Rice Milk Cornbread (Southern Style) with Flour

I love cornbread. I mean absolutely love it. I can't get enough and try as many different kinds and styles I can, but when I make it myself, I use rice milk and only a little bit of flour to fluff it up mixed with a southern style cornbread. More on that after the jump.

For your reference (and fun), here's what NOT to eat on New Year's Day based on traditions, myths, and superstitions:

Lobster is taboo because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chickens scratch backwards, so eating chicken could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another superstition discourages against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.

For Japanese New Year, real, fresh mochi is traditionally eaten. I have had it this way, and it is very different from the store-bought brands you'll come across. It's hard to find fresh mochi, but it's amazing and very special. But be careful (apparently) because according to Wikipedia: "Because of mochi's extremely sticky texture, there is usually a small number of choking deaths around New Year in Japan, particularly amongst the elderly. The death toll is reported in newspapers in the days after New Year."

Now on to the Rice Milk Cornbread (Southern Style) with Flour! My New Year Tradition. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups corn meal (white or yellow)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups rice milk
optional: 1-2 tablespoons of a healthy oil (though olive oil will alter taste a tad)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
Combine beaten egg, rice milk and oil.
Combine cornmeal mixture with rice milk mixture, stirring just enough to moisten.
Pour into preheated, hot, well-greased 9- or 10-inch skillet or pan, muffin tins, or corn stick molds.
Bake about 15 minutes for muffins or corn sticks, and 20-25 minutes for pan or skillet. Cornbread will begin to pull away from sides.
Makes approximately 12 muffins, corn sticks or pieces.

Recipe (the original that I tweaked to high heaven) courtesy of Texas Cooking.