Cottage Vegetable Soup and Golden Cornbread

These recipes and photo are courtesy of Amy O'Quinn and her web blog Ponderings from Picket Fence Cottage. Amy says:

"Tonight we had Homemade Vegetable Soup and Golden Cornbread. I made the soup in my cast-iron Dutch oven, and I baked the cornbread in my 10-inch cast iron skillet. There's just something about cooking with cast iron that 'does' something for me - maybe it's the 'old fashioned' appeal or maybe it's because I know the health benefits. I also like the 'even and total' heating factor. When cast iron gets hot - it's hot! I use my cast iron cookware a lot--especially the skillet."

Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints: Quick Breads, Bread Machine Breads, Secrets to using the bread machine, About Yeast in Bread Making, and Sourdough Starter.

Check out lots more Cast-Iron Cooking Recipes and great Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes.

Cottage Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef
2 onions, chopped coarsely
2 (26-ounce) cans Hunts Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, beans, corn)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
Onion powder to taste
1 cup water (or more)

In your cast-iron Dutch oven or a large soup pot over medium-high heat, brown ground beef and onions; remove from heat and drain. Place pot back on the heat and add onions, spaghetti sauce, potatoes, mixed vegetables, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and onion power; add enough water to make it the consistency you want.

Simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender. NOTE: You may have to add a little more water during the cooking time. My family REALLY likes this spaghetti sauce base - it's delicious - especially served with the Golden Cornbread.

Golden Cornbread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white or yellow cornmeal (I use freshly ground cornmeal)
1 cup flour (I use freshly ground whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like to use olive oil)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place oven rack on the middle rack of your oven.

Place butter into a large, heavy ovenproof frying pan or a cast-iron skillet (I like to use my 10-inch cast-iron skillet) in the oven until the butter is melted. NOTE: Heating the butter in the skillet until it's hot and melted before adding the batter guarantees a desirable crispness on the outer edges of the bread. While pan is heating and the butter is melting, prepare your cornbread batter.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, egg, and shortening until well-blended. Pour into the hot, buttery skillet (batter will sizzle), return to the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for approximately 5 minutes. Invert cornbread onto a large plate and cut into wedges.

Makes 6 to 8 cornbread wedges.