Cornbread

Cornbread: as my dad might say, it's one of the four main food groups!  It also happens to serve as a great accompaniment to Hoppin John and Collard Greens.

A fluffy yet moist square of cornbread.

The egg-replacer in this recipe incorporates a technique that I've never tried before but that I'll definitely make use of in the future: heating a mixture of water and ground flax seed.  These ingredients are commonly used as an egg-replacer in vegan recipes; however, the act of heating the mixture results in an incredible, viscous texture that comes closer to an egg than any egg-replacer I've used.  Eureka!
 
Recipe:
Cornbread

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 cup soymilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease an 8x8" baking dish and set aside.

Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  

Next, prepare the egg-replacer.  Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the flax seed, and simmer the mixture on low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the egg-replacer mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the soymilk and canola oil.  Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.  (Do not overmix.)

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes before cutting. 

Yields 16 small squares. 

Comments:

Taste:           

Moist, yet fluffy?  Check.  Sweet, but not overly so?  Check. 

Accessibility:               

These ingredients should be easy to find, with the possible exception of ground flax seed.  Tip: If you buy a whole bag of ground flax seed, store it in the refrigerator--it will keep for a long time.     

 Ease of Preparation:        

This is a really quick dish--even with the 20-minute cooking time.  Honestly, waiting for the oven to pre-heat was my biggest delay.   

Non-vegan friendliness:             

The only off-putting element of this dish is the visibility of the flax seeds.  The cornbread is light-colored, so the flax seeds stand out.  Taste-wise, this corn bread is just as good as non-vegan versions.  (Large pat of vegan butter, optional.)