Cookie or Cracker?

I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Cookie of the Day emails. I swear that woman (or her flunkies) will make cookies from about anything. These daily emails will be either annoying or interesting depending on your mood. Recently, the cookie recipe sent was made from cornmeal and it intrigued me. Was it going to be sweet or savory? Was 3/4 cup of sugar going to be too much or too little? I wanted to find out.

Made with our super bowl fare as an 'alternative' to the sweet Rocky Road Whoppers I baked. Here's was my thought process: You know how there are two schools of cornbread eating? Some people like it savory and some people like their cornbread sweet. Of course there are other who like their cheesy or spicy....These 'cookies' would be great with chili! I liked the slight sweetness of them. I rubbed a little butter on the tops which provided a salty edginess that complimented the sweetness. I found that I couldn't stop eating these cookies. They were so different that they were really really good. They weren't salty/savory or overly sweet either. I am definitely making these again since the snow is keeping me homebound.


Cornmeal Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for shaping
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar (I used splenda)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
melted butter for cookie tops

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto two large baking sheets; flatten slightly with floured fingertips. Bake until edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack; brush with melted butter and let cool completely.

Again, these were uncommonly good....I am thinking about checking out her recipes for Lemon Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies and Lime Cornmeal Glazed. Hmmmm.

Hi, I am JennyMac and I'm a Southern Girl

Despite my love for ethnic foods, every so often I gotta have some of the southern foods I ate when I was younger.


I had very eclectic food influences in my life. My mom grew up eating Polish foods and we ate peirogies, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, etc mostly during the holidays. During the week it was traditional fare that the typical American family was eating ...burgers, hotdogs, pizza, spaghetti (ironically not American of origin! LOL) Yet my Dad liked having a traditional southern breakfast many weekends. Although we were NOT the traditional southern food eating family of the greens, fried chicken, stewed tomatoes, and/or biscuits and sausage gravy; breakfast always remained the same. Fried Eggs, scrapple, fried tomatoes, grits and maybe biscuits (only if we managed to take a batch home from Me-mom, my Dad's mother).


Now in my making breakfast for K-man, he has not taking a liking to grits *sniff-sniff*. He ate hominy growing up where I did not. So if I want grits for breakfast. I make them only for me, K-man will pass.

Since our tomatoes are in abundance right now and I have the free time for a fun lunch right now...I thought...JennyMac is going to prepare a southern brunch for herself!

Typically my Me-mom and Dad would only dredge the tomatoes in flour/salt and pepper and that was it. They were okay that way but they were soggy, wet and never developed any crunch probably because the flour only dissolved in the oil and burned. Since I am college trained in food preparation...I know the proper way to fry my tomatoes to get a CRUNCH. Sorry Dad....

Fried Tomatoes and Grits

Old Fashioned Hominy Grits
Tomatoes
salt and pepper
cornmeal
flour
1 egg
hot sauce
oil for frying

Prepare your grits according to the package. One serving was 1 cup of water to 1/4 c. hominy grits (I use milk to make them more creamy) Cook for about 15 minutes on simmer. Stirring on occasion. While grits are cooking, let's prepare the fried tomatoes.

Slice your tomatoes. Sprinkle them with a little salt and let them rest on a paper towel. While you prepare the coating stations.



About 3 Tbsp. of flour on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork.









Crack egg in a small bowl and some hot sauce to taste and beat well.










About 1/3 cup of cornmeal, salt and pepper and cayenne sprinkled. Mix well with a fork.






Flour tomato, patting gently, drop into egg...flip it several time for the egg will not want to stick at first. Keep flipping until you see the flour start to get gummy. Then put into cornmeal and flip and press lightly Keep turning until you feel it's a coated well. Set all the coated tomatoes aside on a plate while you heat up some oil in a pan. Just about 1/4 inch of oil in the pan will do. Medium heat. Cook on each side about 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel while you get your plate ready.

Plate your grits. I like them with a little butter and pepper. (BTW, in the picture: under the fried tomatoes was the leftover egg mixture that I cooked up like scrambled eggs -no point in wasting them) Lay your fried tomatoes on your grits.

Crunchy toasted corn outside, soft and sweet inside. The creamy grits with a bite of the fried tomato added another experience to the textures. Oh so goooooooooodd.

Today was a nice day with no humidity and a slight breeze. I took these out on the deck with some lemonade to each for lunch. All I needed was a hoop skirt and a parasol and I would be set!

Enjoy!

Chili today, Hot Tamale!

It's Cinco de Mayo mis amigos! Time to get your Tamale on!

