The Daring Cooks January 2012 Challenge: Tamales

Guess what!


Recently I was honored with the position of The Daring Cooks hostess!! Woohoo!!!


I had such a great time. I loved seeing the creativity amongst these Daring Cooks. The fillings were to die for and just looking at the different types of tamales made me hungry all over again.


Now it's time for me to share with you. Here is my post (I'll warn you now it's very detailed and picture heavy):

Hi! **waves enthusiastically** My name is Maranda and I blog over at Jolts & Jollies.

I am a stay at home mommy to 2 kiddos and an Army Brat turned Army Wife. My husband and I met in El Paso, Texas, which is right on the border of Mexico and New Mexico. Needless to say, Mexican food is at your fingertips throughout the city and beyond.

I LOVE Mexican food. There is something about tacos, enchiladas, green chiles and tamales that really do it for me. When my husband and I moved to Upstate New York we found that our beloved Mexican food was hard to come by. We met a similar culinary devastation when we moved to the Middle of Nowhere Missouri as well.

Luckily, we were able to find a small place in Upstate New York that had decent Mexican food. I was also able to find a lady selling tamales at the Farmer’s Market in Missouri.

One of our family traditions is to celebrate the new year with delicious tamales. Since the Army keeps moving us to places where tamales are difficult to find, I thought it was high time to learn how to make them myself. And since I hate to do things by myself, I figured that I would challenge you to hone your tamale making skills with me!

Tamales can be traced back as far 5000 B.C. Tamale making is usually a social event with the women in Hispanic families gathering together to spend an afternoon making dozens and dozens of tamales.

Tamales are made up of a masa (dough) usually made from a corn base and a filling. These are wrapped in corn husks, a large leaf, or some other wrapping and steamed to cook. The wrapper is discarded before eating.

Tamales are not so much about the food but about the memories created when making and eating them. So gather some friends and family together and get to making some tamales! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!!

Place the dried corn husks in a large pot and cover with water.

Place a heavy plate or a smaller pot full of water on top of husks to keep them in the water. Let soak for 3 hours or up to 1 day, flipping occasionally until husks are softened.

Once husks are softened, boil chicken about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

Immediately place hot chicken into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn mixer on high to shred chicken (this takes about 3-5 seconds).

Place an oven rack on the top setting. Turn the oven on broil. Peel and rinse the tomatillos.

Line a heavy baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos on baking sheet and place under broiler.

Broil (grill) until black spots form on tomatillos, then flip and broil (grill) other side. This takes about 5-10 minutes per side depending on the strength of the broiler.

Place roasted tomatillos and juices from the pan into a food processor and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped Serrano chiles and process until smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.

Add the tomatillo puree and boil, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes (it should turn thick like a paste).

Add in the chicken broth, stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture coats the back of a spoon and is reduced to about a cup.

Stir in the chicken and cilantro. Salt to taste.

Prepare the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high heat, cream together the lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder and salt.

Mix in the masa harina, one cup at a time.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add in 1 ½ cups of the chicken broth.

If the mixture seems too thick (you can taste it for moistness) add up to ½ cup more of the broth 2 tablespoons at a time. (The dough should be a cookie dough like texture).

Take 3 large corn husks and tear them into ¼ inch strips. (I would suggest you put these back in the water until use because they dry out and start breaking when you try to work with them.

Take a large pot with a steamer attachment. Pour about 2 inches of water into the bottom of the pot, or enough to touch the bottom of the steamer. Line the bottom of the steamer with corn husks.

Unfold 2 corn husks onto a work surface. Take ¼ cup of dough and, starting near the top of the husk, press it out into a 4 inch square, leaving 2-3 inches at the bottom of the husk. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in a line down the center of the dough square.

Fold the dough into the corn husk.

And wrap the husk around the dough.

Fold up the skinny bottom part of the husk.

And secure it with one of the corn husk ties.

Stand them up in the steamer. If there aren’t enough tamales to tightly pack the steamer, place crumpled aluminum foil in the excess space.

Steam the tamales for about 40 minutes or until the dough deepens in color and easily pulls away from the husk.

For the black bean tamales: Follow the directions from the above recipe for soaking the corn husks.

Make the filling. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a medium mixing bowl.

Make the masa dough. Combine the olive oil, salt and masa mix in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add 2 cups of vegetable broth. If the mixture seems to dry (you can taste it for moistness at this point) add more broth 2 tablespoons  at a time.

Follow the directions in the above recipe for filling and cooking instructions.

Serve and enjoy!!!!!!

Green Chile Chicken Tamales

Adapted from Epicurious

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Ingredients:

1 – 8 ounce (225 gram) package dried corn husks (If you cannot find corn husks, you can use parchment paper or plastic wrap.)

