Cornbread From Scratch AND Cornbread Dressing - Two Recipes For The Price Of One

AND

Hello friends!  It's a good day, no - it's a great day, when  you get two for the price of one.  At least I think it is.  Sometimes I make one recipe knowing there will be a great use for it in another recipe.  Like here.  Delicious cornbread made from scratch and leftovers used to make a fabulous cornbread dressing!  Oh yes, two of my all time favorites.

I am going to show you how to make cornbread like my Kentucky grandma did and how to make cornbread dressing like a true southerner.   Oh boy, oh boy, are they both fantastic!  We enjoyed cornbread with fried catfish two nights ago and tonight we had the world famous roast beef and dressing.  What?  Did I say roast beef and dressing?  I sure did!  Most of us think of dressing with turkey or chicken.  You mean you can have it with roast beef?  You can and absolutely should!  

This combination comes from my first job.  I started working at Mead Johnson and Company in Evansville, Indiana, the week after I graduated high school in 1966.  I worked in the Medical Research Department.  There was an employee cafeteria that served wonderful food for super reasonable prices.  I mean real home cooked food.  On Thursday, once a month they served roast beef and dressing.  The cafeteria was always absolutely packed on that day and you knew you had to wait in line for a while, but is was so worth the wait.  I don't know about you, but my mom always made dressing with poultry, we never had it with beef.  This is where I learned that not only could you have it with beef, it was one of the best things ever!

Let me walk you through how to make cornbread in a cast iron skillet - a true southern treat.  Don't get me wrong, I like Jiffy cornbread and I use it a lot, but it doesn't even compare with REAL cornbread.  Kentucky cornbread.  Southern cornbread.  The most important part is a cast iron skillet, corn muffin, or corn stick baking pan.  Yes, they come in cast iron.  It's vitally important for that fabulously crispy, crunchy crust on the outside.  No other baking pan will make your cornbread turn out this way.  Seriously.

I have a 10 inch cast iron skillet that I use to bake my biscuits and cornbread in.  Once you do it this way, you will understand why.  Example - do you like Cracker Barrel cornbread?  It's because they bake it in cast iron.  It is soooooo yummy.  Now, here is a BIG secret to good cornbread.  The oil that you use in the batter should be heated in the cast iron skillet, swirled around the skillet then poured into the batter.  This keeps the bread from sticking to the pan and makes for a better cornbread.  Why?  I don't really know, but it does and it is the way grandma and mom always did it.  So, I do it too.  

Here is what you need for the cornbread

1 1/2 cups self rising cornmeal mix  (that means it already has the baking powder and salt in it, so you don't have to add it)  If you can't find self rising cornmeal mix, look on line to find out how to make it.

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk (add 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice to whole milk if you don't have buttermilk on hand and let sit for 5 minutes)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all purpose flour

*1/4 cup sugar  (we NEVER add sugar to our cornbread, feel free if you like it sweet)

Heat your oven to 450 degrees F.  

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and stir in the buttermilk, corn meal mix, flour (and sugar) until smooth.  Heat the oil in the pan (I do this in the oven for about a minute), swirl it around the pan and add it to the batter.  REMEMBER, HANDLE WILL BE HOT ON CAST IRON - USE A HOT PAD!!!!!

Mix the batter until smooth.  It should be pourable, not too thick.  If it seems too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk.  Pour into prepared pan. 

Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.  

See, the batter is thick but pourable, like a brownie batter.   After you remove the baked cornbread from the oven, let the pan sit for a few minutes, get a plate and flip the pan over so the cornbread  can be cut and the beautiful crusty bottom becomes the top.  This is how it looks.

Oh my goodness, it is so good.  Eat it hot with a big slab of butter melted on it, or you could do it like my grandma always did for a night snack.  Crumble cold cornbread up in a glass of milk or buttermilk and eat it with a spoon.  Several of our family members had relatives who did the same.  Did anyone in your family do this?  Have I done it?  No.  Thanks.  It might be delicious, but I can't stand anything floating in my milk other than cereal.  Feel free to try it if you want.  Let me know what you think.

