jalepeno peppers
• 3/4 cup corn niblets
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded

Method:

1. The night before, combine the night before ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature 12-18 hours or overnight.
2. In the morning combine the water and cornmeal in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil then turn the heat down and simmer for five minutes. Stir frequently so mixture doesn't burn. Remove from heat and add the butter and honey. Stir until well incorporated.
3. Pour into stand mixer and let stand until cooled to 110F. Once cooled, add the night before mixture, yeast and one cup of flour. Mix on low speed until well blended.
4. Add the salt, 3/4 cup of the jalepenos and 1/2 cup of corn. Mix til blended.
5. Start to add the flour slowly. The dough needs to be sticky, so don't add too much. While mixing on low speed, you want the dough to stick to the bottom of the bowl, but not the sides. Continue to knead on low spead for 8 minutes more. Afterwards, leave in bowl and spray with oil spray.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in bulk.
7. Using a wooden spoon, punch down dough, then cover with plastic wrap again and leave to rise for another 1-2 hours or until doubled in bulk. After second rise, sprinkle good amount of flour on counter (remember, dough is sticky). Take the cheese and mix in remaining jalepenos and corn. Put the dough onto floured surface and sprinkle more flour on top. Using your hands, lightly press the dough into a 12x12 square. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the dough. Roll the dough as you would if you were making cinnamon buns - you should have a nice log shaped loaf. Pinch the seam and ends closed.
8. Take a large tea towel and sprinkle it generously down the middle with flour. Place the dough on the floured tea towel and sprinkle more flour on top. Wrap the dough with the tea towel and leave on the counter to rise for another half an hour.
9. Before you cut the dough, preheat the oven to 425F. When oven is ready, cut the dough into 4 even pieces. Spread open the tops so the cheese is exposed. Place onto parchment lined baking tray with cheese side up. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

What great bread! I have never made bread with cornmeal before, and this was delicious! I love that there was cornmeal and whole corn in the recipe. :) This is a bit labour intensive, but sure is worth the effort. Such a unique bread and something you could mix up the flavours in over and over again. I bet some chipotle peppers would be delicious in this recipe too... the possibilities are endless. I will be making this one again!

Happy Baking my Friends! Enjoy. :)

Picadillo Pot Pie

I love trying new recipes as you may have guessed if you follow my blog and I get sick of eating the same food all the time. I also love ethnic food and I was really excited when I came across this recipe for Picadillo Pot Pie - a classic dish with a South American twist! This is a great way to use up ground meat that you may have kicking around your freezer or for a vegetarian option, substitute a can of black beans. Serve this with a yummy salad drizzled with olive oil and lime juice and sprinkled with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and you're set.

Don't try making this on a week night after work though because it is a little time consuming to make and the last thing you want to be doing after work is spending hours in the kitchen (unless of course you're me)! You can also take the meat mixture and wrap it in calzone dough and bake it that way if you feel so inclined. Making the dish this way would be remniscent of South American empanadas. Whatever way you decide to make this yummy dish, you will enjoy the spice and new flavours it brings to your table.

Picadillo Pot Pie

Recipe adapted from the Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red or yelow bell pepper, chopped (I omitted this, though it would be delicious)
• 1 lb lean ground beef (or lamb, turkey, or chicken)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed dried red chili pepper or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 cups plain tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice or wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• one can black beans, rinsed and drained (the recipe called for a can of sliced black olives, but I wasn't too into that)
• one 341ml can sweet corn
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup stone ground cornmeal
• 3 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp utter
• 1 cup stone ground cornmeal
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

Method:

1. To make the filling, heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for 10 minutes. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until its no longer pink. Stir in the cumin, dried crushed chili, and chili powder. Add the tomato sauce, lime juice, cocoa powder, black beans, corn, raisins, and worcestershire. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then stir in the 1/4 cup of cornmeal and cook for a couple of minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sample your filling - add a little more cayenne or a bit of chili paste if you'd like it hotter. Pour fillin into a shallow casserole dish.
2. To make the topping, heat the water to a rolling boil in a saucepan, then add 1 clove garlic (minced) and butter. Use a whisk and stir constantly as you slowly pour the 1 cup of cornmeal into the boiling water. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, in a small blow, beat the egg with the baking powder. Quickly whisk this mixture into the cooked cornmeal, then fold in 1 cup of the grated cheese.
4. Pour the topping over the filling in the casserole dish, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes or until the top is set and lightly browned.
   

This recipe was a welcome change from all the meat and potatoes over the holiday season! What kind of recipes are you cooking in your home now that the holiday season is finished?

Happy Cooking my Friends!