Pan Fried Shiitakes & Seitan with Spiced Pinto Beans and Tomatillo Sauce

Mushrooms and tomatillos were calling my name at the Farmer's Market yesterday and I knew I wanted to do Mexican. I always want to eat Mexican. This meal might look complicated but each component has very little ingredients (not something I am particularly known for!) and can easily be put together at the same time if you are good at multi-tasking!

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Lightly coated, shiitake mushrooms and seitan fried until crisp and golden brown over a bed of spiced pinto beans and creamy tomatillo sauce.

Pan Fried Shiitakes & Seitan
peanut or safflower oil, for frying
8 oz seitan, medium sized chunks
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 additional cup of cornmeal if making a gf dish)
1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a shallow pan with about 1/4 inch of oil to 350.
While the oil is heating, toss the seitan and mushroom caps with the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper.
The easiest way to do this is in a paper bag.
Once the oil is hot, shake off any excess flour and fry in 2 batches. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt while hot.

Spiced Pinto Beans
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
3 tbl minced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1-15oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Sweat the onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes to toast. Add the beans with their juices, chili powder, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Tomatillo Sauce
yields 1 cup
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
5 medium sized tomatillos, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbl cilantro

In a small pot, saute the tomatillos and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes until the tomatillos release their juices and soften. Transfer to a blender along with the cilantro and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt.

Sweet Corn and Roasted Garlic Tamales, Tomatillo Sauce

Sweet Corn and Roasted Garlic Tamales
makes 10
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 head garlic
10 dried corn husks
1/2 spanish onion, small dice
3 cobs yellow corn, kernels removed
1 tbl roughly chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup masa harina
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbl vegetable shortening
1-1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 450. Cut the tip of the garlic bulb off and drizzle with 1 tbl of oil. Wrap in foil and roast until soft and golden brown, 45 minutes.
Soak the dried corn husks in warm water while you prepare the filling.
In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tbl of oil and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add 2/3 of the corn kernels, rosemary, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Saute 5 minutes more and set aside.
In a small blender, puree the remaining corn kernels until smooth. Pour the corn puree into onion/corn mixture and stir to combine. Mash in the roasted garlic. Season to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the masa, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, paprika and vegetable shortening. Use your fingers or a fork to break the shortening into the flour until it is in small pea sizes. Add the vegetable broth until the dough is soft and moist but not wet.
Open a corn husk and flatten a small handful (3 tbl or so) of masa dough along the wide end into a square. Put a vertical strip of corn filling in the center and fold the husks inward like a package. Fold the end under.
Steam the tamales for 45 minutes. Unwrap and serve.

Tomatillo Sauce
2 tbl canola oil
3 large tomatillos, roughly chopped
3 tbl spanish onion, small dice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper

Saute the tomatillos, onion and garlic in oil until soft, fragrant and lightly golden brown. Taste to season with lime juice, salt and pepper then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.