Chili and Cornbread

Here's our family chili recipe. It's a good basic recipe that I mostly got out of my old Betty Crocker cookbook, but I modified it about 30% to make it more to our liking:

Chili con Carne

A couple tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. allspice
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 28 oz. can low sodium crushed tomatoes
1 16 oz. crushed or diced low sodium tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 15.5 oz. low sodium cans of any bean of your liking, such as black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans (I actually cook my own from dried beans to lower the sodium and to increase the flavor.)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. When you start to see bubbles add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is slightly soft, add the meat and brown. Pour meat mixture and rest of ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Or you could bring to a simmer on the stove and cook for about 2 hours.

Cornbread

I got this recipe four years ago off the America's Test Kitchen website. When I went to link you to it, it now asks you to sign up for a free trial membership. Hmmm....I hope I am not breaking any copyright law or anything, but here's the recipe, and if you want to check out their site go here:

1.5 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
1 c. cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup buttermilk (Or put 1 tbs. vinegar in 1 cup of milk)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. butter or margarine melted and cooled

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray. Whisk all the dry ingredients except the sugar in a medium bowl. In a food processor or blender, process brown sugar, thawed corn and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.

Using a rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into prepared baking dish; smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve.

Editor's note: I know it's not the healthiest version of cornbread due to the high amount of butter. It is moist and has a good sweet corn flavor, however, and can be eaten plain and is totally delicious. I need to experiment with ways to lower the fat content. If and when I do, I will repost. If you have any other cornbread recipes that you really like that are moist and sweet but healthier feel free to let me know, I am open and willing to try something different.