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| Elle's picture of Southwestern Corn Spoon Bread from Pancake-Croissants |
This was a fun week for new ingredients for the Bread Bakers—Chipotle in Adobo sauce to be precise. It used to be available only in Mexican specialty markets, but today it's much easier to find. The flavour of Chipotles in Adobo is hot and smokey with a tang of vinegar, and is used a lot in Tex Mex and authentic Mexican cooking. It’s especially great with corn, but perfect also for sauces, dressings, braises and chilis, soups and beans, sandwiches and tacos, and marinades and glazes.
Believe it or not, Chipotle is a jalapeño pepper. It’s just that the pepper that’s picked green is called jalapeño, and the pepper that is left on the vine long enough to turn red is a chipotle. Chipotles are then smoked, dried and packed in an adobe sauce—a marinade that's main ingredient is ground chipotle.
For everyone who made this Spoon Bread, it was a resounding success. Each and everyone thought it was super easy, and all agreed that it made a savoury side dish. Excellent.
Elle thought the Spoon Bread was a refreshing change of pace from the proofing box and loaf pans. It was colorful, had lots of lively flavours, and could be a meal in itself. She found it brightened up a dreary day, and seemed to be a perfect dish for the change of season. Her family raved about it, and complained that there wasn't more. Even the dog wanted a serving. It’s a do-over for Elle.
Vicki often wondered about the Chipotle in Adobo sauce and was eager to try it. She felt the spoon bread was delightful and fun. Vicki is definitely game for all the adventures in cooking with the Alpha Bakers!
The perfect evening meal for Kristina is chili in the slow cooker, and Jay to prep the “vegetable matter.” With all that in place, the spoon bread was even quicker and easier, and even more enjoyable. Overall, it made a terrific side dish to her chili. Her’s looked delicious.
Catherine had never had cornbread before, so there were all kinds of firsts here: Cornbread in general, Spoon Bread and Chipotles in particular. She’s now a big fan of the corn experience (if they are all like this recipe). For Catherine, this recipe was “crispy, spicy and deliciously savoury,” so-much-so that she would like to buy a new dish to make this spoon bread better (always looking for an excuse to buy new equipment).
Next month will be the Traditional Challah in celebration of Hanukkah. I’ve always loved Challah for it’s slightly sweet, eggy texture. I look forward to sharing it with all of you.
