Chili for a Chilly Night

A week and a half ago, I was making some special treat with buttermilk, and had to buy some buttermilk for that.Well, it was cheaper to just buy a half gallon, which was on sale, so I did. I soon realized, though, that I only needed about a cup for the cinnamon rolls I was making, so I had to come up with other things with the butter milk. Among those was some Cornbread and Buttermilk Biscuits to go with some yummy chili.

First, the Chili.

I started with about a pound of ground turkey, browned in a cast iron Dutch oven, along with 1 large, chopped onion. Next up, I added my selection of "secret ingredients"

Red pepper flakes(the hot stuff!)
My homemade barbeque sauce! (a failed experiment, as it is far too watery for use as BBQ sauce, but it is a fine addition to Chili, and is great for marinading pulled pork)

Crushed and diced tomatoes
Coriader
Cumin
An "ice cube" of frozen cilantro from last year's garden
about 2 cups of cooked black beans
1 can of hominy
And of course Coca cola (About 1/4 cup).I only add the Coke if I have some on hand.We don't usually drink cola at our house much at all...but we had some because of a certain flu bug that was running through our house...and it was flat coke, which is ideal for chili-making!



I let that simmer with a lid on it for most of the day, stirring occasionally. It tastes better that way. :-)

The Cornbread was made in a cast iron skillet, which my hubby insists is the only real way to make corn bread (he was corrupted from several years in Texas!).



Sift 1/2 c. of flour, 1/2t. baking soda, 2 t sugar and 2 t. baking powder, then stir in 1 1/2 c. of cornmeal. Stir in 1/4c melted butter, 2 lightly beaten eggs, and 1-1/2c. buttermilk. I also add 1/2t. chili powder for some extra kick.

Pour it into your greased cast iron skillet, and bake at 450F. for 23 minutes (approximentally). I usually preheat the cast iron skillet, as I find it gives a nicer crust. If you don't preheat, you may need to bake an extra few minutes.

And finally,...The Buttermilk Biscuits...


...are made by mixing 2c flour, 2 t baking powder, 1/4t baking soda, and 1 t salt through a sifter to make sure there are no lumps, and to blend it extra good. Next, I cut in a half cup of shortening (for this I prefer the food processor or my finger tips). mix in 3/4 cup of buttermilk and gently knead (don't over do it or you will have hockey pucks). Roll out your dough to about 1/2" thick, and cut with a biscuit cutter or canning jar lid :-)

Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes, on the middle rack. Best served immediately.

Bon Appetit!