Dear Cornbread Diary...

Been watchin' all those Elvis tributes lately. Clambake last night was a hoot. Hard to believe the King has been dead since August,1977. I can still remember the moment I heard the unbelievable news. Dead at 42...

I was a young mom with two small kids and I was heartbroken that I would never make it to one of Elvis'
spectacular concerts I had always dreamed of attending. Procrastination, not a good thing. Do what you want when you are able because that dream could be taken away forever. Here's a special recipe in honor of the King.

How to make an Elvis Cornbread Waffle with Bacon Brittle, Grilled Banana, & Peanut Butter Sauce...Serves 2

First Do the Bacon...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 slices bacon

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  In a large plastic zip-top bag, combine brown sugar and mustard. Add bacon and toss to coat.

3.  Remove bacon, cut in half, and place on a lined baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Do not roast without foil or paper (see third pic below.) Roast in oven for 20 minutes. Drain grease from pan, lay bacon onto a plate (do not drain on paper towels because bacon will set up crispy and stick to paper products) and set aside. Crumble when cooled.

For the Peanut Butter Sauce...

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water 

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 tablespoon white vinegar 

2 teaspoons sesame oil 

1 cup warm water 

Directions:

1.  Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup of cold water; set aside.

2.  Whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, white vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 cup warm water in a small saucepan over medium heat; simmer and stir until sugar has dissolved. 

3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture; simmer until the sauce is thick, 1 or 2 minutes and set aside.

For the Grilled Bananas...

Ingredients:

2 bananas, firm

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons brown sugar 

Butter and skillet for frying

Directions:

1. Slice bananas length wise.

2. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Coat with brown sugar.

3.  Heat butter on high and fry bananas 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Last the Wafflle...

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 egg

2 Tablespoons shortening, melted

3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1.  Preheat waffle iron (or griddle to make pancakes if you have no iron) to 350-375 degrees F.

2. Mix ingredients till large lumps disappear.

3.  Spray iron (or griddle) and pour batter.  Waffle is done when iron stops steaming.

For the Assembly...

1. Slather waffle with Peanut Butter Sauce and save the left over in fridge to use as an ice cream topper or dressing on an Asian salad.

2.  Next comes the banana...watch out, it could fall apart on you while removing from skillet. 

3.  Last but not least, mound the crispy, crumbled bacon brittle in a heap on top.

Note...don't bother to brittle the bacon, just fry plain, tastes just as good. All the sweets with the savory cornmeal waffle are especially wonderful.

Until next time sweet Diary, long live the memory of Elvis and may all your cornbread dreams come true Love, Di

Dear Cornbread Diary...

I am up to my sweet little pierced Southern ears in OKRA!!! So happy I love those little green pods. And we all know, down in the South, okra and cornbread is a match made in cornbread heaven. It's a sin to have one without the other. 

Will be servin' up some Stewed Okra and Tomatoes tonight with my Arkansas Golden Silver Dollars. So sorry y'all can't be here to enjoy these green delicacies and golden rounds...but I do have the recipes for you just below.

How to make Stewed Okra and Tomatoes...

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups okra pods, frozen

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes 

2 tomatoes, fresh and diced

Directions:

1.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

2.  Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes.

3.  Add remainder of ingredients, turn down heat to a simmer, and stew for 20 minutes.

How to make Arkansas Golden Silver Dollars...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk OR soured milk (to sour milk, add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and stir until it is lumpy)

oil and skillet for frying

Directions:

1.  Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, batter will be thick

2.  Drop by tablespoonfuls into hot oil at medium heat on stovetop

3.  Fry until puffy and golden brown, turning only once.

Scrumptious! Serve hot!

Until next time darlin' Diary, may all your cornbread dreams come true...Love, Di

Dear Cornbread Diary...

Every summer 'bout this time of year I am so full to the brim of luscious homegrown tomatoes and I always make a dreamy Tomato Tart with my harvest. Maybe some Whole Fried Okra to accompany it. Red and green, my favorite colors from the garden. Yummy! Check my fave tart recipe below and my previous post for that delightful fried okra.

Until next time sweet Diary, may all your cornbread dreams come true...Love, Di

How to make a Tomato Tart...

Ingredients: 

2 prepackaged 9 inch pie crusts

4 large Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced, peeled, & cored 

Salt

1/4 cup mayo

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar 

4 scallions, sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Arrange tomatoes on paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 30 minutes, then press tomatoes with additional paper towels until very dry.

2. Put one pie crust in 9 inch pie pan. I use a glass pie pan. Seems the glass generates the heat better resulting in a perfectly flaked crust. 

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, cornstarch, and 1 cup cheese in bowl until well combined. Sprinkle remaining cheese over bottom of dough-lined pie plate. Arrange third of tomatoes over cheese. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with half of scallions. Layer with another third of tomatoes, remaining mayonnaise mixture, and remaining scallions, then top with remaining tomatoes.

4. Arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together, then trim, fold, and crimp edges. Cut four vent holes in top. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.