Spicy Eggplant Napoleon

I don't know where the name came from (Eggplant Napoleon) but I have found a new favorite dish named exactly that. As usual, I have tweaked another recipe (this recipe has been altered from the Atkins recipe, Eggplant and Goat Cheese Napoleon) adding my own spin to it. I believe it is even better than the original.  If you have never tried eggplant or thought you didn't like it before, you should try this recipe. It may change your mind on the whole affair.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound whole eggplant
• 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (garlic olive oil works really well here)
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
• 20 asparagus spears or two bunches of broccolini
• 5 1/2 Ounces log of goat cheese (Ashed Chevre works well)
• 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Teaspoon dried thyme plus a little extra for sprinkling
• 1/8 - 1/4 Teaspoon of cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1/4 Teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 4 Sprigs of fresh basil

Directions:

1.  Slice eggplant into twelve 1/2-inch rounds, and sprinkle with 1/2 of the salt; let stand for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet that has been lined with paper towels.

2.  Heat grill to medium, or heat broiler. 

3.  Remove paper towels, and brush the eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil, coating all sides. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cracked pepper. Let stand until grill is ready.

4.  Brush asparagus (or broccolini - my personal favorite to use in this recipe) with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices for 3 minutes per side or until they are golden brown. Grill asparagus until halfway cooked but still firm, 2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness). Transfer each to a plate.

5. Cut the goat-cheese log into 16 slices. 

6.  In a small bowl, combine tomato paste with the water. Stir in oregano, thyme, cayenne, and rosemary.

7.  On a lightly oiled cookie sheet, place 4 eggplant slices down. Spread a small amount of the tomato mixture on each slice and then place 2 goat-cheese rounds on top of the tomato mixture. Repeat, layering until you have four eggplant stacks with cheese on top. If you have any tomato mixture left over, top the stacks with it.

8.  Place 1/4 of the asparagus spears or broccolini (cut into 2-inch pieces) on top of each eggplant stack. Sprinkle with a little thyme and heat in the oven for about five minutes, or until cheese has melted a little bit.

9.  Serve with a sprig of basil on top.

If you decide to fix this dish, write me and let me know what you think.  Cheers!

Tomato Soup Anyone??

It's been a little on the chilly side here in Sydney the last few weeks. Well, maybe a bit longer than that. Anyhow, when it gets chilly out, there is nothing I like better than some hot homemade soup. This time around, I decided to make one of my all time favorites; Cream of Tomato Basil Soup.

I started with a recipe off the Atkins website and modified it some. First thing I did was cut the amount made to four servings. It's just my husband and I here so we make enough for dinner the night before and lunch the next day. This soup fit the bill for that perfectly.

Here's my recipe (my husband said it was perfect) for you to try. I certainly enjoyed it and I believe you will too.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1 leek chopped, white part only
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 can (400 gram or 14 oz) of diced tomatoes, strained
• 1 med to large fresh tomato, de-seeded and diced
• 500 ML chicken broth (roughly two cups)
• 2/3 - 1 cup of basil, roughly chopped
• pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 2 TBSP of good sherry
• 2 TBSP of tomato paste

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a deep pan. Add the leeks and garlic and saute until tender, stirring frequently.
2. Add the strained and fresh tomatoes, broth, chopped basil, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Either transfer to a blender and blend in batches or use a hand held blending sick and blend in the pot.
4. Stir in the cream, sherry, and tomato paste. Heat over low heat until very hot but NOT boiling.
5. Divide between serving bowls, garnish with your favorite toppings (mine were homemade croutons, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese) and serve.

It is a very easy and delicious recipe. Next time, I think I will use all fresh tomatoes and roast them prior to using them in a soup. That should be interesting.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  

Caught my attention this week

Caught my attention this week:

• This kid was 15 when he developed an early test for cancer...  FIFTEEN!!

• This book I recently purchased.  It's got some lovely recipes that I'll feature on the site if I can get approval.

