GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD

I love it when a gluten free recipe - or any un-traditional recipe adapted for special diets or preferences - tastes even better than the original. That is the case for the cornbread I made to compliment our black bean soup at dinner. This is one recipe where coconut flour really shines. My cornbread is usually a lot drier and crumblier, but this one is fluffy and moist and will be the cornbread I make from now on.

GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD

1 1/2 cups organic corn flour

1/3 cup organic coconut flour

1 Tbsp GMO free baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup organic coconut sugar

1 3/4 cup soured raw milk - or any milk you normally use

3 organic eggs

1/4 cup melted organic/pastured lard or butter

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, sea salt, and sugar. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted lard. Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. Pour into a greased cast iron skillet and bake for about 30 minutes.

You can find the recipe for the Black Bean Soup here.

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HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

It's been awhile since my last post on gingerbread.  Since then we've completed making and decorating the gingerbread houses.  And yes, I did manage to lay out bowls upon bowls of bright colourful candy around my toddler without him eating any of it.  (Well actually he ate one chocolate snowman because he has developed a fondness for chocolate.) That is the beauty of children, they imitate whatever adults do, so seeing as I don't eat candy, it was pretty easy to show him that the candy was just for gluing onto the gingerbread.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE ICING

4 cups organic icing sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3 organic egg whites

Method:  Sift together the icing sugar and cream of tartar.  Using an electric mixer beat in the egg whites and whisk for 7 minutes or until the icing is thick enough to hold its shape.  Can be kept refrigerated in a covered dish for 3 days.

 Holiday preparations are in full swing over here, and today we visited a local tree farm to cut down an evergreen for our Solstice/Christmas celebrations.  Growing up, this annual tradition always included coming home to chow down on hearty chili and sausage on a bun.  So, my sister came over and that is just what we did.  I make my chili differently from mom, and I make cornbread to go with it even though she never did (ah the beauty of evolution in tradition).  The addition of delicious toppings like shredded cheese, avocado, olives and cilantro are a nice touch too.

CHILI 

5 cups organic cooked kidney, pinto and black beans

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 pound organic/grass fed ground beef

2 organic green peppers, chopped

2 organic onions, chopped

3 cloves organic garlic, minced

1 Tbsp organic ginger, grated

2 tsp organic mustard seeds

1 tsp organic coriander powder

1/4 tsp organic nutmeg, grated

3 Tbsp organic chili powder

2-4 tsp sea salt

organic black pepper, ground

3/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp local honey

2 can organic chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

Toppings:  chopped avocado, green onions, shredded cheese, cilantro, green olives, sour cream

Method:  In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute beef, onion and green pepper for 3-4 minutes.  Add in garlic, ginger and spices, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, beans, honey, salt, pepper, vinegar, and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, cooking for about 30-40 minutes or until mixture is nice and thick.  Serve with toppings.

CORNBREAD

1 cup organic cornmeal, finely ground

1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp local honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic whole milk

2 organic eggs

3 Tbsp organic butter, melted

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Add wet to dry, stir.  Pout into a 9" X 9" buttered pan and bake for 25 minutes.

CORN BREAD SLOPPY JOE

     Every now and then I feel like I am stuck in a rut when it comes to the ingredients I buy to cook with.  Our freezer is chock full of frozen organic meats which is very nice and very handy, but when it comes to chicken all we have are whole chickens which can be limiting when you're in the mood for something different.  So this weekend I decided to pick up some Holdanca Farms Pastured Perfection Ground Chicken.  I have to say I think this is the first time I've ever bought ground chicken if you can believe it. 

    Flipping through my cookbooks I came across this recipe and man was it ever good.  After making it though there are a few things I'd change in addition to my interpretation of the original.  I didn't have any tomato sauce so I used half tomato salsa and pureed canned tomatoes for the other half.  I also added the spinach and carrot and omitted the green pepper because they're not in season and I didn't have any.  Since I love my own cornbread recipe so much I substituted making it from scratch rather than using a boxed corn muffin mix, while at the same time omitting the fresh corn kernels because I didn't have any of those either.  The original recipe also calls for way more cornbread, as you can see in the photo.  Scott and I both ended up cutting the bottom crust off so we could have thinner pieces and it was way better that way so the recipe I've included uses a smaller batch.  Enjoy!

 BBQ SLOPPY CHICKEN PAN PIZZA

(adapted from Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats)

1 cup organic finely ground cornmeal

1/2 cup organic unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic milk

2 organic eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp melted organic butter

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 pound ground pasture raised and/or organic chicken

3 cloves organic garlic, smashed and chopped

1 organic onion, chopped

4-5 cups organic frozen or cooked and chopped fresh spinach

1 organic carrot, shredded

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp organic chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground organic cumin powder

2 tsp hot sauce

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 cup tomato sauce or salsa

3 Tbsp local honey

10 oz shredded organic cheddar

3 Tbsp chopped organic cilantro

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flours, baking powders, sea salt and sugar.  Mix in the eggs, milk and butter.  Rub some olive oil into a large cast iron skillet, pour in batter and bake until the cornbread becomes light golden in colour 12-15 mins.

     Place a second skillet over medium high heat and the 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Add the chicken and break it up with a wooden spoon.  Once the chicken begins to brown, add the garlic, onion, spinach, carrot and season with salt and pepper, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes then add the worcestershire, tomato sauce, and honey.  Stir to combine and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer until the cornbread is ready.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.

     Remove the cornbread from the oven and cover it with the chicken, then sprinkle with the cheese.  Put the pan back into the hot oven and cook for 5-10 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top with cilantro and serve.

BLACK BEAN SOUP AND CORNBREAD

I just finished eating my soup and cornbread by the fire on this gorgeous autumn evening.  What a blessing to live where we do, healthy and safe.  

     I used up my last egg last night making a giant chocolate chip cookie - 12 inches of cookie!  So rather than making cornbread the way I usually do, I had to come up with a no egg version.  I really liked it even though it was a bit crumblier than the regular one.  The crumbs were kind of nice the way they crumbled into the soup, making it nice and thick.  

BLACK BEAN SOUP with Red Pepper and Cilantro

2 cups dry organic black beans, soaked at least 6 hours and cooked until soft

6 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 stalks organic celery, chopped

1 organic red pepper, chopped

4 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 organic jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 can organic tomatoes

2 Tbsp ground organic cumin

2 tsp organic ground coriander

1 Tbsp organic dry oregano

1 organic bay leaf

3-4 tsp sea salt or to taste

pepper

2 Tbsp organic molasses

2 Tbsp maple syrup

fresh organic cilantro

organic sour cream

Method:  Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until they soften.  Add the jalapeno, red pepper, garlic and spices and saute another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, stock, beans, salt, molasses, maple syrup and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.  At this point, puree some or all of the soup.  Check consistency, you want the soup to be thickened but not too thick.  If still to watery, simmer until it reaches desired consistency.  Blend half of the soup with a stick blender and check for saltiness and adjust accordingly.  Serve with some fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

APPLE CIDER CORNBREAD

1 3/4 cup organic cornmeal (if using Speerville Mills cornmeal, grind in a coffee grinder for a bit to make it finer)

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp organic butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup organic whole milk

3/4 cup organic apple cider

1/2 tsp sea salt

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Oil a large cast iron skillet.  Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Combine all of the wet ingredients except the butter in another bowl.  Add the wet to the dry and then stir in the melted butter.  Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.