COOKBOOK/A TABLE - Plant-Based Cornbread

In the 1989 Batman movie, Jack Nicholson’s Joker gleefully declared, “This town needs an enema!” As remakes often reflect the current climate of the culture, I can only imagine a new version of the film where The Joker might instead declare, “The entire world needs an enema!”

So think globally, but act locally, right? With that buoyant expression in mind, I offer a solution to our constipated world—a plant-based corn bread that I find to be most cleansing. (The recipe calls for jalapeños but I’m not going there.)

Jessica Murnane wrote the cookbook One Part Plant: A Simple Guide to Eating Real, One Meal at a Time to combat her chronic, painful endometriosis. After teaching herself how to cook, she changed her diet to incorporate whole plant-based meals into her daily life with life-changing results. The recipe for jalapeño cornbread is just one of many recipes resulting from her efforts in the kitchen while she created the book she wished she’d had during her personal struggle.

The struggle is real—everywhere. But don’t give up. In the meantime, this cornbread is delicious!

Jalapeño Cornbread
Adapted from One Part Plant by Jessica Murnane https://www.jessicamurnane.com/one-part-plant
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon flax meal
3 tablespoons water
1 cup medium grind cornmeal
Half cup almond meal
Half cup brown rice flour
2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup real Maple syrup
2 jalapeños seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Raw honey or real maple syrup

Method
Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease an 8 inch square pan or line it with parchment paper.

Next line in a small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. In another small bowl, make a flax egg: flax meal and water together. Set both the almond milk mixture and the flax egg aside and let them sit for at least 10 minutes.

Next line in a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, almond meal, rice flour, baking powder, installed together. Add the almond milk mixture, flax egg, maple syrup, and half of the jalapeño slices. Stir to combine, but do not over stir. Add the olive oil and give it a few more stirs.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Spread the remaining jalapeños on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until a fork or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Thanks to jessicainthekitchen.com for the photo!

Like Buttah!

I had almost a full bottle of buttermilk left over after making my Fried Chicken Salad and still had butterbeans on my mind after my D.C. friend wrote me about the Brunswick Stew he had concocted. 

So, I searched keywords buttermilk and butterbeans, et voilà, I found this delightful recipe for Buttermilk White Beans with Eggs & Greens. 

As a shortcut, I opted for canned butterbeans, although I realize many folks would balk at the idea of not using dried. But it was a weeknight and I couldn’t linger as long in the kitchen as I might have liked, so what the hell—my creamy buttermilk butterbeans were quick and delicious. With the tender greens, a good, fruity olive oil and rich, liquid gold yolks it was all just like buttah, but I did feel the proposed preparation needed a little clarity: my comments below are in italics.

And I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention my all-time favorite band The B-52’s and their paean to the virtues of the butterbean in the fabulously fun song, Butterbean! 

*BONUS* Click here for a recipe for Italian Style Soba Noodles that band member Fred Schneider was gracious enough to share on Evenings with Peter.

Buttermilk White Beans with Eggs & Greens
Food52.com
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil (or unsalted butter). Use a really good oil for this.
5 sprigs thyme
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
10 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound dried white beans (such as cannellini, gigante, or great northern) Or two 15.5 oz. cans of butterbeans!
2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups buttermilk
1 bunch (10 leaves) hearty greens (such as kale, chard, or rapini), cut into ribbons. Rainbow chard worked very nicely. To make ribbons, strip the leaves of their stems, roll up several stacked leaves like a cigar and slice them on the bias. 
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes (optional)
1/2 cup white wine
4 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Step 1
In a medium to large saucepan, heat several glugs of olive oil or knobs of butter over medium heat. Add the thyme sprigs and fry until fragrant and the leaves have stopped making the popping sound, about 1 minute. Add the onion and half the garlic, then reduce the heat to low and sweat until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beans and enough water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the beans are completely tender and creamy, and the water is mostly absorbed. This should take 45 to 75 minutes, depending on the variety and age. This goes much quicker with canned beans, about 10-15 minutes—and don’t rinse; add bean juice to the pan.

Step 2
When they’re done, remove the beans from the heat and add the rest of the garlic, the salt, and buttermilk. Stir to combine, cover, transfer to the fridge, then allow the beans to cool in the buttermilk—at least 30 minutes, but ideally overnight.

Step 3
Before serving, remove the sprigs of thyme (don’t worry if some leaves break up into the broth) and gently warm the beans over low heat. When the beans are warm, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Remember the beans will take some time to warm up. Allow for that, then move on to Step 4, which goes very quickly.. 

