Tamale Pie

I found this recipe in a magazine the other day, not sure what one though... but here is my adaption of Tamale Pie!

I used a can of kidney beans because that was what I had on hand. I felt it had the perfect amount of kick to it.

I didn't really taste the cheese, so I think it would be fine to omit next time. Or I'd put the cheese on as a layer between the cornbread and the meat instead of mixing it in.

As is, there was a lot of liquid in the meat so next time I would add in 1-3 tbsp of flour to the meat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. The addition of the flour will make a gravy.

Tamale Pie
serves 4

Jiff Corn Bread Mix (needs 1/3 cup milk + 1 egg)
1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp onion powder (or 1 medium onion)
1 1/2 tbsp Homemade Taco Seasoning
2 tsp cumin

1 cup cheese

1/2 cup salsa
1 med tomato or 1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can beans (pinto, black, kidney, etc), drained
1-3 tbsp of flour (depends on how much liquid is in the pan)
1/2 cup green peppers (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine corn bread mix according to the package and put to the side.
Brown meat, add onions and garlic.
Add other spices and peppers, stir to combine.
Mix in the cheese, salsa, corn, beans, and tomatoes. Add in flour if the mixture is liquid-y, the liquid doesn't absorb when cooking.
Put in oven safe dish and spread the cornbread batter on top. Cook 15-20 minutes.

Spicy Taco Seasoning

I have been making this Taco Seasoning for a while and I'm surprised I haven't posted it yet! I make a double/triple batch at once so I'll always have some on hand for quick dinners. I like this because there are no weird ingredients and I can control the salt. I have adapted this from All Recipes. 

This has some kick so start with less (about 1/2 tbsp) and you can add more seasoning. I use about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp per just over a pound of meat. 

Spicy Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp cayenne powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Combine and store in an airtight container.

The Easiest Flour Tortillas

I wanted to make some tortillas to go along with my salsa poached chicken and cilantro lime rice. I found the tortilla recipe here.

This took about 10 minutes to make the dough and another 20 minutes to make all the tortillas. While they were cooking I assembled the rice and the chicken. Very easy and worth making fresh. These also heat up well if you make them the day before.

The only thing that I changed was swapping butter instead of lard or shortening.

Enjoy!

Update 4/2/2014: Let dough rest 20-40 minutes before dividing and rolling out. The dough will roll easier after resting.

Dough ball

I made a half batch, each ball is a little
smaller than a lime

Salsa Poached Chicken, Cilantro Rice,
Homemade Yogurt, and Fresh Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

Makes 24

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder         

6 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups water

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the dough starts to look crumbly. Slowly add the water and mix until the dough comes together; Knead a few turns until dough comes together looks smooth and elastic.

Let dough rest 20-40 minutes.

Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces (break in half, break each of those halves into half, etc) and roll each piece into a ball.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until starting to get big bubbles (think pancakes) and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a towel to keep warm; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.