Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tamale Pie

A delicious, healthy recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. What could be better than getting corn, cheese, and vegetables all in the same plate?

The original recipe calls for (optional) cheddar cheese sprinkled on the bottom of the casserole dish, but I opted to mix parmesian into the cornbread topping because I love strong-flavored cheese. I think it made the topping a little more dense (i.e. it didn't rise as well), but it was still delicious, so you can go either way.



Ingredients

Veggies

1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 t dried oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
1-2 T water
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup diced red/green bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini
2 cups canned diced tomatoes (15oz can, undrained)
1.5 cups cooked beans (15oz can, drained)

Cornbread topping

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 T flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 T olive oil

Instructions

1) Warm olive oil in pan, add onions and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2) Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, enough water to prevent sticking, and the carrots. cover and cook 5 minutes.
3) Add the bell peppers, zucchini, and cayenne pepper. cover and cooke another 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the tomatoes and beans, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5) Remove from heat and salt/pepper to taste.
6) Preheat oven to 400F.
7) In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, parmesian cheese, baking powder, and baking soda. in a separate bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just mixed.
8) Prepare casserole dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil. spread the vegetable-bean mixture in the bottom of the dish.
9) Pour the batter directly on top of the vegetable-bean mixture, pressing it down a little with a spatula. bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the topping comes out clean.

Garnish with minced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sour cream.

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