Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Some of my friends who have turned 60, it hit them kind of hard. As for me, I am frankly glad I have made it this far! It reminds me of that proverbial question… a half glass full one… that asks whether sixty is the ‘youth of old age or the old age of youth?” Frankly, those are the types of questions people ask if they have regrets or have some unresolved issues.
Life is to be lived, savored and enjoyed at any age. Life is with family, always.
Laura grew up with a wonderful Tamale Pie and I wanted to recreate it for her!
Rogelio’s Tamale Pie!
There are two parts to a Tamale Pie: the topping and the filling! I have always thought of a Tamale Pie as a way to make a bunch of Tamales without all of the detailed preparation. For hungry people this is the answer.
Some time ago, I did the same thing by making a BULK recipe of chili relleno.
The Topping!
You might have to play around with the moisture ( adding more cream or a little milk) to have the right texture ( to be able to spread the mixture over the filling)… so here is what worked for me:
2 cups corn meal
Around 24 ounces cream
2 cups of your favorite cheeses ( I have three favorite Mexican Cheeses)
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Cook over low heat until thickened… add ½ – 1 cup chopped Cilantro
The Filling
Task 1
This is the time consuming part for me as I like to sauté everything completely.
cook until done: 1 pound diced steak & 1 pound ground sausage with 1 teaspoon each of: salt, black pepper and garlic powder
dice and sauté until ‘clear’ one large sweet onion and about 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
set aside
Task 2
Combine the following in a large pan:
12 ounce creamed corn
28-30 ounces of tomato sauce
3 teaspoons Spanish Paprika
1 teaspoon Chipotle powder ( or sauce)
8 fire roasted peppers (sliced and chopped)
½ cup sliced olives
2 tablespoons Baker’s sugar
add 1 cup of the topping
1 cup Mozzarella cheese( or more!)
add salt , pepper and garlic powder to taste
Cook over a low heat about 10- 15 minutes
Fold in 3 cups of Hominy and add the meat and onions
Task 3
Pour filling into baking dish and spread topping over the top of the filling
Bake at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes
I hope you enjoy this as much as Laura did!