Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I love cornbread.  Nobody else in my family did.  If I made a pan of cornbread, I ended up eating most of it.  Then, I started making this.

Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread

• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeño peppers 
• 3/4 cup corn, cooked
• 3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 10" cast iron skillet with olive oil.

Combine the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne)  in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, combine the honey, melted butter, egg, and buttermilk.  Stir in the jalapeno, corn, and cheddar.

Pour the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the skillet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Eggplant Parmesan

The eggplant Parmesan recipe is almost the same as the zucchini Parmesan recipe.

Eggplant Parmesan

2 lb. eggplant
2 eggs
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 C.  dry breadcrumbs
1 quart jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (or shredded mozzarella, if you prefer)

Peel (if you would like) and slice the eggplant. I am normally not a huge fan of peeling vegetables, but if your eggplant has tough skin, I would recommend it. Sprinkle the eggplant on both sides with a little salt, and let rest for 20 minutes or so. Then pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In the mean time, beat the eggs and milk in a flat-bottomed dish with a larger diameter than your eggplant.

Mix the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and herbs in another flat-bottomed dish, or a plate with a rim.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Dip each eggplant slice in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, and arrange on the baking sheet so they are not touching. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn over the eggplant slices and bake for another 10 minutes.

Spread a little spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish. Put a layer of eggplant in the dish, then cover with some sauce.  Add another layer of eggplant and more sauce until you have run out of eggplant. Arrange the sliced mozzarella over the eggplant. Bake for 20 minutes.