Quinoa Skillet Bread

If you're ready to switch it up a bit, this is a completely over-the-top alternative to your favorite corn bread recipe. Or, better put - a rustic, minimally structured, custard-topped, crusty-edged, herb-scented corn-quinoa skillet bread.

Ingredients

Butter to grease pan, about 1 tablespoon
1 cup / 4 oz / 115g whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115 g yellow cornmeal (coarse)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs (optional)
2 large eggs (preferably free-range organic)
1 1/2 cups / 7 oz / 200 g cooked quinoa, room temperature*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, barely melted and cooled a bit
3 tablespoons raw organic honey (or raw organic brown sugar)
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 cups / 475 ml organic milk (preferably raw goat or cow milk)
1 1/2 tablespoons white or white wine vinegar
1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream

(As always, for the healthiest recipe, use organic content whenever possible.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F / 180 C degrees and place a rack in the top third. Butter a 10-inch oven-proof skillet (or equivalent baking dish). A cast iron skillet with 2-inch deep sides works great. Roughly ten minutes before you are ready to bake the skillet bread, while you are mixing the batter, place the skillet in the hot oven.

2. In a large bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and dried herbs.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, quinoa, and melted butter until well-blended. Add the honey (or sugar), salt, milk and vinegar and stir again. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter comes together. It will seem very thin, don't worry.

4. Pour the batter into the heated skillet. Pour the heavy cream into the center of the batter. Have faith, and do not stir.
5. Carefully place in the oven and check after 45 minutes. The skillet bread is done when the top becomes lightly browned and the center just set - somewhere between 45-60 minutes typically. Finish things up with a few seconds under the broiler to brown the top nicely. You can serve warm or at room temperature, sliced in a grid, sprinkled with a touch more salt (if needed).

Makes one 10 1/2 inch skillet.

*To cook a sizable pot of quinoa: Combine 2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g of well-rinsed (dried) quinoa with 3 cups / 700 ml water and 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa curliques. Fluff with a fork.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 60 min