Banana Corn Muffins

Well, I thought that I had a favorite corn muffin.  But there's a new contender on the scene.  How does the saying go?  A lack of ingredients is the mother of invention - or something like that.

Yesterday, I went to an "April Fools" party at a friend's house, and since I knew there was a huge pot of chili waiting there, decided I'd make some corn muffins to share.  My go-to recipe for corn muffins is the Gluten-free Goddess' sweet potato corn bread recipe, which I dutifully opened in my browser.  Then I checked my pantry - no squash puree of any kind.  Ok - no problem.  This is why I buy bananas, let them get all brown and spotty, and then freeze them.  I took a few from the freezer, defrosted them, and then used them (with some applesauce) in place of the squash.  The result?  Deliciousness.  I still love the sweet potato version, but these make an excellent alternative.  They puff up beautifully and have a slight sweetness from both the banana and the cornmeal (so be forewarned that this is not the savory kind of cornbread that Southerners prefer!).  They were great with the chili, but you don't need chili as an excuse to make these.  These can stand on their own and would make a fantastic portable breakfast or snack, too.  And they come together so quickly, you'll be eating one before you know it.

Banana Corn Muffins (Inspired by, and adapted from, the Gluten-free Goddess' Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 small overripe bananas (a little more than 1/2 cup)
3 - 4 tbsp. cup smooth applesauce (the bananas and applesauce together should total 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
     (OR 1 cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend - just be careful to reduce the baking powder and baking
      soda if it's a self-rising blend)
1 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking power
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the bananas, applesauce, and sugar, eliminating as many lumps as possible.  (You can do this by hand, but it might be easier to use an electric mixer.)  Add the eggs and canola oil and continue to stir until well-mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add to the wet ingredients and mix well to incorporate.  Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin tins.  Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm from the oven, if possible.  If not, refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve, then heat in the microwave.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Intriguing, aren't they?  Pancakes...made of cornmeal.  Perhaps not the first whole grain you'd jump to if you were looking to change up your favorite breakfast food.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times wrote this week about pancakes.  About whole grain pancakes, specifically.  Have you ever thought about the intrinsic value of pancakes?  I mean, pancakes sans maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, etc.  What are pancakes without all those frills?  Don't get me wrong - they are delicious frills, and personally, I am usually okay with the thought of a pancake serving a purely vehicular purpose.  As a simple means of transporting maple syrup from the plate to my mouth.

But I will admit, they are not the healthiest option, nor do the plainest ones taste like much if you take away the maple syrup.

So I decided to adapt this particular recipe from Mark Bittman's column, which was already inherently gluten-free, but which I predicted might lack the sweetness I'd want to have in my pancakes.  So I added a little sugar - not much, but enough to bring a tinge of sweetness - and a dash of cinnamon.

And they were actually good.  Golden crisp, they held their own in flavor and became even better when drizzled with agave nectar (you could also use honey or maple syrup).  I won't claim that these are necessarily healthier than regular pancakes (although being devoid of processed starches is at least one point in their favor).  But I think you'll enjoy the new flavor in this creative, whole grain departure from an old favorite.

Slightly Sweet Cornmeal Pancakes (Adapted from a recipe from the NY Times, found here)
Makes 5 - 6 medium pancakes (can be easily doubled)

Non-stick cooking spray
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Vanilla Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choosing)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Toppings:  maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, almond butter, cinnamon-sugar

Combine the cornmeal and salt, and then add the boiling water.  Let it sit for about 8 minutes to soften the cornmeal.  Slowly add the hemp milk bit by bit, stirring to mix well.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

Spray a nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  When it is fully preheated (when a drop of water sizzles on it), spoon about 1/6th - 1/4th cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle.  Cook for about 4 minutes (until small bubbles start to appear or the bottom becomes nicely browned) and flip, cooking for another 4 - 5 minutes, until they are done all the way through.

Serve with your favorite toppings (I had mine with a scoop of almond butter and a drizzle of agave nectar, but go crazy with your own favorites!).

Hint:  You could also make these savory by omitting the sugar and adding in your favorite herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary, and serving as a side dish for dinner or lunch. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apple-Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

Don't let the length name of the recipe fool you.  This is actually pretty easy to make, as long as you have some time for the squash to roast.  And the end product?  It is so good.  So, so good.  I actually kept nipping away at the stuffing as it baked in the oven because it was so delicious, leaving me with a little less to actually stuff the acorn squash with.  So that's my warning to you, although I'm not saying don't eat along the way - I'm just saying, perhaps plan ahead and make a little extra stuffing specifically for the purpose of gnoshing.

