Spicy Corn Bread Cheese Toast
Believe me, I tried to think of a more original name for this invention of mine but somehow every catchy name that I could think of didn’t reflect the explosion of taste and texture in this simple combination of flavors. So I had to resort to a simple name that simply stated all the components in it. Yes, it doesn’t sound highfalutin but it really tastes great and I hope you try it!
Ingredients:
1. One and a half cups of yellow corn meal
2. ½ cup of all-purpose flour
3. 2 eggs
4. One cup of buttermilk
5. 5-6 spring onions
6. ½ teaspoon of baking soda
7. One and half teaspoon of baking powder
8. 4 tablespoons of sugar
9. 3 fresh Jalapeno peppers
10. One teaspoon of salt
11. ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
12. One chunk of Pepper Jack cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut out the seeds and the veins of the Jalapeno peppers and then cut the Jalapeno peppers into small pieces (only the green part of the peppers).
3. Cut the spring onions in small pieces about 1/4 to 1/5 inch thick (reserve one onion for garnishing later).
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients namely cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
5. In another mixing bowl thoroughly whisk in the wet ingredients – eggs, buttermilk, olive oil.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and also add in the chopped Jalapeno peppers and the sliced spring onions and mix thoroughly, so that the onions and peppers get spread evenly all over the batter.
7. Oil/butter the inside of a bread pan and pour the batter into it.
8. Place the pan into the oven and bake for aproximately25 minutes (until the top of the bread looks done and to double-check test with a dry toothpick to make sure that the bread is done).
9. After taking the bread out of the oven, cool the pan on a cooking rack for 10 minutes or so and then take the bread of by gently turning it upside down. Use a butter knife along the sides of the bread pan to help the bread slide out of the pan.
10. Slice the bread with a serrated knife in ¾ inch slices.
11. Slice the Pepper Jack cheese into thin slices and place them over the slices of corn bread.
12. Place the corn bread slices topped with cheese in the oven toaster for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese on top of the corn bread.
13. Serve the sliced bread while it is still hot. Garnish with the reserved sliced spring onion on top. I served it with Habanero Red Pepper Jelly (it was a gift from a friend and I am hoping to give the recipe a test run sometime soon – if it comes out well, I will put it up on the blog sometime soon!).