Step 4
In a large frying pan, heat a glug of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking, then add the greens and a big pinch of salt. Sautée the greens until they are bright in color and starting to soften. Add the white wine and chile flakes (if using) and allow the wine to evaporate by half.

Step 5
Reduce the heat to medium and make four divots in the greens. Drizzle more olive oil into the greens and crack an egg into each divot. Season the eggs with salt and black pepper. Cover the pan with a lid to steam the eggs—5 to 6 minutes, checking frequently toward the end so they don’t overcook. Poke with spoon to check that the white are firm. 

Step 6
Dish the beans into serving bowls. Scoop a nest of greens and an egg from the pan and nestle on top of the beans. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve on its own, or with a thick slice of toast.

A Friend Writes...Brunswick Stew!

 

In a fit of culinary pique laced with a dash of nostalgia, my D.C. correspondent (otherwise known as my old pal of 30 years) set to work in the kitchen and emailed me about his exploits!

“I’m making Brunswick Stew tonight and cornbread. (My Southern childhood came calling yesterday.) This dish used to confuse me growing up because we had a neighbor from Emporia, Virginia who made something similar called Chicken Muddle. Even though some folks also called it Brunswick Stew, our neighbor insisted that was something a little different—you eat Brunswick Stew with a spoon and Chicken Muddle with a fork.

“I looked at both of the recipes. They are not that different, just the thickness. Call it whatever you want—I’ve called it satisfying and delicious for years!”

So then, here’s a recipe for Brunswick Stew...or Virginia Chicken Muddle: 

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (around 3-4 lbs)
Several quarts water or enough to cover the chicken
1 quart butter beans, canned and drained (or fresh if in season)
1 quart canned whole or crushed tomatoes (plus their juices)
1 quart chopped potatoes
1 quart or 1 pint onions, chopped (depending on preference)
1 pint corn, canned or fresh
1 pound fatback or smoked meat (optional, for added flavor)
1-2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed (for thickening)
Salt, pepper (black and red), and sugar to taste
Optional: Paprika, poultry seasoning, hot sauce

Instructions
Boil the Chicken: In a large iron pot, place the whole chicken and cover it with water. Boil until the chicken is tender and the meat easily separates from the bones.

Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Shred the meat, discarding the bones and skin.

Add Vegetables: To the pot with the broth, add the butter beans, tomatoes, chopped potatoes, and onions. If using fatback or smoked meat, fry it until the fat is rendered, cut it into pieces, and add it to the pot along with the fat.

Simmer and Stir: Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for several hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and to ensure all ingredients break down and blend together. The goal is for the ingredients to almost melt into a thick, hearty stew.

Thicken and Season: When the muddle reaches the desired thickness, add the corn and stir. Add crushed crackers to thicken the stew further, if needed. Season generously with salt, black pepper, red pepper, and a little sugar to taste. You can also add other desired seasonings, like paprika or poultry seasoning, at this stage.

Serve: Serve the Virginia chicken muddle hot, with additional crackers and hot sauce on the side if desired.

Sea Bass with Cockles and Leek Broth

Summer may be nearing its end, but the good news is now that we’ve returned to ‘R’ months, we can at least resume our consumption of oysters, clams, and other shellfish with impunity (if you believe the old wives’ tale)!

This simply elegant dish is suitably summery enough to still share with friends on your patio, city rooftop oasis, or even as a fond farewell while closing up your vacation home. And although the original recipe called for springtime garlic scapes, I think most any allium-based broth would work this time of year, such as leeks or a mixture of garlic and scallion greens. If cockles aren’t readily available, see if your fishmonger can assist you in finding them—the sweet, briny devils are well worth the search.

And do enjoy!

Sea Bass with Cockles and Leek Broth
Ingredients
4-8 to 10 oz striped bass fillets or similar white fish
2 lbs cockles
One bunch scapes (or leeks), sliced
Half cup dry white wine
Half bunch asparagus
5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method
Prep your seafood: Rinse cockles in cold water to wash away any sand. Pat dry sea bass fillets with paper towels, cut in half, and season with salt and pepper.

Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Drain and chill.

In the dutch oven or large sauté pan, over medium heat, add olive oil and scapes (or leeks). Sauté for a minute. Nestle fish in pan and add cockles. Pour the white wine into the pan and cover.

After a few minutes, turn heat down to low and simmer for a total of 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Carefully fold in asparagus and allow to rest covered for a minute.

Remove fillets and place in a large serving platter. Arrange cockles and vegetables on platter and add broth from pan to the platter.