Dan and I enjoyed this wonderful cornbread with our fried catfish the other night.  Another reason for making the cornbread from scratch was so I could make dressing to go with our roast beef tonight.  Two birds with one cornbread.  Love it!  

If you like stove top stuffing, you are going to love this recipe!  It is super wonderful and so flavorful.  It's really easy to make if you already have the cornbread made and you want it to be a day or two old.  The dressing just works better with older bread, it doesn't get as soggy.

Here is how to make cornbread stuffing our family's way.

4-5 cups crumbled cornbread

3 slices bread, lightly toasted and crumbled

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp salt

fresh cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp ground sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

2 large eggs, beaten

3 cups beef stock (from a box or can), or a little more if needed.

Dice onions and celery.  Melt butter in a skillet and add onions and celery.  Cook until onions start to get clear - do not brown!  You want them to be crunchy in the dressing.

Crumble cornbread and bread in a large bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. 

Remove onions and celery from the stove and add to bread crumbs.  Add salt, pepper, and spices.  Mix thoroughly!!!!  Add beef stock, mix thoroughly.  Taste before adding eggs.  Add anything you think needed now.  (I like lots of sage, you may only want to use 2 tsps ground sage if you are not a fan.)  Beat eggs with a fork in a bowl, add to bread mixture.  Mix thoroughly!  If the dressing seems dry, add a bit more beef stock.  You want it very moist before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Put all the dressing mixture in the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve.

Look at all the bright green celery and onions everywhere.  Yummmmmmmmo!  I like the vegetables to have a bit of crunch to them instead of being soggy.  That's why it is important not to overcook them in the skillet.  This reheats beautifully in the microwave in case you don't eat it all .  

Oh such succulent roast beef laying over that savory dressing.  I have to tell you, it was a wonderful meal!  Wish you could have joined us.  The really exciting part is, we have left overs for tomorrow.  I LOVE when that happens.  Give these recipes a try.  You are going to be cooking like a southerner in no time!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

I remember as a kid being cold a lot, and hungry sometimes. We'd go to bed with just cornbread and milk, and I remember wearing shoes with holes in the bottom. I remember having twine for shoestrings.

~ Buck Owens

Clam Chowder - One Of My Most Favorite Soups

Hello October!  Where is this year going?  Oh my.  It is Monday once again and I hope you all are having some lovely early fall weather.  It has been raining all day here in Nashville, but the leaves are starting to show signs of color changes which makes my heart happy.  The days have been somewhat cooler and the evenings have required a light sweater or jacket.  Yes, that is what I am talking about!  To me, this is the perfect time of year.  We don't have to bundle up yet, but we are also not baking in the hot, humid weather of summer.  Perfect.

I volunteered at the East Nashville CoOp Ministry today cooking lunch.  We made vegetable beef soup which was welcomed by all on this cool, rainy day.  Don't think I have lost my mind, that is NOT a picture of vegetable beef soup, but one of my all time favorites, clam chowder.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

Soup is something that I could eat every day, even on really hot days.  Soup is nutritious, delicious and you can make enough to enjoy for a second meal.   That way you don't have to cook something every time you turn around  - and that on one reason why soup is worth the effort!  It also tastes really, really good - even better the second time after all the flavors really meld together!  There are so many soups to enjoy, you could have a different one every week of the year.  Here is what you need for this clam chowder.

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I may, or may not, put a few more potatoes in the pot)
chicken stock in a box
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup half and half (I use milk, works fine)
2 6.5 ounce cans minced clams, drain juice and save
1.5 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1.5 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 bottle clam juice
2 TBSP flour

Before we go any further, I double this recipe so that we do have left overs.  Now, how to make the soup.

In a large pot, place all the veggies and pour the saved clam juice on top.  Add enough stock to barely cover the veggies.  Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5-10 minutes.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add 2 TBSP. flour to make a roux by stirring the flour into the butter and cooking until the raw flour taste is gone.  Add the half and half (or milk) slowly, continuing to stir.  Cook until smooth and thick without letting the soup boil.  Add the sauce to the vegetables, then add the clams, bottled clam juice, salt and pepper to taste.   Serve.

