It's another chilly and rainy day here in San Diego.  It seems that winter has hit all at once all over the country.  Wona and I went to college at MIT and I spent another 6 years living in Chicago, so I guess I'm not a stranger to cold winters, although California living has made me a little soft.   This recipe is for days just like today - baking something in the oven and enjoying a warm meal.

I know the Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix has a lot of fans.  It's a sweet cornbread, not a salty Southern-style cornbread.  My husband who grew up in Mississippi likes it but refuses to call it cornbread since he insists that cornbread cannot be sweet.    What I've done here is to create a delicious sweet and savory version by adding a can of Organic Black Bean Soup.  The cornbread becomes much heartier with black bean flavorings and bits of corn, onion, and tomato hidden inside.  It's perfect for enjoying alongside a simple soup or chowder - Trader Joe's has a great selection of ready-to-go boxed soups. 

Now, here's the bonus:  Each piece of cornbread has less than 1/2 gram of fat and over 6 grams of protein!

Black Bean Cornbread

1 box Cornbread Mix
2 egg whites
1 can Organic Black Bean Soup
1/2  cup 2% milk (or whole)

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2.) Beat together the egg whites, soup, and milk. 
3.) Stir in the dry cornbread mix.  Don't add any of the other things called for on the box instructions.
4.) Pour into an oiled 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cornbread comes out clean.

Makes 9 pieces