Corn & Black Bean Chili with Cornbread

I thought it was supposed to be Spring?  The snow just keeps coming here in cold Ontario and I am so over it - dreaming of days relaxing on the patio sipping a cold bevvie.  Instead of making yet another soup for dinner (to stay warm) I decided to go with a corn and black bean chili. It is so easy to make and takes very little energy to whip this up after a day at work.  The cornbread is super easy to and takes only 20 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients & Preparation: Serves 6

• 1 large can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 large can of whole tomatoes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 large white mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• Old cheddar cheese for garnish, shredded
• Cilantro for garnish, chopped
• 4-5 tbsp of chili powder or to taste
• 1 cup of tomato juice

In a large pot, add olive oil and onion. Cook until translucent and then add the mushrooms. Cook another 5 minutes and add the corn.  Cook for about 7 minutes and then add in the black beans, tomatoes, chili powder and tomato juice.  Cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until all the flavours are incorporated. While the chili is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F for the cornbread.

Cornbread Ingredients & Preparation: Serves 6

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Then combine the remaining ingredients in another bowl. Grease a 9"x9" baking dish (I prefer glass). Mix ingredients from both bowls together for about 15 seconds until dry ingredients are moistened but don't over mix.  Pour batter into the pan and bake immediately.  Should take about 20-22 minutes in the oven until the top is golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the centre to make sure it is done (if it is, the toothpick will come out clean). Serve with the chili, cheddar cheese and cilantro.

Banana Bread with Wheatgerm & Walnuts

Do not be scared off by the wheatgerm...it does not contain actual germs! The wheat germ is just the tiny part of the wheat kernel that contains an amazing about of nutrients & vitamins plus loads of potassium and iron.

This is a fantastic banana bread recipe from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook - a great source for vegetarians or anyone who is into healthy food with a twist.


Ingredients and Preparation from Rebar Modern Food Cookbook: Yields 1 9"x5" Loaf

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm, toasted
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 sour cream(or plain Greek yogurt)
• 3/4 cup walnuts, roasted and chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. Comine the flour, wheatgerm, baking powder, soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. blend in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Mash together the bananas and sour cream. Add one third of the flour mix into the creamed butter/sugar mix. Next, stir in the banana mash and mix thoroughly.  Add the remainder of the flour and mix on low until well combined, taking care not to overmix. Gently fold in the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top and bake for one hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife along the edges and turn the loaf gently out. Cool on a wire rack.

The Best Lemon Cranberry Scones!

 

As the daughter of English parents I've had my fair share of scones. Nothing beats a warm scone with a little butter and strong cup of tea on a Sunday morning. This recipe will put your morning scone from Starbucks to shame. The secret is keeping the scones moist (the job of 18% cream) and perfectly sweet (but not too sugary).

I found some amazing organic lemons at the market the other day and had to buy them. They were my inspiration! They really were the biggest lemons I've ever seen. I can't believe they are organic because they really look like a genetically-enginered version. I even took pictures so you could see them!

Make these for overnight guests at your home or as a hostess gift when visiting friends.

The recipe is easy to adapt for seasonal variations so feel free to add/delete ingredients so it works for you. I have noted the changes I made for this batch in italics.

Ingredients & Preparation: (Original recipe from Bon Appetit, November 2005)

Makes 12

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon peel (I use at least 2 tbsp of lemon peel)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries (I only use 1/2 cup or I find the scones too sweet)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I didn't use walnuts for this batch)
• 1/2 cup (or more) chilled half and half (The secret is to use 18% cream instead! I use at least 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup icing sugar for dusting (this is my addition)

For the glaze:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar and 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice in bowl for glaze.
Whisk flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and 1 cup sugar in large bowl. Add chilled butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Mix in cranberries and walnuts. Add cream and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Toss with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more cream if dough is dry (It will be dry - add more cream!). Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Press out each half on floured surface to 6-inch-diameter (1-inch-high) round. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Transfer to baking sheet; brush with glaze.
Bake scones until golden and tester comes out clean, about 18 minutes (With more cream added I baked my scones for another 4-5 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheddar & Herb Buttermilk Biscuits

Our neighbours to the west side of our house are awesome! Their youngest son comes to our house during the day to let our dog out for a potty break and then takes her over to his house to play with their dog. I think our pup loves them a wee bit more than us now. You gotta love small town living where neighbours are neighbourly. To keep with that theme, I thought I'd bake them some biscuits as a small token of thanks.

The following recipe is similar to the one I used. I cannot find the one I used anywhere! What good is that? Really, I just wanted to tell you about my neighbours.

Ingredients & Preparation: (Recipe from Blogger "Pinch my Salt")

• 2 C. flour (unbleached)
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. mustard powder
• 1 T. chopped fresh herbs or 1 t. dried* (I used fresh herbs, basil and chives,from my little garden box)
• 4 T. butter
• 1 C. shredded cheese (whatever kind you prefer but I used a local, sharp, old cheddar)
• 3/4 C. sour cream (I used buttermilk)
• 1/4 C. milk (I used 10% cream)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, mustard powder and herbs.

3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the pieces of butter are the size of peas. Stir in shredded cheese.

4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together sour cream and milk. Add sour cream mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.

5. Turn dough out onto a well-floured counter and knead a few times with floured hands. Pat dough out with your hands to about one-inch thickness. Cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter or cut into desired shapes with a knife.

6. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter.

*You may use any combination of herbs you want. Try 1/2 T. fresh chives along with some dried herbs like 1/2 t. basil and 1/2 t. marjoram. The amounts listed are just guidelines. Experiment and have fun!