Blue Cornbread

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Texas Iron Chef

Check out this beautiful blue corn meal, delivered in person by Brent Bolton!Fresh Ground Blue Corn MealBrent is a Dutch oven friend who stopped by recently and shared a bag of his hand-ground blue corn meal.  I love the subtle grey-blue color and its sweet light taste.  Blue corn has 30% more protein than hybrid corn and is a staple in southwestern recipes.  Brent and I share a love for New Mexican flavors, so when he offered this lovely gift, I glad accepted!

I modified our cornbread recipe just a little to make this Blue Cornbread recipe with buttermilk (no regular milk).  I can’t wait to taste and see it!

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cups blue corn meal
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 cups buttermilk
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Pour canola oil into a 12″ camp Dutch oven.  Preheat the Dutch oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (21 hot charcoals on top and 11 underneath).

In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Blue Corn, Flour, and Sugar

In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, eggs, and butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together using as few strokes as possible.  If there are a few small pockets of dry ingredients left, that’s ok.Gently Folded and Ready for the Oven

Pour batter into hot Dutch oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.Baked Blue Cornbread

Check out this beautiful blue-grey color!  Beautiful Blue Corn Cornbread

The texture is so light with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth.  I love this recipe and can’t wait to try it at a DOG (Dutch Oven Gathering) soon to share with our Prairie Dog friends.  A bit of soft butter and a some local honey will be a perfect compliment to this beautiful cornbread.

Thank you Brent for sharing this lovely gift that reminds me of northern New Mexico!

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Roasted Cauliflower

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Texas Iron Chef

I dedicate this to my Dutch oven friends Craig and Kim who cook with the Lewisville Lake Armadillos in north Texas.  They pointed me to this recipe that celebrates healthy cauliflower that I tried it out tonight and love the results.  IMG_3076

Ingredients

  • A head of cauliflower (about 8 cups) – florets broken into bit size pieces and thick stems trimmed backIMG_4184IMG_4186
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives, dried or freshIMG_4188
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 cup pine nutsIMG_4189
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper, black ground, freshly ground, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar balsamic, aged is best (I promise, it is worth every penny)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan, finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Prepare a 12-inch camp Dutch oven by spraying with Pam or spreading a light coal of vegetable oil around the bottom of the oven.  If your oven is an old-timer that has a lot of seasoning, don’t worry about this step.

Fire up a big chimney of charcoal.  You will need it!  Getting your camp oven to a smoking hot 450F will take a big batch of hot charcoal.  (For those who need to know –  33).

Mix cauliflower, oil, oregano, pine nuts, salt and pepper together in a large bowl, tossing all ingredients together until cauliflower is evenly coated with oil and seasoning.IMG_4190   IMG_4194Pour into prepared camp Dutch oven and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (22 hot charcoals on top and 11 underneath) for about 15 minutes or when cauliflower is fork tender.  IMG_4200Remove the lid and place on a lid stand, keeping the hot charcoals on the lid.  Sprinkle vinegar over the cauliflower and stir until vinegar is evenly distributed.

Put the lid back on the oven and add any extra coals you may have for about 5 minutes.  It is time to brown the top of the cauliflower and remove any extra moisture.

While the cauliflower is roasting, mix together cheese and bread crumbs in a bowl.

Pull the lid and enjoy the aroma of roasted cauliflower!   Sprinkle parmesan and bread crumb mixture across the top. Replace the lid on the Dutch oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.IMG_4202Oh this is so satisfying and wonderful! The crunchy topping of Parmesan and bread crumbs give way to the soft roasted cauliflower with sweet piñon nuts mixed in to each bite.  Thank you Craig and Kim for sharing this great recipe!IMG_4205

 

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