Mexican Tamales - savory and sweet

Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, Colorado
December 2011

Mexican Tamales - savory and sweet

Most people just order tamales in a restaurant, buy them off the street from local vendors, or buy them at the store frozen but some us LOVE the freshness of homemade tamales. It is tedious to make and there are several steps but for a Posada, birthday party, holiday or just something different, you'll enjoy making these. I always call my nieces, Delaney and Morgan or my friend Connie when I make them. We make enough for them to take some home. So don't be afraid - just do it!

Westcliffe, CO - Christmas 2011

Corn mush is the base of tamales but the flavor comes from the additional ingredients like green pork chili, chicken with enchilada sauce, shredded beef in red sauce, refried black beans with cheese, rajas and cheese or sweet tamales with sugar, raisins, coconut etc. All of these are then rolled inside corn husks and steamed for about 15-20 minutes until light, fluffy and delicious!!!





Tamale Mix:
6 cups of corn masa
1 tbs salt
warm water
Dried corn husks

Savory Mexican Tamales:
Red Enchilada Sauce or Green Enchilada Sauce (Prepare or buy enchilada sauce both red or green.)
Chicken, pork or beef - shredded
Meatless can be filled with refried black beans and Monterrey Jack Cheese
Prepare My Easy Carnitas recipe from this BLOG dated 3/12/2011 with any of the meats for a savory flavor.

Sweet Mexican Tamales:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup raisins (dark and golden for color) OR 1 package of dried chopped fruit

Choose to make either sweet or savory filling. The savory filling requires preparing the meat and mixing it up with the green or red enchilada sauce. Or preparing the refried beans and slicing up the cheese. If you choose to make only sweet tamales; bring the 1/4 cup of hot water to a boil, add the brown sugar and raisins OR the hot water, brown sugar and the chopped dried fruit.

The Cates Christmas Tree 2011

Now make the tamale mix. In a large pot, add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and add the dried corn husks and boil them until they become ply able. Keep them in the pot until usage. Take out a husk, wipe it dry - it will be hot. Now place 2 tbsp of tamale mix into the middle of the husk. With a small teaspoon make a hole and fill with either savory mixture or sweet mixture. Cover with a little more tamale mix. Form about a 3" oval ball within the husk. The bottom of the husk is the smaller end of the husk. Fold up the bottom first, then roll the sides in around the mixture. Leave the top open and stand with the open end upwards in a steam or vapor pot.

Steam or Vapor pot - a large stock pot with a colander inserted or something that will hold up the tamales within the pot. Add about 2 " of water and bring to a boil. The tamales will steam for about 10 -15 mins and be cooked.

Tamales can be cooked days in advance and actually frozen. But they taste best when they are cooked and served within 24 hours of making. So after making, wrap the different types in plastic wrap. When ready to serve place into glass dish with a glass lid and a couple of tbsp water and reheat for about 5 minutes or until steaming. (Cheese tamales need about 7 minutes to melt the cheese again.)

Savory tamales can also be served with green or red enchilada sauce drizzled over them. Remember to celebrate the season, enjoy the family and friends and accept the Lord's Blessings.

Merry Christmas!

Stephanie's Pigs in a blanket casserole

Going back in time, October 2012 was quite busy! I was preparing for Liz and Dave's Wedding by creating her baby book and their romance book. Which I gave them as wedding gifts. I am honored to say I also made Liz's wedding bouquet and veil. Both took so much time along with a lot of love. I am so proud of my baby girl and the woman she has become!



Ti & Fuzzy visiting Colorado Springs 2012

During October 2012, Dave and I were blessed with reuniting with one of my closest high school friends and her husband. Ti and Fuzzy came to Colorado Springs to say "hi" and spend some time with  my sister Terri and her husband, Steve. Steve and I sat together in homeroom in high school! I introduced them to each other 42 years ago!!! Ti and Terri became fast friends as well and Ti is Jenna's Godmother!



