Chicken Tamale Pie

1/2 lb (0.3 kg) lean ground chicken

1/2 cup (125 mL) onions, diced

1 cup (250 mL) salsa

7 tbsp (105 mL) water

1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) cumin, ground

1 tsp (5 mL) oregano, dried

10 drops hot pepper sauce (optional)

1 cup (250 mL) corn niblets, frozen

1 red pepper, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, chopped

1 cup (250 mL) black olives, sliced

salt, to taste

3/4 cups (175 mL) cornmeal (polenta)

1/4 cup (60 mL) whole wheat flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder

8 tsp (40 mL) vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup (125 mL) 2% milk

2 tbsp (30 mL) cilantro, fresh, minced

1/2 cup (125 mL) low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated

1 Sauté ground chicken and diced onion in a large skillet until chicken is browned; drain.
2 Stir in salsa, water, 1 tsp (5 mL) of chili powder, ground cumin, oregano and bottled hot sauce (optional); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add corn, red pepper, jalapeño pepper, sliced olives and salt, if necessary, to taste.
3 Preheat oven to 350ºF(180ºC).
4 In a separate bowl combine cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder and 1 tsp (5 mL) of chili powder for topping.
5 Beat vegetable oil, egg, milk and minced cilantro. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
6 Spray an 8” square casserole with vegetable oil cooking spray and spread chicken mixture evenly over bottom. Top with cornmeal topping. Sprinkle dish with shredded cheese.
7 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted into cornmeal comes out clean and the dish is slightly browned.