Whole Wheat Cornbread Muffins

I have fond memories of my mom making cornbread in a cast iron skillet when I was a kid. My siblings and I would enjoy a warm piece drizzled with honey. It was a special treat.
I don't get to eat cornbread very often now, simply because no one in my family really likes it and I don't want to eat an entire pan of it. And, it can be a very unhealthy food.

Because of all this, I was very excited when I spotted a recipe for Whole Wheat Cornbread in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine. It used whole wheat flour, a small amount of honey as a sweetener, and buttermilk. I made it a little bit healthier by swapping canola oil for the melted butter and I used nonfat buttermilk.

I decided to make these into muffins since those are easy to freeze and enjoy as a single serving. Much to my surprise my 5 year old really liked these. One by one, maybe I can get my family to like cornbread. This recipe is a great way to start that trend.

Here is the recipe for Whole Wheat Cornbread
* I used whole wheat pastry flour
* I subbed canola oil for the melted butter
* I used nonfat buttermilk
* I reduced the baking time by a few minutes

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

I saw these and couldn't resist making them. Unfortunately for me, it was during my month of not eating sugar, so I didn't get to try one. But, I took them to share at a large get-together and there were no leftovers, so I figure they must have been delicious!

I am debating making them again, so I can actually try one, because they combine cornmeal and ground almonds in the crust, which sounds so yummy to me. I love these types of bar cookies that have real fruit baked into them. The perfect way to use summer fruit, in my opinion.


Here is the recipe for Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars from EveryDay Food

Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

I was so excited when I found this cookie recipe that included zucchini. I was excited because it wasn't a cake-y cookie and there wasn't any chocolate involved. Not that I don't like the chocolate/zucchini combination- I do, but I wanted to try something different.

These cookies have a very nice texture. The cornmeal makes them a little bit sandy and the aren't overly sweet, but the lemon and zucchini really pair together nicely. They taste good straight from the freezer and you can mix them up with very simply- all it takes is a good spoon and some arm power.

I took these to a family gathering and they were a pleasant surprise. Many people were slightly alarmed by the combination of flavors and how well they all worked together.

Here is the recipe for Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies
* I flattened my cookies slightly when I switched the trays, with the back of a spatula

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

Having my brother here was a great excuse to bake everyday. I knew that he would eat whatever I baked and that his youthful metabolism wouldn't mind at all about the butter, sugar and flour he was consuming.

Somehow I found these cookies and they looked like a great treat to make when he was here. We had a sort of citrus thing going on while he was visiting.

These cookies were easy to mix up, bake and devour. The cornmeal added a great little bit of texture and the glaze was the perfect way to top them off.

Between my brother and my kids, these were gone within 24 hours or so. Well, my husband ate quite a few too, but he said it was only because they had the glaze.
:D Gotta love the honesty!


Cornmeal Lime Cookies as seen here

Originally published in Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang

Makes 14-16 cookies (I made smaller cookies and got about 26 or so)
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest (about 4 limes)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Lime Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 – 1 1/2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (about 1 lime)

Position rack in the center of the over and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon), cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. (This step will take 10 minutes if using a handheld mixer or a spoon). Stop the mixer a few times and use the rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bowl and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. On low speed (or with the wooden spoon), slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.

Drop the dough in scant 1/4-cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand. (I used my cookie scoop, which made the cookies a bit smaller than that, maybe a Tablespoon and a half, or so of dough per cookie. I baked them for 10-12 minutes.)

To make the glaze:

While the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, water, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth. You should have about 1/2 cup. (The glaze can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature).

Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze, then allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Meyer Lemon Cornmeal Cake & Meyer Lemon Cranberry Muffins

Okay, here are the other 2 recipes that I used my Meyer Lemons in. I saw that The Food Librarian made this Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Meyer Lemons and I decided to follow her lead.
It was a stir and mix kind of cake with a nice powdered sugar glaze. I didn't make the blueberry sauce because I was trying to keep this sweet and simple. It sure was delicious. I made 1/2 the recipe in a 6-inch pan.
My daughters really loved this one. I really enjoy the texture that a little bit of cornmeal adds to a recipe.
This was simply delightful and one that I want to make again for sure. I don't think I got the glaze thick enough and it pooled in the middle, but that middle section was really citrus-y and delicious. Extra glaze added a bunch of flavor!