• I've been following my friend Mike and partner throughout their drive from London back to Sydney. Some really impressive photos and an awesome adventure... jealous.  :)

• I have oranges in abundance growing on the tree in my backyard so I've been thinking about making Marmalade.

• Chocolate Greek Yogurt Pie.. need I say more?

• I want to go here after reading this post.

• Thinking about taking some cake decorating classes.  Any suggestions?

• Soils Master Class by Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment is going to happen on Tuesday August 13th and Wednesday August 14th.  This one if free to attend... I think I might go.

• This Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream Parfait looks to die for...  I have to make it when it's warmer out.

• Interesting reading of farm life here.

• Everything is better with bacon, right?

Enjoy your coming week.  :)

My Bucket List

Before I left my last position, I had a discussion with a couple of friends at the office.  We discussed what's on our bucket lists. Some of the things on my bucket list are pretty mundane and others are fantastic.  Most people believe that a bucket list has to include exclusively fantastic stuff but I don't. I believe a bucket list should include things that are important to you, mundane or not.

My friend Sabine is currently working on one of her items in her bucket list; to become a great photographer. To my way of thinking, she already is.  I'm happy that she has started down that road and hope she continues.

My bucket has things in it that may seem unreasonable but I include them anyway as it is a way of growth for me. Stretch goals if you will.  I will add things as I go along in life so this is not a static list. So without further ado, my bucket list:

1.  Graduate with a Bachelors Degree.
2.  Graduate with a Masters Degree from a private university.
3.  Marry a good hearted, gentle soul, who accepts me as I am in an outdoors wedding.
4.  Work in IT.
5.  Plan and open my own business.
6.  Take a 30 day cruise across the Pacific Ocean with all that that entails.
7.  Start a blog.
8.  Be a good people manager.
9.  Sing at open mic night.
10. Learn Massage Therapy.
11. Be an Entrepreneur.
12. Have an awesome garden.
13. Learn how to work with stained glass.
14. Learn sugar craft.
15. Become an artist.
16. Have more free time and volunteer someplace that gives back to humanity.
17. Become more green and live off the grid.
18. Be an encouragement to others - I really think this is a life goal that is ongoing, not just to be marked off once complete.
19. Take a trip across states on a motorcycle.
20. Live in another country.
21. Learn Yoga.
22. Stay in a luxury tree house.
23. Become debt free.
24. Go to a TED talk.
25. Publish a book and sell more than 100 copies.
26. Meet Fiona McIntosh.
27. Meet Stephen King.
28. Meet Oprah.
29. Take up sailing.
30. Take a week long bush walk/hike.
31. See the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.
32. See the Aurora Australis or Southern Lights.
33. Take a cruise to Alaska.
34. Drive through Tasmania.
35. Visit New Zealand.
36. Tour Europe.
37. Stay in Amsterdam for a while. Visit the Old Church (Oude Kerk).
38. Go to Hawaii.
39. Get my weight to a good level and stay there.
40. Tour Israel.
41. Spend some time in Canada.
42. Learn how to make cheese.
43. Take a train across Australia.
44. See, and hike, the Great Wall of China.
45. See the Great Pyramid of Giza
46. Visit Stonehenge.
47. See the Grand Canyon.
48. Spend the night in a castle.
49. See the polar ice caps.
50. See a glacier up close.
51. Visit the Taj Mahal.
52. Take a week long (or longer) tour of various castles.
53. Visit Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
54. Be present at the birth of my grandchild (or grandchildren).
55. Own a successful bed and breakfast or self contained cottages.
56. Own a winery.
57.

As you can see, my list is evolving.  It grows as I do. If you would like to look at some other peoples list, try Create as Folk with Laura Simms, SailingBo, or Bucket List dot org. Tell me, what's on your list?

Passion Fruit Pudding

I found a six pack of passion fruit on sale at the fruit and veg market that was to good to pass up. Now I love passion fruit but I'm not to keen on the seeds.  So after an afternoon of thought, I came up with a quick and easy dessert that would make the best use of on hand pantry ingredients as well as highlight the passion fruit flavor. A dessert that doesn't require the oven or the stove top (for my friend Junko) sounded superb.

