How to Make Super Moist Cornbread

In France, almost all breads are wheat flour-based, so my first experience with cornbread was a real treat. I love the sweetness of the corn. The texture, when prepared properly, is fluffy and light, but all too often I've had cornbread that was overly dry and crumbly.

After much experimentation, I've created an ultra moist cornbread recipe that is also easy to make. As proof, the cornbread you seen in the pictures was made by my 13-year-old sister-in-law, Sunny. I gave her the recipe last night and this morning she cooked it from scratch on her own.

For flavor, I added both pickled and roasted jalapeños and parmesan cheese. I think these ingredients are the best complements to the natural sweetness of the corn. You could also add finely chopped nuts or chopped dried cranberries if you wanted a more sweet / tart flavor.

If you're feeling a bit apprehensive about preparing homemade cornbread this year, just remember, if a 13 -year-old can do it, so can you.

Roasted Beet and Corn Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette

I love beets. They have a wonderful sweetness and texture. I sometimes cook beets into hot dishes, but my favorite way to enjoy beets is in a simple salad. For this particular recipe, I paired the beets with a tangerine vinaigrette with tangerine-infused oil and tangerine juice. The vinaigrette brightens the flavor of the dish and acts as a nice complement to the flavor of the beets. I also added corn to create a contrast of texture and color. The result is a salad with some very bold flavors.

Sweet Coconut Red Bean Soup with Corn

The whole family went last weekend to our favorite dim-sum place and we had a sweet coconut red rice soup with corn for dessert. I've probably said it before, but Asian desserts are not always the most glamourous-looking sweets.

Looks can be deceiving though, and the girls love it so much that they asked me to make it at home. Give it a try!

Wild Rice and Orzo Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This dish is really three recipes in one. I combined my wild rice, kidney bean salad and orzo pasta salad recipes together to make a light and healthy meal. The maple vinaigrette helps tie everything together.

I usually make orzo pasta salad for parties and picnics, but we've been having a heat wave here and we all felt like eating something cool. The addition of kidney beans for protein and wild rice for fiber makes the dish more of a complete meal. If you have some leftover roast chicken, you can dice or shred it and add it to the salad as well.

Corn Chowder Recipe

Chowders, like many other Western soups, are thickened with a roux. A roux is a combination of flour, butter and milk. To make corn chowder, just add corn kernels and some diced potatoes for texture. It couldn't be simpler than that!

I think chowder comes from the French word chaudière, which is the name of the pot in which the soup is made. It seems though, that the dish first gained popularity in New England. Traditional chowder is prepared with seafood, but I only had some fresh ears of corn on hand. After making countless corn salads, grilled corn on the cob and desserts, it was time to make some good ol' comfort food for dinner.