Skillet Cornbread
If someone gave you a piece of this skillet cornbread and you didn’t know it was vegan, you’d never guess. Seriously. I’m not vegan, and I love cornbread, and there’s virtually no discernible difference between this recipe and cornbread made with milk and eggs. It’s kind of amazing. (I only wish I invented this recipe. Apparently it’s from Cook’s Illustrated, but I found it here.)
The trick here is the flaxseed, and though you might have a do a little hunting to find it, it’s totally worth it. (Plus it’s really healthy and adds a nice crunch and nuttiness to breads.) When you boil it in a little water for a few minutes, it becomes this weird, gummy mass that makes the best egg substitute (at least as far as binding properties) I’ve ever seen. It looks a little disgusting, but it’s damn near magical.
This is a great recipe for barbecues, picnics, or any summer get-together. Go ahead and add some fresh corn or a can of diced chile to this recipe, if that’s your thing. If you have leftovers, dry out the cubed bread in a 250-degree oven, and toss with lime juice, a little oil, and chopped vegetables for a great salad. You can make this in a baking pan, but it’s best done in a cast-iron skillet, so go get one if you don’t have one already. They’re cheap, and even if you only use it for this skillet cornbread – which you shouldn’t, but still – it’s money well spent.
From Plant-Based on a Budget: This healthy plant-based version of cornbread was made to be eaten with a hearty plant-based chili. The rich spicy tomato sauce and beans, complement it beautifully!
Recommended Equipment:
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed
- 6 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of cornmeal
- 4 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of soymilk
- ¼ cup of vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup of sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (232 degrees C). Spray a cast-iron skillet with cooking spray (or grease it with vegetable or canola oil). If you don't have a cast-iron skillet (Though, really, why don't you? They're awesome - cheap, heavy, naturally nonstick if you use them enough and take care of them. Go get one.), you can use an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the flaxseed, reduce to a simmer, and stir for three minutes, until you have a weird, gummy, smooth mass of stuff. It looks kind of gross - don't worry. Set aside.
- Stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the soymilk, oil, and flaxseed gunk to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined - don't over mix.
- Put everything in the skillet. Bake for around 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for around ten minutes.
Nutrition
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