cornbread Archives | with a Side of Sneakers

Beans n’ Cornbread, Beans n’ Cornbread

Beans and cornbread, beans and cornbread! Ok, there’s no beans. Just cornbread. But I can’t think cornbread without thinking beans n’ cornbread.

What? No Tosh fans? Pssh.

There’s still a good reason for thinking of beans and cornbread together- they were pretty much made for each other.

A while back I posted a recipe for vegetarian chili and served it along side some cornbread muffins. And then I didn’t post a recipe. {Ok, I used a box. But I DO have a recipe for you.}

So here’s my recipe for vegan cornbread.

Now, you think cornbread would be simple- as in just one basic variety, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Sure they all start with cornmeal and some kind of liquid, but then there’s sweet cornbread, savory cornbread, spicy cornbread, Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread, cornbread with corn, cornbread with cheese…you get the idea.

My favorite kind of cornbread is the kind that’s slightly sweet; moist, but somehow a little dry; and soft.

But that kind of cornbread is best eaten plain- it doesn’t pair up so nicely with a big bowl of chili.

This cornbread recipe is what you want to serve with chili- it has a hint of sweetness, but it’s barely noticeable. It doesn’t compete with the spicy flavors of the chili. It’s a little dense, to make it perfect for scooping up a bite of chili without it crumbling to pieces, and it’s hearty enough to stand up next to a big bowlful of beans.

Vegan Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal {stone ground if you have it}
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp flax meal
6 Tbsp water
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil

Instructions

Place cast iron skillet in oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
Mix together flax meal and water; set aside.
Stir vinegar into soymilk; set aside.
Mix dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients, then gently stir into dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.
Remove skillet from oven and coat with cooking spray or non dairy butter.
Pour batter into skillet and spread evenly.
Bake for ~16 minutes until edges start to turn golden brown. Tester should come out clean.

https://www.sideofsneakers.com/vegan-cornbread/

If you don’t have a skillet, you can use a regular pan, but a skillet will get you those nice crunchy edges.

PS Want to see what our nursery looks like so far? Find out what color we picked at tiny sneakers.

What kind of cornbread do you prefer? And more importantly, do you watch Tosh?

The 2 Rules of Chili

Recipe

Let me start by saying two things.

1. There are a LOT of ways to make a really good chili.

2. The best meals are often the ones with the least amount of thought and effort.

The first one makes me pretty happy. I can say “we’re having chili for dinner” and it’s not greeted with a moan of “agaaain?” because the chances of it being the same as last time are slim to none.

The second one should please me, but it drives me up the wall. Meal planning and dinner-brainstorming is hard work! Especially when you {gasp} have no interest in food.

It seems like the dinners that happen only after hours of staring vacantly into the pantry waiting for magic to appear, and only happen after randomly grabbing things and throwing them into a pot out of desperation {or starvation}, are the dinners that turn out the best.

I’m sure there’s a direct correlation between time spent preparing dinner and it’s subsequent deliciousness, and much to my dismay, it goes in the opposite direction one would think.

Back to the first point. You can make a really stinking good chili that takes all day simmering on the stove or crock pot.

Or you can spend 5 to 20 minutes and come up with something as equally delicious. The frustrating rules of the kitchen.

Case in point: Pantry Chili. Kind of like kitchen sink chili, but without as many ingredients.

Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 14.5 oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14.5 oz can navy beans
1 14.5 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles {like Rotel}
1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Optional: cilantro

Instructions

Saute onion over medium high heat until starting to brown. Stir in garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.
Add in all remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-20 minutes.
Serve steaming hot!

Pssst…wanna know my secret for making it taste like it’s been cooking all day? Fennel seeds and Worcestershire sauce. Now don’t go telling anybody…

Chili of course is supremely sufficient as a one bowl meal, but to balance it out and change it up a little bit, it also goes perfectly with a simple side like roasted red potatoes.

Chopped up red potatoes coated in olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roasted at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, flipping after 30.

I think it goes without saying that chili also goes perfectly with corn bread. Something about the spicy paired with the ever so slight hint of sweet. Heck, forget the chili, just give me corn muffins!