Roasted Tomato & Caramelized Onion Corn Pie
A bright and sunshiny dish for any time of year.
After almost three months abroad, I have FINALLY returned to the twin island republic I call home — Trinidad and Tobago. Thus, I have been happily sweating and soaking up the sunshine after a dreary and bitterly cold stint in New York City. I crafted this recipe with sunshine on my mind — warmth and brightness for your belly.
If you’re suffering through the depths of winter in the western world, you might be shaking your head at the the thought of using the dreaded “winter tomato” in this recipe, but fear not! Don’t look at me like that, this recipe is designed to jazz up those less than stellar tomatoes and give you a taste of sunshine on a cold day or just a slice of pure happiness on an ordinary day — especially if winter weather is not your testimony or portion, like me!
What you’ll need
Ingredients
5–10 roma tomatoes/ 2–3 large beef steak tomatoes
2 large white onions (julienned)
2–3 pimentos (diced)
2 large cloves of garlic (grated)
1 -1 ½ cup yellow corn flour (I prefer Promasa)
1 can/cup whole corn kernels
1 can creamed corn
1 cup coconut milk
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1–2 carrots (optional)
Brown sugar/ agave syrup
Sea salt
Ancho chili powder/ paprika
Badia complete seasoning
Oil
Equipment
1 medium to large baking dish
1 baking sheet
1 frying pan
1 wooden spoon
1 large stock pot
What you’ll need to do
Warning: this is an easy dish, but you’ll need about an hour or so of prep and cook time. This is a great lunch for a day you’ve got time — Saturday, Sunday or a day off.
Dice up all of your veg (sans the tomatoes and onions). I like for everything to be finely chopped so that there are just beautiful colorful flecks throughout the pie. It looks like a celebration in a plate. Set aside.
Julienne or slice your onions thinly. I like to get them paper thin. Caramelized onions can cook down incredibly. Thus, 2–4 large white onions is preferable for this dish. You want enough onions to fill the spaces between your tomatoes. Set aside.
Wash and halve your tomatoes. Then, season them well with salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, a sprinkle of sugar, badia complete seasoning and oil. Put them on a baking sheet and in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or under the broiler for 10–15 minutes.
While your tomatoes roast, saute your sliced onions in a small pan using a drizzle of oil and a teaspoon of brown sugar. You can add a tiny bit of sea salt or complete seasoning. Saute until the onions are light to medium brown and soft.
Make your corn pie dough. Put a drizzle of oil and/or vegan butter to a small stockpot. Add your finely chopped veggies. Saute them until soft. Add your can of creamed corn and stir until it cooks down a bit.
Once the creamed corn has reduced, add in your whole corn and coconut milk. As soon as you add the coconut milk, start to stir in your corn flour slowly. You want your mixture to be smooth and to start to thicken. When it starts to move away from the sides of the pot and is dough-like, STOP, it’s pie-making time.
Get your baking dish. Grease it with oil or vegan butter and pour half of your mixture into the bottom of the dish. Smooth your mixture into the pan and then add your tomatoes and caramelized onions. Adjust the seasonings to taste and then add pour the remainder of the corn flour mixture on top and smooth it. You can add cheese (if you’re not vegan) or vegan cheese , if you like.
Bake your pie until it browns and VOILA! Serve it up!
A slice of this pie with a green salad is a WHOLE meal! You’re welcome!
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