Oh, the weather outside is getting frightful!
The winter is the only time this is acceptable.
But as long as it continues on so,
I'll stay inside and make rolls.
Yes, that pretty much sums up the cold streak here. And it's legitimately cold, not just be saying that sixty degrees is chilly. Kenny's coat sounds like a good idea right now, and if my down coat wasn't white I'd probably be wearing it around the house, even.
I had originally planned for these rolls to be for dinner two nights ago to go alongside a bean soup, but I started late. When it became obvious that these would not be finished in time, I stuck the bowl in the fridge to be shaped the next night.
What intrigued me about this recipe, found after a Google search, was the method of incorporating the cornmeal into the rest of the ingredients. Typically, you might find the cornmeal soaked in some of the water that has been heated to hydrate the cornmeal, though instead you make a cornmeal mush with milk. And do resist the urge to taste it; with four teaspoons of salt in the mix, even a salt addict like myself will gag. Don't be alarmed, however, since the finished rolls won't taste salty.
The taste was moist and slightly crunchy, and probably would make excellent toasting bread.
Having little to no desire to think of anything creative for dinner, I once again Googled "chicken stew" and happened upon a link for African Chicken Stew, containing peanut butter. I've seen it before and made a mental note to try it, but if you know me you know what that means.
Finally, though, I can say I've made it. It was pretty good, though sometimes my mind can't get over the "peanut butter should be sweet" concept. The flavorings were good, and though I didn't have ground coriander, a little cilantro on top helped perk up an otherwise boring colored dish and added more flavor. I also sprinkled the top with chopped peanuts.
If I made any variations in the future, it'd be to the chicken so it won't dry. That was my fault because the skillet wasn't at the correct heat, and perhaps I'd have bigger chunks of chicken next time. Overall, I liked it, and the cornmeal rolls made out to be a good pairing.
I will be submitting the cornmeal rolls to YeastSpotting and One Good Loaf, a pretty neat group on Flikr that's based on the premise of sharing what you've baked with each other. Visit Molly's blog, One Good Loaf, for more info.
Recipes ~
African Chicken Stew
Cornmeal Rolls ~ to which I added 2 tablespoons olive oil
Awesome stew!! Perfect for this BEYOND frightful weather, for sure. Glad you finally made it ;)
ReplyDeleteThe african stew sounds really interesting, it looks like perfect winter food!
ReplyDeleteIt actually looks tasty! We had an international night at church and our friend had to make a dish from Africa and she found a peanut butter cabbage soup. She didn't make it in the end...not sure what I would have thought of that...but the rolls look super delish!
ReplyDeleteLooks perfect for a cold, winter night! Is it really that cold already? We have hit a cold spell over here in Cali...but it is SO nice to have Fall-like weather finally! (It was still 100 only last week...!)
ReplyDeleteMmmmm...I'll definitely have to try out these recipes when it gets a bit chillier here. :-)
those rolls look awesome! and i've been meaning to try an african peanut stew :)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so yummy!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second recipe I've seen lately for cornmeal rolls. I want to try them!!
The rolls are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYeasted corn rolls are so good! The stew looks fabulous too, and what a perfect cool-weather meal.
ReplyDeleteVeggieGirl ~ At first it started looking better, but today it was horrid outside. Sigh. A sign of things to come.
ReplyDeleteSam ~ Most stews are, and what I like is that it doesn't generally involve a lot of attention, either. So I can go back to shivering in a corner.
Val ~ I'm glad I made it, though I don't know if I'd make it again. Idk, it was good but I wasn't feeling it. The rolls I'd mos def make again!
Laurel ~ We could do with a bit of a warm spell, just a bit and less wind. =)
Shannon ~ I'd look forward to your thoughts about it if you do!
Mimi ~ You would be the third if you made it and posted a recipe, and it's the charm time, too!
Stefanie ~ Thanks =)
Susan ~ I remember another recipe for a loaf bread with corn; I'm not sure if it's similar, but I've always wanted to make it.
I have some cornmeal that's been in the pantry too long now and would be delighted to be baked into these scruptious rolls. Thanks so much for sharing! P.S. I used to run a lot too, but found myself "making up" the calories later that day. Oops. Now it's only 3x per week, but I really enjoy it.
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