Chili and Cornbread

San Diego weather can be so random. A couple of weeks ago, the temperature was in the high 80's. Now, it's in the low 60's. It's all been quite confusing. Should I be wearing sweaters or t-shirts? Should I be eating winter melons or watermelons?

Today was cold so I decided to make chili and cornbread. I used my go-to chili recipe from the Best of Cooking Light and a cornbread recipe from AllRecipes.com, which Monkey originally shared with me. This chili never disappoints. It is thick and hearty with a subtle heat from the chili powder and jalapeno. The cornbread is also delicious but i'd forgotten how sweet it is. Next time I would probably reduce the sugar by half. Still, the meal was delicious. Like all chilis, it's even better the next day.

All-American Chili
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Serves 8

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 ¼ cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Heat large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeno) to pan; cook 8 min or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.



Corn Bread
Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar (can prob reduce by half)
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine corn meal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.