Hurricane Beef Chili with Beans & Whole Wheat Cornbread

We had no power or heat for an entire week thanks to Hurricane Sandy, but with a small generator, a countertop electric burner and some determination I did manage to come up with a great Hurricane beef chili with beans and whole wheat cornbread recipe!




This is forever more my "go to" chili recipe... it's the perfect comfort food for the cold weather. It's flavorful, has just the right amount of heat, and is not too labor intensive.

I use ground beef for flavor, but ground turkey works well too. Serve over rice and/or with whole wheat corn bread (recipe follows), and top with cheese, sour cream and diced red onion. 

Hurricane Beef Chili With Beans

Olive oil for sautéing

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons salt

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded Mexican, Fiesta or cheddar cheese, sour cream and red onion for topping

Sauté ground beef in a dash of olive oil (you may need more if using ground turkey), until cooked. Add onions, green pepper, carrot and garlic and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt and chipotle pepper and sauté for a few more minutes. Then add canned tomatoes and pinto beans.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook for at least an hour. If chili is too thick, add a little water or chicken stock.

Whole Wheat Cornbread

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat a 9" pan with a light coating of olive oil. 

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Then add wet ingredients to the dry, mixing gently. Pour batter into oil coated pan.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.