I used the last of my Meyer Lemons to make these Meyer Lemon Cranberry Muffins. I can't remember where I saw this recipe but I always have a stash of frozen cranberries in my freezer, so I figured this was the perfect time to pull them out.
This recipe was originally baked in a loaf pan, but I rarely have the patience for a loaf of quick bread. Muffins are easier and quicker.

The most interesting thing about this recipe is that the wet ingredients are mostly Meyer lemon juice. There is an egg and a little bit of oil, but for the most part, lemon juice does the job. As you can imagine, that gives this muffins a really bright, lemon-y flavor. Very lemon-y and citrus-y and just tart enough with that lovely edge of sweet that the Meyer lemon has.

The cranberries sunk the bottom of the muffin tin, so when I turned them out of the pan, I left them upside down. I added some of the leftover glaze from the cornmeal cake above, but for some reason I think these were better without the glaze.

That my friends, is the end of my Meyer Lemon extravanganza for this year. I hope I find them again next year and I can experiment even more.

Here is the recipe for Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze that I adapted via epicurious
* I used Meyer Lemons
* I made 1/2 the recipe in a 6-inch pan

Here is the recipe for Lemon Cranberry Coconut Bread adapted to make muffins from Baking Bites
* I omitted the coconut
* I made muffins, baked them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

Lemon-Cranberry Muffins

Who out there still has bags of frozen cranberries in their freezer? Anybody?
I am pretty sure there are a few of you who stocked up on fresh cranberries when they were at a great price and stuck them in the freezer, just like I did. Cranberries stay good in the freezer for quite awhile and they are easy to use frozen, plus they thaw quickly. They are really quite perfect for these reasons.

I saw these muffins in Eating Well magazine and wanted to try them. I liked that the recipe called for a combination of white wheat flour and cornmeal. The cornmeal gave these muffins a nice texture and it went really well with the cranberries.

I love using cranberries in muffins and other baked goods, because the tartness evens out the sweetness that you might have. These muffins were perfectly delicious. Nice and tart, lemon-y and with bursts of cranberries all throughout them. I decided to use pink sanding sugar on top.
My kids really liked these too.

I wanted to freeze a couple and see how they did, warmed from the freezer, but they didn't last long enough for that to happen.

Recipe for Lemon-Cranberry Muffins
*I used low-fat buttermilk instead of plain yogurt

TWD- Great Grains Muffins

Today's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe- Great Grains Muffins, was chosen by Christine, who blogs over at Happy Tummy. You can find the original recipe on her blog.

I made these a few days ago and since I was still working my way through "the month without using or buying butter", I had to switch things up a bit in these muffins. I just used a little bit more low-fat buttermilk and some canola oil to make up for the butter that I cut out. I like muffins better when they aren't made with butter anyway, because then they seem healthier and more like breakfast food and less like cupcakes or dessert.

I also used more whole wheat flour than the recipe originally called for and used raw honey instead of maple syrup because I didn't have any maple syrup on hand. I used raisins and sunflower seeds for my mix-ins.

These muffins were delicious. They tasted healthy, but once again, that is what I like muffins to taste like. The oatmeal and cornmeal gave them great texture and flavor.

Go see what the other TWD-er's thought about these Great Grains Muffins by checking the LYL page over at TWD!

Great Grains Muffins

adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup raw honey

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter or spray a muffin tin

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, maple syrup, eggs, and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and gently, but quickly stir together. Don’t worry about being thorough — if the batter is lumpy, that’s fine. Stir in the fruit or nuts, if you are using them. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the tops are gold and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully lift each muffin out of its mold and onto the rack to cool

Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans & Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits

I have professed my love for red lentils before. I actually love all types of lentils, but red ones are just so delicious.
One of my good friends, who I was able to reconnect with recently, shared a great recipe with me a number of years ago and I shared it HERE. (along with another great red lentil soup)

Ever since I tried my friends soup years ago, I have been buying red lentils- at the local health food store, in the bulk section) and trying different recipes with them.
I love it when lentils are combined with dark greens and swiss chard is a definite favorite. I always use the stems and ribs of my swiss chard, because they soften up nicely and are yummy.

This Stew contains curry powder and garbanzo beans, so it is super healthy. And so tasty.
Perfect for the cold weather we are having. I know lots of places are colder than here right now, but this morning when I went to exercise it was a whopping 18 degrees! Not fun.