This is my own recipe that is loosely based off of a Brazilian Passion Fruit Mousse, or Maracuja, that I have made in the past. My version here has received the appropriate rave reviews from my husband. I hope that you like it too.

Ingredients:

6 passion fruits
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tsp gelatin powder
1/2 cup near boiling water

Method:

To start with put the coconut cream, while still inside the can, into the freezer for twenty minutes.  This will help separate the cream from the water.

Next, pour half a cup of near boiling water into a Pyrex glass and add the gelatin. Mix thoroughly until combined and then set aside.

Cut five of your six passion fruits in half and spoon the pulp into a mesh strainer over a medium size bowl.  Once you have all five of them in the strainer, use the back of a large metal or silicon spoon to push the liquid pulp through the strainer leaving the seeds behind. Throw out the seeds or put them aside to possibly grown you own passion fruit vine... :)

Remove the coconut cream from the freezer and open the can.  Be careful not to shake the can as you want the water at the bottom and the cream on the top.  Using a spoon, gently remove the cream from the can and placing it into passion fruit liquid.  Be careful at this step to only get the cream. Leave the water in the bottom and use it for something else.

Once all the coconut cream is in the bowl, add the vanilla paste and sweetened condensed milk and whisk it all together.  Slowly pour the slightly cooled gelatin water mix into your pudding while whisking.  Once all ingredients are incorporated, spoon into four larger or six smaller individual size ramekins.

Cut your last passion fruit in half and top the puddings with the pulp. There are not many seeds in one passion fruit and it adds a visual aesthetic to the dessert that wouldn't otherwise be there.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Try this out and let me know how you like it.  Leave a note or drop me an email. 

Bon Appétit!

Cauliflower Soup

I love love love Donna Hay!  There, I said it.  She is a fantastic chef and wonderful creator of great recipes.  The recipe that I am currently enamored with is out of the Donna Hay Magazine Jun/Jul 2013 (Issue 69) on page 81.  It's called cauliflower soup with spiced cauliflower.  I've made it twice now, once the way she does it in the magazine and once my vegan way.  I have plenty of friends who are vegetarian and/or vegan and I thought that maybe I'd give it a go for them.  Take one for the team so to speak.  :)

Since her recipe was absolutely fabulous on all levels of consciousness, I thought I would play around with it and see if I could a) make a vegan version and b) experiment with additions to it.  I'll feature my adapted version here but I strongly suggest that you buy the magazine (Issue 69) and try making it her way if you are not vegan.

So, start with gathering the ingredients.  I used the following:

• 2 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 leek, trimmed and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400 grams raw cauliflower, chopped
• 200 grams potato, peeled and chopped
• 3 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or water
• sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a medium stock pan over medium to medium high heat.  Add the leek and cook for about five minutes until soft.  Be sure and stir it on occasion to keep it from browning too much.
2. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
3. Add the cauliflower, potato, vegetable stock (or water), salt, and pepper then bring to a boil.  
   
4. Reduce heat to simmer and then cover with a tight fitting lid.  Cook for twenty minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
5. Remove from the heat and blend the soup until smooth.  
6. Set aside and keep warm.

The spiced cauliflower that I made had a different ingredient than what she did and I think it came out just as good as hers.  The following ingredients are needed for the topping:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 100 grams of cauliflower, chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander (cilantro for those in the US)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin OR cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin kernels

Method:

1. Place the oils, garlic, cauliflower, coriander and cumin in a small frying pan over medium / medium high heat.  Cook, stirring often, for about five minutes.
2. When the cauliflower starts to get crisp and golden, add the pumpkin kernels and cook for another minute or two.

To assemble, pour soup into bowls and top with spiced cauliflower.  Bon Appétit!!

Learning how to make goat's cheese...

