Chili Con Cornbread

Not my chili, but looks like it. MMM...

"The act of longing and belonging must be experienced in life." Yogi Well-Being Wisdom


I don't know who said that but they sure hit the nail on the head. I happen to do a lot of longing when it comes to my sweetheart, as do a couple of my girlfriends. I can vouch that once the weather takes a turn for down-to-the-bone cold not being able to get a nice warm hug from your mister is the WORST!! The solution: consuming comfort food. Warm, hearty, stick to your ribs and stay with ya comfort food. (Well, it at least tides ya over... kinda.)


The other night I had the opportunity to not only whip up this kind of meal but also share it with the object of all this longing. It was a treat in more than one sense! Plus the recipe is big enough for you to get 2-4 additional meals throughout the week and keeps very well. (Oh, and the chili takes less than an hour, total. You can't beat that with a stick.) Try it while you long for your mister or make it for both of you, curl up on the couch and stay out of the windy, ice-cold weather outside.


Easy, Quick black bean Chili:

3 15 oz. cans of black beans
1 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 lb. of ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey-you pick)
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
chopped fresh jalapeno to taste
minced garlic to taste
onion to taste
chili pepper to taste
addt'l spices... to taste
approx. 1/4 c. brown sugar (I find the ratio of sweet to spicey a personal preference, however. Therefore, depending on how hot you want the chili to be you may want to add more or less sugar.)


This is your basic base to making a quick chili: sautee the onion, garlic and chopped jalapenos in olive oil in a large pot. Add your meat and brown. Add beans and tomatoes, red wine vinegar, all other spices and brown sugar. Allow to simmer up to an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more seasonings to meet your preference.


Serve with warm cornbread topped with more fresh cut jalapeno and cheddar cheese.