Fiesta!

For some unknown reason, I always take forever prepping the ingredients for the meals I cook. It is not unusual for me to serve dinner after 9:00 pm. This meal was no exception. While it was relatively quick and easy to make, I think I made it take longer than it needed to.


Turkey Tamale Potpie
Source: CookingLight.com

Filling:
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained (the dish had a lot of liquid at the bottom so maybe the tomatoes should be drained ... )
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (My grocery store only had fat-free available. Topping may have been a bit dry.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey; cook 5 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color. Add chili powder, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 3 minutes. Spoon turkey mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until topping is golden.

Simple Black Beans
Source: CookingLight.com

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans 50%-less-sodium black beans, undrained
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, garlic, black pepper, and cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar.


Since I'm not eating much of the things I'm cooking, I asked Matt to give the food a review. He said that he was expecting the topping to be sweet like cornbread rather than savory like a tamale filling. Plus, the topping was a bit dry. The overall review for the Tamale Potpie was, "it's good ... there's nothing wrong with it ... but I probably wouldn't ask for it again." On the other hand, he really enjoyed the beans and said he would definitely want them again.