Vegetarian "Chili" and Confetti Cornbread

I know it is hot here in Texas, but today the weather was nice... Not necessarily chili weather but it has been a long time since we've had chili weather. Missing my favorite dish I decided it was chili night!

In my family, we are trying to limit our meat intake. To do this, we load up on veggies and a heavy carb to keep us full for the night. On these nights, I try to use up all the vegetables in my fridge. So I came up with this "chili" inspired dinner.

For the chili:
1 or 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper diced or jalapeno if you prefer more heat in your chili
3 celery stalks diced
1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp dried.
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

• Saute the onion, pepper, and celery till tender.

• Add the sweet potato, kidney beans, and tomatoes plus 1 1/2 cans of water.

• Stir in all the spices. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

• Uncover and let simmer another 10 minutes until 1/2 the water is evaporated.

• Garnish with a slice of Confetti Cornbread, cheese, and green onions. Also, sour cream would be great!

For the cornbread:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

•  Preheat oven to 425 F and grease a 9 in cake round.

• Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and spices.

• In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, and butter.

• Pour liquid into flour mix and stir until moist. Will be a thick lumpy batter.

• Stir in corn and cheese. (Green chiles would be good here too! I just didn't have any on hand)

•  Pour batter into 9 in round and put into oven. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean.

This was what we made this evening for dinner! Let me know if you try it. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. My husband inhales food so therefore has no real opinion on taste and flavor.