Simply Sweet Cornbread Glistening with Melted Butter

I wish you could actually see the melted butter glistening on top of this cornbread.  Oh yes, I do.  Because when you see it, your mouth just waters for a taste of this simple sweet cornbread.  

Now, for the life of me, I can't remember which recipe I used.  I remember looking at about 300 of them before deciding to use one and fudge it  up a bit.  I stopped drinking milk about two years ago, so when I tell you it's hard to find a Cornbread recipe without milk... well, it's hard to find a Cornbread recipe without milk!!  

This one is based on Martha Stewart's Skillet Cornbread, because Martha Stewart loves butter.  And so do I.  Nothing else bakes or tastes as good. 

So...looking in the fridge to see what I can use to substitute milk with, and guess what I pull out?  Orange Juice.  Yup.  How's that for a little surprise.  :)

Here's what I did:

I took Martha Stewart's Cornbread recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/281154/skillet-cornbread

Then I made these changes:

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda (plus a tiny bit more)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

2 large eggs

2 cups low-fat buttermilk fresh pulpy orange juice

1 medium pickled jalapeno chile, minced (about 2 tablespoons) - Optional

1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese - Also Optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

First, put some of the butter in a flat casserole dish; place in oven until butter is melted and pan is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.  Martha uses a skillet, but it's at my Mama's house (and next time I'll 'borrow it'). 

Then, in a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  In a another larger bowl, mix together the eggs and orange juice.  

Put on some oven mitts.  

Okay, now remove hot casserole dish from oven.  Check out all that melted buttery goodness.  Oh yes! 

Pour that lovely golden liquid in with the orange juice and eggs, and really quickly whisk it.  If you wait too long, the hot butter will cook the eggs.  Roll the remaining butter in the casserole dish around so it coats the sides.  

Finally, pour the dry cornmeal mixture into the wet orange juice mixture and stir until just moistened. This is when you would also stir in the jalapeno if you are using it. But you can leave the jalapeno out if you just want the basic cornbread (or if you'll eat part of it savory and the next piece sweet drizzling with honey like I do).  Scrape the batter into the hot casserole dish and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. 

Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

I'll tell you, when you take that golden baby out of the oven, and you see the orangey colour with the glistening butter floating on top, you will not be able to wait the 10 minutes.  

Eat with whatever you like.  Ham, chili, eggs, more cheese.  Or slice open, add more butter, and strawberry jam.  Or drizzle the top with honey to add even more golden sunshine to your day.  

Either way, it's a winner.  And one I'll definitely make again!

Seared Scallops Nestled in Smooth Avacado Puree

Imagine taking something as decadent as rich scallops, and nestling them into a bed of rich smooth-y avocado, then draping them in melted butter.  Fat plus more fat equals heaven.  

Broose-Broose-the-Moose made these for me when he was staying at my house during the Christmas holidays.  It's a favourite of his, and now is definitely a favourite of mine!

I should have paid more attention while he was making these.  Hmmm.....

I'll have to just guess for now, until I can tie him up with duct tape and force the recipe from him...haha.

Ingredients:
5 avocados, cut in half, pulp scooped out into a small bowl
- hmm, what did he mix in with the avocado?
lime?

Place the mashed up avocado back into the avocado shells, making nice scoops in them so they can hold all that wonderful scallop stuffing.

package of small scallops
brown sugar
garlic
butter
- fry scallops in a fry pan for about five minutes until slightly roasted
Save all that lovely butter.  You did put in a whole swack of butter, right?

Uh, oh dear, what else?

Bake them in the oven for an indeterminate amount of time (we were drinking wine, it could have been 15 minutes or 45 minutes).

Uh, they look awesome.  They taste even more awesome than that!

Crispy Sweet Pea Sprouts, Crisp Juicy Apple, and Peppered Tomatoes

Some days it pays to be lazy.

For example, I had about 10 minutes to make some lunch in between my meetings today.  How easy is it to make a sandwich?

Take two pieces of bread.  In this case, I had some sprouted spelt bread.  Lay them out on a plate.  Take one tomato, squeeze it to see if it's nice and ripe, smell the flavour.  Wash it under warm water.  I buy tomatoes on the vine, which are the closest to home grown that we have.  Still not even close, but what can you do?

Slice it up, layer it on one side of the bread.  Sprinkle a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper on it.  I use rock sea salt in a salt grinder.  Yummy.

On a spur purchase, I had bought some pea sprouts.  They sounded spring-y and exotic somehow.  Take a handful, wash them, shake them off, then place on the other side of the bread.  It's looking good so far.  The bread is already quite moist, plus the juice from the tomatoes meant I really didn't need any fixings.  I would put mayonnaise and/or mustard on, but I was at Mama's house and I don't trust the food in her fridge (she either can't read expiry dates or doesn't believe in them).

Finally, take one crispy organic Gala apple, wash it well, core and slice it, and place along the edge of the plate.  Looks good, hey?

It was!

Plus, bonus, I could eat it at my desk leisurely and not feel rushed, even though I was back at work.