Black bean chili with jalapeno skillet cornbread

A delicious combo!  I recommend freezing extra chili, and chopped and seeded jalapeno chilis for easy meal prep during the week.  The cornbread is best prepared in a cast iron skillet which has a great non-stick surface and gives the bread a lovely crispy crust.  I haven't tried it in any other oven safe bakeware- my guess that it would still be delicious, but not have as great of a crust.

Black Bean Chili

I'm not going to lie here, I don't really have a chili recipe, I tend to just throw together whatever I have in the pantry and it usually turns out fine, so if you're looking for a spectacular chili recipe you may want to look elsewhere.  However, this combo is usually pretty decent, especially topped with a little shredded old cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.  I have also tried adding a small quantity (1-2 tbsp) of molasses to the chili which has turned out well in the past.  Can't really go wrong these ingredients!  I always find it delicious.

Tip- As tomatoes all have different levels of sweetness depending on when they were canned etc., adding a little sugar to tomato based recipes such as this one can counter the acidic 'bite' that some tomato based recipes can develop.

• Black beans, if you are using canned beans- 1 or 2 drained canned should be good, depending on your preference
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can pureed tomatoes
• Spices:  2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2-3 small onions, diced
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Heat a little oil in pot or dutch oven over med heat and add onions, cooking till lightly browned.
2. Add chili powder, red pepper flakes, cocoa and cumin and cook for ~2 min
3. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 sec, till fragrant
4. Add beans, cook for several additional minutes
5. Add tomatoes and cook, bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes or till thickened to your liking
6. Add salt/ pepper to taste and 1-2 tsp of sugar to counter the 'bite' of the tomatoes if desired.

Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread

This bread has a fabulously crunchy exterior, and deliciously moist interior!

• 1 1/4 cups milk mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar (let stand for 10 min)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups medium cornmeal (it develops a nicer texture than finer ground varieties)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar (or a little less depending on how sweet you like your cornbread)
• 1-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped fine
• small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Combine milk mixture with egg
3. Combine dry ingredients
4. In a cast iron skillet, saute onion in butter over low heat until well browned
5. Add jalapenos and cook for additional couple of minutes
6. Mix wet/dry ingredients and pour into skillet
7. Bake for ~30 minutes