chicken chili + creamed corn bread

okay. so i don't know if anyone cares for my recipes or not, because honestly, i know my pictures aren't that good. i don't have a good place to stage my food, nor do i have a good lens, skill, good lighting (um, we eat at 815 at night at the earliest) or a lot of time. so, i'm going to include the recipe, but really - people are going to cook what you post only if it LOOKS good, am i right? well...anyway...

i'm a huge chili fan, so it makes me very happy that it's a favorite of both mine and josh's. for this recipe, i had some leftover ground chicken in the freezer that i decided to use. i kept the chili "red" with light red kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. this recipe is based on a "cooking for two" theory and actually didn't make any leftovers (for the chili) because josh liked it so much he had seconds!

 recipe:
~chili ingredients~
2 T olive oil
1/4 onion (i never use a full onion when cooking, but you can use as much as you want!)
green pepper to your liking (i probably used about 1/4 cup chopped)
2 cloves garlic (mine were huge)
1/2 lb ground chicken (turkey or beef)
1 28oz can diced or petite diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1-2 T chili powder (to your liking)
1-2 T paprika (again, to your liking)
1 c chicken stock
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
S+P

~instructions~

1. heat pan with olive oil, add chopped onion and pepper to pan. cook till softened, a few minutes.
2. add garlic, cook a few minutes and add ground chicken. let brown.
3. add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, spices and S+P.
4. let simmer, at least 1/2 hour. i actually let it simmer for almost 2 hours because that was how much time i had before the hubby got home. i simmered w/ the lid on until about 1/2 hour before it was done. i also added more spices at the end and a little cornstarch to thicken it up.
5. serve with shredded cheese, sour cream or avocado...onions...tortilla chips...

~creamed corn bread ingredients~
recipe from alton brown
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (i didn't have buttermilk so i substituted 1 T white vinegar in a glass measuring cup then filled to 1 cup with milk and some heavy cream)
2 eggs
1 cup creamed corn
2 tablespoons canola oil

~instructions~

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees. place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven (i didn't have a cast iron skillet so i used a metal pie pan...this worked okay but would have been better w/ the skillet).
2. in a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. whisk together to combine well.
3. combine the buttermilk, eggs and creamed corn, whisking to combine thoroughly. add dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. if batter will not pour, add more buttermilk.
4. swirl the canola oil in the hot cast iron skillet (i used a pastry brush to help spread the oil). pour the batter into the skillet. bake until golden brown and springs back to the touch, about 20-25 minutes.

i definitely enjoyed both of these recipes. i know it's a winner when i hear, "That was really good, can i have more?" from josh, the cornbread was definitely "corn" tasting, so if you aren't a big fan of corn this might not be the best recipe for you. all in all, it was a perfect meal for a cold, wintry night!