Southern Style Cornbread with Bacon
6 slices bacon, chopped fine
2 ¼ C. cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 C. buttermilk
¼ C. vegetable oil
2 lg. eggs
Cook bacon in oven proof skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off fat from pan, reserving a few T. in pan for baking the cornbread.
Combine cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, ¼ C. oil, eggs and crisp bacon.
Heat reserved bacon grease in empty skillet over medium-high heat until hot (I just put mine in the hot oven until I’m ready to pour in cornbread mixture, just don’t leave too long or your grease will burn.). You want a hot pan and hot grease. Spoon cornmeal mixture, about ½ C. at a time, into skillet and bake at 450º until top begins to crack and sides are golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.
Note: You could use any cornbread recipe that you like and add the cornbread to it. My favorite recipe is the Country Cornbread.
Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures, September 2010
A Very Different Mac and Cheese
3 slices, thick sliced smoked bacon
4 T. butter, plus 2 T., plus 1 T.
4 T. flour
2 C. half & half (or 1 ½ C. milk)
¾ C. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground white pepper
½ tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles (*optional)
½ tsp. ancho chile powder (*optional)
2 C. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb. elbow macaroni
¾ tsp. minced garlic
4 oz. grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. grated fontina cheese
4 oz. grated gruyere cheese
¼ C. fresh sourdough bread crumbs
Place bacon on baking rack in 400º oven…bake for 15+ minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven and place on paper towels to remove excess grease. After it cools crumble it into bits and set aside. Adjust oven temp down to 350º.
In a saucepan slowly melt 4 T. butter over low heat. Add flour and stir with butter to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half & half a little at a time. Cook, until just thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t cook too long or it will get gluey. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, adobo and about half of the grated Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander and return the macaroni to the pot. Add 2 T. butter and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the cheese sauce and bacon bits and stir until well combined. Set aside.
Using the remaining tablespoon of butter, grease a 3 quart baking dish or casserole and set aside. In a large bowl combine about 4 oz. of the remaining parmesan cheese (you should still have some parmesan left for the topping), cheddar, fontina and gruyere cheeses. Toss to combine.
Layering macaroni: Place 1/3 of macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheeses then add another 1/3 of the macaroni and another 1/3 of the cheese mixture to create layers that will melt well. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. In a food processor, blend sourdough bread to create crumbs. In a small bowl combine the sourdough bread crumbs and remaining parmesan and ancho powder. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. (You may also add sliced heirloom tomatoes to top of macaroni before adding bread crumbs and parmesan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Laura’s Best Recipes, September 2010
Tangy Roasted Tomatillo Chili Sauce:
1 lb. tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves
2 jalapeños
2 tsp. freshly ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
¾ C. chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime sliced
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, saslt, cilantro and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combine but still chunky.
Chicken Enchiladas
Extra virgin olive oil
½ med. Onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ C. flour
2 C. chicken stock (not low sodium)
Chopped cilantro leaves (lots)
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 lbs.), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 lg. (but not burrito size) flour tortillas
¾ lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 C. sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400º
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute (I looked it up, it’s a white sauce). Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.
Change the temperature of the oven to 350º and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa (see recipe above).
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove top flame (of put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lighly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
Laura’s Best Recipes, September 2010
Mexican Pizza
1 can refried beans, heated (makes them easier to spread)
½ lb. of ground beef, cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning
Shredded cheese, either cheddar or Colby jack
1 jar taco sauce
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced olives (optional)
Tostada shells
Place tostada shells on a cookie sheet or pan. Spread beans on top of each shell. 1 can of beans makes 6 of these pizzas.
Spread a layer of meat on top of beans and then sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of meat. Place another shell on top of that. Spread taco sauce on that shell. Then place olives and tomatoes and top off with taco seasoning. Then place more cheese on top of that. Bake at 400º for about 8 minutes or until heated through.
Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Quick Corn and Ham Pudding
1 ½ C. lowfat milk
¼ C. flour
5 lg. eggs, beaten
2 C. frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz. lean deli ham, finely diced
4 oz. reduced fat Swiss cheese, finely diced
¼ C. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly oil or coat a 7x11” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together the milk and flour in a large bowl until well combined. Add the eggs, corn, ham, Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Nest Eggs
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 tsp. canola oil
2 lg. eggs
2 tsp. pure maple sugar
Use a cookie cutter or the top of a small drinking glass to cut a 2 ½” round hole in the middle of each slice of bread. Toast the removed “hole”.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bread slices into the skillet. Crack the eggs open and drop into the holes; break the yolks. Cover the top of the skillet with a saucepan lid and cook until the eggs set, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the bread and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Top with a drizzle of maple syrup and serve with the toasted, buttered “hole”.
Meal Makeover Moms
Homemade Taco Sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
¼ C. water
¼ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 T. of onion, chopped
1 T. white vinegar
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
Mix all together in a blender until smooth. Pour sauce into pan and cover over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Don’t skip the cooking part of this. You need to heat the sauce up to really blend the flavors together.
Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
