What’s for dinner: Chili and Cornbread

Things I’ve discovered in the past two weeks. Two crockpot meals a week carry us through the week pretty well. That discovery is saving us a LOT of money.

So in typical Cristy fashion I give you, out of order. Meal number two!

Chili and Cornbread!

What you will need for the Chili:

One package of Lean Ground Turkey

Two Zucchinis (I used one green, and one yellow)

One large onion of your preference (I used the last of my Shallots)

Two things of fresh mushrooms

Carrots! The average would be two medium ones. All I had was a less than half of a small package of baby carrots. So that is what I used.

Your favorite beans of choice. I used chick peas, black beans and lentils.

One can (or jar or whatevs) of whole tomatoes. One of diced tomatoes

Spices and shit. ie Cumin, Chili Powder, fresh Garlic, fresh Basil, fresh Jalapeño and Bay Leaves.
I also add a good splash of red wine and a few tablespoons of brown sugar.

How you cook it up:
Brown the meat. Add the Wine. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer.

In your pot add some olive (or your preferred oil) and sauté up the onions then add all the other veg. Let that cook a bit then add the meat.
THEN add the whole tomatoes and liquid and crush up the tomatoes with your hand (gushy) and then add your spices and beans. Wash the beans first if canned! Or you may die! (not really)

Stir well and let cook for however long. Usually a couple hours anyway. Make sure you don’t accidentally let the bottom burn!

Voila! Chili. It’s easy. Feel free to fiddle with it. I do it slightly different every time.

Cornbread, what you need:
Two cups cornmeal
Two cups buttermilk (I did not have any so I used coconut milk. Was delicious and did not make it taste like coconut)
Two eggs
Two teaspoons honey or one teaspoon sugar
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon baking soda

Preheat your oven to 450 f

In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients
In another medium bowl beat the eggs and add in the milk and honey
Dump the wet in with the dry, mix with spoon till combined.

Pour into greased nine inch pan or skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes and Voila!

The credit for this cornbread recipe goes to this excellent gal! I am eternally grateful!

Chocolate Applesauce Bread

So today is a blergh day. I’ve been trying to compose a post about being pregnant and how its been the same/different than what I imagined it would be like. But since today is being all %@$#! I give you this half arsed offering.

Chocolate Applesauce Bread

Ingredients

1/2  cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1-1/3  cups granulated sugar
2  eggs
1-1/2  cups unsweetened applesauce
3  cups all-purpose flour
1/4  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-3/4  teaspoons baking soda
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8  teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3  cup milk chocolate chips
1/2  cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
* Garnish:
1  teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
1  teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat nonstick loaf pan (11-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 3 inches) or 2 loaf pans (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-3/8 inches) with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

2. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed in large bowl until smooth and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs; beat 1 minute. Beat in applesauce (mixture will look curdled).

3. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Make well in center. Add applesauce mixture, chocolate chips and peanuts to well; stir into flour mixture until just combined and flour mixture is evenly moistened. Spoon mixture into prepared pan(s).

4. Bake in 350°F oven 60 to 65 minutes, until toothpick tests clean. Let cool in pan(s) 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely.

5. Garnish: Dust with sugar, cocoa.

Now I tell you what I did a bit differently.

1. I did not use butter. When I bake this again for relatives over the holidays I will. But I am too cheap ass to use butter for my own household baking.

2. The baking soda thing? With all it’s complicated ness?? I just used 1 1/2 tsp. Everything turned out fine!

3. The choc chip part I did not measure out, so I’m not sure how much I used, but it wasn’t enough! More choc chips next time!

4. While I have a hand mixer, I HATE using it. So I just used a whisk for everything. Turned out great anyways! I figure since you know, people have been baking for ever. And not had electric mixers for that long it would probably be fine. And it was.

Oh, and I didn’t do the garnishing either, cuz I’m lazy.  OR! The peanuts, cuz I didn’t have any and! Thought it would be creepy.

OH! Baking tips! Eggs should always be room temperature. And to keep things nice and moist, cover the bread in tin foil after you take out of the oven so the steam goes back into the bread.