Go Pack Go! Whew! What a game that turned out to be. I know it has been 3 weeks since my last post, but life has been very busy! Girls on the Run has started back up for their Spring season, so I have been trying to get outside in this beautiful weather and run more frequently! I would like to be able to keep up with the 3rd-5th graders I coach every week! We are also seeing a lot of changes going on at our school, as well as our district, so I am trying to adjust and do the best I can…which leaves my “baby” food blog almost last on my enormous to do list. But I promise that you will see several new recipes popping up the next few weeks that you won’t want to miss!
But for now I give you a chili recipe I found in Food Network magazine that I spiced up a bit, along with a loaded corn bread recipe courtesy of HealthyFoodForLiving.com. This was the perfect hearty meal to celebrate the Packers winning the Super Bowl!
Enjoy!
Bean and Beef Chili
- 2 to 4 tablespoons veg oil, plus more as needed
- 3 lbs. boneless ground Angus, cut into 3/4 -inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 large onions, chopped (I left these out and used a decent amount of onion powder due to my husband’s allergy to fresh onions)
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed with your hands
- 1 3/4 cups beef broth (low sodium if you’d like)
- 1/3 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 1 15-oz can of pinto beans
- 1 15-oz can of kidney beans
- shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or diced avocado, for topping
Directions:
Heat 1/2 tablespoon veg oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. (If you are using onion powder, combine the next few steps together with the onion powder and garlic and meat. If you don’t, you could burn your garlic! )Add 1/3 cup chili powder, the oregano and tomato paste; stirring 30 seconds. Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, espresso and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons chili powder into the chili. Divide among bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, and/or avocado.
Loaded Cornbread
Courtesy of healthyfoodforliving.com
Ingredients:
- cooking spray
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted and cooled
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears… or can substitute defrosted frozen corn)
- 1/2 cup grated 50% reduced fat jalapeno cheddar or pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal through salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk through melted butter until well-mixed. Stir wet ingredients into the dry just until well-combined. Fold in fresh corn kernels, grated cheese, minced serrano chile, and sliced scallions. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Can also be served at room temperature.