At the end of February 2013, I went to Leaning Oak in Mudgee New South Wales to take learn the ancient art of making cheese. Leaning Oak has workshops about once a month with the wonderfully informative artisan cheese-maker  Gloria. She is one of the owners of the farm (sharing the responsibility with her husband) and they make fantastic cheeses from their very own herd of sheep and goats.

The goats & sheep are a happy group.  They are well cared for and it shows.

We began the trip by getting into Mudgee on Friday and staying at a Farmer's Daughter Wines The Rose cabin. We booked a couple of months in advance to ensure we had somewhere nice to stay and very nice it was!! The cabin was a well equipped two bedroom, each with their own en suite, full kitchen, and living area.  I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wanted to stay near Mudgee proper and visit the area.

Cabin at Farmer's Daughter Wines
 791 Ulan Road, Mudgee, NSW

On Saturday, we awoke refreshed and after a light breakfast of oatmeal, we headed over to the Leaning Oak farm to begin our class to start at 9 a.m.  We were so excited and raring to go that we actually got there at 8:30 a.m. and consequently, had a bit of time to get to know our fellow class-mates (max class size of 6). There was another couple that had a herd of goats and were looking to learn how to make cheese from their milk. Also present was a lady who once had a herd of Boer goats and was interested in learning about cheese making as well. Those three, and our group of three made up the six person class size that worked so well together.

Once tea/coffee were drunk and visiting was finished, Gloria came in and explained what we were going to do on our first day and checked to see if we had brought our extras (change of shoes, ice cream or other containers, and an optional apron) from the list she had sent us in advance of the class.  The extra shoes were for cleanliness, one for out in the dairy/on the farm, and the other for inside the cheese making room.  The containers were for bringing your cheeses back home in and of course the optional apron was to protect your clothing in case of spills.  Once all the ground work was laid, we went off to try our hand at milking the goats the old fashioned way.

Milking goats by hand is not as easy for some as it was for others. The process is time consuming and the milking machine makes faster work of it. Makes much more sense to machine milk than it does to try and hand milk but the experience of doing it that was is something that will not be easily forgotten. The goats are harnessed in a milking bay and they are given grain to eat while they are being milked.  They are perfectly content and happy with not a care in the world.  The milking machine is quick and efficient.

Happy goats, waiting to be milked

After milking, we go back and change our shoes to go into the cheese making room.  The first thing we are taught is how to pasteurize the fresh goats milk.  We use the double boiling system with the stainless steel jug of fresh milk sitting on a trivet in a vat of boiling water. Heat the milk to 68 degrees Celsius and keep it at that temperature for 2 minutes.

Once you have pasteurized your milk, you must bring the temperature back down to make cheese.  Putting the milk container in a cold water bath will accomplish this quickly.  Keep an eye on the milk to ensure that the temperature only comes down to about 34 degrees Celsius. Decant about 3 litres of milk in one container for the fresh cheese and about 6.5 litres into another for making feta. Everything should be sanitized appropriately before hand.  Cleanliness is very very important here. No unwanted bacteria need apply!

Measuring out the milk

Once you have the milk measured out and at the right temperature, you add your starter to the containers and mix. Use a stainless steel spoon to mix with but never wood. Wooden spoons can harbour bad bacteria that you don't want in your cheese.

Starter: It has the consistency of runny yoghurt

Once you have added the amount of correct starter (bacterial controlled milk that has been mixed ahead of time) needed to each container of milk, you stir it in gently for about two minutes with a sanitized stainless steel spoon.  You want an even mixture but don't be to vigorous with it.

Supplies: Milton Anti-bacterial solution, Liquid Calcium and Vegetarian Rennet

Next, measure out the rennet and the calcium into separate containers that a little cooled pre-boiled water has been added to. Add these each to the milk one at a time and gently stir for approximately 2 minutes to distribute the calcium and rennet evenly. Do not stir the mixture to much or the milk will split and create a separated product that is useless in making cheese.  Luckily, we didn't have this problem.

