Description
Taco Dip Mini Tamale Pies are a spicy and festive appetizer. Layers of beans, cheese and guacamole in a earthy masa crust. Weight Watchers points included.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 cup Masa Harina
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅛ teaspoons Salt
- ⅔ cups Vegetable Broth
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING:
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ¼ whole Onion, Chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
- ¼ cups Rice
- ½ cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 cup Refried Beans
- ½ cups Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Chopped
- ½ cups Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1 whole Avocado
- ¼ cups Light Sour Cream Or Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
- 6 whole Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
- 12 whole Cilantro Leaves
Preparation
1. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the crust. You’ll need to get your hands dirty. Masa is peasant food—no food processor here. Use your hands to knead the dough well, mixing for at least 2 minutes. The final product should have the consistency of Play-Doh.
2. Divide the dough and make 12 round balls. Cover with a wet paper towel to keep the dough moist.
3. The secret to getting perfect round discs is: plastic. Cut apart a plastic gallon bag. Place one section of plastic on your work surface.
4. Place a dough ball on top of the plastic and cover with the other section of plastic.
5. Use a clear dish with a flat bottom to press the tortillas. I use a glass baking dish. You want a clear dish so you can see what you’re doing. With the dish, press down gently on the dough ball. Watch it flatten into a disc about 4 inches across.
6. Gently peel away the top plastic. The most annoying part comes next. You need to slip the disc into a cupcake tin to form a crust. You’ll probably be better at it than I am. I sort of let the dough settle into the cupcake tin and then pinched the edges.
7. Bake the crusts for 15 minutes at 350ºF.
8. While the crusts are baking, start on the filling. Add the olive oil to a sauce pan and sauté the onions, garlic and rice until the rice is golden on the edges. Add vegetable broth and let the rice cook until just tender, adding more broth if necessary. I’m a careless cook and often let rice burn. Don’t do that.
9. Once the rice has cooked, add the refried beans and the chipotles. Stir to mix.
10. When the pie crusts are done, pull them out of the oven. Fill each crust with a heaping tablespoon of the rice and bean mixture, filling each pie halfway full.
11. Sprinkle cheese over each pie.
12. Pop the pies back into the oven for 5 minutes, letting the cheese melt. When the pies finish cooking, the crusts will still be soft and this is ok. You definitely don’t want hard, dry crusts.
13. While the pies are in the oven, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash it to make a sort of guacamole. I recommend adding a bit of salt.
14. Pull the pies out of the oven. On each pie, layer 1 teaspoon of guacamole and 1 teaspoon of sour cream.
15. To do the garnish, cut the tomatoes in half. Stick 1 cilantro leaf and 1 tomato half into each pie, using the sour cream to help prop them up so they are leaning casually, Martha Stewart style. Wipe your brow and vow to bring chips and salsa to the next party.
Serving size: 1 pie
Weight Watchers Points+: 4
Calories 130, Carbs 15g, Fat 8g, Protein 4g
