chili and cornbread
This was a recipe that happened by mishap. I LOVE chili and cornbread and found an excellent vegan recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs Oh She Glows. I got all the stuff to make it, then, disaster happened. My measurements were off, I didn’t realize that the recipe called for hours of soaking the beans and then more hours of cooking. It was the perfect example of why I’m not a vegan (I have no time!).
So, after mismeasuring a few things, I realized I was on my own. Happily, the recipe came out excellent. It took only about 30-45 minutes and I was contentedly sitting in front of the TV just in time for the Lakers game.
I was so happy with the outcome because when I gave up eating meat, chili is one thing that I missed dearly! But this recipe tastes so good, that I have my favorite food back!
Game Night Chili
What You Need:
1 tsp oil
5 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 jalepeno (chopped)
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 cup of vegetable broth (you may need more)
1 1/2 TBSP corn meal
1 can of corn (drained)
2-3 TBSP barbecue sauce
Some chopped spinach (or your other favorite greens, like kale)
What You Do:
Saute the garlic with the oil in a large sauce pan until lightly browned
Add the red pepper and jalepeno and saute for about five minutes
Add the spices and saute for a minute or two
Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and tomato paste. Stir and let simmer. Add more tomato paste according to your preference for consistency
Add the corn meal, corn BBQ sauce and spinach
Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, adding broth as you see fit
For the cornbread recipe, go HERE. She gives you all kinds of advice and tips.
Messiness – The messiest part is when the chili bubbles, so use a lid that’s lightly propped up
Simplicity – If there was a book titled “Chili for Dummies,” this recipe would be in it. Since most of it is canned, you save on time and effort.
Budget – You need a lot of ingredients, but I was able to find all of them at the 99 Cent store and it makes about 5 servings.
Delicious Factor – This will easily become my new go-to game night/day meal. With the Super Bowl coming up, I highly recommend this dish (just add some cooked, seasoned ground beef into it for you meat eaters). It’s also really filling, which is excellent since I’m just sitting there watching a game anyway.
