Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Mediterranean Cornbread

Side Dishes

It snowed all weekend here in Boston, so I decided it was time to bake up some warm and comforting homemade bread! I was originally planning on tackling a recipe from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, but was out of yeast and not about to set out in the snow just to get one item from the store, so I decided to make a cheesy cornbread instead. I’ve seen a few recipes for Southwestern cornbread with cheddar cheese and jalapenos, but decided that a Mediterranean twist would also be delicious. I figured the flavor combo would work well since polenta is such a staple of Italian cuisine.

I stuffed the cornbread with caramelized shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta, and then put a bubbly layer of melted mozzarella goodness on top. Mmmm. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that we devoured 6 out of the 9 pieces the same day that it was made… There’s nothing wrong with cornbread for lunch, right? Good thing the gym is open again! Oh, and you definitely want to serve it warm!

p.s. I’m submitting this to 5 Star Foodie’s Cornbread Makeover!

Mediterranean Cornbread
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup feta
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.  Sauté shallots for 15 to 17 minutes, stirring frequently, or until caramelized.

Meanwhile, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together butter, eggs, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until most of the lumps are dissolved. Stir in the caramelized shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8-inch square pan. Bake at 350˚F for 23 to 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Preheat broiler. Evenly spread shredded mozzarella cheese over the cooked cornbread. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into 9 squares; serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition: 331 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.7g fiber, 10.4g protein per serving
Cost: $0.58 per serving

Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing

I’ve slowly been working on reorganizing my recipe index so there are more sub-categories and it’s easier to navigate, and I realized the side dish section is lacking. Poor neglected side dishes. Well, here’s another one to add to the list. Nothing quite says summer...

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Asparagus Tart

Of all the specialty baking pans stuffed into my overflowing kitchen cupboards, my tart pan emerges the most often. I often feel sorry for some of my underutilized dishes (ahem, not that I’ve actually never used my year old mini cheesecake or bundt pans or anything...

Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Fennel and Spinach

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already planned your menu, but I wanted to share this tasty mashed potato recipe just in case you’re still looking for a way to mix things up a bit! It was inspired by...

Curried Chickpea Sweet Potato Squares

Thanks so much for all your kind words about my first 5K! It was beautiful here in Boston this weekend so Apolinaras and I went on a long bike ride and it was so warm that I was able to just wear just a tank top and capris – yay! Apolinaras has gotten really into...

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Potato Stacks

I don’t eat beef very often. In fact, you may have noticed that there are no recipes featuring beef on my blog because it's a protein I very rarely cook at home. But, every once in awhile I get a craving for a juicy medium rare dry-aged New York strip steak or...

Maple Fig Couscous with Toasted Walnuts and Bacon

Our friend Mick recently brought us a cute little jar of pure maple syrup from his family’s shop up in Vermont. I used some on pancakes and a little to make Ashley’s excellent Maple Almond Butter Cookies, but really wanted to do something savory with it as well. This...

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Tart with Feta

Have I professed my love of feta yet? You can probably tell from my recipes that I’m completely obsessed with goat cheese, but feta is a close second. My hubby always wonders what I’m going to do with the one and a half pound tubs of crumbled feta we get from Costco,...

Mushroom Tart with a Mashed Potato Crust

Reeni, who writes one of my favorite blogs, Cinnamon, Spice, & Everything Nice, was recently musing about how side dishes are worthy of more attention, and I completely agree!  Side dishes can be an afterthought and our regular rotation includes couscous,...