Those of you who follow this blog in particular and my cooking classes and television appearances in general already know that I am a lover of all things local.
In the state of North Carolina, agriculture is our biggest industry and so, to take a quote from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s marketing campaign, I am always on the lookout for great things Grown, Raised, Caught or Made in North Carolina.
With lots of grains grown in our state, it only stands to reason that we would have lots of mills. Think back to the story of The Little Red Hen – she planted the seed, tended the crop, reaped the wheat, took it to the mill and then baked it into bread. As the folk tale explains, the process is a lot of work for one little hen… the truth and the bigger story is that taking grains to grits, meals and flours takes a team.
Famers grow the grains, take them to the mill to be ground into flours and meals, send them to our local grocers shelves, where we make the purchase and take them home to feed our families. Recently I met the fine folks at Renwood Mills based in Newton, NC, loved their 80 year old history, their all-local story and their products and wanted to share it with you.
I constantly try to share the local love of farmers and producers large and small, through this blog, through other articles I write, my television and personal appearances and cooking classes. While companies often give me sample product to promote, for me, it is about backing brands I believe in and I am here to say that Renwood Mills produces products that should be on your radar.
Renwood Mill sources grains from some 500 local North Carolina farmers in and around the Newton-Conover region of North Carolina.
Just as they did years ago, these farmers still deliver local grains each week to be ground into corn meal and flour. In 1935, Renwood Mills started as the Maiden Flour Mill where owners sourced local grain to grind to flour and cornmeal. While the company has grown that “support local farmers” philosophy has stayed true and that’s one of the things I love about this company and these products.
Renwood Mills flours are packaged for commercial use under the name of Southern Biscuit where they package an all purpose flour and a self rising flour and a Just-Add-Buttermilk biscuit mix called Southern Biscuit Formula L . Renwood Mill cornmeal and flour products are also packaged under the Tenda-Bake brand and include not only cornmeal and cornmeal mixes but pancake & waffle mixes as well.
In developing recipes used with the trio of Tenda-Bake Pancake mixes as a shortcut ingredient, I started with basic recipes calling for a mix of flour and baking soda or baking powder; or recipes that called for a coating or batter of some sort. To that end I wound up today’s recipes for Not-Just-For-Breakfast recipes featuring the Tenda-Bake products: a quick and easy cobbler made with the MapleBurst Pancake Mix; a tasty chicken and dinner waffles make with the 7 Grain Tenda-Bake Mix.
I featured the cobbler on a recent edition of WBTVs Bounce Tv with hosts Delano Little and Brigida Mack and as you will see when you view the clip at the end of this post, its a winning recipe for sure. The maple chips in the MapleBurst Tenda-Bake melt down into the butter and gives it a slightly caramelized finish to the cobbler that’s lip smackin’ good – just ask Delano!
Tenda-Bake MapleBurst Pancake Mix Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
Recipe developed for Renwood Mills, makers of Tenda-Bake By Charlotte Culinary Expert Heidi Billotto
8 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups Tenda-Bake Maple Burst Pancake and Waffle Mix
1 cup whole organic or local milk
4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 cups blueberries
½ cup granulated organic sugar
Pour melted butter into the bottom of a square 9 inch oven to table 9-Inch baking dish. Mix together the pancake mix and the milk; stirring in milk just until combined. Pour over the melted butter in the pan. Do Not Stir.
Spoon the sliced peaches and blueberries over the top of the pancake mix/butter layers, but again, do not mix. Sprinkle the sugar over all. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35- 40 minutes or until the cobbler is nicely browned.
Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream
Tenda-Bake 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix Chicken & Dinner Waffles
Recipe developed for Renwood Mills, makers of Tenda-Bake By Charlotte Culinary Expert Heidi Billotto
For the Dinner Waffles:
2 cups Tenda-Bake 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix
1/4 cup chia seeds ( optional, but this adds a healthy kick of a bit more protein)
1 cup local or organic whole milk
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
For the Chicken:
2 cups Tenda-Bake 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. dried Thyme leaves
4-6 local or organic chicken thighs, skinned, bone in or boneless, as you please
2 local or organic eggs, beaten
Make the waffles first by combining 2 cups of the pancake mix with 1/4 cup of chia sees, 1 cup of whole milk and 2 Tbsp, of extra virgin olive oil. Pour the mix onto a not lightly greased waffle maker and cook until the steaming stops. Waffles for this dish may be made ahead of time and then reheated in the oven.
For the chicken, Combine 2 cups of Tenda-Bake 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix with a bit of salt and pepper to taste and 1 Tbsp. dried thyme leaves.
Cut the boneless thighs into strips or prepare them whole. Pat the chicken dry them dust them in the seasoned pancake mix mixture. Once dusted. Drop the chicken into the beaten egg wash and then once again into the seasoned pancake mix mixture to coat. Now, here is the trick, place the breaded chicken on a wire cake rack for 2-3 minutes to allow the egg and pancake mixture to form a coating.
Meanwhile, heat about an inch of canola oil in a 10-12 inch skillet. Place a wooden spoon in the oil and when little bubbles start to form around the wooden spoon, he oil is hot enough for frying. ( otherwise, your chicken will absorb the oil and will taste greasy)
Redust the rested coated chicken in the seasoned pancake mix and then drop into the hot oil. Cook until lightly browned, then carefully turn to brown the other side. Once the chicken has browned, remove from the pan and place on a rack fitted over a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for 5-8 minutes.This will allow the whole chicken thought to cook through, but won’t over brown the coating.
Serve the chicken and waffles with syrup or local honey or make your own honey mustard as a condiment if you would like.
Here is the Video from WBTV’s Bounce TV with Heidi Billotto and Delano Little putting together the cobbler recipe you have here – check it out to see how easy it really is!
For more information on Renwood Mills, the products they produce and where you can purchase them, visit their website.
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