A little bit about chilli and cornbread

To commemorate America's Independence Day, I made (what I think is) an American meal.

The chilli recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver's video. For my own I made it not spicy, but you can make it as spicy as you like with different Mexican chilli beans and adding chopped chilli. I found a pack of roasted spicy chicken thighs, so I broke it up into pieces and used it in this recipe.

It serves 2 for those of you who, like me this week, are cooking meals just for themselves.

One pot chilli

Olive oil, for frying

1 small carrot

1 celery stick

1/3 red onion

1/2 capsicum (I used a mixture of red, yellow/ orange)

Roasted chicken, broken up into pieces

1/2 can tomatoes

1/2 can chickpeas

1/2 can Mexican chilli beans

Spices: cumin, coriander, smoked capsicum

Salt and pepper

1. Chop vegetables into small cubes.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pot.

3. Add chopped veges and fry until oil is absorbed.

4. Add chicken and continue frying.

5. Pour in canned tomatoes, chickpeas, chilli beans (add half a cup of water if necessary).

6. Stir and season with spices and salt and pepper.

7. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occassionally.

I've experimented and served this three delicious ways; 

1. with brown rice,

2. on a toasted bun spread with cream cheese,

3. with cornbread, recipe below.

I have to say the cream cheese toasted bun with chilli is surprisingly delicious and is my favorite way of eating this chilli.

Cornbread

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 Tbsp raw sugar
1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/8 cup (30 ml) vegetable oil, I used rice bran oil

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add egg, milk and oil and whisk together until there are no lumps.
3. Grease an overproof dish with butter.
4. Bake at 180C for 15 minutes. The cornbread should have risen with little cracks on the top.

Serve with chilli, soup or eat by itself with a little butter.



And to conclude,

I am actually making a trip to LA this November with my family. Let me know of any must-dos there!

Signed,

Elisa