If Chicken Were a Vegetable... OH, and Turkey too...

John and I eat vegetarian a couple times a week. I go back to my veg roots and whip up some of my old favorites. But damn... chicken keeps getting in the way of going full time vegetarian for John. I've tried introducing the fake stuff into some recipes. It works in a couple of my comfort food recipes but not when you just want a nice juicy piece of grilled chicken and veggies. Or a good turkey burger.

We have cut out all red meat, and we don't eat pork either. Just keeping low fat and low cholesterol keeps us pretty fit without even trying. I've noticed that when you make a burger or a steak... fried potatoes and other unhealthy sides come into play pretty naturally. And even if ya do just steam some veggies, take a look at a label for what a quarter pound burger contains. Yikes...

Plus, I've mentioned before that we live near hog and cattle farms... uh, yeah. All you need is a little window into the soul of that industry to make you run the other way. I'm thinking that maybe if we moved near a chicken operation we'd be completely done with eating animals. I've watched what some chicken processors do to their animals via Food Inc. and other documentaries. I do not buy from them (I will not mention names). I only buy organic, period. Someday I may even raise my own! Until that day, we will probably continue to eat as healthy as possible. So, I have been looking up some great healthy chicken recipes that I will share with you!



Today I'm making this... Chicken Tamale Casserole. Of course I found it on Pinterest.

CHICKEN TAMALE CASSEROLE
adapted from Cooking Light

For the chicken
3 pairs chicken breasts (total of 6 single breasts)
salt and pepper

cooking oil
half of 1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

For the tamale base
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 can cream of corn

1 -10 oz can red enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
chopped cilantro

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts one by one until they have a nice brown color on the outside and the inside is cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side or longer. Add more oil if necessary. Remove from the heat and shred the meat into slightly thick chunks.

Heat another tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions have softened and are translucent. Add the shredded chicken meat. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, paprika and cumin. Stir until all the chicken meat is well coated with the paste and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350.  spray an 8x8 inch square baking dish.

Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the oil and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs and the lumps are gone. Whisk the milk, egg and sugar in another bowl. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the cream of corn and mix until just combined.

Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until it is set.

Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Pierce the surface of the tamale (corn pudding) with a fork. Pour the enchilada sauce over the tamale base. Spread the cooked chicken meat over the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Top with some chopped cilantro. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

I will post another one tomorrow!! And finialize my grocery list and weekly menu for ya!! This week was awesome... I did great on budget and with about 12 meals out of one shopping trip... Whew!!