Bean & Cheese Tamales with Tomatillo Poblano Sauce

A lot of my food ideas come from each a version of that food earlier in the day or week and being completely dissatisfied with it. Earlier today I purchased a poblano tamale and it was boring and plain tasting. Immediately I wanted to give back the credit tamales deserve and make a batch for dinner to enjoy. These did not disappoint!

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Simple masa dough encased around pinto beans, vegan cheddar and steamed to perfection. Serve with thick avocado slices and smother in roasted tomatillo and poblano sauce.


 Bean & Cheese Tamales
4 large tamales
 basic masa dough:
2 cups masa
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup solid coconut oil 
Combine the masa, salt and water. Stir to combine. The dough will be somewhat dry. Crumble the oil in the dough in small pea sized chunks and mix into a smooth, soft dough. Divide into 8 even sized balls.

filling:
8 dried corn husks, soaked in water until tender and pliable (at least an hour)
1 cup pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar
1/4 tsp salt
Lay out four large corn husks, wide end closest to you. 2 balls of masa go in each tamale. Flatten one ball into a long rectangle and sit in the center of the corn husk.
Combine the beans, cheddar and salt in a bowl, mash lightly.
Spoon some of the bean filling in the center of the masa. Flatten the second ball in your hands to the same size as the masa on the husk. Cover over the beans and seal the edges.
Wrap the husk as far around the masa as you can. Take a second corn husk and cover the top and bottom. Peel a string of husk off and use that as a tie. Assemble 4 tamales.
Prepare a steamer and cook for 30 minutes until the dough has cooked through.

Tomatillo Poblano Sauce
5 tomatillos (mine were TINY, about the size of large gumballs)
3 garlic cloves, whole
1 poblano pepper, whole
4 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
sea salt, to taste
3 tbl cilantro leaves and stems
2 tbl water
1 tbl lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 450.
Toss the peeled tomatillos, garlic and whole poblano pepper in 2 tbl of olive oil and season with salt.
Roast for 30 minuts until tender and lightly charred.
Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano.
Combine all of the roasted vegetables along with the remaining 2 tbl of olive oil, cilantro, water and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Chickpea & Poblano Chilaquiles

My second version  of chilaquiles might be even better than my first. The chili verde sauce is easy and quick to make and can roast while you prepare the toppings. Chilaquiles aren't eaten just for dinner, but typically for breakfast, a perfect way to use up stale chips from the night before.

Fresh tortillas tossed with green sauce and topped with chickpeas, grilled poblanos, corn, yukon potatoes and lime.

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Chili Verde Sauce
1 lb fresh tomatillos, quartered
1 sweet onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 green Anaheim chili's, seeded or not depending on your heat tolerance
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp organic cane sugar

Preheat the oven to 450.
Toss the tomatillos, onions, garlic and chilis with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until soft and lightly charred.
Transfer to a blender and add the sugar. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper to season.
 Chickpea & Poblano Chilaquiles
serves 4
1 poblano pepper
1 corn cob
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, minced
4 baby yukon potatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1-15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered
Chili verde sauce
10 oz tortilla chips

Char the poblano and corn cob on a grill or under the broiler. Cut the poblano into medium pieces and slice the corn off the cob. Set aside.
Saute the onion and potatoes in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked through completely. Remove the lid and add the peppers and corn. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cilantro and season with 1 lime. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add the verde sauce.
Once the sauce has heated up, add the tortillas and toss until soft but not completely soggy.
Serve the chips and salsa under the vegetables.