GF Cornbread with Cheese and Sage - and random thoughts

Another recipe from one of my old foodie magazines.  I haven't done that much gluten free baking lately.  It was a dreamy picture in Vegetarian Times that convinced me to have another go at GF cornbread.  The recipe also appealed because it enabled me to use up some brown spotted sage, 2-day-old cooked corn on the cob and rapidly ripening cheddar.

Many years ago, soon after I started this blog, I made a GF cornbread with cornmeal and besan flour.  It was ok but not great.I was pleased that this GF cornbread was far better.  I d neither brown rice flour nor potato starch.  Instead I used soy flour and arrowroot.  I love using soy flour as it give lots of protein and richness and doesn't give the sandy/pasty texture that I often find in GF baking.  Not many recipes seem to use soy flour.  Possibly because there are too many people around with soy allergies.

We had the cornbread with the potato, cabbage and facon soup that I made on the weekend.  It tasted delicious.  In fact, I don't think E would have known if I hadn't told him.  Sylvia was not happy about corn in her bread but in her world there is no food that cannot be improved with vegemite.  I could possibly have done with slightly less salt.  It was very savoury with all the salt, cheese and smoked paprika.  The sage flavour was quite prominent but the cheese less so.

Now for my random thoughts:

• Today Sylvia and I went for a ride (she on the bike and me walking beside) to the petrol station where we pumped up her tyres.  Giving some love to your bike deserves good karma.  Instead one of her training wheels (that is stabilisers in the UK) fell off - and as if that wasn't bad enough, it fell off while we were crossing a busy road!  
• I was surprised at the weekend to talk to a couple of twentysomethings about Harold Holt and found out that they didn't know that in 1967 Prime Minister Holt went for a swim and was never seen again.  It must be the most fascinating way that any of our Prime Ministers left office.  Just to prove it is a great tale, tonight it was one of the stories in the new ABC talkfest-cum-quiz-show, Tractor Monkeys.
• I really want to start doing some sourdough baking but still am wary about bread that requires me to give such long term care.  So I quite liked this idea on a blog that I stumbled upon today.  Grayce on the Art of the Blog   She was told to make half your dough and let it rise twice then refrigerate overnight and add in small chunks to the dry ingredients of the rest of the loaf the next day.

I am sending this to Jacqueline for her Bookmarked Recipes event.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Cheese and wine crunchy salad
Two years ago:  SOS Facon (vegetarian bacon)
Three years ago: Bread pudding and smoothies for vegie kids
Four years ago: Broccoli Burgers are Winners
Five years ago: WHB: In Search of the Nectarine
 
Gluten Free Cornbread with Cheese and Sage
Adapted from Vegetarian Times Nov/Dec 2010

1 cup soy milk
splash of lemon juice
1 cup coarse or medium-grind yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup arrowroot (tapioca flour)
100g vintage cheddar cheese, grated
1–2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp smoked salt
1 egg
kernels of a cob of corn, cooked

Preheat the oven to 200 C and grease and line a loaf tin.  Place soy milk and lemon juice in a medium jug and set aside to sour.

Mix cornmeal, soy flour, arrowroot, grated cheese, sage, baking powder, bicarb, smoked paprika and smoked salt in a largish mixing bowl.  Mix the egg and corn kernels into the milk mixture and stir well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spoon mixture into the prepared load tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and coming away from the sides of the tin.  (I baked mine an extra 10 minutes at 220 C because it wasn't brown enough.)  Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

On the Stereo:
The Sound of Music Soundtrack