Jalapeno and Cheese Cornbread

I have to say I’m a little sad!  I get off work at 2pm and when I was driving home, the sun was different, it had that haze, and not very bright.  I had the realization that winter is just about here!  I am such a summer person, now I love my fall and winter foods, but I love the summer more then food, crazy I know.  I look forward to the holidays, but after that I am officially done and patiently await for spring fever to hit!  I live in N. California so I can’t complain about winter like my East Coast friends, but I am from Buffalo after all, and the cold was the reason I left!  The last time I lived there, I got stuck outside with no gloves, and I had sneakers on, it was 7pm and all I could see was white surrounding me and the hear the crackle of ice under my foot.  I took my dog Doodles out to go potty’s and when I was walking out of my apartment, the door shut behind me and I was locked out!  We both hid at the cellar door hoping for someone to come home, but no one!  My luck, my Husband (boyfriend then) was working late!  I was cursing under my breath as Doodles and I snuggled together to keep warm.  It must of been below zero out and it was a windy clear night.  As you know clear nights means brisk cold!  That was when I swore I am moving as soon as it’s safe to drive over the Sierra Mountains.  I watched the news when I made back in the apartment and they said it was the coldest winter in 20 years!  Figures, huh?  June of that year, I moved!  No way was I going through that again.  I told my friend a story, about the cold.  I told her, that it would get so cold all you could do is scream!  She thought I was crazy!  Well, she and I had to go to Philadelphia in the winter time, and it was icy, cold and snowy!  The temperature gauge on the car read ICE!  ICE, ick!  She looked at me and said “now I know what you mean, it’s so cold you just want to scream!”  See it sounds weird but being in the cold, makes you do weird things!!   So for now all I can do is embrace the winter and make wonderful comfort foods to keep me warm!  So with that I bring you last night’s bread that I had with my Wally’s Beef Chili (By the way I had that for lunch today and tastes so good the next day, maybe even better then the first day?).

This was the first time I ever made cornbread, no box stuff here!  I read several recipes and I combined them all to make my own.  You know me, I wanted low calorie, and I think I found it!  This bread is quick to make,moist and just a subtle heat from the jalapenos. I really enjoyed this bread and will definitely make again!

Here are the ingredients, it looks like a lot, but really it’s basic ingredients that you may have in your pantry.  The only thing not here is the cheese which I almost forgot, until the very end!

I got everything together and even husked and peeled my corn off the cob.

Mixed the dry ingredients in the bowl, and in a little bowl I added the wet, mix together and fold in the jalapenos, scallions and cheese.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes!

Next time I want to try it in an iron skillet!  Here it is out of the oven.

Serve warm with some honey or butter! Sorry the pictures aren’t great, my family has no patients on waiting for there food, so I had to snap the photos fast!

Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread – Edited from mornings e-mail, I forgot to add the jalapeno to the recipe ingrediants (stupid me, it’s the main ingrediant!)

1/2 cup All-purpose flour

1/2 Whole Wheat  Pastry Flour

1 cup Cornmeal

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 Egg Whites

1 cup Skim Milk

2 Tbsp. Butter- Melted

1/4 Cup Chopped Scallions

1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese or Mexican Lite Cheese- Grated

1 Jalapeno – diced and chopped small

1 Ear of Corn – Peeled off husk or use frozen corn thawed about 1/3 – 1/2 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, combine egg whites, milk and melted butter.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until moistened and no more flour remains.  Fold in the corn, jalapeno, cheese and scallions.  Pour into a 8″ x  8″ square baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.   Serve warm.

Makes 12 nice size pieces

Ready for the Calories?   I am proud of myself on this one!!

Calories per slice:  116,  Fat:  1.6,  Sodium:  131,  Potassium:32,  Carbs:  21,  Fiber: 1,  Sugar:  3.3,  Protein:  4.4

Using Cream of Corn would be great in this too!

Serve with Wally’s Beef Chili and you have a great hearty meal!!

Do you like Cornbread?  Do you have a favorite recipe for corn bread?  What do you eat it with?

Have a great day!!!!