Cheese Jalepeno Cornbread Skillet Mama Style

Everybody loves cornbread; and when this mouthwatering  treat is loaded with cheese and flavor but is healthy too, everybody wins.
 It was a cold evening and I wanted to warm the house by cooking something in the oven so I decided to make a family favorite, cornbread.  Now, since September, when our family went organic/non processed, I had  not baked anything.  In the past I used the Jiffy corn bread mixes ( is HYDROGENATED LARD,  really good for you?) and added extra sugar to make them even sweeter, but now I had to come up with a recipe that would not lead me astray.

The decision was made.  I would make savory cornbread instead.  I quickly located  several recipes online, mentally mixed them in my mind (don't try this at home), changed a few ingredients and ended up with a delicious cheesy treat.


I used organic cornmeal that was pretty pale, so it did not turn out as yellow as most cornbread mixes, and I used whole wheat flour.  This made it a little drier and a little heartier, but Organic Valley  Cultured Pasture Butter made it all better.  I used a raw, organic  cheddar cheese ( from grass-fed cows) and one jalapeño pepper. I probably should have used two peppers, because when they cook, a lot of the kick disappears.  I only show one pepper in the recipe, but feel free to adjust.  Diced red or green bell pepper or onions would be great in this recipe too.


Now when I make cornbread, I find the best way to bake them  is in a cast iron skillet. Cast iron makes great cookware not only because it is durable, it also adds iron to your diet, and browns meats perfectly. It holds heat very well too.  A cast iron skillet your grandmother owned, can be used by your grandchildren if it is well cared for. A cast iron griddle can be laid across two stove burners and makes fantastic pancakes, burgers, grilled cheese and tuna melts.


 One of my readers, Lynn, told me she wanted to get a cast iron skillet like mine,  but she did not know how to care for it.  Here are the basics of seasoning a skillet.  You will never use nonstick again.


 First of all, never put a hot skillet on cold water, it might crack.  Make sure it is dry when you put it away, or it might rust.  I like to  store mine upside down in the oven.  Never let sit on soapy water for long periods of time or place in the dishwasher.  To clean you only need a light washing with soapy water.  When you cast iron is seasoned correctly, it is almost non stick and will clean very easily.

A well seasoned skillet needs very little oil and is ready when a few drops of water dance in the pan.  If the pan is smoking, your fire is too hot. Cast iron needs to be seasoned every now and then depending on how often you use it,  I usually season about once or twice per year.  Just take a little bit of oil or lard and rub a thin layer all over the pan, inside and out.   Place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for about thirty minutes.  Cool and repeat.  I try to do my skillets, Dutch oven, and griddle all at the same time.  If food sticks, to the pan, reseason until it is lustrous.


Here are a few items mentioned in this blog. See recipe below.





















Healthy Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Skillet 


1 cup organic cornmeal
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 level teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
1 1/8 cup organic buttermilk or whole milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
1 egg beaten ( organic)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese ( grass fed organic)
1or 2 jalapeños finely diced , depending on your taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put one teaspoon coconut into 10-inch cast iron skillet and put into oven while it is heating. Mix first four ingredients. Cut in coconut oil until crumbly.  Stir in cheese and jalapeño. Beat egg in small bowl, then add milk and honey/maple syrup.  Add to dry mixture and mix until wet with big lumps gone.  Do not over mix!  Let sit for 5 mins.  This will let the baking soda start working so it will rise better.


Carefully take skillet out of oven.  Be careful not to slash oil, set on a heat proof surface such as your stove top. Pour batter into skillet. Put immediately into oven and bake for 20 mins.  Take out, slice, top with Organic Valley Pasture Butter or other pasture butter,  Enjoy!


Of course if you don't have organic everything the recipe will still come out fine, it just wont be as healthy!


Dare to go cast iron! Until next time, always make sure the only thing that goes into your mouth is Whole Tasty Food.




The author can be contacted at wholetastyfood@gmail.com

Chasing Dinner Challenge

So last night, my husband picked me up from work so I could accompany whole driving my brother-in-law home to Victorville, 80 miles away. The ride was 2 hours up in rush hour bumper –to- bumper traffic. By seven pm, we were extremely hungry and Trey was grumbling under his breath that tonight we were going to go off our diet and just eat whatever. I translated that it to " Let’s eat at Del Taco" .






Sure enough, three minutes later he directed me to the closest one and mentioned that there was a Taco Bell across the street. Now you must understand that this journey from Fast Food Junkies to Organics is not an easy trip. There are family members who sometimes crave outside foods. Now I have made it my mission to only eat food that tastes good on this journey and since this is a lifestyle change, rather than a diet, I know exactly down which path a detour to Del Taco or Taco Bell would take us.