I topped our soup with some chopped chives from my herb garden.  You could also make some nice croutons to go on top of the soup if you wanted.  Croutons with parmesan or cheddar cheese would be even better.  There are no set rules with soup.  It can be like an artists canvas, create as you will.

As the days continue to get cooler, ramp up your soup recipe repertoire.  Soup is lovely to share with friends and family.  Take some to your neighbors, they will love you for it!

I keep clams in my pantry just in case I get a hankerin' for clam chowder.  (Hankerin' is a southern word requiring dropping of the "g").  Clam chowder is quick and easy to make and is so, so good. Serve it with a salad or sandwich and voila, you have one great meal.   Give this recipe a try the next time you are in the mood for some really tasty soup.  You will love it.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor. 
Marge Kennedy

Waldorf Salad With a Twist

One of my childhood favorite salads is Waldorf Salad.  You know, apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise.  Simple.  Easy.  Delicious.  Sweet.  Fresh.  Crisp.  Mom didn't make it often, but I was so happy when she did.  It's such a nice change from lettuce salads, or jello salad, or broccoli salad or cole slaw (what we always referred to as the Indiana state vegetable).  It's super good in the fall when beautiful, crisp, fresh apples start coming in - Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp, Jonathan - just to name a few varieties.

Here is a little history on Waldorf Salad.

The salad was first created between 1893 and 1896 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City (the precursor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which came into being with the merger of the Waldorf with the adjacent Astoria Hotel, opened in 1897).^[1]

Oscar Tschirky, who was the Waldorf's maître d'hôtel and developed or inspired many of its signature dishes, is widely credited with creating the recipe. In 1896, Waldorf Salad appeared in The Cook Book by 'Oscar of the Waldorf'; the original recipe did not contain nuts, but they had been added by the time the recipe appeared in the Rector Cook Book in 1928. The salad became popular enough that Cole Porter featured it in his 1934 song "You're the Top".  Wikipedia

As you can see, Waldorf Salad has been around for a long, long time.  Thank you Oscar Tschirky for a recipe I have loved since childhood.

I add a few extras to my Waldorf Salad to make it even crisper and crunchier.  I add grapes and raw broccoli.  YUMMMM.  It is so good, I could eat an entire bowl at one sitting.  Here is what you need.

3 large crisp apples (Dan and I are Golden Delicious fans)
3 ribs celery, diced
1 cup walnut pieces
as many grapes as you like (I used several hands full, cut in half - we have little ones eating and don't want them getting choked on whole grapes)
1 cup broccoli florettes
a pinch of salt
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise (I like the kind with olive oil)

After washing and drying the apples, put the apple bottom on a cutting board and cut the apple away from the core on 4 sides.  Lay the apple pieces flat side down, cut long ways about 1/2 inch apart and then crossways to form bite sized pieces.

Wash the celery ribs.  Cut each rib in half longways, then cut crossways into 1/4 inch pieces.

Add the apple pieces and celery pieces to a salad bowl.  Add the walnut pieces.

Wash grapes and cut in half long ways.  Use as many as you like.  Add to the bowl.

Separate the broccoli florettes into small pieces and add to bowl.

Add a pinch of salt and mix.  Add 3 Tbsp. mayo to the bowl and mix, making sure all pieces are coated.  If you like more mayonnaise, feel free to add as much as you want.

Traditionally, Waldorf Salad is served on a bed of salad greens, but is not necessary.  That is your choice.

I made a huge pan of Waldorf Salad at the CoOp last week using a 1/2 bushel of apples plus all the other ingredients.  All of our clients LOVED it.  It makes an excellent side dish for fall recipes because it's a nice contrast to the heavier food items we start to serve after summer grilling and lighter fare.  There is nothing like the sweet/tart/crunchiness of fresh Waldorf Salad.  You can keep it for several days if it is covered tightly.