I got my new issue of the Food Network Magazine and Ingrid Hoffman demonstrated how to make Tamales. Now understand something here, never in the back of my head or in my future cooking plans was I EVER thinking of making tamales. I love to eat them but I always assumed that they were just to difficult or time consuming to make. Stupid assumption, I know. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. After I saw the recipe and a few pictures AND the substitution for corn husk wrappers I WAS THERE BABY!

First the process, then the recipe follows:


Boil your chicken in seasoned water. Salt and pepper with chicken bouillon. Or just get one of those roasted chickens in your deli dept. and shred it. Here I took two forks and shredded 2 boneless breasts and thighs.





Put your 1 cup of cheese, 2 cups of salsa, 1/2 cup peas, 2 chopped green onions and cilantro in your bowl. Add your shredded chicken and 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix






After I mixed it, I took my fork and divided it into two sections. The recipe said that it was going to make 12 tamales so I figured each side was divided into 6.






I bought at my dollar store some foil wrappers. I put out six of them and put a pile of the chicken mix on them. I even took out my scale and weighed each one to ensure I put ABOUT the same amount. Each came to 4.25 ounces thereabouts.




Form each chicken 'mass' into an oblong shape. Push it to the edge and fold foil in half.







Fold edges into the sides of the chicken mixture.








Wrap around it, leaving it open on the end.








My pile of 12 tamales ready to STEAM.








Bring your Pasta pot with 1 inch of water on the bottom to a boil. With the tamales on their folded ended - Cook for 30 minutes.






Serve with sour cream, seasoned chopped tomatoes and garnish with a cilantro leaf.


Chicken Tamales
from Food Network Magazine June 2009, page 102

14 corn husks (available in Latin stores or Internation aisle in your grocery, they suggested foil if you didn't have husks- worked great for me)
2-3 lb rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded about 6 cups (I poached 2 boneless breasts and thighs)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used only about 1 Tbsp- I am still getting used to the taste of cilantro s0 I didn't want the overpowering taste of it)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup drained and halved olives (I omitted this for K-man doesn't like olives)
2 cups salsa (they suggested salsa verde/green. I used the chunky type I had on hand)
2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix (if you only have regular cornmeal you can add 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt)

1. Soak the husks in warm water. Soak for 30 minutes or until they are soft and pliable.
2. Mix the filling, while the husks soak. Stir together the chicken, cheese, cilantro, peas, olives and salsa in a bowl. Add the cornmeal mix and stir until combined. (Taste your mixture seeing if it is seasoned enough for you. I tasted mine for I wanted a lil ZING and added red pepper flakes)
3. Make the ties. Remove 2 corn husks from the water. Tear into 12 thin strips for tying up the tamales. Set aside. (Me- open box of foil. Remove 12 sheets)
4. Unfold the soaked husks wide end up, on a work surface. Starting at the top edge spoon 2/3 cup filling down the center and mold into a 4 by 2 inch rectangle, leaving room at the bottom for folding.
5. Roll up the tamale jelly-roll style to enclose the filling. Fold up the bottom end of the husk and tie with one of the strips of husk. Repeat with the remaing husks, filling and ties.
6. Add one inch of water to a deep pot with a tight fitting lid, place a steamer basket in the pot. Arrange the tamales upright (closed end down) in the basket. Bring the water to boil over medium-high heat; cover and steam the tamales for 25 minutes, adding more water if needed.
7. Carefully remove the tamales from the steamer and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter, untie and open the husks, then garnish.

I couldn't get over myself how really easy these were. The foil was the clincher for me. And these were so filling, I could barely eat two of them. But K-man ate 3. He was asking during dinner if he could take some to work to wave under his hispanic co-workers noses....LOL

I am feeling corny...

I saw Cathy's recipe for Mexican Cornbread....bookmarked it for later.....as I was planning what to have for dinner....I thought how could I use my zucchini before it goes bad....and the cornbread recipe popped into my head....so I did some tweaking...

Zucchini and Onion Cornbread
Restyled from Cathy of Noble Pig

1-1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 can (8.5 oz) corn pureed in food processor (she used creamed corn, I didn't have any)
½ can cream of chicken soup (the creaminess to replace no creamed corn)
2 zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry with a clean dish towel
1/2 cup onion chopped
2 Tbsp. chives minced
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. teaspoon salt

In a large bowl mix cheese, buttermilk, butter, soup, eggs, corn, zucchini, onion and chives.

In another bowl mix cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to cheese mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Generously spray a 10 in. springform pas with cooking spray. Pour mixture into casserole. Bake 40 to 50 minutes in a 375 degree oven or until cornbread is a deep golden brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cooking times are going to vary based on width and height of the pan you use.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes and slice into wedges. Serve warm with addition melted butter and chopped green onions on top.

This was super moist, fresh with zucchini and onion flavor. Crusty edges and buttery top. K-man asked for seconds! It was also great the next morning as brunch with a few slices of thick bacon....mmmm. Thanks Cathy for the springboard idea for this new cornbread! Yummy

The introduction of the K-man.

