Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Healthy Tamales

HEALTHY TAMALES
WITH CHIPOTLE - VEGETABLE FILLING OR
REFRIED BEAN AND CHEESE FILLING

Time :  1 hour 25 minutes for assembling and steaming
Serves: 6 to 8

These are just two examples of tamale fillings.  We have tried a chicken breast filling with homemade or canned green tomatillo sauce (We used Herdez brand.)  Delicioso!!!

Let me know what your favorites are!!!

Ingredients and Supplies
2- six ounce packages of corn husks
Utensil used for spreading-  Spreader/ Spoon/ Paint spatula  that is used for cooking purposes
Large steamer basket

Tamale Masa (Dough):
4 cups of Masa Harina corn flour (for tamales)
4 cups vegetable broth or equivalent prepared vegetable bouillon, warmed
2 teaspoons baking powder

CHIPOTLE-VEGETABLE FILLING
2   tablespoons olive oil
1   large onion, diced small
1   clove garlic, minced
1   red bell pepper seeded and diced
1   small carrot, peeled and diced
1   (15 ounce) can of pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1    cup frozen corn kernels
1/4  cup vegetable broth
2    chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
      (use 7 ounce can chipotles in adobo sauce for this)
3    tablespoons tomato paste
1    teaspoon ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon salt, or to taste

-OR-

BEAN AND CHEESE FILLING:
5    Cups beans refried in olive oil
       Salt, chile, and garlic to taste
1     Long Mozzarella cheese per tamale



INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  Corn husks are placed in a large pot.  Allow to soak in warm water and cover husks completely to allow them to become pliable.  They should stay in water until ready to add masa.  

2.  Prepare the Masa : in a large bowl, combine the masa harina, broth, salt, baking powder, and oil.
Beat with an electric mix, until a moist, fluffy dough forms.  The bowl must be covered with damp towel and set aside.

3.  Prepare the chipotle filling: 
In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened.  Add the pepper and carrot and saute for 3 minutes. The beans, corn, broth, and chipotles and sauce, tomato paste, and cumin are added.  Saute and simmer until until most of the liquid evaporates (5 to 7 minutes).  Salt to taste and allow to cool before
assembling tamales.

TO ASSEMBLE:
1.  Take a husk and lay it flat;  spread about 2 tablespoons of dough off center, leaving about 3 to 4 inch
margin from the top of the husk.  The Masa was spread with the back of a tablespoon when I was a child.  Then, about two years ago, the plastic spreader was sold at local grocery stores.  I also googled tamales and found some folks had not found the plastic spreader with handle and improvised with a spackle spreader from a local paint shop and used it for cooking.  My favorite?  The plastic spreader invented by a fellow Texan Tamalera gets most of masa spread in one "swoop".  It's important when you are making ten dozen tamales!

Make a "row " in the center of the  layer of  masa from top to bottom with a heaping tablespoon of filling, and carefully start rolling the husk from left to right to prevent the "filling from a spilling". 


We do not "tie" the ends.  If you leave enough space at the top of the husk, you can fold over and the filling will not spill out.

Pack the tamales into a large steamer basket upside down with the open husk bottom pointing upwards.
Make sure the husk is securely folded.  Lean them towards the middle. We add foil over the "standing" tamales so that the will stay in place and have a better steaming effect.  Cover the pot.  Steam for 35 to 40 minutes.   The cooked tamale will feel firm and come off the husk without sticking.
Serve with salsa.  


Tamales may be frozen either cooked or uncooked in foil and freezer bags.


Links:
http://www.tamalespreader.com/

Sources:
Tamales, Comadres, and the Meaning of Civilization 
by Ellen Riojas Clark, Ph.D. and Carmen Tafolla, Ph.d

Veganomicon   by Isa Chandra Moskowitz


  

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