TAMALE SKILLET

My husband and I love Mexican food and cornbread so we knew this recipe was going to be a winner! Easy to make and very delicious. Give it a try for Cinco de Mayo or any day! This is another fabulous recipe from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures. I only made modifications to suit what ingredients I had on hand because their recipes are already whole food, plant-based, no oil.

Why are bell peppers different colors? My husband and I got into an argument about this...we were both right! It has to do with both variety and ripeness.

Not only are bell peppers loaded with Vitamin C, they contain many other nutrients that you can read about in this article from The World’s Healthiest Foods.

Tamale Skillet by Monkey and Me

Ingredients

1 cup red onion, small dice (I used sweet onion.)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, small dice

1/2 red bell pepper, small dice (I did not have a red or green pepper so used 1 yellow pepper.)

1/2 green bell pepper, small dice

1 Tablespoon minced garlic (mine was heaping.)

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 Tablespoon flour of choice

2 Tablespoons masa harina (optional but I used it)

1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 cup vegetable broth ( I used 1 and 1/2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth and 1/4 cup water)

1 ¼ cups water (or broth)

1 – 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 15.5 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 15 oz. can corn, drained (or frozen)

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon mild chili powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (+/-)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular dried oregano)

1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (+/-)

Cornbread Topping Ingredients:

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, fine dice (I used 1/2 of a large jalapeno)

1 cup cornmeal

3 Tablespoons almond flour (or flour of choice)

2 Tablespoons unsalted almond butter (I did not have almond butter so used 3 TBSP mashed avocado instead)

1/4 cup unsweetened plain plant milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons organic maple syrup (I just used 1 TBSP)

3 Tablespoons organic unsweetened applesauce (I did not have applesauce. I put 1/4th of a peeled apple along with the plant milk and the avocado into my high speed blender and used instead.)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.

3. In a large oven proof ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot (or similarly large stockpot/skillet) add the diced onion, jalapeno, and bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. (I had to add splashes of water when the vegetables started to stick.)

4. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the flour and tomato paste, sauté for one minute.

5. Add the Herb/Spice Ingredients, and sauté for 30 seconds to release their fragrance.

6. Add the vegetable broth, water, tomato sauce, and masa harina, then increase the heat to a boil, stir well, then immediately lower to a low simmering boil.

7. Add the beans and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes.

8. Taste test and add additional seasoning to achieve the desired flavor. Remove from stovetop.

9. You don’t want to evaporate the juices since it continues to cook in the oven. Take note of the liquid currently in the skillet, this will reduce, so if you think you need more liquid, add about 1/4 cup more broth, mix well and set aside until ready to dollop with the cornbread topper.

10. In the meantime, make the Cornbread Topping by adding all the ingredients (except the jalapenos) into a bowl and mixing just until combined. Then stir in the diced jalapenos until combined.

11. Dollop the cornmeal topping over veggie/bean mixture in scattered sections.

12. Place pot in a preheated 400 F oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread layer comes out clean. (Note: if the cornbread starts to overbrown, cover with a flat piece of foil or parchment paper)

13. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then serve with some fresh cilantro.