Meat Tamale Pie made with Avocado

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Servings:

• Recipe serving size: 1/8 serving
• Number of servings: Adjust Reset

Ingredients:

• Masa

• 1 1/4 cups dried corn masa for tamales or "corn dough" for tamales
• 1 cup fresh corn or frozen corn (1 corn ear makes 1 cup, wt: 6 - 5/8oz or 189 gms)
• 1 ripe, fresh avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water, warmed
• 1 tsp. baking powder

• Meat Pie Filling

• 1 lb. ground turkey or lean ground beef
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 poblano chile, stem removed, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots (about 3 carrots)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes and green chiles (rotel works)
• 1 cup salsa verde (green salsa in a jar or can)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Instructions for masa:

2. Grind the fresh corn in a blender or food processor until soften. Add the avocado and 1/2 tsp of salt and blend for 30 seconds.
3. Place this mixture in a bowl. Use a fork to combine or beat the rest of masa ingredients with a mixing beater. First, add 1/3 of the dried masa, then 1/3 warm broth, alternating mixing each time for about a minute. Scrape down the sides. Sprinkle the baking powder. Continue to add the broth to have a masa that is fluffy and smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Make a ball and wrap with plastic wrap, let stand at room temperature, covered.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Start cooking the filling. Once filling is cooked. Grease a 8 x 11 inch baking pan with cooking spray and fill with meat filling.
6. Take the masa and flatten it out over the plastic wrap. If it's too sticky use some dried corn masa to spread over the plastic wrap and some for your hands. Masa should feel soft but not too sticky.
7. Place another plastic wrap on top of the masa, with a rolling pin continue to spread masa to about the same size of your baking dish to cover. Transfer the masa using the bottom plastic wrap and flip over onto the mixture.

1. Instructions for meat pie filling:

2. Heat a nonstick skillet, over medium high heat. Add oil. Add onion, garlic and poblano chile, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add turkey, season with cumin and salt and cook until turkey is no longer pink.
3. Add pinto beans, carrots, tomatoes/green chiles, salsa verde to skillet. Combine, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
5. Pour mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle cilantro and transfer the masa over the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares.
6. Serve with cut up avocado slices.