Proper cornbread, as dished out in the American South, is comfort food to many. Messing with it is sacrilege. And yet a growing number of people, aware of the impacts of factory farming on the environment and so much more, still would like to be able to have cornbread.
For all of them, there’s this. Also this version is delicious. Whatever else you might think about factory farming, we know that alternatives are more healthy. This version is the answer to all of that: so you can have your cornbread, and eat it, too.
(Almost) Traditional Cornbread
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted to liquid
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup organic brown sugar or equivalent sweetener of your choice
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup oat or other plant-based milk.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Oil a 8×8″ pan.
Mix chia seeds and three tablespoons water. Set aside. (A gel will form. This will replace the egg from a traditional cornbread recipe.)
Mix the dry ingredients. Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar (if your sweetener is not liquid), baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Blend well.
Add coconut oil, milk and chia gel to the dry ingredients all at once. Mix lightly until the batter is incorporated. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool before slicing into squares and serving with vegan butter alternative or on its own. ◊
