Veggie Chili and Irish Oatmeal Bread

Okay, so this is a nice one-two punch: even if the kids think the chili’s too spicy (wimps), they can stuff themselves on the oatmeal bread. What I usually do is mix the oatmeal bread and get it in the oven first. Once it’s done, then I start on the chili. The prep takes roughly 30 minutes, so the chili and the bread end up getting done about the same time. If the rice is still a little crunchy in the chili, turn up the heat and let it go a bit longer.

The chili is great reheated: it just gets thicker and thicker and tastier and tastier. And the bread is nice smothered in butter for a bed-time snack, toasted for breakfast, or whatever.

(PS--Yes, I know the chili has a lot of canned goods. You'll get over it. We've been eating this for almost 20 years, and it's still one of our favorites. The corn and the rice are what make it.)

Irish Oatmeal Bread

3 cups flour

1.25 cups quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked

1.5 teaspoons salt

1.5 Tablespoons baking powder

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1.5 cups milk

1 T butter

Mix milk, egg and honey together in a big bowl. Then add everything else but the butter, and mix it, too. Bake in a greased bread pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Melt the butter over the top. Slice, slather with more butter, and eat with the chili.

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 can (14.5 ounces each) Mexican-style tomatoes

1 can black-eyed peas

1 can (11 oz) sweet corn

2.5 cups water

1 cup uncooked rice

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

Sour cream and grated cheese to top.

Saute the pepper, the onion, and the garlic in a little oil over medium-high heat for about five minutes in a big pan or Dutch oven. Add everything else, except the sour cream and cheese. Stir it up and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot, and top with sour cream and cheese.