It’s been really cold here recently so I made a really nice and warm dinner. Chili and cornbread is one of my favourite combinations.

The cornbread is based on a recipe I found online (joyofkosher.com), but I added some corn kernels and diced jalapeño for extra flavour and texture. The original recipe makes a big dish but I made 10 muffins instead.

The chili was totally homemade and without a recipe. I started off with onion and ground beef, cooking that until browned. Added diced bell peppers and like 3 cups of chopped tomatoes (instead of using tinned). Let that cook then add black beans, corn and all the spices – cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a pinch of cinnamon (trust me on it). I also added about a cup of water and a few tablespoons of ketchup for the extra tomato-ness. Basically let that cook uncovered for about 20 minutes so that the flavours all blend together and thickens up.

It was so good. Dunking the cornbread in the chili is the best. Go make some chili and tell me how it goes!