Rennet and Calcium containers

Just a little side note for those interested; The reason we add calcium is that it fortifies the protein in goat's milk to aid in coagulation. Goat's milk does not contain as robust protein as cow's or sheep's milk. The rennet makes a firmer cheese creating curds and whey.

After adding these products and stirring the milk, maintain the setting temperature and wait for curd to form.  The room will need to be kept warm during this process to encourage the cheese to set. In about 90 minutes, the curd will be ready to cut. The process for checking to see if it is, in fact, ready to cut is to first cut a vertical incision and then a horizontal one across it.  Press gently downward until you see that the curd is firm and the whey has an opaque greenish colour to it. Test #1, have a reasonably transparent whey. If the whey is milky, give it some more time.

Checking the curd

For the feta, cut the curd by cutting straight down in even 1 to 1.5 centimetre lines and then again across the grain, equally spaced apart. Cut at an angle next to have basically cubed curd.  Test #2, does the curd hold it's shape when cut at an angle?

Cubing

Note: The curd should actually go down to the bottom of the container with the whey on top.  Floating curd is a sure sign of contamination.  

Next, stir and lift the curds with a sterilized stainless steel spoon. This process needs to be repeated several times at certain intervals. Once the allotted time is complete, the curd gets hooped.

Gloria has these beautiful stainless steel draining trays to aid in the whey extraction process.  At home, you can use a baking tray with a wire rack over it.  If I ever get to the point where I'm making cheese frequently, I will definitely invest in one (or more) of these trays!

Leave the cheese to drain in these hoops for a while and turn them on timed intervals. With gloves, grab one hoop and turn it into your opposite hand. Put the hoop down, turn the cheese over into you other hand and re-hoop it. The following pictorial shows this process.

Step one

Step two

Step three

Step four

Step five

Once turned a few times and at the correct stage, put the cheese in containers. The feta will go into a brine solution and the fresh cheese will go into a container on it's own lightly salted.

Brining

Day two of our workshop focused on making Camembert/Brie and blue cheeses.  The process was slightly altered with the addition of moulds but still very similar to the steps taken the day before. The entire process from start to finish is not nearly as difficult as I had imagined it would be. We had a fabulous time and made some new friends along the way. We've eaten the fresh and feta cheeses already. They were absolutely the best of their kind that we have ever had. The Camembert and blue cheeses are still ripening away and we look forward to eating them soon.  

The finished feta cheese

I did not have the space nor the inclination to get very detailed on this process. I have left out a great many important things and would recommend that you not utilize my post here as the way to make cheese. Seek out an experienced teacher or even a book on the process. Gloria is a wonderful teacher and I would recommend her workshop to get a good understanding of the entire process. If you have the desire to learn about making goat's milk cheese, Leaning Oak is a wonderful place to do it. The location is idyllic and the cheese sublime. If you go, drop me a line and let me know how you liked it.

Stay tuned for my next post in which I will show you a recipe that I created using one of the feta cheeses we made during this workshop. Until then, bon appetit!

Salad and dessert... what more could you ask for?

Hello folks!  I apologize that I didn't get this post out last weekend but my Internet was down.  I couldn't get any surfing or posting or email done at all.  So, that put me off by a week but I don't think you will be disappointed. This post is about my favourite salad of all time and of course, a dessert to follow. Both dishes are from my very own kitchen, are full of flavourful ingredients and sure to please.

The salad is easy and delicious. To begin with, cook 1/2 cup of quinoa to package instructions. After it's cooled off a bit, put it in a large bowl with a pint of cherry tomatoes, a small handful of basil leaves, two large handfuls of Arugula (Rocket) leaves, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sliced olives, two tablespoons of capers and some crumbled feta.

I cut multi-coloured olives from around their seeds.

Top that with a dressing made of the juice of 1/2 of a lemon, one tablespoon of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.  Toss and serve with additional lemon wedges.

Doesn't that just look delicious? It's so easy and very very good... Try it and let me know how you like it.

Dessert Anyone?

Anyone who knows me, knows that I just love dessert. It is the finishing touch to a lovely meal and the next dish fits that description beautifully.

