Recipes by Zola - Jalapeño Corn Bread

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Jalapeño Corn Bread

Zola Gorgon

Happy Anniversary to us...

My husband and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary on Saturday. We will also have been in business 24 and a half years. It's been a "double partnership."

I haven't always dominated the cooking in our relationship. For one of our first dates Chris offered to make dinner. I was shocked and awed. I had never had a man offer to make ME dinner. Men were eating at my house, and watching TV at my house, in droves over the years. Informal parties attracted crowds of men and women, but a single man had never offered to pamper me by making dinner. Take me out to dinner, sure. Make me dinner? Never.

It was sure surprising when the doorbell rang and there he stood this "tall drink of water" (as my Mom called him) standing with a bag of groceries, a pizza pan and a cookbook. He sidled by me, put his equipment in the kitchen and got started right away. He explained to me that he had to make the crust for the pizza and it had to rise, so he better get going. I just got out of the way and smiled. I don't even recall chopping an onion or a pepper to go on top. I think I just sat there with a glass of wine in my hand in amazement. Watching a man mix a fresh yeast preparation is a thing of beauty.

Chris was vegetarian when we first met, so that first pizza was a veggie one. I don't think I even noticed the missing pepperoni. I was just savoring the oozing cheese and the relaxation that comes from not doing the advance work for the meal.

Chris also contributed another vegetarian meal. I distinctly remember walking into the grocery store with him and he said, "Let's make Mexican potatoes." I almost gagged. I could not imagine such a thing. (I have since broadened my culinary horizons immensely). You can find the recipe for Mexican Potatoes on my website at www.dinnerwithzola.com. Truth be told, when Chris started to travel a lot for business this meal became my "go to". I loved it. I still crave it today, but I try to stay away from big concentrations of carbs and this one is chock full. Healthy for a long distance runner but not a desk jockey like me.

Speaking of carbs. I thought I'd offer a carb treat for the recipe today and then brainstorm some things you could do with it as a base and take off from there. Jalapeño cornbread. Most cornbreads don't have sour cream in them but this one does. I bet you'll taste the extra smoothness. Most cornbreads don't have creamed corn in them. This one does. Ditto on the smoothness. You can make this with or without the jalapeños. You can substitute little bits of red bell pepper for color if you want or just leave it plain.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola

Jalapeño Corn Bread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder (make sure your can is fresh)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs (organic if you can)
3 Tbl nonfat sour cream
1 - 8.5 oz can creamed corn
5 Tbl picked jalapeños chopped into tiny bits. (Be sure to get pickled jalapeños and not just jalapenos in jar or your bread will be fiery.)
Olive oil spray

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Put the cornmeal and baking powder in a large mixing bowl make a dent in the middle that is usually called a "well." The other ingredients go in the well. Put the eggs, sour cream and creamed corn into the well.

Stir this mixture by starting with the ingredients in the well. Break up the eggs, mixing in the sour cream and creamed corn as you go. Then just start to fold in the dry ingredients from along the side. I do this all with a spatula. Only takes a minute and the whole mess is mixed up. Add your jalapeño bits and mix once more. If you do the full 5 Tbl be prepared for spicy cornbread. You can always reduce the amount of jalapeños.

Grease a 9" X 9" pan with the olive oil spray. Pour in your cornbread mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. You can tell it's done when the cornbread firms up along the sides and starts to pull away. It will be a light golden color. You can press on the top and if it's soft but not mushy it's ready. Or you can test with a toothpick and if it comes out dry you are ready to eat.

Serve warm with butter.

Other serving ideas:

For Breakfast or Brunch

Cut a piece of the cornbread in half horizontally. Lightly toast it under the broiler and cover with scrambled eggs, and warmed spaghetti sauce from the jar. Or if you are my husband you'll dribble your eggs with Tabasco sauce.

For Lunch or Dinner

Cut a piece in half horizontally and top with warmed, mild or spicy pinto beans in gravy, top with grated cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes and green onions. This will be much like the Mexican Potato dish without the potatoes. Serve with a simple salad and you have a full meal.

Send email to Zola at dinnerwithzola@hotmail.com.

This news arrived on: 09/24/2007

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