Cornbread Recipe

One of the things we miss here in Australia is the availability of corn bread mixes! I have tried a few recipes and this is the best one so far and my hubby loves it.

Ingredients:

• 1-½ cup Flour
• ½ cups Cornmeal (We don't have cornmeal in Australia so I use ground polenta, which is the same thing pretty much)
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 1-¼ cup Milk
• 2 whole Eggs
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• ½ cups Butter, Melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine liquids in a separate bowl. Add liquids to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Don't over-mix. Pour into a greased square 8″ or 9″ pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Nuggets

I made these last night and they were a hit! My little boy loved them and we thought they were reminiscent of Chick-Fil-A, which doesn't exist here in Oz so were were excited for that.

Ingredients
1 wholeLarge Egg
1 cupMilk
2 wholeSkinless And Boneless Chicken Breasts
1-1/4 cupFlour
1-1/2 TablespoonPowdered Sugar or Icing Sugar (that is what they call it in Oz)
2 teaspoonsSalt
1 teaspoonPepper
4 cupsPeanut Oil Or Canola Oil, For Frying (I don't think I used quite this much)

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and stir in the milk. Trim any fat away from the chicken. Cube chicken into bite size pieces. Place chicken in the milk mixture and cover. Let it marinate for 2–4 hours in the fridge. This will make the chicken very nice and tender.

In a gallon size resealable baggie, combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Seal and shake to combine.

Place about 2 inches of oil in a medium deep pot. Over medium high heat (more towards the high side) heat oil until hot. If using a thermometer let the temperature reach 375°F. If you don’t have a fancy gadget like most people, I always test my oil by dropping a few drops of water into it. You want it to sizzle and not pop too much. Adjust your heat if necessary.

Using a fork or tongs, remove the cut chicken from the milk mixture and place into the flour mixture. Seal and shake until nuggets are completely coated. Place about 6 to 8 nuggets into the hot oil and let them cook until golden brown, turning halfway through once the edge of your chicken starts to turn white, about 1 minute each side. Always double check to see if any chicken you make is cooked through. I always just make a tiny cut to see if it’s pink. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this for a church lunch the other day and have been asked for the recipe, so here it is! Easy, spicy, and so good! This recipe is from Tasty Kitchen http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/soups/nearly-famous-chicken-tortilla-soup/

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Chopped Onion
2/3 cups Chopped Cilantro, Divided Use
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
14-1/2 ounces, weight Can Of Diced Tomatoes
3/4 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 wholeBay Leaves
4 cups Chicken Broth
2 whole Large Carrots, Sliced Thin
1 whole Chicken Breasts, Sliced Thin
1-1/2 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Divided Use
3/4 teaspoons Salt
1 bag Tortilla Chips, 12 Ounce Bag
1 whole Avocado, diced

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over high. Add onions, 1/3 cup cilantro and garlic, sauté 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and spices, then bring to a boil. Add the broth, carrots and chicken. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes. Stir in half the cheese and 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips and combine. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with remaining cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh avocado, and more tortilla chip pieces.


Serves 4+.