Here's the Dish ~ Whole Grain Corn Bread

Remember when it seemed like everyone was doing the Atkins Diet? In case you don’t, that’s the plan that forbids you from eating “bad” carbs ~ i.e. baked goods, pasta and breads. Although I know many people who lost a lot of weight on this plan (most of them put it back on, however) ~ I could never bring myself to jump on the bandwagon. I love bread, rice and pasta way too much to ever give them up completely. However, I also realize that there is some method to the madness of cutting them out of one’s diet to achieve weight loss. The information on good carbs vs. bad can be somewhat confusing and misleading. It makes sense to cut out the refined sugars and white flour, but I for one could never stop eating carbs altogether. Not in a million years! Many healthy eating plans encourage lean meats, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. So, I’ve been trying to replace those white flour laden pastas and breads with whole grains. I found this recipe for corn bread, which happens to be a favorite in our house, and decided to give it a try. It is made with whole grain corn flour and whole wheat flour. The addition of honey gives it a hint of sweetness which is balanced by the zing of cayenne pepper. The husband and I both thought it was great, but it made so much (9 servings) that we weren’t able to eat all of it before it got a little hard on us. That was no problem ~ I simply used the leftovers to make homemade croutons!

Whole Grain Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole-grain corn flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Coat an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, seasonings, and honey with a wire whisk. In a small bowl, combine remaining wet ingredients. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares to serve.