In our former Junk Food Junkie life, dinner planning conversations went something like this:






Trey: It's so hot ( or I'm so tired, or even, you look so tired) Lets grab something cheap and easy for dinner.


Me: Okay, what do you want?


Trey: Well you know the American Heart Association says that Taco Bell bean and cheese burritos are heart healthy. Plus they are only 99 cents. We can bring a few bottles of water, sit outside and feed the whole family for $5.


Me: Sure, that sounds like a good plan.






What really happens: We go and order 3 Mexican pizzas, one Nachos Bell Grande, 3 bean and cheese burrito, six tacos and a humongous soda to share between us. This is not a one-time situation either. It was more of a 6 time per week situation, and it is one reason I grew to be 267 lbs.






Last night was different. I was NOT going down that path again. I let my husband and daughter walk into Del Taco to use the bathroom while I stayed in the car. I noticed a Starbuck's Coffee across the street, grabbed my family and crossed the street. Here, a slightly healthier, fare was found . We feasted on fruit, cheese, and Naked Juice. I even found a granola bar made of organic sprouted seeds, sweetened with agave nectar for the trip home. We topped it off with hot peppermint tea. Yum! They also offered salads that looked good, but we did not try.






When I got home, I felt so good inside and out. I tried to remember how I used to feel after I ate a meal of junk food. The words, sluggish, lazy, icky, stuffed, and sleepy come to mind.






So I have found that when driving down the interstate, Starbucks might have something I can eat on my plan. Next time you find yourself hungry and think fast food are your only options, check out your local Starbucks. Until then enjoy Whole Tasty Food!

No Room for a Garden, My Solution

So, Trey and I discussed organic fruits and vegetables and made a firm decision to just bite the bullet and buy only organic from the store.  Mother's Market has a good selection and is reasonably priced for organic.   Then I brought up the "Garden Subject".  I have been craving a garden for months. As a child there was a huge vegetable garden in my back yard which produced at various times corn, lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard, asparagus, boysenberries, green beans and even one year pumpkins, watermelons and cantaloupe.  

My sister Teresa and her husband used a community garden plot and harvested loads of fresh zucchini and squash a few years ago so I looked up my local community garden.  My city offers 9x9 plots ( 81sq ft)

Cost

$100 for one year lease

$125 deposit

--------

$225  

But then you need to buy the seeds and who knows what types of chemicals are already in that soil.  Could not necessarily be considered Organic which rather defeats the purpose. Then you need to go water it every day and pull weeds.  Enjoyable, yes ( at least the watering part- the weeding is back-breaking)

Trey wanted to plant tomato bushes in the 2ft x 20ft  space between our apartment and the house next door, at least until he stepped on a rusty nail and needed a tetanus shot.  I suggested potted tomatoes along our front window and doorstep, but could just picture them disappearing as soon as they were ripe.

So yesterday I was surfing the web and I came across this:

I clicked on it and found my garden.  This is a startup company that leases garden plots.  Basically the way it works is you either lease a full   garden 240 sq ft ( $299)  or half garden 120 sq ft ($199) for one year.  You tell them what to plant and they plant the seeds, water, weed and harvest your produce.  Then ship it to you or deliver to a nearby place where you can pick it up.  There are garden maintenance fees of $50-$100, however you get that much credit in their store to by other organic  or health related goods such as honey, soups, etc.  You can sell your extra produce in their farmer's market which will cover the cost of your shipping.  You can also buy other farmer's produce in the market if there is an item you want which you did not grow in your own garden

The related costs for this garden are:

240 sq ft
lease $299
Monthly maintenance $99
( but you can spend that same amount in their store and fee is waived)



120 sq ft
Lease $199
Monthly maintenance $50
( again spending the amount in their store)

Now, in both gardens you get to choose what you plant, but with the My Organic Garden   You don't have to do all the work. You can visit if you want to see the progress of growth. And did I mention the Webcam?  You can watch your veggies grow.  In fact, I will be posting pictures of my plants as they grow. So please keep an eye out for them.

Now My Organic Garden is a start-up company. They are looking for investors since 2010 is the first year and they do have incentives for the "Pioneer Gardeners".  I personally think this is a fantastic concept and am investing my money. Yes, if others lease gardens or just purchase veggies, there is a kickback system in place.  But what I am most excited about is fresh organic produce to my doorstep Without the labor.  Check it out and tell me what you think.  I would love your comments!