Tamale Pie

Tonight’s yummy dinner: Tamale Pie.

I made a bit pot of chili the other day. It is always a big pot of chili, because how else can you put in all the things that make chili taste great? My typical batch includes onion, garlic, green peppers, red peppers if I have them, chipotle chiles, chili powder, corn, carrots and/or sweet potatoes, black beans, pinto beans, canned tomatoes, and a few other secret ingredients. This batch included some ground beef and green peas, and kidney beans instead of pintos.

Anyway, with a big pot of chili, that leaves some great options for morphing it into another dish, in this case, Tamale Pie.

The recipe, (such as it is):

2 c stone ground cornmeal
2 eggs
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c oil or melted butter
1 ish cup of yogurt or buttermilk
milk enough to make it the right consistency
1 ish cup shredded cheddar cheese

Leftover chili

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, oil, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients, stir together, and add milk as needed.

Grease the sides of a casserole dish. For best result, use a dish with a fairly large surface area (my pictured dish is really too small but that casserole is magic). Spread the leftover chili evenly the casserole dish. Pour 1/2 the batter over the top, sprinkle half the cheese. Pour the remaining batter and spread over the cheese. Bake at 350 until the cornbread is done, test with a toothpick or cake tester. Remove from the oven and spread the remaining cheese over the top. Broil until melted and yummy (2+/- minutes). Serve and enjoy!

Corn and Tomato Pie

This is one of my favorite late summer treats. I adapted it from a recipe by Laurie Colwin, I think it was in Home Cooking. I adapt it just about every time I make it depending on what is ready in the garden.

The pie has a biscuit crust and calls for rolling out the dough into 2 discs for the top and bottom crust. I use James Beard’s cream biscuits from my Fannie Farmer cookbook, and when I’m lazy, just drop them on top of the filling like a cobbler. This particular iteration included dill in the biscuits. The filling consists of sliced tomatoes, lightly salted and drained briefly on paper towels, fresh corn cooked and cut off the cob, and basil or some other flavorful herb (like dill). I added zucchini ’cause I had some.

I usually make it the day after we have corn on the cob. In this instance, I layered the ingredients and added a sprinkling of cheddar cheese between the layers. Oh, and I also lightly sprinkle each layer with flour. I think it would be excellent with ricotta cheese and lots of black pepper. The original recipe called for mayo thinned with lemon juice but I don’t like mayo so I skip that option. I find the juice from the tomatoes is enough. If your tomatoes are really sweet you could add a squirt of lemon to brighten the flavor. Bake in a 400° F oven until hot and bubbly with browned biscuits. It makes a great leftover lunch, too.

Mac ‘n cheese Ali style

I’ve been hoarding some leftover ham, waiting for the right moment to make some macaroni and cheese with ham.

I started with the basic recipe from my favorite old standby, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, and surprise, surprise, made a few changes.

First, start boiling a big pot of water for the pasta, and pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Butter a baking dish and set aside.

Ali’s Mac ‘n Cheese

4 T butter
4 T flour
2 1/2 c milk, scalded
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 t smoked Spanish Paprika
1 1/2 c Cabot Hunter’s Sharp Cheddar, grated
1/2 c Cabot Habanero Cheddar, grated
1/2 lb cooked macaroni or other curvy pasta such as Barilla Cellentani

When the water comes to the boil, cook the pasta as directed, and set aside in a buttered baking dish. Sautee the onions until soft in 1 T of the butter. Stir in the Spanish paprika and set aside. Over medium heat, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour. Stir and cook until well combined. Add the hot milk, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When all the milk has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the onions, and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes to cook flour and thicken. Add the grated cheeses, stirring to melt. Stir into the pasta, pop into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and just browned on the edges. Enjoy!

I get many of my spices, including the Smoked Spanish Paprika, from Penzey’s Spices. I added some diced leftover ham, just after the cheeses. Leftover broccoli is also a yummy addition. This makes enough for plenty of leftovers for lunches.

The Feasting Begins

Holly and Dave arrived this afternoon for the holiday. It is great to see them both, they haven’t been up to Maine in a while. We celebrated their arrival with a spicy Mexican meal, Chile Cheddar Pumpkin Souffles and Smoky Tortilla Soup with Shrimp.

Chile Cheddar Pumpkin Souffles

2 cups pumpkin puree
3 eggs, separated
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 oz. Cabot Habenero Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/8 t baking soda
2 t flour
finely pulverized breadcrumbs

Butter 6 individual souffle dishes or custard cups. Coat the bottom and sides with bread crumbs.

Mix the pumpkin, egg yolks, flour, salt and soda together. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the pumpkin mix to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Divide batter among the souffle dishes. Bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned on the top.

Smoky Tortilla Soup with Shrimp

2 T olive oil
1 c finely diced onion
1 c finely diced carrot
1/2 c finely chopped celery
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t cumin
7 c chicken broth
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
2 t minced canned chipotle chiles

1 lb uncooked small shrimp
1/4 c minced fresh cilantro

Lime wedges
Avocado wedges

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, pinto beans, crushed tomatoes and chipotle chilies; bring to simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and cook until opaque in center, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Serve soup, garnishing with avocado. Pass lime wedges and tortilla chips separately.