Cornbread-Chili Casserole

One day about a week ago my mom and I were wondering what to have for dinner. I mentioned this recipe I found in that week's Parade issue (Parade is the name of a little magazine-type thing that comes in the paper once a week). We had all the ingredients, and it sounded good, so I went ahead with it.

Actually, contrary to the title, this recipe contains no chili. But it has chili-like ingredients in it, such as onion, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. And then there's the cornbread, which adds a chili-like touch. I didn't prepare the recipe exactly according to directions because some parts contradicted my tried and true food-preparation methods. For example, instead of cooking the beef along with the already-cooked onions, I cooked the beef first, and then added it to the onions when they were done cooking. I also used a sauce pan instead of a large skillet; I also added less salsa, to save some for my brother's snacking. Then, as we don't buy cornbread mix, I made the cornbread from scratch. And even though the recipe calls for cheddar cheese, I used t he Mexican blend that can be easily purchased at Trader Joe's. And even though the recipe says to spread the cornbread batter on top of the "chili", I found it easier and funner to just throw globs of cornbread batter on in no particular order. Strange, I know. But at least I didn't make a mess and my hands were clean. Oh, and please note, it took a lot less time to bake than is prescribed by the recipe. The recipe says to bake for 40 minutes, but I think 15 is more like it, a little more if you like your cornbread past the "golden brown stage".

So, fifteen minutes after I put it in the oven, it was ready to be eaten.

I served it with sour cream and extra cheese. And boy was it yummy. Even with all my tweaking and substituting, it was great. (Although there could have been more salsa.)

Here is the recipe, from Dorie Greenspan's 1-2-3Eats column in Parade, plus the cornbread recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I edited both recipes, to accomodate my changes, and to fit the format of the recipe shown below.

Chili - Cornbread Casserole

• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
• 1 - 1/2 c. bottled salsa
• one 15 oz. can corn, drained (another substitution: I used frozen corn that came in a plastic bag)
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 c. shredded cheddar, optional (or, in my case, Mexican blend, which is still optional, but I would recommend using it)
• cumin to taste
• chili powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• one 7 to 8 oz box of cornbread mix (or see recipe that follows this one)
• ingredients necessary for cornbread mix (if you're using it)

Cornbread (from The Joy of Cooking)

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. yellow stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 - 1/2 c. buttermilk or yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 3 to 4 tbsp. melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Heat oil in a large skillet (or sauce pan) and saute onion until soft
2. In a separate skillet, cook beef until no longer pink
3. Add beef to onions and along with salsa, corn, water, and cheese. Season to taste with cumin and chili powder
4. Place mixture in a 7 -x- 11 inch casserole pan, spread evenly and set aside
5. Mix all the dry ingredients for the cornbread together
6. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well
7. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well
8. Take globs of cornbread mixture and place them on the beef mixture, the pat them down a little with a spatula
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cornbread is browned slightly and the "chili" below it is bubbling
10. Serve hot with sour cream and additional cheese.

Banana Oatmeal Nut Muffins

Sometimes you have to try new alternatives, even to a favorite recipe.

These muffins are a case in point -- I had been using Simply Recipe/Elise's recipe for banana nut muffins, and were they good! They were super moist, banana-y, and everything banana bread should be. Yes that's right, I said bread.
You see, I think of muffins as something to eat for breakfast. Something that I can make with just a quick sanction from my mom. But bread, is more of a dessert, or as a once-in-awhile breakfast. But when I make muffins I want something relatively virtuous, filling, but still yummy.

Enter a recipe I saw on Naturally Ella (another Erin -- eeee!). Oats? Maple syrup? Whole wheat flour? Wow, this is a whole new breed of muffin we have here! But did it work? Oh yes. Oh yes it did.

With a 1/4 cup less sugar (and half of it unrefined), and all of the above, these muffins were a whole lot healthier, I thought. A bit more fat, but we can live with that. :) Did they taste healthier? Yes, but in a good way.

They were light and cakey, with a slight chewiness from the oats. A mildly earthy flavor, sweet, and of course, that nostalgic banana flavor.
Were they better than Elise's? No, not really. Different, but not particularly better. But if somewhat healthy and muffin is what you're after these are the ones for you.


Oatmeal Banana Nut Muffin
From Naturally Ella
Servings: 12-18 (muffins)

This is the first batch I made (only a few slight changes). The second is changed a good deal more, and uses large bananas instead of medium. So depending on what size bananas you have, you can see what I did. The topping is not mandatory. Make sure you chop the nuts up smaller than I did. I used homemade granola in the second batch, so don't be afraid to use your imagination for that. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 medium bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Topping: (optional)
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons sucanat
2 tablespoons pecan pieces -- chop!


Preheat oven to 350˚
In a medium bowl -- mash the bananas, add in oil, syrup, sugar, extract, and sour cream-stir until combined. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix by hand with a wooden spoon until batter is combined. Don't over-mix. Fold in pecans.
Scoop into prepared muffin tin (fill about 2/3 of the way full) and top with oatmeal mixture. Bake for 20-25 (took me about 23-27) minutes until top springs back and when inserted, a fork comes out clean.

Banana Nut Muffins
Adapted from Naturally Ella

The second recipe I made, with large bananas. Changes in italic.

Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 large bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon yogurt
1 tablespoon milk (the yogurt and the milk are very interchangeable and open to substitution)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup pecan pieces

Topping: (optional)
homemade granola


Preheat oven to 350˚
In a medium bowl -- mash the bananas, add in oil, syrup, sugar, extract, and sour cream-stir until combined. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix by hand with a wooden spoon until batter is combined. Don't over-mix. Fold in pecans.
Scoop into prepared muffin tin (fill about 2/3 of the way full) and top with oatmeal mixture. Bake for 20-25 (took me about 23-27) minutes until top springs back and when inserted, a fork comes out clean.

One Spaghetti Sauce Beats All

The store-bought spaghetti sauce is good, but homemade spaghetti sauce is by far better. Not only does it taste so much fresher (especially if you use fresh vegetables and herbs) it's really fun to make. I love the chopping, sauteing, and simmering, not to mention the heavenly aromas. Also, there's the freedom to add as much of any ingredient as you like and not have to worry about ruining the sauce. The recipe I use doesn't take long to make at all, but if you're in a real hurry, make it in big batches and freeze it in separate containers. That way, you can take one container out in the morning, leave it on the counter all day, and it will be just as convenient as if it were store bought.
Here is my basic recipe, but as I said earlier, feel free to experiment and adjust it to your tastes.

I'll post pictures when they are available.

Basic Spaghetti Sauce

• 3/4 cup olive oil (or enough to cover the bottom of the pot you're using)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 medium onion
• 1 medium zucchini (optional)
• 1 medium green bell pepper (any color bell pepper can be substituted)
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano*
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley*
• 3 tablespoons dried basil*
• 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (w/ liquid)
• 1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Saute them in the olive oil for about two minutes.
2. While the onion and garlic are sauteing, chop the zucchini, bell pepper, and artichoke hearts and add them to the sauce along with the oregano, basil, and parsley.
3. Saute for two more minutes and add the beef and diced tomatoes.
4. Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes, longer if you like a stronger flavor. When the sauce has simmered long enough, add the tomato paste and stir well to remove any lumps.
5. Serve with your favorite pasta.

*if you like, you can use fresh oregano, parsley and basil. However, the flavor of fresh herbs is not as strong as that of dried herbs, so you'll have to add more fresh herbs than is specified in the above recipe.