Bean & Green Chile Pot Pie with Cornmeal Biscuits

bean & green chile pot pie with cornmeal biscuits

(serves 6)

2 cups dried beans (pinto, black, bolitas)
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
13 oz chopped fresh or frozen new mexican green chile (see resources) mild, med or hot
10 oz fresh or frozen sweet corn
2 tomatoes chopped (if in season, otherwise you can omit)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
cornmeal biscuits (recipe below)
fresh salsa
fresh guacamole

add beans to large stockpot and cover with water by 3 inches. soak for 4-6 hours or overnight. bring to a boil and then reduce heat to high simmer. cook until beans are tender adding additional water if needed to keep beans covered. (note, cooking times depend on how fresh your beans are. fresh dried beans, like the ones sold by rio culebra take about 3 hours to cook. older beans, like the ones bought at the supermarket, can take considerably longer...4-6 hours. plan accordingly and begin testing every 30 minutes after 2 hours. they should be al dente...like pasta...when ready. 

in a small pan, saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent.  add to bean pot. add green chile, corn and tomato paste and cook until hot. add salt and pepper to taste.  

preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter or oil a 9 inch deep dish pie dish.  add enough beans to fill a bit more than 3/4 full.  top with baked biscuits.  drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot.  serve with salsa and fresh guacamole.

cornmeal extra virgin olive oil drop biscuits

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal (i use polenta)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp alum free baking powder
2 tsp raw honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup coconut or almond milk (plus 2 tbsp)

preheat oven to 400 degrees. you will need a non-stick baking sheet...or use silpat or parchment paper on a regular sheet. using a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. add the honey and olive oil and stir using a fork. large lumps will form. gradually add 3/4 cup milk a little bit at a time until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough.  the dough will be very crumbly but should hold together when squeezed with your hand.  if too dry add 1-2 tbsp additional milk.

the biscuits are formed by placing forkfuls of dough onto prepared sheets. place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. i use approximately 1/4 cup of dough for each biscuit...but you can make yours as small or large as you like. baking times will vary depending on size.