The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Skillet pie combines chili, cornbread in one dish
After all, what two foods play well together better than this fun pairing?
Chili and cornbread are high on my list of foods that belong together. It’s not just because their flavors harmonize so well — the mellow sweetness and alluring, coarse texture of the bread playing off the soft, spicy chili.
It’s also because, with a beanbased chili, the legumes complement the grains in the cornbread nutritionally, together providing all the essential amino acids for a complete protein. Although you don’t need to eat complementary vegetable proteins at the same meal to reap their benefits, such biological teamwork only reinforces the overall power of their partnership.
This recipe brings the duo together in a single skillet, shepherd’s pie-style, with a layer of savory, chili-spiced black beans beneath a golden blanket of cornbread that is baked right on top. It’s a meal that arrives at the table with an impressive, rustic flair but is actually quick and easy to pull together.
The bean layer is boldly seasoned like a chili — with onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano and tomato paste — but with less liquid it is more of a sauté, brimming with colorful kale leaves and sweet bell pepper. If using canned black beans (or 3 cups homemade cooked beans), it comes together in about 15 minutes. You can certainly play around with the ingredients, using any leafy green such as spinach or chard, subbing the bell pepper with, say, chopped cooked broccoli, and swapping in any other type of bean.
The whole-grain cornbread layer contributes a lovely textural balance of medium-coarse cornmeal and tender whole-wheat pastry flour (you could substitute all-purpose flour), mixed with healthful oil, egg, a little milk and just enough honey to bring out the sweetness of the cornmeal while keeping the flavor on the savory side. The simple batter is spread on top of the bean layer and then baked until it is puffed, golden-brown and set in the center.
Served with a cool, creamy dollop of sour cream or yogurt, a shower of fresh cilantro leaves, and some hot sauce, it’s a winning way to bring the chili-cornbread power couple to the table.
Chicken wings are a perennial party favorite, and these wings, with their combination of brightly flavored marinade and time on the grill, will be a crowd-pleaser.
Zafron Wings get a big hit of citrus flavor from the combination of lemon and lime juice in the marinade. Teimori recommends using both fruits as each provides a different nuance.
The marinade for these wings also includes hot sauce. At the restaurant, the marinade is made with Zafron’s hot sauce, a combination of saffron, citrus juice, onion, tomato and ginger. Teimori said his customers love it and preorder it to buy by the pint, and it’s served as a sauce for the finished wings, but he finds the sauce so spicy he cannot eat it. Choose the hot sauce you will use by gauging the heat level your guests will tolerate.
When setting up for your party, don’t forget to provide a place for your guests to discard their chicken bones. 1 teaspoon saffron stamens 2 tablespoons hot water 1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons Morton’s kosher salt
2 1/2 pounds chicken wing drums, flats, or both,
wing tips discarded (about 16 pieces) Vegetable oil for oiling grill grates
Use a spice grinder to process the saffron stamens into powder. In a small bowl, combine water and saffron powder and stir until saffron is dissolved. Let sit 5 minutes.
Make marinade: When saffron is ready, pour into the jar of a blender and add onion, yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, hot sauce, olive oil and salt. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Put chicken wings in a bowl. Add marinade and stir to coat evenly. Cover, or place in a food-safe plastic bag, and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, heat gas or charcoal grill to 350 degrees.
While grill is heating, place a colander in the sink and pour wings and marinade into the colander. Allow marinade to drain off. When wings have been drained of marinade, thread 4 bamboo or metal skewers with 4 chicken wing drums or flats, or a combination of both.
Lightly oil grill grates, then grill chicken wings 4 to 5 minutes per side or until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove from grill and slide off skewers onto serving platter.
To make ahead, allow wings to cool, remove from skewers, then cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, remove wings from refrigerator and heat oven to 350 degrees. Put wings on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and heat 5 minutes, then turn each piece over and heat an additional 5 minutes.
Makes 16.
Per serving of 4 wing drums or flats: 374 calories (percent of calories from fat, 63), 31 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, trace fiber, 26 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 190 milligrams cholesterol, 485 milligrams sodium.