Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

I get so excited every time the reveal date for the Secret Recipe Club rolls around. It is just so much fun to see who has been cooking and what everyone's been cooking! I missed having SRC in January, but it was our month off for the year. And now I'm back and ready to go!

When I received this month's assignment, I was in awe of the site. The site has so much going on, and in a great way! And when I read the 'About me' section, I knew just why. She isn't a just a blogger like me; she's a blogger who is a professional trained chef! I'm so happy to introduce you to Chef Becca from It's Yummi! She's just amazing, and SO versatile. Whether it's a fancy dessert, an elaborate main course, a simple starter or a healthy snack - she's got it all! Visit her and I know for sure you won't be disappointed with what you find.

As always, I had a rough time trying to pick just ONE recipe from Chef Becca's blog. So I ended up making two this time around. Actually, originally picked only one - a cookie recipe. Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures before I put the cookies out when some friends came over. I figured I'd take the pictures after they left with all the leftover cookies. Well, who would have thunk there would be no leftovers! I recommend her Triple Chocolate Cookies, for sure! She has some fabulous muffin recipes too! I have several bookmarked!

The recipe I finally made for this month's reveal was her Bacon Cheddar Cornbread. It was my birthday on Saturday, and I decided to make one of my favourite meals. So we ate this yummy cornbread with my Beef and Navy bean Chili and it was oh so yummy!

Chef Becca uses her homemade Bisquick mix in this recipe. I just halved her Bisquick mix recipe, used what I needed for this recipe, and stored the rest in the fridge for later. So convenient!

I just combined 4 cups all purpose flour, 2 1/2 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar. Then, I rubbed in 1/2 cup unsalted butter until I had a mixture that resembled fresh bread crumbs. Since I used butter instead of shortening, I store this mix in the fridge.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread
Adapted from this recipe on itsyummi.com 
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of homemade Bisquick mix (see previous paragraph)
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup creamed corn
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method
1. Into a 9x5 rectangular glass baking tray, or a cast iron oven-safe skillet, put 1 tbsp of butter. Place this into an oven and begin to preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Combine the egg, creamed corn, milk and oil in a medium bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the chopped bacon and the shredded cheese.
6. Remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Pour the batter into the tray over the melted butter.
7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Serve warm with extra butter, and some honey, if desired.

We ate this cornbread straight out of the oven with super spicy chili and we really, really enjoyed it!

The flavours are amazing, the cornbread is moist and the salty bacon is just perfect with the corn. So tasty! Or should I say SO YUMMI! My older daughter loved snacking on these beautiful squares of cornbread even after she was done with dinner. Definitely a keeper! Thanks Chef Becca! :)

I always enjoy the recipes my fellow bloggers from Group B cook up! To see what everyone else has made, check out the links below! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Bacon, Chives and Cream Cheese Rolls

This recipe has been crying to get made forever! It has been in my head for the longest time, and  I finally got around to making it last week!

My husband declared this 'the best 'bready' thing I have ever made', and that is a high compliment coming from him! But truth be told - how can it not be the best when it has bacon, right? The combination is quite a classic - cream cheese and chives - with crisp bacon bits thrown in, just because I can.

The dough can be a little sticky, but don't be tempted to add in too much extra flour. Just handle the dough with well floured hands, on a well-floured counter-top!

What you could consider adding more of is bacon. Is there such a thing as too much bacon?

