the comfort of chili and cornbread

When the weather is cold it's hard to beat the comfort of a hot bowl of chili with cornbread.

Magickal correspondence of some of the key ingredients are:

Corn, cornmeal and corn flour: Abundance, fertility, life, luck, protection, resurrection, and spirituality. Corn is symbolic of abundance and fertility. It is a New World grain domesticated more than 9,000 years ago in Mexico. Cornmeal is used as a sacred offering by various Native American peoples in the Southwestern United States, often scattered on the wind and sprinkled in blessing. It is a biodegradable medium used to draw circles, runes, or sigils.

Kidney Beans: Energy, healing, love, memory, prosperity, and wisdom. Beans hold energy to renew energy, increase luck, deepen inspiration, and fuel creativity. I like to serve beans on threshold days, such as New Years and Yule, to inspire good fortune. Add them to soups to attract good fortune and encourage expansion.

Tomatoes: Creativity, health, love, luck, prosperity, protection, and warding.

Tomatoes are a food of love associated with Aphrodite, Hera, and Venus. They are eaten and added to recipes to empower health, inspire creativity, and attract love. Tomatoes are good for you. They contain lycopene and lutein to help maintain eye health. Use tomatoes in your food magicks to improve clear sight and empower intuition. Tomatoes also hold energy for protection. They are a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and K. Eat them to guard health and keep colds at bay. Serve them at gatherings to banish anger and repel negativity.

For the Chili

You will need:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapino, chopped

1 pound ground turkey *optional

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups broth

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

One 28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes

Two 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a large stock pot or a dutch oven. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook 2 more minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in the salt and spices. Add broth and tomato paste and stir. Add tomatoes, bring to boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in beans and simmer uncovered about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir 1 or 2 Tablespoons of cornbread batter into thicken. Ladle into bowls and garnish.

Some of my favorite garnishes are: Chopped onions, a scoop of sour cream, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped avocado, or a handful of shredded cheese.

For the Cornbread

You will need:

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup flour or measure for measure gluten free replacement

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/3 cup olive oil or butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan. Measure corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and stir together. Combine milk, oil, and egg in small bowl and mix well. Add the milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.