Cornbread is a delicious side item common in Southern cooking. While traditional recipes may be high in salt and saturated fat from butter or lard, it is not necessary to remove cornbread from your diet to reduce your risk of heart disease. You can make a healthier version by substituting yogurt and polyunsaturated oil for the shortening and by using less salt.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is preheating, place the baking dish in the oven.
Step 2
Combined the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3
In another bowl, mix the egg, yogurt, water, and vegetables together.
Step 4
Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until lumpy but well mixed.
Step 5
Using caution, remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter into it, smoothing out the top.
Step 6
Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool slightly, and then cut to serve.
Tips and Warnings
- Altitude and other factors can affect the time it takes to bake the bread. Do not worry if it takes more or less time than indicated. Just make sure it is completely cooked through using the skewer testing method. The pan is pre-heated to create a crunchier crust. If you do not like a crisp crust, do not heat the pan. The vegetable pieces add flavor and soluble fiber. You can add an unflavored fiber powder in combination with the vegetables or alone to increase the heart health benefits of this cornbread.
- The key to the heart healthiness of this recipe is not the yogurt as much as the removal of the saturated fat and addition of soluble fiber. Make sure to use a fat-free or low-fat yogurt when making this recipe. What you do with the bread after it is cooked is also important. Do not slather it with butter, but instead, opt for a yogurt-based spread or eat it plain. If you are serving this bread to diabetics, make it without the sugar. There is only a slight difference in taste.
Things You'll Need
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cup fat free yogurt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, red peppers, onions, or all three (optional)
- 9 x 9-inch baking dish or cast iron skillet greased with vegetable oil
References
- Dragonwagon, Crescent (2007). The Cornbread Gospels. Workman
- 21 CFR 101:75 Health claims: dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and risk of coronary heart disease
- 21 CFR 101:77 Health claims: fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and risk of coronary heart disease.