Bacon, Chives and Cream Cheese Rolls
Recipe Source - the same voices in my head that told me to put Mars bars in oatmeal cookies
Ingredients
Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk, plus 1 extra tablespoon for the egg-wash
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup oil
1 egg
Filling
1/2 + 2 tbsp cream cheese
200g bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic chives
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Stir together and set aside.
2. Combine the milk and water in a saucepan and heat till lukewarm. Don't make it hot, or it will kill the yeast.
3. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk it lightly. Remove one tablespoon of the egg into another small bowl and set aside. Add the remaining egg and the oil into the milk  mixture.
4. Pour the milk mixture in to the bowl with the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth. Continue beating for a further 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the remaining flour a little at a time, until you have a soft but sticky dough.
6. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, cover with greased clingfilm, and set it aside to rise for about an hour.
7. At the end of this time, preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (400F). Punch down your dough and transfer to a well-floured work surface.
8. Using your hands (flour them first) or a rolling pin, form the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 thick.
9. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
10. Spread the filling over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1/2 an inch on all sides.
11. Starting with the long side of the rectangle that is furthest away from you, roll the dough toward yourself and pinch the seam.
12. Slice this roll into 4-6 slices, and transfer them, on their sides, onto a greased baking dish.
13. Take the reserved egg and combine with tablespoon of milk. Brush this mixture over the top of the rolls.
14. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bread is springy and golden brown.

This is bread is amazingly soft on the inside and when eaten fresh, has a slightly crispy crust. The filling is amazing in flavor - salty, and with garlicky undertones from the garlic chives. Just brilliant!

There was just one complaint about this recipe - that it doesn't make enough! After we had a roll each, all of us (my husband, daughter and I) actually argued about who would get to eat the last roll! We ended up sharing, and I got the smallest piece and was told (very strictly, I might add), "next time, make more!"

I guess next time, I will have to make a double batch! Or maybe even triple! :)

P.S. If you are in Chennai and are interested in getting a start in baking, don't hesitate to sign up for my Introduction to Baking workshop. More details here. There are only a few seats left in the next batch - so sign up soon!

P.P.S. - I made these for breakfast, and so the pictures were taken in a hurry while my daughter and husband were already at the table, waiting! The pictures are not great, but the rolls were!!!

Spinach & Bacon Quiche

After that marathon blogging session with my Red Velvet Series, I thought it would be a good idea to take a small break from the sweet stuff. Not a long break, mind you! And I thought it would be good idea to show that we don't just live on desserts and sweet treats around here. We eat other stuff too. Like this.

I found some beautiful fresh spinach at the supermarket the other day, and for some reason, my daughter was intent on loading up our cart with nothing but spinach! We left the store with more spinach than we usually buy, and so I decided I would try something new.

This quiche was adapted from Paula Deen's recipe on the Food Network, and it turned out really great. Of course, how bad can it be when it has bacon, right? I adapted the quantities a little because a 9" tart sounded like too much for our family. I made a 6"  tart and we still had some left over.

Spinach-Bacon Quiche
Adapted from Paula Deen
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp ground pepper
1 egg yolk, cold

Filling
1 1/2 cup spinach leaves, chopped
200g cooked bacon, chopped
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cheese, shredded (I used a mix of cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method
1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and pepper.
2. Add the butter cubes, and with the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse bread crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk and add into the bowl. Bring the dough together lightly with your finger tips taking care not to knead. If needed, add a few drops of cold water.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Roll out and line your pastry tin with the dough and prick all over with a fork.
6. To make the filling, combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper and whisk until combined, or whiz for about 30 seconds in a blender.
7. Into the pie crust, layer the spinach, bacon and cheese.
8. Pour the egg-cream mixture over the layers in the crust.
9. Bake at 200 for about 45 minutes or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
10. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into wedges.

For this tart, I made the crust, but a store-bought crust (refrigerated all-butter, NOT pre-baked), would work just as fine, and would be a lot quicker.

This is a really rich and filling quiche and everyone was happy with it. It was just cheesy enough for my daughter and she loved it. I made a simple salad to serve on the side, but my husband and daughter (who are not salad people), enjoyed eating just the quiche for lunch.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week! :)

Steamed Buns w/ Five Spice Sesame Pork

One period of my life that I really enjoyed was my time as a student in Singapore. My husband and I went there together to do a short course in 2007, and we had a real blast!

