Baked Hush Puppies

Ahhhh…TGIF! Weekend, you are well within reach. This week has been really long — I blame the snow. Michigan has seemed to have brought out the plows, however. Finally.

Kristen is coming to visit and I do believe we’ll do some sort of cooking/baking. Perhaps we’ll do a lot of cooking/baking — she’s my guest…she gets to decide! Regardless, delicious and healthy eats will be enjoyed. We both love trying new foods and recipes, and this was one of those for me.

I can’t remember the last time I had a hush puppy, but I do know it was the first and only time I’ve ever had a hush puppy. Sad fact since they’re so good. With recipes like this, they can actually be good for me, too.

No deep-frying here…no, no, no.

A quick Google search turned up the description of “hush puppy” which translates to “cornmeal ball”. Hmm. Pretty basic and to the point. I love cornmeal so it’s no surprise hush puppies appeal to me so much.

During my search I also read that hush puppies are traditionally served as a side dish in seafood restaurants. I think these would accompany fish well, just as they did the lentil soup I ate them with last week. Of course chili, salads, stews, and grilled entrees sound like perfect matches, as well.

Truth be told, I could eat one or two of these puppies (ha!) as a snack and be one happy camper!

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Baked Hush Puppies slightly adapted from Vegetarian Times

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 onion (~1 cup), finely diced
1 egg
1 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp olive oil, for brushing

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil; set aside.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne. Toss in onion and mix to coat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Shape batter into 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove hush puppies with olive oil and sprinkle with additional Old Bay seasoning; bake an additional 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 24 hush puppies

Nutrition Information (per hush puppy): 58 calories; 1.5 g. fat; 8 mg. cholesterol; 149 mg. sodium; 7.7 g. carbohydrate; 0.5 g. fiber; 1.3 g. protein

Result: Mmmm! These were fabulous. Sadly, they weren’t as good leftover…but I did freeze some. I think I’ll try baking them when I pull them out so I can recreate that little bite on the outside and fluffy interior. The onion and sweet cornmeal…divine! And just as good as the fried versions! 🙂

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 Work then friend time! 😀

Be well,