I found the Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits when I was searching on myrecipes.com for a hearty bread item to go along with this stew. They sounded perfect- a combination of whole wheat flour, cornmeal and lots of seeds on top. I have had great success with other biscuits on this site and knew they would be fabulous.
Once again, I like hearthy, healthy tasting breads. Some people in my family do not- mainly my hubby. He prefers Wonder Bread.
But the good news on these biscuits is that they were really popular with my kids. And they tasted good the next day and the next one after that.
I wish I had some of this leftover right now because I would eat it for breakfast.
(The recipe uses plain yogurt as a topping, I used Greek yogurt)

Recipe for Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans

Recipe for Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits

More Christmas Cookies and Treats

When my sister was here visiting a couple weeks ago, I asked her what cookies she wanted me to make and send her for Christmas. I gave her some Holiday Baking Magazines and told her to pick as many as she wanted.
She folded down lots and lots of pages and then I narrowed it down to 6. I chose things that I could make all in the same day and then threw in a couple more treats at the end.

First up is Peppermint Bark. This is a Christmas goodie that my mom has made for quite a few years and she uses Martha Stewarts recipe. I actually like it better when you use almond bark instead of white chocolate, so that is what I did. I like to sprinkle some of the chopped candy canes on top, as well as mixing them into the melted white stuff. My hubby really likes this and so do my kids. Great gift.
Recipe for Peppermint Bark
My sister requested a molasses cookie and I decided I would make Dorie's recipe, because I knew it was a crowd pleaser. This time I didn't flatten my balls of dough, so I had smaller, chewier cookies. This recipe is so great that it really deserves a repeat.
I sent some of the last batch to my family, so they will be super excited to get more of them in the mail.

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
I saw this cookie in a Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie issue and was intrigued by the combination of cornmeal and dried fruit in a cookie. I knew sending this cookie to someone else would be great, since most members of my family do not like cornmeal. The recipe originally called for dried cherries, but I subbed in dried cranberries because that is what I had in the pantry.
These also have orange zest and they aren't overly sweet. Great cookie.
Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

I saw this cookie in a couple of different Martha Stewart mags and remembered that Tracey made them a couple weeks ago. I figured bars are great for sending and these have all types of mix-ins, so they were added into the bunch.
I subbed in peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips, toffee bits for the white chocolate and then, on top of that, these have chocolate chips, cut up caramels, and marshmallows.
What a combination. I think I will have to make these again. My son was upset that he didn't get to sample one.
Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars
My sister wanted these peanut butter bars. They were supposed to have Hershey's Kisses on top, but I thought they would send better if they didn't have those on top. They are a play on Peanut Butter Kisses, but easier to make because they are a bar. I used creamy peanut butter in these, instead of chunky.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

My sister chose these bars and I thought they were a great choice because they have green and red in them naturally. They have a basic butter, flour, brown sugar crust, which you prebake for a few minutes and then the cranberry-pistachio topping is added and they are put back in the oven to finish baking.
Great way to use fresh cranberries.
Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars
My sister also chose these pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. They are just like an oatmeal raisin cookie, but with pumpkin puree added to the batter. I made these into bars, simply because I was trying to bake 8 different things all in one day and it made it easier for me.
I wasn't too excited about these, but I did taste a small square and they really were good. Definitely more tasty then they might seem.
So, these are all the items that made it into my treat box. I sent a few of most of these cookies to my Secret Baker.
I also made a batch of Spiced Pecans and the upcoming cookie for Tuesdays with Dorie got thrown into the mix too.
Needless to say, after this day of baking, packaging and mailing, I was wiped out. It was worth it though.
I also threw in a picture of the Cake Pops I made last weekend for a birthday party. These are a fun little treat for a Christmas or Holiday get-together, if you need a fun idea.
How-to for Cake Pops
Pumpkin Raisin Oatmeal Cookies from Woman's Day Holiday Cookies 2009
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts (I omitted these)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins.
4. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe for Peppermint Bark