Terri Lynn Wilklow Wiebke
1975

When I was a child, one of  my favorite meals was Pigs In a Blanket. It is actually ground meat with rice and seasoning rolled in cabbage leaves. Closed with tooth picks and then cooked in tomato sauce. YUMMY! I love the flavors but I have a dickens with finding the time to make it. I then found out that my husband, Dave, also loved cabbage rolls. So I came up with this recipe which combines all the flavors of the original pigs in a blanket but without all the work!


Pigs in a Blanket Casserole:

1 medium head of cabbage - core and thickly sliced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lg onion - diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of cooked rice - season heavy
2 eggs
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
3 cans tomato soup
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup

Slice up cabbage in thick slices. Blanch cabbage in salted boiling water for about 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Combine meat, eggs, rice, shredded carrots, salt, pepper together in a bowl. Form into oval balls and set aside. Mix together soup, worchestershire sauce, and ketchup. Pour 1/2 the mixture into a casserole dish. Place a layer of cabbage slices on top. Now add the oval formed meat shapes on top. Place the remaining cabbage slices between and on top of the meat and then cover with the remaining soup. Cover with foil (always with the shinny part down) on top of the casserole dish or cover with glass lid. Bake at 350* for 1 hr. You might need to place a catch baking sheet underneath as it might bubble and spill into the over. If you prefer, remove lid or foil about baking for 40 minutes.

Scoop our cabbage leaves and a meat form together then drizzle with sauce.

Butternut Squash with Chicken and Herbs

Mr. & Mrs. Robinson

This past year has been very hectic and I have totally ignored this blog. I am attempting to add at least 25 new recipes, photos and stories by the end of December 2012. Or less ...if the world ends on 12/21/12! So going backwards, on November 23, 2012, our family celebrated the marriage of our daughter, Liz to her wonderful husband, Dave Robinson on the rooftop of their apartment in Arlington, VA.

My daughter, Liz, loves butternut squash. I make butternut squash soup, I mash butternut squash in into mashed potatoes, but I really don't use it as a side or compliment to meats. Chicken, turkey and fish make a great compliment to squash. So here is a one-dish recipe.

The newlyweds on their "mini moon" visiting
the Aztec ruins outside Mexico City.

Butternut Squash with Chicken and Herbs:

2 skinless chicken breasts - boned and split in half
1 small/medium butternut squash - seeded and chopped into cubes
4 shallots - cubed
1 small bag of baby carrots
4 stalks of celery chopped in large cubes
1/4 Olive Oil & 2 tbsp
2 tsp balsamic vinegar drip over all and then gently stir to be completely covered
1 tblsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 clove chopped
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
2 tbsp honey mustard
1/2 cup water with 1 tbsp flour or corn starch mixed.


Prepare boneless skinless chicken or buy pre-cut and split. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to dutch oven, pressure cooker or pan that can be used on top of the stove and in the oven.  Brown the chicken on all sides about 2 mins on each side. Turn off heat. Let set while you add cubed butternut squash, shallots, celery, and carrots. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped clove, honey mustard; stir well. Pour this over the chicken and vegetables. Stir gently so that everything is covered. Now add salt, pepper and chopped rosemary, again stir gently. Place dutch oven or pan covered into 350* for 20 minutes, take out and turn chicken and gently stir the vegetables. Recover and place back into the over for another 20 minutes. Remove foil, turn off oven and let stand in oven for another 10 minutes. Vegetables should be soft but not mushy. Remove vegetables and chicken onto a platter cover immediately. Place pan on stove and turn to high heat. Add water with flour mixture and create a roux. Scrapping the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from heat when thickens. Strain if you wish or just drizzle over the platter and serve. Can be served with rice if desired.

If you are looking to make this healthier, substitute cooking oil spray for the olive oil. Also you only need to add some water to loosen the flavors in the pan and drizzle over the chicken and vegetables.