If you've never tried Waldorf Salad, now is your chance.  It is super delicious and kids love it.  You might even convince them to eat some broccoli.  If no one in your house likes broccoli, simply leave it out and add all the other yummy ingredients.  Since Dan doesn't like mayonnaise, I take his out of the bowl before adding the mayonnaise.  He loves it with just a little salt.  Now, you have options.

Maybe it's time to go apple picking if you have an orchard near where you live.  Me, I like to get my apples in a basket at the Farmer's Market.  It's just easier that way.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Mr. Hamilton: Would you make me a Waldorf Salad? 
Basil Fawlty: [having never heard of it] I beg your pardon? 
Mr. Hamilton: Get me a Waldorf Salad. 
Basil Fawlty: Well, I think we just ran out of Waldorfs! 
Fawlty Towers, Movie, 1975

September - Hunger Awareness Month - Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Happy Monday all.  This is a continuation of a series on hunger awareness in the United States.  Since the onset of the Great Recession as it is called, need for assistance in obtaining food has risen drastically.  Here are some statistics from FeedingAmerican/Second Harvest concerning the SNAP program, or Food Stamps as many call it.

SNAP (Food Stamps): Facts, Myths and Realities

    

SNAP: PROGRAM FACTS

SNAP is targeted at the most vulnerable.

• 76% of SNAP households included a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. These vulnerable households receive 84% of all SNAP benefits.^[i]
• SNAP eligibility is limited to households with gross income of no more than 130% of the federal poverty guideline, but the majority of SNAP households have income well below the maximum: 85% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 100% of the poverty guideline ($22,350 for a family of four), and 62% of SNAP households have gross income at or below 75% of the poverty guideline ($16,762 for a family of four).^[ii]
• The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $731, net monthly income of $336, and countable resources of $333.^[iii]

SNAP is responsive to changes in need, providing needed food assistance as families fall into economic hardship and then transitioning away as their financial situation stabilizes.

• Because SNAP participation closely follows unemployment, SNAP responded quickly and effectively to the recession. As the number of unemployed people increased by 110% from 2007 to 2010, SNAP mirrored that growth with a 53% increase in participation over the same period.^[iv]
• The average length of time a participant stays on the program is 9 months.^[v]
• As the economy slowly recovers and unemployment begins to fall, SNAP participation and costs too can be expected to decline. The Congressional Budget Office projects that SNAP will shrink nearly to pre-recession levels as the economy recovers and need abates.^[vi]

SNAP has a strong record of program integrity.

• SNAP error rates declined by 61% from FY1999 to FY2010, from 9.86% to a record low of 3.81%.^[vii] The accuracy rate of 96.19% (FY2010) is now at an all-time program high and is considerably higher than other major benefit programs, for example Supplemental Security Income (90%), Medicare fee-for-service (89.5%), and Medicare Advantage Part C (85.9%).^[viii] [ix]
• Two-thirds of all SNAP payment errors are a result of caseworker error.^[x] Nearly one-fifth are underpayments, which occur when eligible participants receive less in benefits than they are eligible to receive.^[xi]
• The national rate of food stamp trafficking declined from about 3.8 cents per dollar of benefits redeemed in 1993 to about 1.0 cent per dollar during the years 2006 to 2008. As you may have read in local news, USDA is aggressively enforcing individual cases of trafficking, but while there are individual cases of program abuse, for every one allegation of fraud, there are hundreds of stories of heartbreaking need.^[xii] 

The need for food assistance is already greater than SNAP can fill.

• SNAP benefits don’t last most participants the whole month. 90% of SNAP benefits are redeemed by the third week of the month, and 58% of food bank clients currently receiving SNAP benefits turn to food banks for assistance at least 6 months out of the year.^[xiii]
• The average monthly SNAP benefit per person is $130, or less than $1.50 per person, per meal. ^[xiv]
• Only 55% of food insecure individuals are income-eligible for SNAP, and 29% are not income-eligible for any federal food assistance.^[xv]

SNAP: MYTHS & REALITIES

Categorical Eligibility

 Categorical eligibility allows many people to automatically enroll in SNAP who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for the program.

