Chili and cornbread...

Dinner out with friends last night was a nice break from our "routine" - such as it is.   Today it was back in the kitchen to make Chili and Cornbread.

   
It's the first time I've baked cornbread in a cast iron skillet, and wow!  It bakes nicely, and clean-up was a breeze.   

Since eggs have been so expensive, I've been experimenting with egg substitutes and I have found success in a couple of baked items lately using 1 tsp of baking soda mixed with 1 Tablespoon of distilled white vinegar (substituted for one egg).  I cut the salt out of the cornbread recipe because I was afraid of this being too salty, and it worked out fine.

Actually, Hub said it was the best cornbread I've made.  I confess, I normally make cornbread from a box mix and it's hit or miss as to how well that holds together, so I'd better cut the recipe off the bag of the Pearl Milling Company yellow cornmeal I presently have in the pantry and save it for future reference.  Though I suppose I should record that I used buttermilk instead of milk (because I had some that needed to be used) and added some plain Greek yogurt (maybe 1/4 cup, I didn't measure).  Hmmm...  I wonder if it would have tasted as good without those things.  I'll probably find out some day.  I almost never have buttermilk hanging around for one thing, and I don't know that I would have thought of the yogurt if I hadn't been looking at another recipe that called for that.

Chili was made using a Taste of Home seasoning mix recipe I clipped from their magazine many years ago.  Here's a link in case you're interested.  In spite of it being called Spicy Chili Seasoning Mix, the chili is only as spicy as you make it - depending on how much seasoning you mix in. 

The chili used up three quart jars of tomatoes I canned last summer, 2 gallon size bags of frozen tomatoes, and several cuts of beef that I was glad to use from the freezer.    Edited  the next day to note:  I made so much chili we made two meals of it and had enough to share a couple servings each with one son and one single friend, and still freeze four servings for eating later.  While I way over-made it this time, it always feels good to share.

I have it as a goal to not do any grocery shopping during February.  Well... except for maybe milk, eggs or fresh produce.  I think everything else I either have plenty of, or we can do without for a few more weeks.

~~~~~~