Another set of recipes in our trying-to-keep-it-light, post-holiday trend… I made this stew from Veganomicon and Lisa made an awesome cornbread adapted from a recipe @ 101 Cookbooks.  The chili has too many green vegetables to count, plus Granny Smith apples!  The cornbread had a nice little kick that went really well with the chili.

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Lisa says:

Hey, this is a little spicy… and… sweet? Hmmm…

Chris says:

Well yeah, it’s a *little* sweet… there’s apples in it. But it’s not overly so. There’s a lot going on.

Lisa says:

You’re right… I’m adding a little bit of salt to mine.

Chris says:

The cornbread is awesome. Those peppers in it keep it pretty moist — I don’t need to slather my piece with butter.

Lisa says:

Hm, I *really* like this chili, it’s growing on me with every bite.

Chris says:

I couldn’t believe how many green things went in this… tomatillos, apples, cilantro, poblanos, jalapeños, green onions…

Lisa says:

…don’t forget avocados!

Chris says:

That Kermit was full of it — seems like it’s pretty easy being green.

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Manzana Chili Verde
1 lb baby Yukon golds, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced small
3 jalapeños, seeded and sliced thinly
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped into 1″ pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 cup dry white wine
1 lb tomatillos, papery skin removed, washed, chopped into 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, quartered, and sliced thinly
2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup shopped scallions
1 15-oz can small white beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime
Avocado slices for garnish

Place the chopped potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let boil, covered, for a little less than 20 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, jalapeños, and poblanos in oil for about 10 minutes, until everything is softened and the onions are slightly browned.
Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt. Saute for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the white wine and tomatillos, raise the heat a bit to let the wine reduce and the tomatillos release their juices, about 5 minutes.
Add the apples, vegetable broth, scallions, and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to partially puree everything, or transfer half the chili to a food processor and puree, then return to the pot.
Taste for tartness: if bitter, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to level things out. Add the cooked potatoes and the beans, simmer for a few more minutes, until everything is heated through.
Add the remaining cilantro and the lime juice. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the avocado and scallions, and serve.

4-6 Servings

Firecracker Cornbread

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup fine-grain cornmeal
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 cup almond milk
1 large egg
1 4-oz can mild green chilies

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, with a rack in the middle.
Just before you make the batter, in a small saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the red pepper flakes, and pour into a 9-inch pie tin or baking dish. Place in the hot oven.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the almond milk, egg, and chilies. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until just combined. Now very carefully remove the hot pan with butter from the oven. Fill it with the cornbread batter, pushing the batter out to the sides if needed. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center is just set.

Makes 10 slices.