• Categorical eligibility does not allow households to enroll automatically; they must still apply through the regular SNAP application process, which has rigorous procedures for documenting applicants’ income, citizenship, work status, and other circumstances.
• Categorical eligibility allows states the option of aligning SNAP eligibility rules for gross income and assets with TANF to reduce administrative costs and simplify the eligibility determination process. While three-fourths of SNAP households were categorically eligible, almost all would also have been eligible for SNAP under standard rules.
• While a small number of households would not have met gross income and asset eligibility rules without categorical eligibility, SNAP families are still among the poorest households:
• SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with gross income under 130% of poverty and net income at or below 100% of poverty. The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $731 and net monthly income of $336. Only 1% of SNAP households in 2009 had monthly net income above 100% of the poverty line.
• SNAP rules limit eligibility to households with assets of no more than $2000. The average SNAP household still has assets of only $333. ^[xvi] Additionally, the SNAP asset limit of $2,000 has not been adjusted for inflation in 25 years and has fallen by 48% in real terms since 1986.  
• FeedingAmerica.org

Food insecurity is a real and serious problem, especially for America's children.  Do what you can to help food pantries in your area.  By donating to FeedingAmerica/SecondHarvest, you can increase your buying power 4 fold due to arrangements they have for purchasing food and distributing it to pantries and those in need.

The East Nashville CoOp Ministry, where I volunteer preparing healthy and nutritious meals, receives food from Second Harvest for food boxes.  We feed anywhere from 50 to 100 people a day on a budget of only $50.00.  That is a true challenge when it comes to feeding that many people.  

Today was a rainy Monday and it makes for a hard day for shelterless people.  They come to the CoOp to get in out of the rain and enjoy a healthy dinner prepared by a staff of volunteers.  We make our menus in advance and little did we know when we decided to make delicious home made chicken noodle soup that it would be a really great day for enjoying a bowl of steaming, delicious soup.  We also served jicama lime tuna salad sandwiches with lettuce and tomato garnish and fruit salad.  I make every effort to incorporate fruit and greens in our clients diets several times a week so that they receive proper nutrition and fiber.  

To make our soup, we cooked 4 whole chickens in a gigantic pot and used LOTS of ingredients that you would not use for making soup at home (same ingredients, different portions).  I like to make at least one "marrow" soup a week so that everyone receives the added benefits of the marrow which aids digestion and adds lots of muscle and bone building nutrients.  Besides that, it tastes wonderful.  This is how you can make a nice pot of delicious home made chicken noodle soup to enjoy.

1 whole chicken (innards removed)

1 large onion, halved and cut into thin sliced "moons"

4 carrots cut into "coins"

2 ribs celery, halved and diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 bag egg noodles (I like Aldi's)

Place the chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water.  Boil until the chicken starts to come off the bone, or leg and thigh separate from the chicken body.  This should take 30-45 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot.  Add the vegetables to the broth (don't skim the "foam" that is the marrow).  While the vegetables cook, let the chicken cool down and remove the skin and discard.  Pick all the meat from the bones and set aside.  Cook until the carrots are getting soft.  Add about 8 cups of water to the broth, or enough to make sure the noodles will be covered.  Add the noodles to the broth when it begins to boil.  This keeps the noodles from sinking to the bottom and sticking to the pan.  Let the noodles cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once just to keep them from sticking.  Add all the chicken meat to the pot.  Stir to incorporate all the chicken.  (too much stirring will cause the noodles to disintigrate).  Let the noodles finish cooking, add salt and black pepper to taste.  If you want, add 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme which has been removed from the stems or 2 tsps. dried thyme.  Your soup is ready to serve.  

This soup is soul and body satisfyingly delicious.  Serve with a sandwich or nice crusty bread and you have a complete meal.  Personally, I like the soup all by itself.  

Remember to think of all the shelterless people there are including children.  Remember all who may have a roof over their head but live a life of food insecurity.  Do what you can to make a difference.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

When you have a good stock, you can make a good soup.
Martin Yan