Ok so there's this thing called a "tamale pie." I was looking for good recipes to use for my soy crumbles and/or tempeh and I found various versions of this magical dish online. It's really more of a Mexicali Shepherd's Pie if you ask me (would that be "pastel al pastor!?"), but whatever it's delicious. I tweaked it a little bit and gave it some more Caribbean flavor. You can basically add whatever you like.
Seriously, I have to stop myself from eating too much. It's amazing. Check it:
This makes about 6 servings and cooks up quick (30 mins)!
Ingredients:
Filling -
1 medium onion, chopped
8oz of tempeh (crumbled) or soy crumbles
2 -3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
1/2 c. corn
1/2 green bell pepper
1 chopped serrano chile or jalapeno pepper
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 cup tomato sauce (I used a tomato basil marinara because that's what I had)
1 can or 14 oz of black beans
1/2 tsp ground chile pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
Crust -
2/3 c cornmeal or Masa Harina cornmeal (I mentioned this in my tamale post)
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup corn (I used frozen)
1/2 packet of Sazon seasoning (also mentioned in my tamale post)
1/3 c. of cheese (I used real cheese, but you could sub in low fat or non-dairy or just omit it completely)
Instructions:
1) I used my dutch oven right on the stove and transferred it to the oven, but you can do the prep for the filling by skillet and then dump it all into a casserole pan. Either way, start by sauteing your onions, peppers, and chiles until soft.
2) Once the onions are golden and soft, add the garlic and spices.
3) Mix well and add the vinegar. You could use red wine or apple cider vinegar.
4) This is where I toss in the soy crumbles. You could grate tempeh into the pan instead.
5) Here's where I add the tomato sauce and the beans and just let it all meld together for 10 minutes. Add a bay leaf if you want a deeper long-simmered flavor. Once it's done, set it aside and let it rest up.
The crust is what makes this awesome. It's like having a tamale/cornbread hybrid all hot and fluffy over your filling. Do you love tamales? Do you love cornbread? Are you alive? If you're alive you love both, end of story.
I just mixed all the crust ingredients together in a bowl and it turned out great. You could sub a can of creamed corn for the frozen corn and get more of a tamale-like consistently, but it might make this too heavy of a dish. By the way, unsweetened applesauce is super delicious. I don't think I've ever eaten organic applesauce without sugar added. It didn't even have cinnamon and I was totally into it! Who knew?
Once your crust is mixed, now comes the layering. You'll want to pat down your filling so there's a smooth surface, and then slowly pour out the crust and press it out over the top all the way to the edge. It will spread out a little so if you can't get it all the way to the edge, don't worry.
Cover that baby with cheese and bake it for 30-40 minutes (until the cheese is nice and golden).
If you wanted to make this super classy, you could probably bake it in individual-sized dishes. It would also be good topped with sour cream or salsa or even a few avocado slices. You could probably even do this gluten-free if that's your deal by subbing oat flour for the whole wheat flour.
The filling could be a great taco or burrito filling, by the way, just all by its lonesome. It's that good.
The new food thing is going great. I'm loving food again. And I'm enjoying the challenge of creating new flavors and working around small or zero meat portions. M. even tried broccoli. And he ate it. And liked it. I think that we're going to have to slowly ease him into vegetables, but he's game, so that's good!
Enjoy the new recipe! Wish me luck...this week I am looking at cars to buy with my teeny tiny budget. Here's hoping I get something nice!
i love that you are trying new foods! although i love tempeh, i would probably make this with lentils instead. lentils are cheap and nutritious, and they aren't processed like those crumbles are. lentil tacos and lentil bolognese are some of our fave dinners around here. cheaper + better for you = win!