Work has been absolutely kicking my butt lately, so last night when I left work at 5 I felt so energetic, like I had the WHOLE night to do whatever I wanted. It was a great feeling. I channeled that great feeling into a delicious dinner that I’m so excited to share with you. Yesterday was so rainy and cold, which instantly made me want a stew or a chili with cornbread. Looking around at different stew recipes left me feeling like there weren’t enough veggies, or too much cream (and you know I’m trying to watch my figure), so I decided to wing it and make my own. The jalapeno cornbread I adapted from a recipe I found online and might still need a little tweaking, but it was definitely still enjoyable.

Vegetable Stew

• 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 c chicken broth
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely
• 2 habanero peppers, chopped finely
• 2 pasilla peppers
• 3 oz Portuguese chorizo, chopped (I use Gaspar’s because it’s all they carry at my grocery store. Whatever sausage you have is fine)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• ancho chili powder (or any type of chili powder)
• chili powder
• cumin
• salt, pepper

1. First, to roast the bell peppers and pasilla peppers. Turn oven onto broil and allow to heat to full temperature. Place peppers in oven as close as possible to broiler. Once the skin closest to the broiler becomes blackened and bubbly, rotate the pepper, and continue doing this until each side is blackened and bubbly.
2. Remove peppers from oven, allow to cool, then peel the skin off the peppers and chop them, removing all seeds
3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium. Add onions and allow to cook until translucent and soft. Once soft, add the jalapenos and habaneros. Continue to cook until the onions become browned and caramelized.
4. Add peeled tomatoes (including liquid), chicken broth, tomato paste. Allow to reach a light boil.
5. Once boiling, add the bell peppers and pasilla peppers, and chopped chorizo. Allow to boil for 15 minutes uncovered.
6. Add kale to the liquid and mix it in. Add ancho chili powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure you taste this so that you know how to season accordingly. Cover, and allow to simmer for as long as you’d like. The longer it simmers, the more flavor it has.

Jalapeno Cornbread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 jalapenos, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup apple sauce (instead of oil)
• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1/4 cup light maple syrup (you can use regular if you want – again, watching my figure)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into a large bowl
4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix well.
5. Pour corn bread into a round baking dish, muffin pan, or mini-muffin pan. In mini-muffin pan, bake for around 15 minutes. Check on them periodically to see if they’ve set. Once set, remove, let them cool, and chomp away.

If you make them in a round baking dish or regular size muffin, the bake time may be longer. Just check on them periodically. They’re not super fragile.

jalapeno cornbread with a touch of butter