Recipe for Cornmeal-Cranberry Cookies

Recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars

Recipe for Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bars

Recipe for Sugar Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

Cake Pops

Black Bean Pumpkin Chili with Pumpkin Cornbread

Chili and cornbread. They go together this time of year. Some people don't care for either of them, like my hubby, so I rarely make either.
I saw a post on Real Mom Kitchen about this cornbread, which contains pumpkin puree and whole wheat flour and I was very intrigued. She got the recipe from The Recipe Girl, so I went over to Lori's site and found out that she served the pumpkin cornbread with a pumpkin chili. Sounded like a great combination.
At first I was going to half the recipe for the cornbread, but then my hubby told me some friends were going to be stopping by for dinner and I figured this was the perfect time to serve both of these foods.
I changed the pumpkin chili recipe up a bit. I do not like beef or ground beef, so I thought that I would make a bean chili, but then decided to add some lean ground turkey since there were going to be so many people eating with us.
I also added a zucchini, since I had one I needed to use, and black beans. I changed the spices, so that it would be mild enough for my kids to eat and switched the toppings.
The pumpkin puree in the chili is very subtle- it adds texture, but not so much flavor.

The pumpkin cornbread was fabulous. I love cornbread-I grew up eating it all the time, so I really liked this version. It had a hint of sweetness, great spices and a nice pumpkin flavor. The best part is that my kids all liked it! I couldn't believe it. None of them like regular cornbread, I think because of the texture, but this cornbread was a winner. I was so happy about it.
The pumpkin cornbread also tastes good the 2nd and 3rd day after it is made, which is usually a problem with cornbread because it dries out. The pumpkin keeps this one tasting good for leftovers.

The friends who were supposed to join us for dinner didn't make it, so I actually saved the chili and cornbread and invited some other friends over the next night. Great thing about chili is it tastes better after sitting in the fridge and being reheated. The flavors were great.
If you like a spicier chili, up the chili powder or add a jalapeno.
And try this cornbread, it is really good!
Black Bean Pumpkin Chili adapted from The Recipe Girl

1 Tbls canola oil
1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red, yellow, or green bell pepper (I used all three)
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp chili powder
1 heaping tsp cumin
dash of oregano
pepper and salt to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth
toppings- greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, green pepper, and zucchini. Cook for a few minutes, until veggies are tender and meat is browned.
Add garlic and cook for additional minute.
Add tomatoes, black beans, pumpkin puree and spices. Add enough chicken broth to loosen it up a little bit, but not too much.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and cilantro.


Recipe for Pumpkin Cornbread

Ratatouille Tofu

I saw this really cute dinner idea in a recent issue of Parents Magazine.
It was called Dinner and a Movie and this was the tagline-"Rent Ratatouille, then have kids try the veggie side along with crispy tofu triangles".

Ratatouille is the title of a Disney/Pixar movie that was released in June 2007 that has a lot to do with food and cooking. It is pretty cute- I remember going to see it in the theater when it came out.

So, this idea sounded fun to me.
This take on Ratatouille is as easy as they come. The whole thing is ready in a matter of minutes.

I kind of spaced the fact that this magazine is geared towards small children and expected this meal to have more flavor. It was a little bit bland for me. If I made this version of Ratatouille again, I would definitely spice it up a little bit.

Some of my family members really like tofu and will eat it any way I make it. Others, like my husband, do better if it is in small cubes and mixed with other foods, so they can't really tell what it is. It usually takes awhile for him to say something like "This really isn't chicken, is it?"
He already knows the answer. The texture gives it away. The good thing is that the people in my family who don't love tofu will eat it and not complain too much. The crust on this tofu wasn't my favorite either, but I guess it would be good if you are trying to get a child to try tofu for the first time.

So, I guess what I am saying is that I liked the idea of this meal more than the actual flavors, but forgot that it was probably geared towards small kids who might not have too much experience with lots of herbs and spices or tofu, for that matter.

My advice would be to up the spices and herbs and if you have a favorite breadcrumb, cornflake, or panko coating- try that on the tofu instead. Also, if you are trying to get people excited about eating tofu for the first time, smaller pieces would probably be a great idea. The vegetables would also taste great if they were roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper, but that would add a bit more time to the preparation of the meal.

Ratatouille Tofu from Parents Magazine
2 Tbls olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 eggplant, cut into small cubes
1 zucchini, chopped
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 Tbls fresh basil
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 18 oz. package firm tofu, drained
1 Tbls polenta ( I used yellow cornmeal)
1 Tbls grated Parmesan cheese

1- Chop basil. Heat 1 Tbls oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers, and 3 Tbls water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; remove from heat.

2- Meanwhile, cut tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch thick square pieces and slice into triangles. In a bowl, mix polenta and cheese and coat the tofu with it.

