Blue Cornmeal Bread with Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Jalapeños

Whenever I am treated to a visit from my charming and cherished father-in-law, I like to treat him to something from my kitchen. He always enjoys my baked goods and, like me, is a fan of cornmeal. I drafted this recipe after some brainstorming. Quick breads like this are a speciality of mine. If you can't find blue cornmeal, use yellow cornmeal instead.

A moist cornbread that packs a bit of a punch, baking the jalapeños results in a slightly sweet flavor that reduces the heat and the goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes lend a delightful, rather understated tartness to the bread. Easy to prepare, and for best results use a seasoned cast-iron skillet. All you need to do to season a cast-iron skillet is to grease the pan with some oil and chuck it into the oven for about an hour at 300°. Let the pan cool and wipe off any excess oil. It is also important to note that if you need to wash your cast iron-skillet in dishwater instead of wiping it down, make sure to dry it right away to prevent rust. As well, seasoning it every once in a while helps to make this a perfect non-stick pan. Generally speaking, teflon skillets should be avoided because as they age, little bits of the toxic chemical component of teflon break up and leak into your food.

Blue Cornmeal Bread with Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Jalapeños

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on March 4, 2012 A moist and ever-so-slightly sweet cornbread packed with sun-dried tomatoes, jalapeños and tart goat cheese Print this recipe Ingredients: 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup blue cornmeal 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose or spelt flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 14 oz can of creamed corn (or 1 1/4 cups homemade creamed corn) 3 tablespoons plain yogurt 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 4 - 5 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely chopped 5 1/2 oz goat cheese, crumbled dash of cayenne Instructions: Preheat an oven to 375°. Butter a cast-iron skillet or 13 × 9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with an handheld mixer or stand mixer until creamy. Now add the cornmeal to the bowl and beat until blended. Add the eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir and add to the bowl with the butter, eggs and cornmeal and beat until well combined. Now stir in the creamed corn, yogurt, jalapeno peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and cayenne. If you are using a cast-iron skillet, heat the buttered skillet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Add more butter to the pan and transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let sit for 15 - 20 minutes, cut into wedges and serve. Makes 6 -8 servings

More cornmeal recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are sure to enjoy:
Corn Cakes with Blue Cheese and Honey
Cornmeal Crusted Chili
Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins
Polenta Croutons

On the top of the reading stack: Simply South by Chandra Padmanabhan

Audio Accompaniment: Orphx and other Mutek sounds