Cornbread Recipe

Convenient, tasty, and versatile: three words that deftly describe cornbread or depending on which decade you grew up in, Johnny Cake.

The main ingredient in cornbread is cornmeal which is made from ground corn that has been dried. It is an excellent staple to have in your pantry because it seldom goes rank. I like to buy mine in bulk from the bulk food store.

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup cornmeal

* 1 1/4 cup of skim milk

* 1 cup flour

* 1/3 cup granulated sugar

* 3 teaspoons baking powder

* 3/4 teaspoon salt

* 1 egg, lightly beaten

* 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

Directions:

In a small bowl combine cornmeal and milk and set aside while mixing other ingredients.

Blend dry ingredients together with a whisk in larger bowl. You can sift if you like but I've found it really isn't necessary unless your products are considerably lumpy.

Stir melted margarine / butter into cornmeal mixture letting it cool a minute before adding the lightly beaten egg.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; blend by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula only until combined. Don't worry if you have a few tiny lumps.

Pour cornbread mixture into 11" x 7" (or 8" x 8") baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray (Pam now makes a nice olive oil one). Bake for 25 minutes in 350 degree F oven.

Variations:

One of the things we love about cornbread are the simple variations that can completely change it. One of my favorites is adding one finely chopped jalapeno to the mix before pouring it into the baking dish. Another is half a cup of shredded cheddar or other sharp cheese either to the mix or sprinkled on top before baking. Even better? Jalapeno and cheddar together!

Other simple variations: 1/2 cup defrosted frozen corn; or 1 - 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds; or 3/4 cup of dried cranberries.

Serving Suggestions:

The first instinct in our house used to be to have cornbread sliced up and eaten with a fork like any other cake. But over the years we've developed a taste for it with meals like chilli, soup, and salads (especially with the jalapeno and cheddar variation). My husband has a habit of lightly toasting the cornbread and sprinkling syrup on top. Some thing he learned from his grandmother.

If you haven't tried cornbread on your family then I highly recommend you do.

My husband likes to eat cornbread as a dessert with syrup. I prefer to add some jalapenos and eat it as a bread.

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