blue artichoke

GC and I are turning into football fans. Well, GC has always been a football fan, but I've never shown much interest. I like going to games, but I lose interest after a while and find myself watching the caricature of a man in front of me or the shivering body-painted fans in the student section instead of the action on the field. Missouri is having a good season this year, which somehow makes it easier for me to pay attention. Yesterday's game was away, so, again, we had people over to watch the game on our fancy big TV. And, once again, I made a big pot of chili and a pan of cornbread to feed the hungry fans. I also made a batch of Autumn Trail Mix; surprisingly, at the end of the night, all that was left in the bottom of the bowl were M&M's and candy corn. That's the best part!

This time I made a chicken chili, which was pretty good. It isn't as good as the chili I made last time, but different. Like comparing steak and chicken. This is a fast chili, not one that simmers on the back burner all day, so I didn't start it until people came over. In fact, I missed the first half of the game puttering around the kitchen, but my sport-attention-span is short, so I didn't mind. I used shredded chicken left over from making chicken stock, so it actually came together rather quickly. Also, in the excitement of laterals and interceptions, I forgot to add the corn. I bet that would have been nice... This is a really good chicken chili. Best chicken chili I've made so far...

Chunky Chicken and Corn Chili

2 t. veggie oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ T. mild chili powder
1 ½ t. dried oregano
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. cinnamon
¾ t. freshly ground black pepper
½ t. salt
1# skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into ½” chunks
2x 8 oz. Cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
2x 16 oz. Cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 T. light sour cream

In a nonstick Dutch oven, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over med heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to soften, ~5m. Stir in spices and s/p and cook, stirring constantly, for 30s.

Add chicken, stirring to coat thoroughly, and the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, ~5m.

Stir in beans and corn; cook, uncovered, until heated through, ~3m. Serve the chili in bowls and top with sour cream.

Serves 4.
11g fat, 505C, 2.1g saturated fat, 66 carbs, 41g protein, 97 mg cholesterol, 714 mg sodium

Serve with: Red-leaf lettuce salad with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, followed by an angel food cake with raspberry sauce.
Great Taste – Low Fat: Chicken, Time Life Books

This makes way more than 4 servings. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough, so I added a jar of diced tomatoes, undrained. The extra juice kept the chili from thickening and burning while we waited for halftime to eat. We had six people over, and though not everyone ate, we still have 2-3 servings leftover.

I tried out a new cornbread recipe too. Some questioned the pairing of a sweet, fruity cornbread with spicy chicken chili. I liked it, and others said they did too, but you may choose to serve a different cornbread with the chili. The cornbread is really good, though. I'll definitely make it again, and so should you.

Cranberry Corn Muffins

1½ cups dried cranberries
3 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon
1½ cups milk
½ pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and cooled
3 large eggs
¾ cup honey
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside. Place cranberries and 1 tablespoon flour in a bowl. Toss to combine. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine milk, melted butter and eggs. Set aside.

Combine 3 cups flour, honey, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Mix with electric mixer. Add the milk mixture, mix on low speed just until blended. Add reserved dried cranberries, mix to combine. Spoon batter into prepared tins. Brush muffin tops with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Place in oven, bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Cool slightly on wire rack prior to removing.

Columbia Daily Tribune, 11.23.05

Instead of muffins, I made a 13x9" pan of cornbread. It took longer to cook, maybe 45 minutes. I don't really remember; I just kept checking in on it and when the top was nicely browned and started to crack, I took it out of the oven. This is a really moist cornbread, and keeps its shape well.

Oh, by the way, Missouri won.

Getting to Know All About You: What's your favorite sport (or team) to watch?