I got the idea for this recipe on the Gluten-free Goddess's website, although my disclaimer is that I did not look at her recipe - only the picture - and went from there.  So I credit her for the idea for this fantastic bit of cooking - thanks, Karina! And since I still have quite a few of the Pumpkin Corn Muffins from last week in a freezer holding pattern, this was the perfect way to use some of them up.

The most contentious part of any Thanksgiving is arguably the stuffing.  Whose recipe is best?  I, of course, believe firmly that my mom's stuffing is the best in the world and would never consider another option for a moment.  So, I used my mom's stuffing recipe here - but if you feel the same way about your mom's recipe, go ahead and use it instead!  Just substitute the cornbread for the regular bread and you should be good to go.  This was a perfect pre-Thanksgiving dinner, full of harvest goodness and filling the house with familiar and comforting aromas. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apple-Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half
3 tbsp. maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped leeks (I used frozen chopped leeks from Trader Joe's)
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 large apple, peeled and diced
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of smoked or regular paprika (optional)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
1 tsp. dried parsley
Ground pepper and salt to taste
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 pumpkin corn muffins (or your favorite cornbread or corn muffins) - best to use ones that are a little dried out or which have been frozen

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Slice the acorn squash in half, scoop out all of the seeds, and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. brown sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.  Place in the oven to bake.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the leeks, celery, and diced apple and cook over medium heat for at least 5 - 7 minutes. Add the spices, cranberries, and broth and continue to cook until the leeks and celery are quite tender and the broth has reduced by about half (about 7- 9 more minutes).

On a cutting board, chop up the corn muffins into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.  Pour the leek mixture over the cornbread and mix well, coating all pieces of cornbread with the liquid.  Pour into two small mini-loaf baking dishes and place in the oven with the acorn squash to bake.

Bake the cornbread for about 20 - 30 minutes (depending on your oven temperature) or until the edges start looking crispy.  Remove from oven and set aside until the acorn squash has finished baking.  It's done when a fork goes in easily and the flesh of the squash pulls apart easily.  If desired, you can baste the squash in the maple syrup/agave nectar as it bakes.

When the squash is done (and times will vary based on your oven temperature and the size of the squash), remove from the oven and stuff with the cornbread stuffing.  Place back into the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, or long enough for the whole thing to heat through again.  Drizzle a little more maple syrup over the top, if desired.  When the cornbread starts getting crispy again, remove from the oven.

Serve on its own as a delicious, hearty vegan meal, or as a side dish to turkey.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado

I have a surplus of quinoa in my cupboard at the moment, and I have put myself on grocery lock-down, meaning I am not allowed to buy any more food until I have eaten what is in my kitchen already.  I am preparing to move out of my house, and - in fact - out of Swaziland in a matter of 2 weeks, and I can't stand the thought of wasting the food I've already spent money on.

So, I surveyed my cabinets.  Quinoa.  A can of sweet corn.  Half a bag of black beans.  Done and done.

This tasted even more fantastic with slices of avocado mixed in, but it was also very good on its own.  It's a simple salad, thrown together, and it's best chilled overnight after the flavors have had a chance to develop nicely. 

Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Fresh Avocado


1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water (or vegetable or chicken-flavored broth if you have it), divided
1 15-oz can roasted corn
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 large onion, diced
4 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (only if the garlic taste is not enough for you)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
2 - 3 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. pepper (to taste)
2 - 4 tbsp. lime juice (from concentrate) or juice of 2 fresh limes
Fresh avocado slices (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Put the quinoa with one cup of the water or broth into a pot and a pinch of salt and cook according to directions on package.  When done, set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drain the can of corn well and place in a large bowl. Drizzle about 1 - 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 - 2 tsp. salt and toss to coat.  Spread across the baking sheet and place in the oven.  Stir the corn every 10 minutes and cook until it has been roasted and turns dark, about 30 - 40 minutes.  When done, set aside.

Meanwhile, place the onions in a small saucepan with the olive oil.  Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic and stir to coat.  Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes and then add the chili powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, onion flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir to coat and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the black beans and stir to coat.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup water or broth, stir, and let simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Place the cooked quinoa into a large bowl or pot and add the roasted corn, diced green peppers, and the black bean and onion mixture.  Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Serve with slices of fresh avocado and salsa, if desired.  You could also wrap this salad in a crepe or wrap for more of a sandwich experience.

