resolution numero uno: cook, bake, blog.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you (any of you that may still be there, occasionally checking this sedentary blog) how much I've been cooking/baking/in the kitchen.  I could, but I won't.  Why?  Mostly because I haven't been doing much of any of that lately. Two resolutions on my very short list of resolutions are going to get me back in the kitch:

1. Overcome my fear of baking with yeast, and master the art.

2. Cook.  And blog about what I cook.  It's not that hard!

  Proof is in the pudding, right?  So, here's some pudding.  In the form of a very, very tardy TWD rewind post.

These corniest corn muffins are great on their own, or on the side of a meal.  My personal favorite way to eat them is crumbled up on top of a salad.  They're actually the star of my favorite salad:  Corn Bread Salad.  Click here for that recipe, and see below for the muffin recipe.

Corniest Corn Muffins

From Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

6 Tbsp. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1 c. buttermilk

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbsp. corn oil

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 c. corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you like) - fresh, frozen or canned (in which case, they should be drained and patted dry)

Directions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular size muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and other yolk together until well blended.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.  Don't worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy, and that's just the way it should be.  Stir in the corn kernels.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

What are your cooking resolutions for 2011?

cOrN bReAd SaLaD

You know when someone tells you to try something, and you think, "Now that's just crazy! It sounds stupid, and I don't do stupid things." I thought that exact thing when I first saw Dick put ketchup in his mac & cheese. But then when I tried it, I realized that it tasted just like dipping a grilled cheese sandwich in ketchup, which I love to do! Well, that thought might go through your head when you think of putting corn bread in your salad instead of just having it on the side, but once you try it you'll be thinking, "Mmmmmmm...ok, ok, now I get it!" This salad is perfect, or at least I think so. And I'm pretty sure my sis-in-law thinks so, too, because she wasn't going to eat with us tonight - she was going to go on a date with her BF - but then she had a bite of Dick's salad and she called her boytoy to tell him they were eating dinner here. Told ya. Yup, that's what I thought. And the great thing about this salad, just like pretty much any other salad, is that you can add or take out any ingredient you want. I love that about salads! It's also an awesome option if you're wanting something filling, but not super heavy. I've seen chicken put in it, and you can do that if you absolutely love chicken, or if you just need to stretch it to feed a lot of people, but it's totally not necessary. The beans and bread fill ya right up. So, go ahead and think I'm crazy. But then make the salad so we can be food-friends again, ok?!

Corn Bread Salad

From lots of places - seen it done here and there.

Ingredients

1 10 oz. bag Salad greens (I used spinach, but like it with Romaine, too)

Corn Bread (recipe follows)

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 1/2 c. baby carrots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Ranch dressing

Directions

1. pile a 1-2 cups greens in your bowl.

2. Cut a square of corn bread into smaller pieces and top your greens with them.

3. spoon some kidney beans and carrots on top.

4. Sprinkle with cheese and top with dressing, if desired.

5. dig in!

Corn Bread

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bridal Edition Cookbook

Ingredients

1 c. milk (I used skim)

1/4 c. margarine, melted

1 large egg

1 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal

1 c. all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/2 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. corn kernels (I used canned, drained)

Directions

1. heat oven to 400; grease bottom and sides of 9x1.5 inch square pan.

2. beat milk, margarine, & egg in a large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Then add corn kernels. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 20-25 min. or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

pork quesadillas

Ok, here's the thing about cooking for two: Most recipes you'll find make far too much food for two people to consume in one sitting (although, Dick and I have been known to manage it many a time!). And usually you don't want to eat the same thing for dinner 4 nights in a row, or 2 days in a row for lunch and dinner - you know what I mean! But the good thing about leftovers are that you can transform them into something completely different without much effort. That way nothing has to go down the disposal or in the trash - Grandma Bagley would be so proud! Take, for instance, these pork quesadillas which contain the remnants of the Hawaiian pulled pork sandwiches from the other night. Super easy, super fast, and super yummy! I'm a BIG TIME cheese lover, too (how could one forget the 38 kinds I sampled in Loleta?!), so this one really hit the spot. I'm not gonna lie, I feel a little silly even calling it a "recipe" because its so easy, but they're de-lish, so there! You can do this with any leftover meat, or with no meat at all. However you decide to make them, just enjoy every single bite!

Pork Quesadillas

w/ leftover Hawaiian pulled pork

Ingredients

4 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 can corn, drained

1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c. leftover Hawaiian pulled pork, warmed in microwave

Directions

Place pan (large enough to hold tortilla) on stove & warm over low-medium heat. Sprinkle one half of the tortilla with a little cheese. Spoon a bit of corn and black beans over the cheese. Add a layer of pork, about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the top & fold the empty half of the tortilla over the ingredients. Gently press down on the folded tortilla with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip over with spatula. Press gently down again & cook about 2 minutes on this side, until cheese is melted & corn, beans & pork are hot. Remove from pan to plate and let cool 1 minute before cutting in half. Serve with leftover Hawaiian sauce or sour cream.