3- Heat 1 Tbls oil in another skillet on medium-high. Add tofu; cook for 2 minutes per side or until browned.
Serves 4


One Year Ago-Weekly Lunchbox

Blackberry Cornbread Muffins

Blackberries are yummy. They are in season and we eat a lot of them. I saw this recipe for Blackberry Cornbread a couple of months ago in Southern Living Magazine. I figured I should make it since I live in the south. The only problem is, no one in my family really likes cornbread.

Except me.

I grew up eating cornbread every once in awhile and we always had it with honey. My mom made it in a cast iron skillet.

My hubby did trick me once when we were newlyweds. We were eating dinner at someone's house and they had made some kind of cornbread that looked like little corncobs (some sort of cornbread pan), and he ate it.

I decided that was enough of a reason to make it at home. When I did, he wouldn't eat it. I told him I saw him eating it at someone else's house and he told me he was being polite. Those darn Southerners and their manners.
I went back and forth about making this, but the curious side of me won out. I decided to make the recipe into muffins, luckily the people at the magazine had already thought of this and had also made directions for muffins. I decided to reduce the recipe and make 1/4 of it. I would only end up with 6 muffins, which really isn't that many.

I was going to substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream and when I was mixing these up, I realized that I grabbed vanilla bean flavored greek yogurt instead of plain. Since I like my cornbread on the sweet side and these had blackberries in them, I decided to go ahead and use the yogurt I had anyway.
I also used some egg white substitute instead of trying to divide an egg into 4 parts.

The results? I really liked them! I thought they were a nice twist on cornbread. There was just enough sweetness that they didn't need any honey and the blackberries added a yummy little tart hint of goodness.
My 2 year old liked them too. My 4 year old discovered she doesn't like the texture of cornmeal and my 7 year old and my hubby wouldn't even touch them.
Since I only made 6 muffins, none of that even mattered. My baby and I enjoyed them for breakfast the next day.


Blackberry Cornbread Muffins adapted from Southern Living Magazine, June 2009

Prep: 15 min., Bake: 15 min., Cool: 5 min.
We also tested this recipe using 1/2 cup melted butter in place of the canola oil and loved the rich, pound cake-like flavor it gave to these sweet cornbread muffins. They're delicious with peach preserves.


2 cups self-rising white cornmeal ( I used 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sugar (I used 2 Tbls)
5 large eggs (I used 1 egg and 1 Tbls egg white substitute)
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream (I used 4 oz. vanilla bean flavored Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup canola oil (I used 2 Tbls canola oil)
2 cups fresh blackberries (I used 2/3 cup blackberries, plus a few on top for decoration)

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Stir together cornmeal and sugar in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together eggs, sour cream, and oil; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in blackberries. Coat 2 muffin pans with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.

2. Bake at 450° for (I baked mine for 14 minutes) 15 to 17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen muffins (I made 6 muffins)

Oven Fried Okra

I am not an expert on okra. Nor am I a true Southerner.

My father-in-law showed up the other day with fresh okra, tomatoes, and squash that he had picked from the garden.

My only memories of okra as a child were not good ones. My grandpa had a huge garden and he grew everything imaginable. I mean everything. The only way he ever served okra was stewed. It was gluey, it was sticky, it was gross. Therefore, okra disappeared from my life for awhile.

Then, I married a Southerner. He loves fried okra. I have learned to like it and have made it a couple of times. Only on special occasions- like his birthday, or when someone is visiting or something like that because I don't like to fry food at home.

So, with all the okra I received, I didn't know what to do. I started looking through cookbooks and found this recipe for Oven Fried Okra from Cooking Light.
It sounded good and I was very curious to see how it would compare to the usual fried kind.

You slice the okra, soak it in buttermilk, then dredge it in cornmeal, which has a hit of cayenne, and oven fry it for about 40 minutes.

I thought it was good. Not as crunchy as fried, but still good. My kids and hubby liked it too.

But, I am not a Southerner, so I didn't mind that it wasn't just like fried okra. Some of the people who reviewed this recipe were not pleased. (you can rate and review recipes on myrecipes)

If you do make this, make sure when you are dredging the okra in the coating, that it doesn't get on there too thick. That happened to some of my pieces and they were a little dry.

I thought this made a good snack and was a nice alternative to fried okra. What do you do with okra? If you have a fave recipe, please share!


Recipe for Oven Fried Okra