Mexican Corn and Cheese Bread

Another corn bread, this time a Moosewood recipe that was new to me (see my longstanding attachment to Anna Thomas' version), but I'm glad I gave it a shot. The original was easily veganized by substituting vegan milk and cheese for their dairy analogues, agave syrup for honey, and some extra baking powder for Mollie Katzen's single egg; I also added a little chili powder and smoked paprika to make things more interesting. The finished product was absolutely yummy, and this is one I will definitely make again; I think it would also be good interpreted as muffins, maybe with some chopped jalapeños to increase the "Mexican" factor. Best of all, it cooks up in under 40 minutes, which is especially nice on a weekday afternoon; served alongside a big bowl of pea soup, this was another unqualified MoFo win!

Mexican Corn and Cheese Bread
Ingredients
~ 1/4 cup olive oil
~ 1/2 cup onion, minced fine
~ 1 cup cornmeal
~ 1 cup all purpose flour
~ 4 tsp. baking powder
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, chili powder, smoked paprika
~ 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
~ 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 2 tbsp. agave syrup
~ 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese (I used Daiya)

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and coat a bread pan with cooking spray.
~ Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and sauté the onion over medium heat 5-7 minutes, until soft and golden.
~ In a mixing bowl, sift together the corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, and chili powder. Add the corn kernels and stir to coat (this will give them some "grip" in the batter).
~ In a separate bowl, combine the soy milk, agave, and vegan cheddar; add the sautéed onions (making sure to include all of the olive oil) and mix thoroughly.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.
~ Transfer batter to your waiting bread pan and bake in the center of the oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, or until brown and firm on top.
~ Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.