Classic Cornbread

Cornbread is probably one of the oldest foods in America.  The corn that was grown by Native Americans was ground and mixed with water then fried on hot stones.  As time went by, other ingredients were added, such as leavening agents and sweeteners, but cornbread remained a staple.  When something has been around that long, there's a reason.  It's good!

I consider myself a cornbread aficionado.  I love to order it in restaurants and try different recipes at home.  I have eaten many versions over the years (bacon, jalepeno, cheddar, crawfish, etc), but this is still my favorite.  Plain, simple, classic cornbread.  There's just something about it.  It's great corn flavor, hint of sweetness, and lovely dense texture are wonderful.  Spread some butter on a warm piece and it's pretty close to perfection in my book.

   
CLASSIC CORNBREAD

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cups oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a big bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  I use a whisk to mix it together.

In a large measuring cup, mix milk, oil and egg.  Whisk together thoroughly.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Do not over mix!

One of the great things about this cornbread is the crispy crust it gets on the bottom.  That comes from preheating the cast iron skillet you bake it in.  You can do this one of two ways.  Place it on the stove top over medium heat until hot or place it in the oven while you preheat it.

Once it's hot, melt some margarine (I like margarine for this because it adds some flavor and doesn't burn as easily as butter) in the skillet and brush it all over so the cornbread won't stick.

After you grease it, while it's still hot, pour the batter in.  This is how you get a crispy crust.  Yum!

Put it in the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until light golden on the edges.

See how easy it slides out of the skillet?  And look at that crispy crust on the bottom!

You can see how dense this cornbread is.  I love the texture.

This went perfectly with the red beans and rice I made for supper last night.  I ate it again this morning with a cup of coffee and some strawberry preserves.

I know it might seem silly to get so excited about something so simple, but I can't help it.  I love food.  If you're a foodie, you get it.  If not, that's OK.  Either way, I hope you make this cornbread.  Just give it a try.  That's the reason I write this blog, to share simple recipes so that others can enjoy making food as much as I do (and enjoy eating it, too!).

Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos

This recipe is so easy you won't believe it.  You just throw a few ingredients in the crockpot and in three hours you've got supper.

CROCKPOT CHICKEN SOFT TACOS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 package fajita seasoning mix
tortillas
your favorite taco fillings

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot.

 

I have picky eaters who don't like chunks of tomatoes, so I zip the diced tomatoes in the blender to puree them.  This makes for a smooth sauce, but, if you like chunks of tomato, you can skip that step.

Next, mix the tomatoes with the fajita seasoning in a large measuring cup.  Add enough water to bring it up to 2 cups of liquid total, like this:

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken breasts.

Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken to a plate.

Shred with two forks.

You get a lot out of two chicken breasts!

Return the shredded chicken to the sauce in the crockpot and stir GENTLY.  You don't want to break up the meat too much.  

Serve the chicken on warm corn or flour tortillas with whatever fillings you like.

This is delicious!  The chicken comes out tender and seasoned just right.  You can substitute taco seasoning for the fajita seasoning if that's what you have on hand.  This chicken also makes great nachos!  Just heat some tortilla chips in a 375 degree oven until warm and toasty (I like to use a cast iron skillet for this).  Then pile the chicken on and top with your favorite nacho toppings.

See, I told you this recipe was super easy.  Taco night will never be the same!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

I'm a sucker for chocolate.  Dark chocolate bars are my favorite!  But, I also like chocolate ice cream, chocolate pie, chocolate mousse, chocolate milk, chocolate pudding...you get the idea.  So, when I saw this recipe in my new thrift store find, a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook, I knew I had to make it asap.  I wasn't disappointed.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

1 (4 serving size) box Cook and Serve chocolate pudding mix (not instant!)
Plus the milk it calls for on the pudding mix package
1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottom only of a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large saucepan, cook the chocolate pudding as directed on the package.  (You just mix it with milk and bring it to a boil while stirring).

In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), pour hot pudding into dry cake mix.

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared baking dish and spread it evenly with a spatula (it will be a little bit thick).  Sprinkle chocolate chips over the batter.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream (it's pretty good plain, too).

Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container.  You can microwave it to reheat it when you want to serve it again (and you will want more the next day, trust me).

This is kind of a mix between a cake and a brownie.  It's moist and fudgy and cakey.  The cook and serve pudding really gives it a unique taste and texture.  It's not overly sweet, either, which I like,  If you like it very sweet, you can dust it with powdered sugar.  But, I love it plain with a big glass of milk.  The family loved it, too.  Many thumbs up!

Old Fashioned Beef Vegetable Soup

My family has been under the weather.  From sinus infections to summer colds, we are not feeling our best.  So, it's time for a little old fashioned medicine, vegetable soup!  Nothing makes you feel better when you're sick than a big steaming bowl of soup.  Plus, it's easy ('cause who feels like doing a ton of work when you're sick?),  It uses leftover beef and canned or frozen veggies!  Here's how I make it:

OLD FASHIONED BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

2 cups diced cooked roast beef (use up your leftovers!)
1 can beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small pkg frozen veggies (or a can of mixed vegetables, rinsed and drained)
2 cups water
2 potatoes, diced (frozen hash browns work, too)
1 small onion, diced
salt/pepper

Put everything in a big pot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer, covered until potatoes and onions are tender, stirring occasionally.

That's it!  Easy easy easy and so good!  Plus, it's super versatile.

If you don't have leftover roast beef, you can use chicken or turkey.  You can even use cooked ground beef.  Leftover taco meat would be delicious!

You can substitute 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta or rice for the potatoes.

You can make it totally vegetarian by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth.

So, the next time you are feeling a bit under the weather, make this soup.  It will help you feel better for sure.  It's like a warm hug for your insides!

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

It's been crazy hot here so you're probably thinking I'm crazy for blogging about gumbo, much less cooking it.  Well, it was my baby boy's first day of school and I wanted to make his favorite food on the planet to celebrate.  By the way, my baby boy is almost 16.  It was his first day of his junior year of high school.  Doesn't matter how old they get, they're still your babies, aren't they?

Anyway, his absolute favorite food is Gumbo.  So, even though it was 100 degrees outside, I cranked the AC up and made gumbo.  Here's a step by step guide so you can make it, too (you may want to wait till it cools off a bit).

CHICKEN & ANDOUILLE GUMBO

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1/2 lb andouille sausage (if you can't find it, you can use any smoked sausage)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning (or your fav Cajun Seasoning)
salt/pepper
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth


First, you make a roux.  That's the most difficult (well, not really difficult, just time-consuming) part of a gumbo.  A roux is just a mixture of fat and flour.  It can be light (as in a white sauce) or it can be dark, which is what you need for a gumbo.  In a big pot, whisk together oil and flour until no lumps are visible.  Then, cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY.  Seriously, do not stop stirring, even for a minute, or you will burn your roux!  And a burnt roux is good for nothing.  You might as well throw it away and start over.  So, don't stop stirring.  I find that a wooden spoon works best.

It will start out very light, like this:

Then, after a while it will turn dark, like this:

This will take some time.  I can't tell you exactly how long because it depends on the pot you use and how hot your burner is.  But it should take around 20-30 minutes.  Like I said, this is time-consuming, but so worth it.  This is where the distinctive gumbo flavor comes from.  Just enjoy a glass of wine while you're stirring and it won't be so bad!

Once your roux is ready, add your chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions and garlic.  Be careful because it will spatter.

Stir and let cook for just a few minutes.

Season the cubed chicken with Tony's (Cajun seasoning), then add to the pot.

Stir and let cook for a few minutes more.

Next, add the andouille (which is just a spicy smoked sausage).

Stir and let cook another couple of minutes.

Finally, add the chicken broth and water and season to your own taste with salt, pepper and Tony's.

Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until reduced and thickened, stirring it every once and a while.

Serve over rice.

This is my son's favorite food for a reason.  It is thick, rich and very flavorful!  It's got just the right amount of spice.  Delicious!  It's obviously not something you would make when you're short on time, but it is well worth the effort when you do.  Ca cest bon!