Saturday Stirrings - Jalapeno Cornbread!

For more Saturday Stirrings recipes or tips, visit Carol at I Throw Like A Girl.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Everytime I make this cornbread, I wonder why I don't make it more often. It's "flat-out" good.

1 cup cornmeal (I use Martha White corn meal mix - no need to add salt or baking soda if you use the self-rising mix) ***

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup cream style yellow corn

1/3 cup oil

2/3 buttermilk

1 - 4 oz. can green chili-peppers, chopped (The amount of chili peppers you use determines the "heat" in your cornbread. I like heat so I use all of the chilis.)

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a bowl. Mix well and pour 1/2 batter into hot, oiled black skillet (large one) or into a greased 9" square baking pan. Sprinkle cheese and cover with remaining batter. Bake @ 375 for 30 - 40 minutes. The top should be golden. Do not overbake.

*** If you use corn meal that is not self-rising, add 1/2 t. baking soda & 1/2 t. salt

My tips for great cornbread: I always use the Martha White self-rising corn meal mix. This way I never have to add additional salt, soda or baking powder. Also I always use an iron skillet. When I make cornbread I put enough oil in the skillet to cover the bottom and then some. While I mix the batter, I have the oiled skillet heating in the oven. I use the "hand over the skillet" method to determine whether the oil is hot enough. It's ready just at the smoking point. I swirl the oil in the skillet to coat the sides and then pour about 1/2 of the hot oil into the batter for regular cornbread. Stir quickly and pour the batter into the skillet. (For this jalapeno cornbread recipe, no need to add more oil from the skillet to the batter as there is already a 1/3 cup in the batter.) If you hear the "sizzle" when you pour the batter into the skillet, that is music to your cornbread ears! That means your edges will be crispy. Please do not try this cornbread unless you have buttermilk; I fear you will be disappointed.

The original recipe is from Southern Elegance (Junior League of Gaston County, NC).

My only tweak to this is using the cornmeal mix rather than cornmeal, salt & baking soda.

The last time I posted a cornbread recipe, I was contacted by Crescent Dragonwagon, the author of The Cornbread Gospels (Workman Publishing).

She very kindly sent me a copy of her book. There are over 200 recipes in her book and I have enjoyed reading about the differences in "southern" and "northern" cornbread. She includes recipes for quick breads, yeasted breads, spoonbreads and griddled & crisped breads!

If you are a cornbread connoisseur, you'll enjoy the book, too!

Happy Jalapeno-ing,

Melanie

Kitchen Kudos - something new

Kitchen Kudos can be found in my sidebar. See it over there? No? Scroll down.
For the most part, my family loves my cooking. There was, however, a season of experimenting with low fat/no fat recipes when they were not my biggest fans! I repented and returned to the recipes of my upbringing. Truly, fat is funner!


Of course, I'm talking about the good fats. You know, avocado, olive oil, nuts & seeds...those fats. Although I do reserve bacon drippings for seasoning. Okay, I just busted myself with this picture. I'm frying catfish & hushpuppies. No good fats there!
Occasionally I have featured recipes in a blog post but I am going to try something new - (I'm copying Angela.) . I'm posting recipes in the sidebar. For a while. Until I tire. Which I may. Because I like change and the "new".

Why Kitchen Kudos? The recipes in Kitchen Kudos are those my mother taught me or are from other sources I like. I rarely follow a recipe to the letter. I tweak a lot!


My mother, who taught me how to tweak, would be tickled to hear me say she taught me "recipes." She didn't teach recipes. She taught me how to cook. And tweak. She's a master tweaker. Mistress of Tweak?

Oh! Why Kitchen Kudos? It features food I like to cook in my kitchen and kudos means fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement.


Well I am famous in my kitchen and renown for quick & tasty. And keepin it real, sometimes I am just famous for burning popcorn on the stove (2 nights ago). Nevertheless I enjoy the kudos from my kiddos & One Fine Man on my efforts in the kitchen. Today I give you the recipe for My Favorite Cornbread. Tomorrow? Who knows...maybe my favorite roast beef.


If it sizzles when you pour the batter in the skillet, you've got a winner!

And we have a winner! Moist on the inside, crispy around the edges!

Check out the recipe in the sidebar. Do you make cornbread like I do? Do you add sugar to yours?