I feel like a simple chef. Most nights I make fairly easy main courses, super easy sides (like a salad kit or carrot sticks), and have a daughter who makes desserts a couple times a week. It's really quite a rare occasion when I actually plan and cook an entire three plus course meal from scratch on a weeknight.
Some meals though just cry out for something more... Like breadsticks with pasta, or bread bowls with creamy soups, or corn bread with chili. Well last night I was making homemade tostadas (recipe coming soon) and I felt like it just needed a little something extra to go with them. I made a quick glance through my Simple & Delicious magazines and soon found this recipe for Calico Corn Cakes. They looked just perfect. Simple, easy, and savory. They were as simple to make as pancakes (except for the sauteing the vegetables), colorful and fun, and we loved them. They were a lot like a chunky, filled cornbread without the long baking time. Just what we needed for a fast side dish for a southwestern meal!
The ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped green peppers ( I used red peppers)
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 Tbs. diced pimientos (optional)
Garnishments: salsa, sour cream
In a small skillet, saute onion and green (or red) pepper until tender; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, oregano, baking powder, cumin, egg, and milk just until combined. Fold in the corn, pimientos (if desired), and onion mixture.
Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray; drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired. Yields 6 servings.
Enjoy!
