Tamale Pie with Winter Greens

This luscious one-dish meal and its accompanying photo were contributed by Ellen Kanner. Serve with black beans and a green salad for a hearty winter meal.

Serves: 6

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, preferably Mexican, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained
  (or the kernels cut from from 2 ears of fresh corn,
  if you still have some in season)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 2 cups corn meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated vegan cheddar (optional)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli rabe, Swiss chard or other seasonal green
• Salsa, vegan sour cream and/or guacamole for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 8 by 8-inch ovenproof baking dish.

Set out a generous-sized roasting pan big enough to fit the prepared baking dish. Fill about halfway with water. Place inside oven on oven rack.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, jalapeno and garlic, stirring briefly, until the vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.

Add hominy or corn, chopped oregano, and paprika, stirring until mixture is well combined.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine corn meal and baking powder.  Pour in water or vegetable broth and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil.  Using a hand-held mixer, an immersion blender or a big spoon and a little muscle, blend together well for 5 minutes, or until mixture becomes like pancake batter.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Spoon chili and hominy mixture on top. The topping may sink into the corn meal batter. Don’t worry. It will rise, phoenix-like, as it bakes.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the larger roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, careful not to slop hot water onto casserole or yourself. Remove foil. Top tamale pie with chopped greens and optional grated cheddar.

Return to roasting pan and heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until cheese melts and greens just wilt. Top with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, anything you like.

• For lots more Southwestern-style recipes, go to A Southwestern Supper.

Ellen Kanner is the Huffington Post’s Meatless Monday blogger, the syndicated columnist the Edgy Veggie and contributor  to publications including Culinate, Bon Appetit and Every Day With Rachael Ray as well as her own blog Edgy Veggie.