Olive Oil Skillet Cornbread

There are so many different ways to make, well, EVERYTHING. And just when we think we've found our favorite method, texture, taste . . . we discover a new twist. Cornbread is definitely one of those foods that lends itself well to experimentation.

We've made many different varieties and shared several recipes on the blog:

Spelt Cornbread
Pomegranate-Lavender Poppy Cornbread
Pumpkin Cornbread
Hot Pepper Cornbread

Today's recipe is a twist on the Spelt Cornbread -- without the spelt and made with olive oil. Baked in a cast iron skillet, it turned out to be our favorite mix so far. But, as always, that's subject to change with our next try at it.

Plus, simple is best in our book. We didn't add in anything (corn kernels, chopped peppers, etc.) for flair. Yea or nay? You can be the judge.

OLIVE OIL SKILLET CORNBREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 (to 1/3) cup olive oil
• 2 eggs (3 teaspoons Ener-G replacer with 4 tablespoons almond milk)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup bread flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup milk (or almond milk)

Method . . .

1. You'll need an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet. Lightly oil one with olive oil and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, salt, olive oil, and eggs. We substituted Ener-G egg replacer, and it worked out great!
4. Add the flours and cornmeal. Then the milk. Mix together until everything is moistened. But don't over-mix.
5. Pour into prepared skillet. Then put in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

The skillet baked this bread i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.y evenly, which is actually one of the annoying issues we commonly experience when making other types. The center of the bread -- when made in a loaf pan -- takes a while to set and usually isn't the same texture as the rest. If you have this problem, too, you may want to give this method a try.

Oh, and we never eat our cornbread naked. It goes so well with soups and stews.

This autumn stew recipe is coming soon . . .


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Spelt Corn Bread: Wheat-Free Treat

Corn bread -- or is it cornbread? -- version 2.0 is both vegan and wheat free. It's a more savory example of the stuff -- incorporating some rosemary for extra flavor. (Just a tip: I find I can use rosemary and lavender almost interchangeably in cooking and baking.) What makes it wheat-free is the glorious spelt flour which is used for the base.

Spelt is not only a great substitute for "regular" flour, but it is also packed with protein and other enhanced nutrition. It has a slightly nutty flavor that works well in baking . . . is readily available at most grocery stores . . . and is easy to digest.

AND: If you'd like to try something a little crazy -- check out the pomegranate-lavender poppy corn bread recipe we posted this morning.

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups soy milk
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon rosemary

For lack of another photo of the corn bread, I've decided to showcase my Mommie Dearest magnet. NO WIRE HANGERS!



Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and the vinegar and set aside.
3. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients
4. Add the oil and maple syrup to the soy milk mixture. Whisk until it is foamy and bubbly (about 2 minutes).
5. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula.
6. Crush the rosemary in a mortar and pestle and incorporate into the mixture.
7. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes.

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Pomegranate-Lavender Poppy Corn Bread

Today I will tell a tale of two very different corn breads. The first is this teacake variety inspired by a recipe in the BabyCakes cookbook, infused with the sweet pomegranate molasses we featured in our pomegranate-dream cake post. The second is a wheat-free variety more suitable for sides. Chili, perhaps? I'll post the wheat-free one a little later in the day. Just to keep you guessing :)

Anyway, this corn bread is beautiful.. As Erin McKenna writes in BabyCakes: "Adding teacakes to your repertoire may just serve you better than any other less you take away from [her] book." Simply put: teacakes are easy, usually turn out well, and are general crowd-pleasers. And by adding a generous 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (made from the 100% pomegranate juice sent to me by the kind folks at POM Wonderful) . . . this creation is sweet and unique.



If you need a refresher, to make pomegranate molasses all you do is mix together 1 cup pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon raw sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice. Simmer until reduced and thick (coating the back of a spoon is a good measure of thickness). (Can be used, I learned, in place of agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, or regular molasses.)



POMEGRANATE-LAVENDER POPPY CORN BREAD


What you'll need . . .

• 2/3 cup soy milk (or other substitute for the real deal)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (plus more for pan)
• 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (or agave, honey, maple syrup)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lavender
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inch pan with the coconut oil.
2. Pour soy milk and cider vinegar into a small bowl and set aside. It will thicken into a buttermilk.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, pomegranate molasses, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until full incorporated.
5. Fold in the lavender and poppy seeds. The batter will be grainy.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake on center oven rack for approx. 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. (Finished bread will "bounce back" when you press it slightly.)
7. Let the bread stand in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around pan edges and invert to release from pan. Flip so it's right-side-up again to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Uncut bread will last for 3 days in room temp. covered in plastic wrap. We threw ours in the fridge.

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