When we first got there, the food came as quite a shock to us. We were not expecting the stuff that was served to us. Fish ball? Century Eggs? What on earth are those things? And the smells, - oh the smells! Everything smelt fishy to us. We lived on PB&J for a couple of weeks, and were quite proud of ourselves for getting on. At school, during breaks we would go out with our Singaporean friends to the local hawker centers, and they would eat and we would watch. Let me tell you, Singaporeans LOVE their food. And slowly, but surely, we began experimenting. In a matter of days, we were eating as much as they were. Wow, that food was amazing.

There are so many dishes I can name that I miss so dearly, and this is one of them. Pau are little steamed buns with a filling. Such amazing fillings. There was the little place in one of the MRT (Metro) stations that served some really awesome barbeque pork pau. Everytime we got off at that station, I just HAD to buy one of those. No matter how late we were running. No matter how long the queue. No matter how little money we had. I just had to get it. I wish I could recreate that exact pau, and I would be set for life. But for now, here is a simpler one that I came up with. The filling is Minced Pork & sesame with Five spice powder.

There was a slight issue with the pau dough recipe. The original recipe I used called for 1 1/2 cups of flour, and that wasn't even close to enough. The dough was still very gloopy. I don't think I did anything wrong. Anyways, I ended up adding another cup of flour before the dough felt right.

Pau dough

Ingredients

For the starter

1 tbsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Dough

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup warm water

Method

Make sure the 1/4 cup of water for the starter is lukewarm. 

Mix all the ingredients for the starter in a large bowl and set aside to proof for 1/2 hour.

When the mixture bubbly and has risen, stir in the salt, sugar, oil and warm water.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

When you have a soft, very slightly sticky dough, stop adding flour. 

Knead well for 10 minutes, form into a smooth ball, and set aside in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with greased clingfilm, and place in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.

At the end of 2 hours, punch down the dough, knead briefly and divide in 16 equal balls.

Flatten each ball with your hand, and spread into a 3 inch circle.

Place a generous teaspoon of the filling in the center, and bring the sides of the circle to the center and pinch the dough to seal. Turn over and slightly flatten. This side should be smooth and slightly rounded.

Set the filled pau on a lightly floured baking tray and allow to rise for about 25 minutes.

Steam them at high heat for about 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Five Spice Sesame Pork

Ingredients
300g minced pork
3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp five spice powder

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp palm sugar

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 1/2 large onions, finely chopped
5 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup fine sliced spring onion (green part)

Method
Marinate the pork with the soy sauce, five spice powder, pepper and sugar for 2-8 hours.
In a dry saucepan, toast the sesame seeds and set aside.
In a large wok or pan, fry the onion and garlic until softened and slightly golden.
Add the pork and stir well to combine. Continue cooking for 7-8 minutes until the ground meat is cooked.
Check the seasoning, and add more soy sauce if you want it saltier.
Add the sesame seeds and stir well.
Stir in the sesame oil, and the sliced spring onion.
Set aside to cool.

The pau we ate never came with a dipping sauce, and they didn't need one for sure. But mine are very different, and the filling is slightly drier. Maybe next time, I won't let it reduce down as much. So, I served the pau with a spicy homemade plum sauce.

Spicy Plum Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound plums, pitted and quartered
1 tsp onion pwd
1 tsp garlic pwd
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 tbsp cornstarch

Method
Combine all these in a saucepan, and cook until the plums have completely disintegrated.
Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water, and stir in. Cook until slightly thickened.
Taste and add more sugar, vinegar or chili flakes, if desired.

Eating pau brought back a lot of great memories. And now I think I am going to be cooking a lot more Singaporean food. We only lived there for 6 months, but that time was enough to make us fall in love with the food there. I often crave Singaporean food, and nothing local, no matter how authentic it claims to be, can match up with that sweet, little old lady who made us delicious Wonton Mee, or that grumpy man who made us that incredible Popiah. I even miss those smells. I want to go back soon, and we pray I will.