Balkan Style Savory Cornbread Food

BALKAN-STYLE SAVORY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter 9x13-inch baking pan; sprinkle 2 tablespoons cornmeal on bottom.
• Sift all-purpose flour, semolina flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk spinach, buttermilk, feta cheese, eggs, and vegetable oil together in a separate large bowl. Stir flour mixture into spinach mixture just until pourable batter forms. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

SAVORY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put the butter or other fat into a cast-iron skillet, place the skillet in the oven while it heats and you mix the ingredients.
• Combine dry ingredients.
• Lightly beat eggs and combine with yogurt. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just enough to mix.
• Take the skillet out of the oven. Carefully tilt to coat sides with fat. Pour the melted fat into the batter. Mix well.
• Transfer batter to hot skillet, smoothing the surface if necessary.
• Bake for 14 minutes if you're using a 12-inch skillet, until bread pulls away from sides of skillet and is barely golden. If you're using the 10-inch skillet, it may need closer to 20 minutes, but don't overbake.

SWEET CORNBREAD WITH SAVORY VARIATIONS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs to blend with buttermilk and 1/4 cup butter. Pour liquids into flour mixture and stir just until evenly moistened.
• Scrape batter into a buttered 8-inch square pan and spread smooth.
• Bake in a 400-degree oven until bread springs back when lightly pressed in the center and begins to pull from pan sides, about 25 minutes (20 minutes in a convection oven).
• Cut bread into squares. Lift from pan with a slender spatula.
• Serve hot or cool.
• Variations: Vary-the-Corn Bread. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread, but instead of yellow cornmeal, use 1 cup polenta, dehydrated masa flour (corn tortilla flour), or stone-ground cornmeal. Double Red Cornbread. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread adding 1 tbs. hot or sweet Hungarian paprika or regular paprika to flour mixture. To egg mixture, add 3/4 cup chopped canned roasted red peppers. Increase baking time to 30 minutes (25 minutes in a convection oven). Basil-Parmesan Cornbread. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread. To egg mixture, add 1 can (8 1/2 oz.) cream-style corn, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Increase baking time to 30 minutes (25 minutes in a convection oven). Curry Cornbread. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread adding 1 1/2 tbs. curry powder to flour mixture. Southwest Cornbread. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread. To egg mixture, add 1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies and 3/4 cup (3 oz.) coarsely shredded jack cheese. Combine 1 tbs. each sugar and chili powder; sprinkle over batter in pan. Habanero Surprise Muffins. Follow directions for Savory or Sweet Cornbread, completing step 1. Spoon half the batter equally into 12 buttered 2 1/2-inch muffin cups. Top each portion with 2 teaspoons habanero or jalapeno jelly (1/2 cup total). Fill cups equally with remaining batter. Bake in a 400 degree oven until muffins spring back when lightly pressed in center and are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12.

SAVORY CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a small bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, milk and oil until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened., Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.