Red Bell Pepper Cornbread

When Jason and I made the fancy pizza awhile ago, we had to buy cornmeal to get the pizza to slide off the pan. Since we had almost an entire bag left I wanted to use some.  I found this recipe in my book: "100 Foods to Stay Young".  The rich yellow color of corn derives from its high carotenoid levels, which provide protection against aging for the eyes, brain, skin and heart.  It was crumbly but good.  This recipe makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
heaping 1 cup fine cornmeal or polenta
heaping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
heaping 1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling (I would use butter next time to grease the pan)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Lightly oil an 8 x 4 x-inch loaf pan.  Arrange the red bell pepper slices on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until tender and the sin begins to blister.  Set aside to cool slightly, then peel away the skin.
2.  Meanwhile, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  Beat the milk, eggs and oil together in a separate bowl and gradually add to the flour mixture.  Beat with a wooden spoon to make a thick, smooth, batterlike consistency.
3.  Finely chop the red bell pepper and fold into cornmeal mixture, then spoon into the loaf pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 30minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn onto a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Jason's Rating: 3/10 (Jason doesn't like cornbread)
Beth's Rating: 5/10

Nutrition:
210 calories
7g fat (1g saturated)
50mg cholesterol
400mg sodium
30g carbohydrates
2g fiber
3g sugar
6g protein