Basic Cornmeal Muffins

These muffins are a crowd favorite!  Many people forget about cornmeal when they make muffins or bread.   The favorite variations from my grade 9 students  are either strawberry jam or a combo of cheese/bacon/green onions.  Remember to cook your bacon first and crumble it into the batter.  A small hint about the cheese:  use a sharp tasting cheese to not lose the flavor of the cheese:  old cheddar, smoked cheese, blue cheese, parmesan, or you think of a few.....Enjoy!

BASIC CORNMEAL MUFFINS

 

Ingredients:

 

125 ml          cornmeal

125 ml          buttermilk or sour milk

 

125 ml          flour

30 ml           granulated sugar

5 ml             baking powder

1.25ml          salt

 

    ½             egg

30 ml           oil

 

 30 ml          chosen variation – cheese, jalepenos, jam, berries, corn, bacon, ham, etc.

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line muffin tin with liners.

 

1. Combine cornmeal and buttermilk and let stand for 10 minutes.
2.   In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients 
3.   Lightly beat egg.  Add oil and stir well.  Add to cornmeal mixture. 
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  YOU MAY ADD YOUR VARIATION AT THIS STEP OR AT #5. 
5. Spoon batter into muffin tins.  Using a small spoon, make a well in the center of each muffin and fill with 5 ml of each variation.    
6.   Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let muffins sit for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Peri Peri Chicken or Prawns

 

 

This marinade is soooo delicious on either butterflied chicken or prawns.   I learned this recipe from a Mission Hill Winery South African culinary seminar many years ago.  I use it quite often as what else can I do with all the hot peppers my husband has been drying out.....see photo below!

 

 

Here is the recipe for the marinade:

 

Ingredients:

 

1 kg prawns  OR 1 whole chicken  (bigger prawns are better...on skewers to BBQ)

 

 

2 peri peri peppers or red fresno peppers...I have used both fresh and dried of many varieties of hot red peppers

 

4 tbsp.  fresh lemon juice

 

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

 

1 tbsp. paprika

 

1 tsp. salt

 

150 mL  corn oil

 

 

 

Method:

 

 

- Remove stem from peppers.  Add peppers, garlic, lemon juice, paprika and salt into a mortar and grind OR blend in a blender or food processor.

 

- Add oil SLOWLY and mix.

 

 

- Marinate the peeled prawns for 30 minutes OR marinate the whole butterflied chicken overnight!

 

 

- Place prawns on skewers and grill OR grill the chicken as you would a butterflied chicken....low and slow!

 

- YUMMY!!!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

PART of our hot pepper collection with a double batch of the sauce!

 

 

 

 

A butterflied chicken freshly marinated!