Chili & Cornbread

Here's a simple yet satisfying meal that is very easy to make. Chili is one of those foods that we don't routinely eat, but every now and then I like to interject it into the rotation to change up our usual meal line-up.

This dependable chili recipe is one from Everyday Food. I like their recipes because they tend to have 10 or fewer ingredients and all of them are usually pantry staples or very basic items that are very easy to get. This recipe mixes it up a little by throwing in some cocoa to lend some depth to the overall flavor. I've never put cocoa in anything besides baked goods so this made the recipe sort of fun to make. Cornbread was something I didn't think we'd be able to enjoy with our chili again, but thankfully I was able to find a dairy-free, egg-free (vegan) recipe for cornbread that everybody in the family really likes.


RECIPE for Lighter Beef Chili from Everyday Food

Recipe Notes:

• This is a very mild chili so it works well with kids. If you prefer more heat, boost up the chili powder or add some variety of hot pepper.
  
• The recipe as written is very low on salt, so be sure to add salt according to your taste.
  
• To balance out the tartness of the tomatoes, you may want to add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.
  

RECIPE for Moist Vegan Cornbread from Recipezaar

Recipe Notes:

• As the recipe indicates, this is best eaten the day it is made. In my experience, it will last 2 days before it dries out.
  
• If you prefer your cornbread less sweet, cut back a little on the maple syrup (~3-4 Tbsp) and make up the difference in soymilk.