Tag Archives: cornbread

Chicken Chili Verde with Poblanos and Beans

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Cozy up with a bowl of this white bean chicken chili made with tender shredded chicken, poblano chilies, white beans, cilantro, coriander and lime. Flavorful and hearty, this one-pot meal is nourishing and delicious! Serve it up with Skillet Cornbread (recipe below) and dinner is ready.

This Southwest favorite is hearty, healthy, and delicious. The Hubs kicked it up a notch by increasing the chipotle powder from a pinch to 1 teaspoon, and adding 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Then for an extra punch, we topped with pickled jalapeños… we like bold flavors!

Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months.

NOTES:  If using canned green chilies, add when you add the chicken, no need to sauté. Fire-roasted canned chilies add good flavor, although the vibrant color of fresh poblanos are preferred. Feel free to add 1 to 2 cups corn for extra heartiness. You can also use whole seed cumin and coriander, toasted and ground.

Chicken Chili Verde with Poblanos and Beans

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  • 1–2 poblano peppers, finely diced (or sub 1 to 2,  4 oz. cans green chilies)
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, more to taste
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp. fresh)
  • 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs – boneless, skinless
  • 3 cups white beans, cooked. (2 14-oz. cans, drained; OR 1 1/2 cups dry, soaked and cooked)
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, divided
  • 2 limes
  • 1 tsp. cayenne or chipotle powder to taste
  • Garnishes: cilantro, sour cream, lime, sliced scallions, avocado, sliced jalapeño

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and poblano pepper and sauté until tender about 8 minutes.
  2. Add cumin, coriander, paprika and chili powder and lightly toast, for about 1 minute.
  3. Add broth, scraping up the brown bits. Turn heat to high.
  4. Add soy sauce, vinegar, oregano and salt.
  5. Stir, add chicken breasts or thighs whole and bring to a boil. Cover turn heat to low and keep at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and breaks apart easily.
  6. Once the chicken is tender, shred it into smaller pieces with two forks. (If it is not shredding easily, it may need longer to cook.)
  7. Add the cooked white beans and juice of 1 lime (for a thicker consistency you could mash 1 cup of beans). Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, until it reduces and thickens just a bit. Taste, adjust salt and spice level -adding a pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne of you like.
  8. Stir in half the cilantro and serve.
  9. Divide among bowls and serve with any combination of more cilantro, dollops of sour cream, sliced jalapeño, sliced scallion, avocado, and lime wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Skillet Cornbread with Pickled Jalapeños

This classic cast-iron cornbread recipe is homey, delicious, and full of wholesome cornmeal flavor with an irresistible crusty edge. Bake it in a skillet or baking dish and it’s ready in just 35 minutes! It is a perfect companion for the above chicken chili. Our twists were adding some chopped pickled jalapeños and topping with shredded cheese.

Made with simple pantry ingredients, medium-grind cornmeal gives a chewy and hearty texture. If you prefer a smoother cornbread, go for a fine grind.

Skillet Cornbread with Pickled Jalapeños

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or olive oil or coconut oil)
  • 1 cup medium grind cornmeal (or fine grind)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. honey (or maple syrup) or add up to 3 Tbsp. for a sweeter version.
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
  • 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or sub yogurt, milk kefir, or milk)
  • 1/4 chopped pickled jalapeños
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Place a  9-10″ cast iron skillet in the oven. (If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet a round cake pan will do or an 8×8 baking dish.)
  3. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. After at least 8 minutes remove the skillet from oven and put the butter in the hot skillet, stir around until it melts. Pour melted butter into a medium bowl, leaving the skillet buttered and warm. This makes a nice crust on your cornbread.
  5. Along with the melted butter, whisk in honey, buttermilk, jalapeños and eggs. Fully mix.
  6. Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
  7. Pour into the buttered skillet, spreading out evenly. Top with the shredded cheese.
  8. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes. The cornbread is done when the edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan and the center is slightly puffed up.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from recipes by Sylvia Fontaine for FeastingAtHome.com

Cast-Iron Green Chile Tamale Pie

Uncategorized, , , ,

We found this version of Tamale Pie in a recent issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. Its name is due to the awesome layer of cornbread that sits on top of the ground beef (or ground turkey) filling, mimicking masa-wrapped, meat-filled tamales. In lieu of more traditionally used canned tomatoes, this Southwest riff favors green chiles and tangy, tomatillo-spiked salsa verde.

As is often the case, we put our own spin on the recipe. In this instance, we doubled the amounts of beans and onion. Originally I planned on using ground turkey in place of ground beef, but the supermarket was out of it. (Still dealing with COVID supply and delivery issues two years later!)

After it was fully cooked, and I went to spoon out a portion, there seemed to be a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the skillet. Once in my dinner bowl however, the fluid soaked up into the cornbread topping. Perhaps replacing the zucchini with red pepper—which has less moisture content—would be a good alternative and add a nice pop of color.

Based on some of the ingredients, you may think it is spicy. And yes, it does have a slight kick, but I wouldn’t scale back on any of the suggested amounts. An alternative, if spice is just not your thing, incorporate milder salsa verde and chopped green chiles. We both thought that the leftovers, when reheated, were even better than the first go-around—plus any liquid had been reabsorbed.

Cast-Iron Green Chile Tamale Pie

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 cup mild or spicy salsa verde; more for serving
  • 1/2 cup cooked black or pinto beans
  • 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen yellow corn kernels
  • 1 4-oz. can mild or spicy chopped green chiles (undrained)
  • Kosher salt

For the cornbread topping

  • 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves; more for garnish
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese
  • Sour cream and avocado slices, for serving

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a deep 10-inch wide cast-iron skillet, cook the beef over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add the zucchini, onion, and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, green chiles, and salt. Remove from the heat.

Make the cornbread topping

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, cilantro, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined.
  3. Scatter half of the cheese over the beef mixture in the skillet, then pour the cornbread batter over and spread to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  4. Bake until cornbread is cooked through and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  5. Serve with additional salsa, sour cream, and avocado slices. Garnish with cilantro.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Liz Pearson for Fine Cooking