Tuesday, January 13, 2009

TWD--Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

The recipe for today's Tuesday's With Dorie as we bake our way through the book, Baking From My Home To Yours was chosen by Rebecca at Ezra Pound Cake.  It was nice to have a quick, savory baked good to throw together this week and I really like corn bread/muffins.  In fact when I went to New York City this past November, we ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and in the bread basket with our dinner was the most amazing corn muffins I'd ever had.  They were made with blue corn and had jalapenos and spices and corn inside and were so moist and perfect.  I loved them.  When I got home from the trip, I Googled  the recipe and found it.  Now I just need to find blue cornmeal!  BUT, these TWD muffins ARE really good.  I really liked them.  They have just a bit of a kick  from the peppers and chili powder and are moist and slightly crumbly like cornbread should be.  GREAT recipe, Dorie and GREAT pick, Rebecca!

I made two small mistakes that I was rather bummed about, but all still worked out!

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1--I had baked something on the almost bottom rack of the oven earlier in the day and popped these muffins in to bake without even thinking about it.  I made six little mini corn muffins and after they had baked for 10 minutes, I went to take them out of the oven and realized the rack was not in the right position!  I fixed that and then baked the bigger muffins just five more minutes.  While I thought the outsides were darker than I'd have liked, the muffins were still good.

2--I totally spaced putting the cilantro in the muffins--even had it on the cutting board ready to add in.  Sigh!  I was so bummed about it, but I was clever and made some cilantro butter to put on the muffins.

These went great with the Chicken Black Bean Tortilla Bake I made for dinner to go with it.

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Sour cream and chopped avocado on top.  I thought it was really good, especially with a savory corn and pepper muffin on the side!

The cilantro butter

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Thanks for the great savory pick, Rebecca!

There was lots of chopping involved with the taco bake and getting these muffins ready--a perfect time to try my new Vidalia Chop Wizard that my parents gave me for Christmas.  This thing, even though I loathe onions and will never chop them in this, worked great for chopping everything from the jalapeno and sweet peppers, to the avocado!  Thanks, Mom and Dad--love it!

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25 comments:

Carla said...

I so need that chopper! Sounds like you had a great dinner.

Pamela said...

Hmmmm...you may well be the only TWDer who didn't make chili this week. Your dinner looks great! Nice job on the muffins and enjoy your new toy.

Anonymous said...

Nice saves on both of those muffins! That cilantro butter looks great and I want to swim in your dinner!

chocolatechic said...

Your tortilla bake looks yummy.

I love your idea for the cilantro butter.

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

I going to have to try the cilantro butter! Yum! Looks like your muffins turned out great! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow...those look good, and that Chicken Black Bean Tortilla dish looks also very very tasty (and where is the recipe for that????). What a great combination. Beautiful job.

Megan said...

Uh, where's the recipe for that Chicken Tortilla Bake?

Leslie said...

Cilantro butter sounds awesome! What a creative way to get the flavor in! Think your muffins look amazing and I *heart* your vidalia onion chopper! Off to find that Bobby Flay recipe (maybe you can get blue corn meal at Whole Foods).

Kate said...

I'm with Kayte I *need* the recipe for the Chicken Black Bean Tortilla Casserole!

Anonymous said...

We love corn muffins, and these look good!
The recipe for the tortila bake would be very much appreciated too!
I googled the Mesa Grill corn muffin recipe you mentioned. They sound awesome! Were they huge? The recipe on Star Chef is in a Q&A forum from Bobby himself. It sounds like a lot to fit into six muffin cups, but yummy!

Cooking for Comfort by Jennifer said...

Wow, very impressive dinner! I bet the flavors were heavenly!

Anonymous said...

OMG, that tortilla bake looks fantastic! Now, I'll be looking for blue cornmeal, too. Hmmm ...

TeaLady said...

A new gadget for Christmas - YAY!!! Works great for these muffins. I also didn't make chili. But these muffins go with anything. Love the cilantro butter. Great save. And great looking muffin.

Anonymous said...

Cilantro butter! YuM! Herbbed butter is so easy to make, but I never make it for some reason. Your muffins look great.

vibi said...

Beautiful, Katrina... very well done!

Anonymous said...

OMG this sounds delicious with that butter and black bean bake...what a dinner! I love that type of food so count me in on these.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Wow, GREAT save on the cilantro - that butter looks amazing, and would solve the cilantro issues around here. I love it but my husband has those tastebuds that make cilantro taste like soap.

Your dinner looks divine and I'm coveting your chopper! Oh, and now I want to try Bobby Flay's recipe. I'd make it with white cornmeal while I wait for blue to show up in my life.
Nancy

Engineer Baker said...

Cilantro butter? Oh my yes, I need it. Nice save, and beautiful muffins.

CookiePie said...

Yum - those look fabulous! I love the cilantro butter!

Cathy said...

Oh my word -- that cilantro butter looks DIVINE!!! No worries about leaving it out of the muffins when you can spread on all that buttery goodness! Your muffins look beautiful and had to be amazing with that tortilla bake (which also looks scrumptious!) Wish I could have eaten dinner at your house that night!

Jacque said...

Oh my, your dinner sounds wonderful! Way to be original and not make chili, LOL.

The Food Librarian said...

Everything looks soooo yummy!

kimberly salem said...

great idea to make the cilantro butter! they look delicious and now i want to make them again :)

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I stopped back by to say that I did try those Mesa Grill muffins - using yellow cornmeal - and they are fantastic. I posted it today.
Nancy

Nancy/n.o.e said...

OK, it's me again. I found the blue cornmeal at Whole Foods. I don't know if you have one near you - it's in the baking aisle with all the Bob's Red Mill products. Now I need to try the muffins again!
Nancy