I am blessed to have love in my life. Anyone who knows me, has met who I am talking about. To keep the TMZ paparazzi from following him around from my new found celebrity...(bwahahahaha, yeah right....LOL) I will lovingly refer to him as the K-man. (if his name changes after this he must have had a problem with his studly moniker)

S00000, my foodie friends, have you had a similar conversation like this (minus the corn syrup perhaps)?*....

K-man- "Honey, do you have a whole bunch of new friends from your new food blog?" (he's thinking it's some chat site?)
JennyMac- (*giggling* writing my second post as we talk, mind you) "No honey, it's too early after only one post"

K-man- "What if you get all these new friends to talk to and you don't have time to talk to me anymore?"
JM- (in head saying..awwwww) "Well, I look at it this way, when you are playing Xbox or playing your guitar, I have something to do by keeping busy on my blog"

K-man- *Smirk* "I won't ever play that MUCH guitar." (hmm... me noticing the lack of mention of the days he plays Xbox for hours--heh)
JM- (WHACK! instant underlying message shot into brain) "Well sweetheart, anything new is sometimes time consuming... I have a whole new format of this blog page to get used to (compared to my school's web page which I've worked on for hours at home as well). I constantly change things or change back cuz I am still learning the ropes. As time goes on and the novelty wears down I will spending less time on my food blog.

K-man- "Ok honey, at least you know how to spell meat. (Adding humor to the situation by referring to this email picture he sent me.

*Please keep in mind, this was a silly conversation between the two of us. Very syrupy sweet, very typical for us....Many people would get a pain in their tooth if they were a fly on the wall listening to us. Each couple has their 'thing'...this is ours....sigh....love....

BUT the message was received....Significant Other has noticed the time spent on this new hobby.... Alot.... Concerned.....Must convey concern in our silly yet loving way.

Reality Check: I always say K-man was a cat in other life....this proves it. At times, Tricksy demands attention when I am transfixed on the computer and she is meowing non-stop...."mommy, pick me up...mommy rub me....mommy feed me"
Like Tricksy...K-man wants my attention at moments when I am in high concentration mode on the computer. Or I get short with him when the computer has 'pokey' moments and regrettably has asked me a question. Poor K-man (pouty lip sticks out) THAT is my cue to take a break!!!

So to assuage my sweetie and let's face it....Full tummy = Happy Man....

Here's my submission for today. I found this on my new foodie friends site The Homesteading Housewife. K-man LOVES hot dogs. He'd eat them everyday if that is all I cooked...with no complaint. He often throws one on the grill on days when we are already cooking steak or pork loin (go figure).
Mom keeps giving us hotdogs from the Amish grocery (they are piling up in the freezer) and this recipe fills the bill. Thanks HH!!!

Tonight's Menu: Sauteed Green Beans and

Corn Dog Dressing Bake

Ingredients

* 1 cup celery, chopped finely
* 1 large onion, chopped finely OR 1 heaping cup of sliced green onion
* 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 pounds (2 packages) Hot Dogs.
* two 8.5 oz. packages Corn Bread Mix
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a skillet, combine celery, onions & butter. Saute for 5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
3. Cut the hot dogs into fourths lengthwise. Then cut each hot dog strip into 4 pieces.
4. Pour hot dog pieces into the same skillet you used for the celery/onion mixture, saute hot dog pieces for 5 min or until lightly browned.
5. Add the browned hot dog pieces into the celery/onion mixture bowl.
6. In another large bowl, combine; eggs, milk, sugar, sage, & pepper.
7. Add 1/2 of the hot dog /celery mixture & 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, into the milk mixture. Stir in the corn bread mix.
8. Spread the mixture into a 13x9 backing dish.
9. Top with the remaining half of the hot dog/celery mix. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top.
10. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for approx 35 min, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Enjoy!

POST SCRIPT:
Now I prepared the above and it did not turn out as I would have liked it. I made half the recipe for I didn't need a 13x9 amount and used a 9 inch square pan. HH said 400 degrees and perhaps my oven runs hotter but my bake turned out very dry. I also didn't use the box of Jiffy for I already had some corn meal mix at home. These things happen when you don't follow a recipe EXACTLY. So since I have leftover ham, I did it again. This time I used two more eggs and only one cup corn meal mix instead of 1-1/2 cups. (I wanted a more custardy bake). I baked it in 350 degree oven and checked it @ 30 minutes.
Mmmm, definitely better @ a lower temperature. I didn't make it EXACTLY like HH, but giving what I had on hand....it worked.

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Speaking of Ham/Hotdogs....err well, um Cat on the Hot Sidewalk...

"Hey did someone throw a treat over there?"