Sweet Grilled Polenta Cakes

Mmm, I have been dreaming of some polenta cakes for some reason. I don't know why; it's not like I ever ate polenta much before. But I think the thought of making them like mini-cornbreads was making me eager to invent something using polenta here. It's that time of year when normally, back home, the weather would be getting kind of chilly and I'd start making pots of chili or other cold-weather comfort food like cornbread. But here in Swaziland, things are just starting to get hot. Really hot. Summer is right around the corner here, and luckily, these little polenta cakes are just as good cold as they are hot. This is what mine looked like when I started to brown them in the pan:

Sweet Grilled Polenta Cakes

½ cup polenta
2 cups boiling water
½ tsp salt
3/8 - 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
3/8 cup gluten-free self-raising flour (I used self-raising rice flour) OR 1/8 – ¼ cup gluten-free rice flour plus
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Cooking spray

Decide if you want to bake the polenta cakes for a firmer texture and preheat the oven accordingly (350 F or 180 C).

Add the boiling water to a heated pot and add the salt. Bring the water to a full boil, then add the ½ cup polenta, stirring constantly. Stir over low-medium heat until the mixture has become very thick. Remove from heat and add the sugar to taste, and then the gluten-free flour. If you want polenta cakes that will be firmer in the middle, let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to stiffen. But if you prefer the middle to be soft and gooey (still polenta-like) in the middle, use the batter right away. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat the pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add big dollops of the polenta mixture and cook for at least 5 minutes on each side, and then longer depending on how browned you want them to be and how gooey you want the middle to be. If you prefer them to be very soft on the inside, remove from heat and serve immediately with sauce, grilled or sautéed vegetables, as an accompaniment to a meat dish, or anything else. If you make them sweet enough, they would be delicious drizzled with honey or spread with jam. If you would like them to be firmer in the middle, remove from the griddle and place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake the cakes for 15 – 25 minutes at 350 F.

And voila - this is what you end up with!

Diana's Taco Soup

The last week I was living in my apartment in St. Louis with my lovely roommates, we decided to make a big pot of one of our favorite easy dinners to use up some of the food I had left: taco soup. Kyle got this recipe from his mother, Diana, and we've made it many times since then because it is so easy to put together, and so delicious. I altered a few things - I added twice the taco seasoning originally called for because I omitted the dry ranch mix - but it turned out wonderfully. It will be ready in as little as 15 minutes, or you can let it simmer and bubble for longer than that to achieve an even richer flavor. It's super easy to make, and it is ready so quickly that this would be perfect for a night when you don't have much time to throw dinner together but still want something filling and satisfying. Serve topped with anything you'd put on a taco that you can tolerate: tomatoes, onions, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, etc. And we top ours off with Fresh Gourmet brand tortilla strips - the fiesta flavor is our favorite, but all of them are good, and most are gluten-free. If you don't have those, any corn chips will work!

Diana's Taco Soup

Makes 4 - 6 servings

1 pkg of ground turkey OR vegetarian/vegan meat substitute
2 packets Old El Paso taco seasoning (or your favorite gluten-free brand)
1 can corn with liquid
1 1/2 can of water
1 can pinto beans
1 can mild chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes (the ones that include onion & garlic add nice flavor)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg dry ranch mix (I omitted this, but in case you are able to find one that suits your dietary needs, I'm including it as it's part of the original recipe)

Brown the meat in a large pot. When it has been cooked, drain the fat and return the meat to the pot. Add the packets of Old El Paso seasoning and stir to mix, and then add the rest of the ingredients listed. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to mix, but longer if you'd like a little more depth of flavor to develop. Serve topped with any ingredients you would normally use on a taco: chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, guacamole, Tofutti sour cream, cheese (if you can have it), and corn tortilla strips (Fresh Gourmet Fiesta brand is my personal favorite to have with this soup).

Sweet Potato Cornbread by the Gluten-free Goddess

Without fail, every recipe that I try from the Gluten-free Goddess' website turns out perfect and delicious and impossible to resist, and I just wanted to give yet another link to a recipe that I love. This sweet potato cornbread is moist and wonderful, with a delicious hint of cinnamon and a perfect balance of flavors. I had one piece by itself and cut one piece in half, toasted it in the oven, and spread it with sunbutter and honey and maple butter for lunch. This versatile bread would be a perfect addition to a hot bowl of chili or stew, or on its own.   You can make this vegan by using egg subsitute for the eggs (4.5 tsp. egg replacer plus 6 tbsp. warm water).

Pear Polenta Muffins

These are amazingly good and deceptively like normal muffins. Yet they are both vegan AND gluten-free. The texture is moist and crumbly like a normal muffin would be, thanks to the addition of corn flour. And the sprinkling of brown sugar on top adds a nice sweet addition to a muffin that is, on its own, not overpoweringly sweet. These would be great for breakfast or just a snack. Once again, I have Karina (glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com) to thank for the recipe here, so I just wanted to post another link to her wonderful blog (where I spend a lot of my time, browsing around her extensive collection of recipes). You can find the recipe for these here. Thanks, Karina!