For filling:

• 1 pound tomatillos (can sub mild green chilies – canned or fresh)
• 4 – 3 inch serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped (can sub jalapeno)
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 2/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (also known as coriander)

For the masa dough:

• 1 1/3 cups lard or vegetable shortening
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt (omit if already in masa mixture)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (omit if already in masa mixture)
• 4 cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix), I used instant masa mix
• 1 ½-2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1.  Place the dried corn husks in a large pot and cover with water.
2. Place a heavy plate or a smaller pot full of water on top of husks to keep them in the water. Let soak for 3 hours or up to 1 day, flipping occasionally until husks are softened.
3. Once husks are softened, boil chicken about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
4.  Immediately place hot chicken into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn mixer on high to shred chicken (this takes about 3-5 seconds).
5. Place an oven rack on the top setting. Turn the oven on broil. Peel and rinse the tomatillos.
6.  Line a heavy baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos on baking sheet and place under broiler.
7.  Broil (grill) until black spots form on tomatillos, then flip and broil (grill) other side. This takes about 5-10 minutes per side depending on the strength of the broiler.
8.  Place roasted tomatillos and juices from the pan into a food processor and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped Serrano chiles and process until smooth.
9. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
10. Add the tomatillo puree and boil, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes (it should turn thick like a paste).
11. Add in the chicken broth, stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture coats the back of a spoon and is reduced to about a cup.
12. Stir in the chicken and cilantro. Salt to taste.
13.  Prepare the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high heat, cream together the lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder and salt.
14. Prepare the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high heat, cream together the lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder and salt.
15. Mix in the masa harina, one cup at a time.
16. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add in 1 ½ cups of the chicken broth.
17.  If the mixture seems too thick (you can taste it for moistness) add up to ½ cup  more of the broth 2 tablespoons at a time. (The dough should be a cookie dough like texture).
18.  Take 3 large corn husks and tear them into ¼ inch strips. (I would suggest you put these back in the water until use because they dry out and start breaking when you try to work with them.
19. Take a large pot with a steamer attachment. Pour about 2 inches of water into the bottom of the pot, or enough to touch the bottom of the steamer. Line the bottom of the steamer with corn husks.
20.  Unfold 2 corn husks onto a work surface. Take ¼ cup of dough and, starting near the top of the husk, press it out into a 4 inch  square, leaving 2-3 inches at the bottom of the husk. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in a line down the center of the dough square.
21. Fold the dough into the corn husk.
22.  And wrap the husk around the dough.
23.  Fold up the skinny bottom part of the husk.
24. And secure it with one of the corn husk ties.
25.  Stand them up in the steamer. If there aren’t enough tamales to tightly pack the steamer, place crumpled aluminum foil in the excess space.
26.  Steam the tamales for about 40 minutes or until the dough deepens in color and easily pulls away from the husk.
27. Serve and enjoy!!

Vegan Black Bean and Green Chile Tamales

Adapted from GoodVeg on Squidoo

Ingredients:

1 – 8 ounce (225 grams) bag dried corn husks

For the filling:

• 1 – 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 – 14 ounce can diced tomato with green chiles, drained
• 1 – 10 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

For the masa dough:

• 4 cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix), I used instant masa mix
• 2 ½-3 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Follow the directions from the above recipe for soaking the corn husks.
2. Make the filling. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a medium mixing bowl.
3.  Make the masa dough. Combine the olive oil, salt and masa mix in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until combined.
4.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add 2 cups (480 ml) of vegetable broth. If the mixture seems to dry (you can taste it for moistness at this point) add more broth 2 tablespoons (30 ml) at a time.
5.  Follow the directions in the above recipe for filling and cooking instructions.
6. Serve and enjoy!!

Daring Cooks May 2011: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Hey all! So sorry for the absence these last few days. Little Butt and I were spending some quality time with The Hubble before he had to take off to play Army.

But I'm here now, and I have a recipe to beat all recipes for you.

So surely, you can't be too mad at me right?? I mean...this may be my "death row meal" if you know what I mean.

Do you know what I mean??

Haha! If you do, then I want to know what your "death row meal" is. Tell me!!!

Anyway. So, last month, since we were moving, I wasn't able to participate with my beloved Daring Kitchen challenges. But now that we are settled it was on.

And there was NO WAY The Hubble was going to let me pass up this challenge...the boy grew up on the Texas coast and LOVES gumbo. Maybe he should marry it??

Our May hostess, Denise, of There’s a Newf in My Soup!, challenged The Daring Cooks to make Gumbo! She provided us with all the recipes we’d need, from creole spices, homemade stock, and Louisiana white rice, to Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh.

I am beyond glad I was able to participate this month because this recipe was well worth it.

I'm honestly considering...well...I'm no longer considering. I'm going to buy the book that this recipe came from.

