Go Pack Go! Whew! What a game that turned out to be. I know it has been 3 weeks since my last post, but life has been very busy! Girls on the Run has started back up for their Spring season, so I have been trying to get outside in this beautiful weather and run more frequently! I would like to be able to keep up with the 3rd-5th graders I coach every week! We are also seeing a lot of changes going on at our school, as well as our district, so I am trying to adjust and do the best I can…which leaves my “baby” food blog almost last on my enormous to do list. But I promise that you will see several new recipes popping up the next few weeks that you won’t want to miss!

But for now I give you a chili recipe I found in Food Network magazine that I spiced up a bit, along with a loaded corn bread recipe courtesy of HealthyFoodForLiving.com. This was the perfect hearty meal to celebrate the Packers winning the Super Bowl!

Enjoy!

Bean and Beef Chili

• 2 to 4 tablespoons veg oil, plus more as needed
• 3 lbs. boneless ground Angus, cut into 3/4 -inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large onions, chopped (I left these out and used a decent amount of onion powder due to my husband’s allergy to fresh onions)
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed with your hands
• 1 3/4 cups beef broth (low sodium if you’d like)
• 1/3 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
• 1 15-oz can of pinto beans
• 1 15-oz can of kidney beans
• shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or diced avocado, for topping

Directions:

Heat 1/2 tablespoon veg oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. (If you are using onion powder, combine the next few steps together with the onion powder and garlic and meat. If you don’t, you could burn your garlic! )Add 1/3 cup chili powder, the oregano and tomato paste; stirring 30 seconds. Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, espresso and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons chili powder into the chili. Divide among bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, and/or avocado.

Loaded Cornbread

Courtesy of healthyfoodforliving.com

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears… or can substitute defrosted frozen corn)
• 1/2 cup grated 50% reduced fat jalapeno cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal through salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk through melted butter until well-mixed. Stir wet ingredients into the dry just until well-combined. Fold in fresh corn kernels, grated cheese, minced serrano chile, and sliced scallions. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Can also be served at room temperature.