This easy cornbread recipe uses a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, a can of cream of corn, and an egg. That’s it. It’s so easy and you can make it a day or two in advance for a summer barbeque or thanksgiving. During the pandemic, I’ve been using more pantry ingredients and Jiffy corn muffin mix and a can of creamed corn will both last a long time in your pantry.
Surprisingly, cream of corn is dairy free and the main ingredients are chopped corn, cornstarch and sugar. I try to use non-gmo brands, but any brand will work in this recipe. Creamed corn is my secret ingredient, so I don’t recommend substitutions. Especially, since it helps provide a fresh sweet corn flavor and keeps the cornbread moist, while adding some texture with chopped up bits of corn.
While you can put this mix in muffin tins, I like using an 8×8 baking dish, greasing it with vegan butter, and adding parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cornbread from the pan. Then I chop it up in squares and store it in the fridge or serve it.
Avocado deviled eggs make a delicious paleo friendly appetizer for Easter. I used a mix of paprika and cumin to sprinkle over the top and a cilantro leaf in the middle for the garnishes. I didn’t have a piping bag, so I used a small spoon and just scooped it on. I actually think it makes them look more modern, which fits nicely with the avocado themed twist on this classic.
I love deviled eggs, especially for Easter, but I normally make my classic deviled egg recipe. This recipe still uses some of the same flavors like lemon and dijon mustard, but avocado is used instead of mayo. I’d love to hear what your favorite deviled egg recipes are in the comments.
Using the instant pot to hard boil your eggs is a game changer. It makes them so much easier to peel! It’s actually one of the main reasons we bought our instant pot and the recipe for Instant Pot Hard Boil Eggs is an eggcellent way to easily meal plan breakfast.
Sweet corn guacamole is a delicious way to use some of your canned or frozen corn. For a more paleo friendly option, use chopped pineapple or mango instead. This was my first time using sweet corn and I have to say my husband and I were fans. We both loved the subtle hint of sweetness with the spicy guacamole and it went great with my taco shrimp and quinoa.
I didn’t have any jalapenos, so I used some leftover guacamole salsa from Hernez but a salsa verde would work in a pinch as well. An easy guacamole hack is to mix avocados with salsa if you don’t have the time or ingredients to make it from scratch. We usually use pico de gallo but feel free to get creative.
If you love salmon like I do, then you will love these salmon dill cucumber bites. I added lemon, dill, and dijon mustard to enhance the flavor of the fish. I used canned salmon since I’m buying and experimenting with pantry staples during this epidemic, but when all this craziness dies down I would love to use fresh salmon instead.
I use canned tuna all the time for my tuna salad recipe, but this was my first time working with canned salmon. Even though it said it was boneless, I did see some bones, that I did my best to pick out. I really love lemon and dill with fish so I might see how with tastes with tuna next time.
This easy baba ganoush recipe roasts baby eggplants in the oven and then combines everything in a food processor. Feel free to play with the recipe and make it your own. I found that it tastes much better after it sits overnight in the fridge, which I love, because make-ahead recipes are great for entertaining and so are dips. I also added a lot of raw garlic, because I love garlic, but if that’s not to your taste, use less, or roast the garlic cloves to make it milder.
I also added some fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, because I already had it in my fridge and since it has a nice mild flavor that goes well with lemon and eggplant. I’m not going to claim that this recipe is authentic, but I thought it tasted good and I would definitely make it again for friends and family to snack on.
(optional) garnish with fresh parsley, olive oil, and smoked paprika
Instructions
Cut baby eggplants in half, then brush the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Put eggplant cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for an hour at 375 degrees.
Take them out and let them cool. Then scoop out the insides of the eggplant and remove skin.
Place eggplant insides into a food processor with tahini, remainder of olive oil, and 2 or 3 pressed garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon, and parsley and blend until desired consistency.
Add sea salt to taste.
Refrigerate overnight.
(optional) When ready to serve, make a swirl with a spoon and drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle smoked paprika and fresh parsley.
Notes
Feel free to sub sweet paprika for smoked paprika. Use more or less garlic and sea salt, to suit your tastes.
This recipe for roasted shishito peppers with bonito flakes is not only easy, but a quick appetizer to make that will wow friends and family. I attempted to recreate a recipe that I had at a really awesome sushi place close to my apartment, which started my love for bonito flakes. If you don’t know what bonito flakes are, they are shaved pieces of smoked and dried bonito, which is a type of tuna. Bonito flakes are commonly used in Japanese cooking, usually as an ingredient in fish broth. These flakes have a really unique umami, salty, and smokey flavor that makes a delicious and pretty garnish. I picked up mine at my local Japanese grocery store, since my neighborhood has a large Japanese community. You can also find them on amazon.
Most of the time these peppers are mild, but a few can be pretty spicy so I recommend serving it with a refreshing dipping sauce. I think my lemon garlic aioli would taste delicious with it, but the sky is the limit, so feel free to be creative. The aioli can be made ahead of time as well, so these can be quickly made right before or even during a party.
Mix peppers with olive oil, coconut aminos, and sea salt. Then wrap it all in foil and let it roast for 6 minutes.
Then unwrap peppers from foil and broil peppers for two minutes. Then move them around on the baking sheet so they blister evenly and broil for another two minutes, or until desired amount of blistering occurs.
Transfer peppers to a serving dish, and drizzle with additional coconut aminos and sprinkle bonito flakes over top and serve immediately.