I have never tried gumbo before. I've tried jambalaya and I'm not really a fan. But gumbo...oh gumbo.

Gumbo has stolen my heart and I'm not sure I'll ever go back!!

I can't believe this is what I've been missing out on all this time.

I followed the recipe as given to us since I've never tried it before. I chose the chicken and sausage gumbo because Little Butt can't eat shellfish.

The flavor was amazing! It was just the right amount of heat. It was so freaking good and I can't wait to make it again.

If you have never tried gumbo, I would highly recommend this recipe. Trust me...you will be as enamored with the stuff as I am! I promise!!!

Thanks Denise, for such a delicious challenge this month. I do believe this is my favorite so far!!

Okie dokie. Stretch out your whisking arm and let's get started!!!

Sprinkle some seasoning on the chicken and set it aside. (I used Tony Cachere's but any Creole seasoning will do, or check The Daring Kitchen for an at home recipe).

Dice up all your veggies.

Now...start the roux! Toss your fat/oil and flour in a thick bottomed pan, I used a dutch oven. Now whisk the heck out of it for about 15-20 minutes.

Until it's this deep chocolate brown.

Toss in the onions and stir them up for a bit.

Now put in the chicken, skin side first, until browned on both sides.

Toss in the sausage and stir it up. (I found a jalapeno smoked sausage)

Stir in the veggies and garlic. At this point, add the chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil then  reduce heat to medium-low to simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. (When adding the broth I had to switch to a stock pot because my dutch oven wouldn't hold it all)

After that 45 minutes, dump in the okra, andouille, Worcestershire, file powder, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Now let it simmer for another 45 minutes. About 20-30 minutes before the gumbo was finished, I fished out all the chicken bones and shredded the chicken meat (not that it needed a lot of help since it was already falling apart!).

While the gumbo is finishing up, let's make that rice! Toss some butter and onion in a skillet. Cook until tender.

Add the rice and stir until slightly browned.

Add the chicken stock, salt and bay leave. Cover and cook until all that chicken juice goodness is soaked up into the rice.

Serve a big bowl of the gumbo with some of that chicken flavored rice in there. Add more file powder and or Tabasco sauce if you so choose and enjoy!!!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Retrieved from The Daring Kitchen

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup rendered chicken fat, duck fat or canola oil
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning 
• 2 pounds spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 thick slices
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
• 2 cups sliced okra, fresh or frozen
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• File powder, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• 4-6 cups cooked Basic Louisiana White Rice (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with Creole seasonings while preparing the vegetables.
2. Make sure all of your vegetables are cut, diced, chopped, minced and ready to go before beginning the roux. You must stand at the stove and stir the roux continuously to prevent it from burning.
3. In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the chicken fat, duck fat, or canola oil over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil – it will start to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate, and continue whisking until the roux becomes deep brown in color, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the onions. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir the onions into the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until the roux becomes a glossy dark brown, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the chicken to the pot; raise the heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the sliced smoked sausage and stir for about a minute.
7. Add the celery, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic, and continue stirring for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the thyme, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally.
9. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, skimming off the fat from the surface of the gumbo every so often.
10. Add the chopped andouille, okra, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper, several dashes of filé powder, and Tabasco, all to taste.
11. Simmer for another 45 minutes, continuing to skim the fat from the surface of the gumbo. Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls over rice. Pass more filé powder at the table if desired.

Basic Louisiana White Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon chicken fat, extra virgin olive oil or butter
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Louisiana rice (or other long grain white rice)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 pinches salt

Directions:

1. Put the fat, oil, or butter and the onions into a medium saucepan and sweat the onions over moderate heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2.  Pour the rice into the pan and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add the bay leaf and salt.
5. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

Daring Cooks March 2011: Papas Rellenas

One day this past summer, my older sister called me to rave about this fantastic new dish she had tried.

My mother had thrown a housewarming party for her new house and the guests brought some dishes to the party.

One of the dishes was ceviche.

My older sister told me how delicious this dish was. It was light and fresh. Citrusy from the lime juice with the perfect amount of heat from the jalapeno. It was soft and delicious served atop a crunchy tortilla chip.

The whole family loved it and made it several times over the course of the summer...calling me each time to tell me that I needed to make this as soon as possible.

I drug my feet. I asked them to send me the recipe. I never got around to making it.

Then comes this month's Daring Cooks challenge:

Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenges us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra.

Sounds great right??? The perfect opportunity to make the dish that had been on my "to make" list for at least 6 months.

Unfortunately, my dreams of ceviche came to a screeching halt when I remembered that whole 'being pregnant' thing.

I posted on the Daring Cooks site asking if it would be safe for me to eat. After all...it's "cooked" right??

I held my breath when I read the researched response to my query. The answer I received was that it is safe as long as you have a reputable fish source. Great right??

