Getting Starchy

Okay, so in my previous post with the recipe for fat-free vegan bread, I mentioned that I would like to try the recipe with whole wheat flour.  Reporting back: this was a good idea.   I switched out 2 cups of white flour for 2 cups of whole wheat, and it turned out quite nice.  It would also be good with a variety of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits added.  I think I will try this next time.  In the meantime, I have two loaves of delicious fresh bread.  The texture is smooth and works well with sandwiches or just for eating with butter.

I also wanted to give out my recipe for cornbread since it is truly one of my "signature dishes".  Seriously, if you're single and in your twenties, and your friends regularly request your cornbread at dinner parties, you know you're doing something right, but I relate this back to my childhood -- yes, in the south, we probably had fresh cornbread at least once a week.  Here is my recipe:

Cornbread

1 c. flour

3/4 c. cornmeal, preferably stone ground

1/3 c. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. oil

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Put 1 tbsp. oil into a medium cast iron pan (yes, it makes a difference), and put pan into oven to get hot.  Meanwhile, mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Once oven has finished heating, add milk, egg, and remaining 1 tbsp. oil to dry mixture, and mix together.  The baking powder will begin to react as soon as liquid touches it, so just do a quick mix to make sure everything is incorporated, and act quickly.  Pull hot iron skillet out of oven.  Carefully make sure all sides of the pan have been coated with hot oil.  Pour batter into pan (it should sizzle -- this is how you get a good crust), and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until lightly brown on top.

I still make cornbread all the time, and actually just wrote down the recipe from memory.  It is a great accompaniment to just about anything, and the leftovers are also good for breakfast the next day.  I like it with honey on top.

Sometimes I vary the recipe by adding a little cayenne and/or corn kernels to the batter.  Feel free to experiment with the flavors you like.