This is a tapioca pudding that I just cannot get enough of.  It is beautiful by itself but topped with sliced bananas that have sugar caramelized on top just seals the deal for me.  This recipe actually makes enough for a comfortable six servings in ramekins but as you can see, I've put it all in two large bowls to serve a crowd from.

The little black dots are from the vanilla bean paste.  Real vanilla adds a beautiful flavor to this dish.

To begin with, add 1/2 cup of small pearl tapioca (not instant), five cups of milk (or two cans coconut milk and a can of water, if you like more of a tropical flavour), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, one piece of whole cinnamon, 2-4 whole cloves, and two pieces of star anise to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Stir in 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup of agave nectar) and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir frequently until the pudding has thickened and the tapioca pearls are completely translucent.

Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise then spoon the pudding into ramekins for individual servings or larger bowls to serve a group.

Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to adding the bananas.

Just before serving, top the pudding with a shallow layer of ripe banana slices and sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar on top.  Be sure to spread the sugar as evenly as possible.

 

Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar into a crispy caramel topping. Serve cold.

Please dear reader, let me know if you make either of these dishes and how you liked it.  I am always interested in how my concoctions are received.  Bon Apetit!

Recipes:

Rebecca's Fantastic Salad

one pint of cherry tomatoes

small handful of basil leaves

1/2 cup quinoa grains

2 large handfuls of arugula (rocket) leaves

1/4 - 1/2 cup olives, sliced

2 TBSP capers, drained

100 g. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

Rebecca's Banana Tapioca Pudding

5 cups whole milk (or 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk & 1 can water)

1/2 cup small pearl tapioca (NOT instant)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup light agave nectar)

1 piece of whole cinnamon

2-4 cloves

2 small pieces of star anise

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

2 ripe bananas

2-3 TBSP granulated sugar for camamelizing

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Today, we prepared our standard New Year traditional lunch of Black-eyed Peas & Cornbread.  If you haven't got a tradition to start the New Year off with, might I suggest this one?

It is an old wives tale that eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day brings you luck. While I don't have such beliefs, it is a tradition in this house to eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day in remembrance of my grandmother. My Grandma Wright had black-eyed peas and cornbread to bring in the New Year as far back as I can remember.  So, Grandma...  I make, I eat, and I remember you on this day.

My black-eyed peas are not terribly spicy but I do like to spike it up a notch by adding jalapeño peppers and my very own hot pepper sauce. Just make the black-eyed peas according to the package directions (I use dried  peas) and add whatever you like to it. Here, they are made with a touch of salt, a bit of fried onions, garlic, and chopped jalapeño. The simpler the better I think!

Fry up the onions first in a little oil, then add the garlic and jalapeño peppers and continue to cook until done.

Add cooked black-eyed peas

Our Super Cornbread is a wonderful addition to any meal, but goes especially well with black-eyed peas. It is moist, a little spicy, and will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you have left overs. It will be just as moist upon reheating as it was to begin with. My secret ingredient is sharp cheddar cheese (shhh... it's a secret).

1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese (Tasty Cheese for my Australian friends)

To create this amazing cornbread, simply put all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix in the jalapeño peppers and cheese.

cheese and jalapeño peppers

In a separate bowl, mix together your eggs, milk, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix it all  together. Once blended well, add the butter and gently stir until combined.

Place the mix in a prepared pan

Add this mix to a prepared SQUARE (I know, my pan is not square... you should use either a square or round pan) pan. This will ensure that your cornbread is not wafer thin.

My Grandmother used a cast iron skillet and when I was still in Texas, that is what I used as well. Unfortunately, I do not currently own a square pan or a cast iron skillet.  :(  If you use the proper sized pan, put it into a preheated 425 F (220 C) oven and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Once everything is done, you will have a delicious, healthy, and filling meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Black-eyed Peas

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (cooked according to package directions)
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Super Cornbread

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 scant cup milk
• 3 TBSP honey
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (I typically use the reducing cholesterol spread here)