Wrong! I live in the Middle of Nowhere Midwest. Where am I supposed to find a reputable fish monger?

Yeah...I'm not.

Fortunately, Kathlyn thought ahead and offered up an alternative Peruvian recipe for the vegetarian and vegans in the Daring Kitchen. This recipe allowed me to actually participate this month. Woohoo!

That being said, The Hubble would never allow a meatless meal in our home (while he's around anyway) so I put my own spin on the recipe provided to us.

I did a "Southwest" themed papa. And let me tell you...these were awesome! They were relatively easy to make (just a bit time consuming) and super delicious. I can totally see how these would make a wonderful handheld street food to Peruvians.

I love texture, so the crunch of the outer shell followed by the tenderness of the potato and meat filling was out of this world.

As we sat around the table eating these handheld delights, we talked about the different fillings we could stuff these with. Needless to say, we WILL be making these again.

Thanks for the fantastic challenge Kathlyn! These will be a staple in our house from now on!!

And now you can make this treat in your own home. Let's get cooking:

You will need: potatoes, ground turkey, minced garlic, onion, jalapeno, green bell pepper, Southwestern corn, chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, cornstarch, bread crumbs, eggs, all purpose flour, salt, pepper and seasoned salt.

Boil the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, until tender when poked with a fork. Drain and allow to cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, we can start on our filling. Heat some oil in a large skillet. Toss in the onions and caramelize them for about 5 minutes.

Toss in the jalapeno, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until the bell pepper and jalapenos are tender, about 3 minutes more.

Now toss in the ground turkey. Cook that bad boy up until it's not longer pink and it is totally cooked through.

Now add the corn, paprika, chili powder and ground cumin. Mix it all in until well combined.

Stir in the cheese until it is melted. Take the mixture off the heat and set it aside to cool.

Now let's head back to our potatoes. They should be cool by now so peel them and toss them back into the pot you cooked them in. Mash them up then add the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Knead and mix it all until the seasonings are thoroughly mixed through. Don't be afraid to taste it to make sure the potatoes are seasoned to your liking.

Now that we have our filling and 'dough' made we are ready to start preparing. Throw some oil in a pot to heat to about 350-375 degrees F.

You need three shallow bowls. One with flour, seasoned salt and chili powder. One with the eggs mixed with water. And the third with the bread crumbs mixed with salt (I know it seems like a lot of salt but you want these things seasoned well or they will be bland).

Take about 1/12th of the potato mixture and flatten it into your hand. Make an indention in the center.

Spoon a generous portion of the filling into the indention.

Close up the potato around the filling.

And roll them into potato shaped forms.

Now take them and roll them in the flour...

Then the egg...

Then the breadcrumbs.

And fry them up until they are golden brown. This took me about 2-3 minutes on each side.

When they are all fried up, drain them on paper towels and keep warm while frying the rest.

Serve and enjoy!!! We enjoyed our with salsa and sour cream.

Papas Rellenas de Carne
Adapted from The Daring Kitchen

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 5 pound bag russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the filling

• 2 Tablespoons oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1-2 jalapenos (depending on preferred heat)
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 (14 ounce) can Southwestern corn
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

For the final preparation

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• salt (to taste)
• chili powder (to taste)
• seasoned salt (to taste)
• oil for frying (2 inches worth)

Directions:

For the dough

1. Boil unpeeled potatoes whole until tender when poked with a fork. Drain and let cool.
2. When potatoes are cooled, peel and mash them (or force them through a potato ricer).
3. Add cornstarch, salt and pepper. 'Knead' dough until all ingredients are mixed through and evenly distributed.

For the filling (best prepared while potatoes are cooling)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Caramelize diced onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add garlic, diced jalapeno and diced bell pepper. Cook until jalapeno and bell pepper are tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add ground turkey. Cook until thoroughly cooked through.
4. Add corn, ground cumin, paprika and chili powder. Mix until well combined.
5. Mix in cheese until melted.
6. Set aside to cool.

Final preparation

1. Use three small bowls (or shallow containers) to prepare the papas. In one, combine flour, seasoned salt and chili powder. In the second, combine egg and water. In the third, combine bread crumbs and salt.
2. Heat oil to about 350-375 degrees F.
3. Flour your hands and scoop up 1/12th of the potato mixture. Flatten the mixture in your hand like a pancake and make an indentation in the middle for the filling.
4. Spoon a generous amount of filling into the center and roll the potato closed, forming a smooth, potato shaped casing around the filling. Continue with the rest of the potato and filling (you should have 12 papas).
5.  Dip each papa in the three bowls to coat: first the flour, then the egg and finally the bread crumbs.
6. Fry the papas (in batches) until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while frying the remaining papas.
8. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!!