Jalapeño Cornbread

Ingredients:

all-purpose flour - 3 cups
cornmeal - 1 cups
Sugar - ¼ cup
Baking powder - 2 tbsp
salt - 1 tsp
milk - 1 cup
beer - 1 cup
eggs - 3, beaten
butter - 1 cup (227g), melted
cheddar cheese - 8 ounces (200 g), grated
jalapenos - 3 – 4 tbsp - pickled, roughly chopped

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (including the jalapenos). Quickly add the wet mix to the dry, and stir until the batter is almost smooth. (it will be very thick)

Heat the oven to 425 F (200 C), and let the batter rest while the oven is heating. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan, scrape in the dough, and smooth the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean.

(be sure and do the toothpick test, even though it can appear done on the outside, it’s very important that it’s cooked through).

Homemade Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease bottom and side of round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8x8x2 inches.

2. Beat milk, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Pour batter into pan.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Homemade Corn Dogs

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (regular milk works too)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon honey
1 (10 count) package Hot Dogs
10 wooden skewers or chopsticks 
2 Quarts Vegetable Oil, for frying

Directions:

In a medium or large pot, add the oil. Turn heat to medium and heat oil to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir together. Then add the beaten egg, buttermilk, oil and honey. Stir until combined. (Batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter) 

Remove hot dogs from package. Wipe them all dry with a paper towel (this will help the batter stick to them better) Insert one skewer or wooden stick into each hot dog. 

Pour the batter into a tall drinking glass. Holding by the skewer, take one hot dog and dunk it into the batter, coating all of the hot dog. Slowly remove from batter and let a little excess batter drip back into the cup. Immediately place it into the hot oil, while still holding the stick. Turn as necessary to brown all sides. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until all sides are a deep golden brown. Remove from hot oil and place on paper towels to drain grease. Repeat with all hot dogs

Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces flank steak, halved lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 12 ounces refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/3 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Directions:

1. 1. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 500° (keep stone or baking sheet in oven).
2. 2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into very thin slices.
3. 3. While steak cooks, place dough in a medium microwave-safe bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 45 seconds. Let stand 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a floured surface; pierce liberally with a fork. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven, and sprinkle with cornmeal. Arrange dough on pizza stone. Bake at 500° for 10 minutes or until browned and crisp.
4. 4. While crust bakes, return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add steak; sauté 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and soy sauce. Arrange steak mixture over crust.
5. 5. Combine milk and flour in a 4-cup glass measuring cup; stir with a whisk until smooth. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in cheese and remaining ingredients. Drizzle cheese mixture over pizza. Cut into 8 wedges.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 whole boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves, garlic minced
1 can (10oz) rotel tomatoes with green chilies
32 ounces chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips about 2 to 3 inches

Garnishes:

Sour cream
Diced avocados
Diced red onions
Salsa
Pico De Gallo
Grated cheeses
Cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in rotel, chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with small amount of water. Pour into soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed - add more chili powder if it needs more spice and be sure not to under salt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Serve in bowls with favorite garnishes.