Louisiana Corn Bread

This was Grandma's favorite cornbread recipe, but I have no idea what makes it 'Louisiana'.   You can make it as thin or thick as you like by adjusting the amount you put into each baking pan.

LOUISIANA CORN BREAD

Ingredients:

One cup of cornmeal,

One and one-quarter cups of flour,

One teaspoon of salt,

Five level teaspoons of baking powder,

Two tablespoons of shortening,

Four tablespoons of syrup,

One egg,

One and one-half cups of milk.

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and beat hard to mix.  Then pour into well-greased square pans. Bake for thirty-five minutes at 375 degrees.

Polenta with Leeks

I love this recipe because it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook.  Using chicken broth in place of some of the water adds a nice flavor, but you will want to reduce the amount of salt.  I usually reduce it to half a teaspoon anyway, but that's because I try to reduce sodium in all dishes I make.  

You can serve this with a nice tomato sauce.  I usually just use a jar of Prego.  You can top it with the sauce and a little cheese.  Then put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  Yummy!

POLENTA WITH LEEKS

Place in a saucepan

Two and one-half cups of boiling water,

One and one-half teaspoons of salt.

Now pour in very slowly

Three-quarters cup of yellow cornmeal.

Stir to prevent lumping and cook until very thick. Add

Three-quarters cup of shredded cheddar cheese

One onion, chopped fine,

One green pepper, chopped fine,

One leek, chopped fine,

One teaspoon of paprika.

Mix thoroughly and then pour into a large bowl to cool. Form into patties and then roll in flour and brown in hot oil. Serve with tomato sauce.