Tamale Pie

This is very good and very yummy. It is cornbread on top of yummy goodness. You can make the filling 24 hours ahead. Put the filling into the dish and cover with plastic. When ready, make the crust batter and bake as directed.

Filling

1 pound ground beef, as lean as you can get it

1 large onion, chopped fine

6 oz tomato paste

2 cups very finely chopped chard or frozen spinach (no need to defrost)

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoons ground coriander

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoon cornmeal, coarse or fine
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/4 cup lentils, rinsed

3 cups water

14 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Crust

1 cup cornmeal, fine grind

1 cup all purpose flour, (not whole wheat because ww makes it too harsh)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup yogurt, any fat

1/2 cup milk, any fat

Cook meat and onion until the meat is cooked NO OIL in a 12 inch skillet or a dutch oven. Add the spices and the tomato paste. Cook for a couple of minutes to cook the paste. Add the rest of the ingredients, except cheese and vinegar, partially cover and cook until the lentils and quinoa are tender. Add the red wine vinegar. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the filling into an oven safe dish and sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 F.

While the filling cooks, prepare the crust. Combine the dry and wet in two separate bowls. Just before getting the dish out, mix the wet and dry until just combined. Place big scoops of batter over the filling. Spread the batter over the filling with a wet spatula. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.