Cornbread Muffins and Baked Zucchini & Avocado Fries

Rather than a main dish or a dessert, let’s focus on side dishes! Because we can’t forget those foods which fill up the rest of our plate. And it’s so much better when those foods are healthy and easily prepared veggies! This week, I found myself making cornbread muffins and baked zucchini & avocado fries. These are both technically “side” dishes, and you should treat them as such. But honestly, both are good all on their own as a snack, or an entire meal! I devoured the fries tonight and feel no regret 🙂

Cornbread Muffins, adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Muffins made with love 🙂

I prefer my cornbread to be made with real, whole corn, rather than just flour and cornmeal. Which is why I love this recipe! It’s bread + veggie all in one!

• 1 C skim milk (or non-dairy version)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 C cornmeal
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 and 1/2 packets stevia (or 2 more tbsp sugar)
• 11-oz can corn, drained
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or coconut)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used my Oma’s homemade applesauce – thanks Oma!)

Preheat oven to 420 Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin tin. Or, use a super awesome silicon corncob-shaped cornbread muffin mold (from Avon), which my mom gave me for Christmas! How adorable 🙂

The mold made them look like mini corncobs!

Mix the vinegar into the milk; set aside for at least 5 minutes (this creates the consistency of buttermilk, without the fat!).

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, corn, and milk-vinegar.

Pour the wet into dry and mix until just mixed.

Pour into muffin tin (or 8×8 dish) and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before trying to cut, or it will crumble.

Enjoy warm – plain, or with a little butter on top! These keep well as leftovers, too – just reheat in the microwave for a few seconds and om nom nom.

Note: this is not the sweet, cakey kind of cornbread, but the “true” Southern version, which is a bit dry and crumbly.

Who needs fresh corn on the cob when I can make a bread version in January?

Baked Zucchini & Avocado Fries, inspired by Fun and Food Cafe & Baked In

• 2 small zucchini
• 1 whole ripe avocado (but not over-ripe)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp cornmeal (or bread crumbs – I just didn’t have any!)
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• dashes of: garlic powder, minced onion, parsley flakes, paprika, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with PAM.

Cut ends and slice zucchini into 1/4 inch strips, finger length (like fries). Slice avocado to the same size of zucchini strips.

Beat eggs in a shallow bowl. Mix all dry ingredients together in another shallow bowl.

Dip veggies in egg wash, and then cover completely in seasoned dry mix. Place on baking sheet, side by side, leaving just a little room between the fries. Continue until all veggies have been dipped and covered.

Bake for 14 minutes, flipping them 7 minutes in. They’re done when the coating is golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. My parents just got us an import bottle of German Curry Ketchup – and this was a perfect reason to eat it!

Guten Appetit!

I love me some curry ketchup.