Savory Corn and Pepper Bites

I don't know when the trend began. But I can no longer eat pasta or soup or a salad without having a nice giant slice of bread next to me. I think this began when Ron and I started dating. We often ate pasta at his parents' house and there was always a basket of bread on the table. Oddly enough, I didn't start eating all of these "carbs" until the whole low-carb / no-carb diets became trendy. Perhaps it was my way of saying 'screw you' to all of the carb-naysayers out there, but I was indulging in the bread basket. And I still do!

With pasta, it's always some kind of cheese bread or garlic bread. With soup, it's always some kind of herb bread. With chili, it's always cornbread. The last time we had chili, I was looking for a different type of corn bread and landed upon a corn muffin recipe published in my Dorie Greenspan cookbook. They were supposed to be muffins, but I decided to change them to bites when I realized that I did not want to use the last of my liners. The bites have a little bit of a kick to them, but I definitely could have used more! I might have to add more jalepeno next time or maybe mix in some sharp cheddar cheese to change it up. But whatever I do, they will definitely be served with chili again.
Savory Corn and Pepper Bites
from Dorie Greenspan: Baking from My Home to Yours
Yield: 12 bites (of muffins)
Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (stone ground is best)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 small jalepeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  If making muffins, like 12 muffin cups with liners.  Alternatively, line a baking sheet with parchment paper if making bites.
2. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, chili powder, baking soda, and black pepper; set aside.
3. In another large bowl, lightly whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, and butter until blended.
4. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients (mixture will be thick).
5. Fold in corn kernels, minced and diced peppers, and cilantro.  
6. Divide batter evenly (in muffin tins or as bites) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are brown.  
7. Cool on a rack before serving.  Enjoy!

Beef and Bean Crockpot Chili

Chili is one of those comfort foods that you instantly start to crave once the weather gets cold and the white stuff starts to fall.  This past weekend, the cities got hit with the first snowstorm of the year and without much thought chili was listed as a dish to come on our weekly menu.  Chili is such an easy and versatile dish to make.  It's relatively low fail and the ingredients are flexible.

I found an interesting recipe for a beef and bean chili that was heated in the crockpot for 8-10 hours.  I'm a fan of all things crockpot so I decided to give it a go.  Honestly, I'd say it was one of the best chili's I have ever had.  I still enjoy my mom's chili recipe, but this one had so many unique and interesting flavors that I might have to be making this one more often.  The flavors all mixed together and resulted in an amazing bowl of chili.  Of course, it didn't hurt that I baked up a loaf of delicious jalepeno cheddar bread to eat with the chili.  That post is forthcoming.  :)  My only word of caution is that this chili recipe makes a ton.  We'll be having this for a few days, but we're certainly not complaining.
Beef and Bean Crockpot Chili
Greens and Chocolate
Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb lean grass-fed ground beef
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water or 1 cup dark beer
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp good chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less)
• 1/2 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans (undrained)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans (undrained)

Instructions

1. In large skillet, brown the meat over medium-high heat.  Drain and place in crockpot when done.
2. In same skillet, cook onions and peppers until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.  When done, add to crockpot.
3. Next, add rest of ingredients to crockpot and stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.  Top with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, or crackers.  And, serve with cornbread.  :)