Chili and Cornbread

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Chili and Cornbread
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Try this quick-to-fix chili and cornbread.


Yields: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the Cornbread:

2 T ground flax meal

6 T very hot water

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup rice milk

1 T vinegar

1/4 cup oil (olive or safflower)

1/4 cup corn kernels

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

Optional: 1-2 T jalapeno pepper


For the Chili:

1 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup crumbled tempeh

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T safflower oil

3 cups of cooked beans, or 2 15-oz cans

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1 small can chilies

2 T chili spice mix

1 tsp dried chili pepper (optional)

1/2 - 1 c water

1 tsp sea salt or to taste

Optional garnish: tofu sour cream and cilantro


Preparation

For the Cornbread:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lightly oil an 8-inch-square baking pan.

Add hot water water to flax meal, stir and set aside.

Add the vinegar to the rice milk, stir and set aside.

Using a whisk or fork, whisk the flax seed mixture until thick. Mix it into rice milk and oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Add corn and bell pepper. Fold until batter is mixed; do not over-mix. Turn batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is slightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean


For the Chili:

Sauté the onion, garlic and tempeh in oil until onions are soft. Add the beans, tomatoes, paste, chilies, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add some of the water. Cover pot and simmer for at least 20 minutes – the longer the better! Stir occasionally. Add additional water if the chili is too thick. Taste, add more salt or spices as needed and serve.

Additional Tips

Use pinto, black, anasazi, adzuki or kidney beans. If using canned beans, be sure to rinse and drain them. If using dried beans, soak 1 1/2 cups of beans overnight and see Bean Cooking Chart for times and methods for cooking.


If you don't have a chili or Mexican spice mix, use a combination of chili pepper, cumin, coriander, cloves, allspice and oregano.

Garnish the chili with tofu sour cream and sprigs of cilantro and serve with the warm cornbread and a mixed green salad.

Recipe by
Karna Knapp