Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Corn Muffins

Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen chopped broccoli
About 6 baby carrots or 1 large carrot
1 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 strips of lean bacon
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 loose cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
About 2 tablespoons snipped spring onion tops


Method:
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Put the broccoli and carrot in a food processor or handi chopper and pulse to chop into little bits.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the corn meal, flours, baking powder, salt & sugar. Stir to mix well.

Meanwhile fry the bacon until crisp and chop or crumble into little bits.

Add the crumbled bacon, milk, egg, olive oil, chopped vegetables, cheese and snipped spring onion to the batter and stir just until everything is mixed well.

Spoon the batter into 12 prepared muffin tins. 

Bake at 220C for 15 - 18 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (426g) large tin whole kernel corn, drained
1 (426g) large tin cream-style corn
250g muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix all ingredients, minus the cheese, together and pour into a greased baking dish. 

After the casserole has baked for 45 minutes, or is set in the middle and golden brown, sprinkle with cheddar and put it back in the oven. Let the cheese melt, take the casserole out and enjoy this ridiculously buttery dish.

Corned Beef and Corn Bread

Corned beef, or bully beef, go so well with sweetcorn, they are like husband and wife.

This 'Cornbread' comes from an old South African recipe book of mine.

It's down to earth cooking and I trust you will enjoy it as much as my family do.

Ingredients:

500 g plain flour

12 g salt

25 g fresh yeast

40 g butter

290 ml water

1 can sweetcorn, drained

1 small can corned beef

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

Place the flour, salt, yeast, butter and water in a mixing bowl. Mix roughly with your hands and then tip onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl and set aside to rise for 1 hour.

Mix the corned beef and sweetcorn. Shape the dough into a ball, place on a lined baking tray and use a cook's knife to mark a cross on the top of the loaf. Leave to rise for 45 minutes.

Bake the loaf for 25 minutes until risen.

Spicy Corn Bread

Corn bread goes great with the braai or barbecue.

It can be made a day ahead, but is nicer if it is fresh and warm.

Ingredients:
185ml self-raising flour
250ml cornmeal, polenta or mealiemeal
30ml sugar
5ml ground cumin
2ml chilli powder
about 80-85ml canned pimentoes, drained and chopped,
or 80-85ml chopped red italian sweet peppers
or 80-85ml chopped sun-dried tomatoes
60ml chopped fresh parsley
250ml plain yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
60ml vegetable oil

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease a 14x21cm loaf pan.
Combine flour, cornmeal (or mealie meal or polenta), sugar, cumin and chilli in a bowl.
Stir in the pimentos (or red pepper or sun-dried tomatoes), parsley, yoghurt, egg and oil.
Mix to a wet and sticky dough.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until well browned and firm.
Stand for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

Salmon and Polenta Muffins

These are great served hot for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients:
250ml cup polenta meal
125ml self-raising flour
30ml castor sugar
1 egg
250ml buttermilk
2 eggs, extra
125ml double cream
210g can salmon, drained and flaked
130g can corn kernels, drained
2ml paprika

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
Combine polenta meal, flour and sugar in a bowl.
Combine buttermilk and 1 egg in a jug and whisk.
Mix buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula.
Whisk extra eggs and double cream in another bowl until combined.
Stir in salmon, corn kernels and paprika.
Line a muffin pan with paper cases.
Spoon 1 tablespoonful of cornmeal mixture into each paper-case and top with 1 tablespoonful of salmon mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are lightly browned.
Serve hot, or cool and cut open and fill with cream whipped with a pinch of paprika.