This might be a humble meal, and a simple meal, but it's one of my absolute favorites. I rarely make meals a second time, much less include them in a loose repertoire, but this is one dish I'd happily eat every week. I love the combination of sweet, spicy cornbread with savory vegetables. Today I served it with a salad of romaine lettuce, snow peas, radishes and cucumbers.
Cornbread tastes best when it's baked in a cast-iron pan, but you can put it in a square baking dish instead. You can also omit the jalapeño if you don't like spicy cornbread - it's just as good without it.
ingredientsskillet cornbread: 1 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1 c. cornmeal
2 T. coarse corn grits (polenta)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. plant milk + 1 T. vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil or melted coconut oil
1/4 c. maple syrup or another sweetener
1 T. ground flaxseed + 3 T. water
1 red jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 green jalapeño, seeded and chopped
stewed vegetables: 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 pattypan squash, halved through the middle and diced (or about 1 1/2 c. of any summer squash)
2 c. mixed beans (pinto, kidney, black)
1 c.
roasted tomatoes (or a canned variety), with their juice
1 chipotle pepper, minced, with 1 T. adobo sauce (optional, may omit or replace with another pepper)
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. Bragg's or another soy sauce
1 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 t. chili powder
scallions, sliced, to garnish
instructions 1. To make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a large cast-iron skillet.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Stir in the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
4. Fold in the peppers.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
6. While the bread is baking, heat 1 T. of oil in a deep pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
7. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until beginning to soften.
8. Add the spices, beans, squash, pepper, tomato, tomato paste and Bragg's. Cook over medium, stirring regularly, until most of the juice is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
9. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. To serve, pile a wedge of cornbread with about a cup of the stewed vegetables. Garnish with scallions and serve warm.
This might be a humble meal, and a simple meal, but it's one of my absolute favorites. I rarely make meals a second time, much less include them in a loose repertoire, but this is one dish I'd happily eat every week. I love the combination of sweet, spicy cornbread with savory vegetables. Today I served it with a salad of romaine lettuce, snow peas, radishes and cucumbers.
Cornbread tastes best when it's baked in a cast-iron pan, but you can put it in a square baking dish instead. You can also omit the jalapeño if you don't like spicy cornbread - it's just as good without it.
ingredients
skillet cornbread:
1 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1 c. cornmeal
2 T. coarse corn grits (polenta)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. plant milk + 1 T. vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil or melted coconut oil
1/4 c. maple syrup or another sweetener
1 T. ground flaxseed + 3 T. water
1 red jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 green jalapeño, seeded and chopped
stewed vegetables:
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 pattypan squash, halved through the middle and diced (or about 1 1/2 c. of any summer squash)
2 c. mixed beans (pinto, kidney, black)
1 c. roasted tomatoes (or a canned variety), with their juice
1 chipotle pepper, minced, with 1 T. adobo sauce (optional, may omit or replace with another pepper)
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. Bragg's or another soy sauce
1 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 t. chili powder
scallions, sliced, to garnish
instructions
1. To make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a large cast-iron skillet.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Stir in the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
4. Fold in the peppers.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
6. While the bread is baking, heat 1 T. of oil in a deep pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
7. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until beginning to soften.
8. Add the spices, beans, squash, pepper, tomato, tomato paste and Bragg's. Cook over medium, stirring regularly, until most of the juice is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
9. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. To serve, pile a wedge of cornbread with about a cup of the stewed vegetables. Garnish with scallions and serve warm.