Tamale Pie Stuffed Peppers 3
tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 pound sausage meat
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 pound ground beef
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoon seeded and minced hot green peppers
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 ear fresh corn
4 green bell peppers
5 pitted black olives
1/4 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup grated mild Cheddar
Cheese
Salt
Gradually stir cornmeal into cold water in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into
boiling water in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, to boiling; reduce
heat to medium- low. Stir in butter. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for
35 minutes. Remove from heat.
While cornmeal is cooking, saut� sausage meat in a large heavy skillet over
medium heat, breaking up the lumps with a fork, until it begins to lose its pink
color.
Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder
and cumin.
Add ground beef and continue to cook, breaking up lumps with
a fork, until beef loses its color, about 5 minutes.
Add hot pepper sauce, celery and hot green pepper. Cook 5
minutes. Stir in tomato; cook 5 minutes longer.
With a sharp knife, cut corn kernels off cob, slicing about halfway through
kernels. Using back of knife, scrape cob to remove remaining kernel bits and
milky residue.
Add corn to tomato/meat mixture. Cook 10 minutes longer. Add
salt to taste; remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook peppers in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Trim off tops with sharp
knife. Core and remove seeds.
Fill each pepper with meat mixture, packing it down firmly
with back of spoon. Leave about 1/2-inch of space at top of pepper. Cover top of
each pepper with olive slices. Sprinkle with Monterey jack and Cheddar cheese.
Spread a thin layer of cornmeal mixture over top, using 2
teaspoons per pepper. Place peppers in baking dish. Bake 50 minutes; let stand 5
minutes before serving.
Serves 2 to 4. |