Mexican Polenta Pie
Ingredients
Base
- Sunflower Oil: 2 tbsp
- Celery: 2 stick, chopped
- Garlic: 2 large cloves, crushed
- Onions: 300g, chopped
- Green Pepper: 1, chopped
- Cayenne Pepper: 2 tsp
- Red Kidney Beans: 800g, canned, drained and rinsed
- Green Olives: 24, stoned, sliced
- Jalapeño Peppers: 2 tbsp, chopped
- Sweetcorn: 150g, canned, drained
- Chopped Tomatoes: 800g, canned
- Tomato Purée: 2 tbsp
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Topping
- Cornmeal or Polenta: 250g
- Plain White Flour: 2 tbsp
- Baking Powder: 4 tsp
- Egg: 2, beaten
- Skimmed Milk: 200ml
- Half-fat Mature Cheddar Cheese: 50g, grated
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F, gas mark 6). Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Stir in the celery, garlic, onions and green pepper, bring them to a sizzle, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, or until they have softened. Stir in the cayenne pepper and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the kidney beans, olives, jalapeño peppers, sweetcorn, canned tomatoes, tomato purée and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Then spoon the mixture into a 3 litre ovenproof serving dish.
- Topping: Mix together the cornmeal or polenta, flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the baking powder, then beat in the egg and milk. The mixture should look like a thick batter; if not, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Spoon the topping over the vegetables, sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is risen and golden brown. Leave the pie to stand for 5 minutes before serving.