Simple Gluten Free Cornbread

Corn bread was the first gluten free bread I experimented with. There are a ton of different ways to make corn bread, but this recipe pairs particularly well with spicy dishes due to its sweetness. A problem that many gluten free breads have is moisture content. A trick I've learned is to simply add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water to every recipe. gluten free flour tends to quickly soak up any liquid you add to it, making it rather clumpy and hard to pour into baking dishes. Experiment a little and add water anytime you are making GF baked goods. You'll be able to see and feel the difference. Another tip is to add yogurt to baked good recipes. I usually add organic vanilla yogurt, but any yogurt (make sure its GF) works well.

The following corn bread recipe was adapted from the book: Sundays At Moosewood Restaurant. I thought it was really good, as did everyone who attended my good friend Erika's Labor Day Party. However, next time I'll add more corn meal, as well as freshly ground peppercorns to the dough before baking. Any all-purpose gluten free flour will work with this recipe, but I used my own mixture (outlined below). Erika has graciously "volunteered" to be my guest writer for this entry. Following my recipe for corn bread is a recipe for "Eggplant Black Bean Chili" (pictured behind my GF cornbread). You'll love it! It's spicy, healthy, easy to make, vegetarian, and one of my favorite dishes.

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

• 3 cups white rice flour
  
• 1 cup potato flour
  
• ½ cup tapioca flour
  
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
  

Corn Bread Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup white or yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup water (optional, but may help keep bread from being too dry)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, yogurt, milk, oil, salt, brown sugar and water until well blended. Sift in the baking powder and whisk until foamy.
3. Add the cornmeal and flour to the mixture and blend well. Beat it until the batter is smooth.
4. Pour batter into an oiled 9-inch square or 10-inch round baking pan.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Chow down!

Eggplant & Black Bean Chili

By: Erika K.

I was honored when Trav asked me to make a guest appearance on his website. I would say that's a pretty good indicator that his "mmm, this is so good" was legit instead of being a plite statement to the hostess. I made this recipe for a Labor Day Bash that I hosted, also featuring my brand new set of plates that I purchased just hours before. For the majority, chili is meant to be eaten out of bowls. However, if you're a shopaholic like me, you work with things to make things fit. So, I took great care to make the chili chunky so it wouldn't be swimming around my new plates and mixing with the other goodies that guests brought to the party. I modified the recipe from the Dean & Deluca Cookbook to make it simpler and more practical to everyday cooking. The other great thing about this is that it's vegetarian so people like me can enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium/large sized eggplant, unpeeled, stemmed, and cut into 1-inch cupes or smaller
• Sea salt for sprinkling the eggplant (plus additional to taste)
• Cooking spray or olive oil for sauteing
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans
• 7-10 mushrooms (optional), chopped into small pieces
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (Dean & Deluca sells them in powder form in a tin can)

Cooking Directions

1. Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with sea salt and let it stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Spray a large pot with cooking spray or heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring for about 4 minutes until mostly cooked. Add eggplant to the pot and continue stirring for about 5-7 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and thoroughly cooked.
3. Reduce heat to low. Drain can of tomatoes and add to the pot; if you perfer soupier chili, you can add some of the liquid from the can of tomatoes to your liking. If you want to add mushrooms, you can add them now. Add cayenne pepper and stir for about a minute.
4. Drain can of beans and add to the pot; if you want your chili to be soupier, you can add some of the liquid from the can of beans. Stir. Season to taste with the sea salt. If you feel the chili could use some more kick, add some more cayenne pepper. Let it simmer over low heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring it 2-3 times in between.
5. Serve in your favorite dinnerware.
6. Chili is yummy by itself, alongside freshly baked cornbread and yam fries (compliments of Trav and Dana), with your favorite toppings, or over your favorite GF grains.