Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread

This is one of those days when I wish I could eat an entire pan of something and not gain any weight. Oh wait....that's everyday! Oops!
Since I am not supposed to be eating any bread as of now, as I am still following an anti inflammatory diet, I took the smallest little bite possible. Oh wow, this was fantastic. Of course, if I had it my way it would have been a bite smothered in melted butter, but that would have really been pushing it. So I just tasted it without any butter. Trust me, spread a layer of hot butter on your slice and you will be in cornbread heaven!

 Recipe adapted from:
http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/green-chile-cornbread-recipe/1/

1 cup Bisquick

1  cup cornmeal

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2  tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2  eggs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2/3  cup canned corn, drained

2  Tbsp diced jalapenos

 

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with Pam.

Stir Bisquick mix, cornmeal, sugar, salt, milk, oil and eggs in medium bowl just until moistened. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pan.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until light brown. 

Serve warm

Zucchini, and Jalapeno Biscuits with Cheese

Don't you just love when you can whip something up in no time at all and it winds up tasting great? That's the way this recipe worked. I love biscuits and in my opinon you can add jalapeno and/or spice to anything and it's always going to taste better. I don't know what I'm gonna do if I ever have to go on a bland diet....yikes....I shudder at the thought. I promise these are not "smoke coming out of your ears" spicy. You can add extra jalapeno, cut back to the 1/4 of a jalapeno or not add it at all. It's your choice! That's what is so great about cooking. You take a recipe and "tweak" it or add to or take away from it to make it your own. So have fun with this one. Add to it, take away from it, or leave it like this, but just enjoy it!!

3/8 cup (or 3 oz) shredded, fresh zucchini
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4-1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of flour
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter  (half a stick) cold and cut into small cubes
 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 tsp fresh garlic, chopped very finely

Preheat oven to 450°. Use a paper towel (you have to use a high quality brand or else it will fall apart) to squeeze out all the excess water out of the shredded zucchini. Place the zucchini in a small bowl and add the cilantro, jalapeno, salt and dash of flour. Mix together and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cubed butter and use your hands to break it up and work it into the flour mixture until it's the size of small peas.

Add the milk, zucchini mixture and both cheeses to the flour mixture until moistened. Using a big spoon, drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
*While the biscuits are cooking, melt the 1/2 stick of butter and stir in fresh garlic. When the biscuits come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter on the top of each one.

Cilantro and Jalapeno Latkes

This was my first experience making Latkes. I don't think it will be my last. It's almost like having a yummy, flavor filled hash brown with dinner. I really liked the flavor of these. The cilantro and jalapeno added a good, spicy, combination to the potato. I'm not exactly sure how they will fare for leftovers today, but then again, leftovers are never my favorite!

3 cups shredded and peeled potato
 1/2 cup grated onion
 3 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
 1 Tbsp chopped Jalapeno
 1 egg white and a small part of the yolk ( I just used my fingers to break apart the yolk)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup olive oil, divided
  

Combine potato and onion in a colander. Drain 30 minutes. Press occasionally with the back of a spoon to get more of the liquid/moisture out of them.. Combine potato/onion mixture, flour, cilantro,, jalapeno, egg, cumin and salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Spoon 1/2 cup potato mixture at a  time into the hot oil. Flatten with a spatula. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked.