hot tamale vegetable pie & brussels sprouts

hello again!

we know you've been waiting breathlessly all week for another vegetarian monday post, and who are we to deny you the pleasure of reading one? see below and feast your eyes out! (then go make this. it's very tasty)

veggie monday 1.3.11

hot tamale vegetable pie
(taken from robin robertson's 'vegan planet')

2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed (at least partially)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 4oz can diced green hot chilies
(it'll be okay if you accidentally forget to drain these ... )
3 tablespoons chopped canned pimentos
(i threw them in as is without the chopping. whoops)
8 oz soft tofu, drained and crumbled
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
freshly ground black pepper
fresh salsa
(the most amazing salsa recipe EVER can be found here - i will never, ever make another salsa as long as i live. ree drummond, you are a wonder)

1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees (while pre-heating, chop!)


2. in a large bowl, combine the corn, onions, chilies, and pimentos. set aside.

3. in a blender or food processor, combine the tofu, cornmeal, flour, chili powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and black pepper (to taste) and process until smooth.

a look down the gullet of a blender.

4. fold into the vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. transfer to a lightly oiled 10 inch pie plate and smooth the top.

do not be put off by its vomity-look. it transforms itself in the oven!

5. bake until firm and golden brown on top, 30-35 minutes. let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges - serve topped with salsa.

6. this step should have probably gone up a bit higher. while baking, make the salsa! it's so festive and fresh and lovely.

now, i was feeling a bit ambitious, so i'd brought a bag of brussel sprouts along in my purse. dani was game, and i'd found a recipe for brussels sprouts on epicurious.com which i was hoping would turn out well.

1 pound brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 cloves of finely minced garlic cloves
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. trim the brussels sprouts, clearing off any old-looking or discolored leaves. if they're large, cut them into quarters, if they're smaller, cut them in half.


2. bring some salted water to a boil, then dump the sprouts in. cook them for about 5 minutes, or until they're mostly tender but still a bit crunchy. don't overcook! then drain them.

3. heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. saute for about one minute.

the smell of this gorgeousness wafting through the kitchen was scrumptious!

4. add the sprouts and nutmeg and cook for another minute.

5. sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and toss the sprouts until the cheese is mixed in.

* we did not have any freshly grated parmesan. instead, we had this:


i would recommend the freshly grated.



overall:

tamale pie - very tasty. if you make it quickly when no one is looking, you can hide the fact there's tofu in it, and trick people who would otherwise be wary of tofu into eating it. i know this because we have now done it twice, with great results.

brussels sprouts - still an acquired taste, but worth trying. nice and spicy! dani's review of the sprouts: "they taste healthy." you can't ask for more than that!