Step-by-Step: Vegetarian Tamales – Tasty Kitchen Blog. Everything you’ve heard about tamales is true, folks. Yes, these Mexican culinary wonders are a lot of work, and they take a lot of time. On the bright side, the work isn’t difficult and boy, is it worth it in the end. Eating one tamale after the other (after the other) makes you forget about your aching feet and back. Then when you run out, you’ll start craving more and begin the process all over again. Kind of like having children. Never heard of tamales? For my first attempt at tamales I opted for these Vegetarian Tamales submitted by TK member mommiecooks (Julie) who blogs at Mommie Cooks! Before I begin, I need to remind you that I am not a Mexican grandmother who has made tamales for 40 years.
One of the keys to making tamales (in my gringo opinion) is organization and time management. Okay, now that you’ve got a plan and several hours set aside, let’s get going! First, let’s make the masa. Cream the butter using an electric mixer or stand mixer. Add some of the vegetable broth. Perrys' Plate: Portobello and Black Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce. Roasted Poblano Sauce: 1 poblano pepper 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 large clove garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. paprika 1/8 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (optional) 2 cups crushed tomatoes about 1/4 cup water (to thin out the sauce) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish Filling: 2 roasted red peppers, diced (jarred or fresh) 12 oz. portobellos (about 4-5 large), stemmed, gills scraped out, and diced 1/2 red onion, diced extra virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed Other ingredients: 12 corn or whole wheat flour tortillas 4 oz. queso fresco fresh tomatoes or pico de gallo, for serving Preheat oven to 425 F.
To prepare the sauce: Roast the poblano pepper (and red peppers if using fresh) directly over the flame of a gas burner, turning frequently with tongs, until evenly charred. Peel the pepper, discard the stem and seeds, and chop. Lazy Chiles Rellenos. This dish ain’t fancy. This dish ain’t difficult to make. (Huh. Understatement of the modern era.) This dish…ain’t not delicious. Okay, I’ll stop now. My mom used to make a dish like this, which is really nothing at all like the original Chiles Rellenos, but I’m keeping the name intact all the same. Serve it…with a fruit salad and tiny grandma rolls for a nice ladylike lunch. Just serve it. Then eat it. You’ll love it! I don’t live in Santa Fe. I don’t even have cans of Hatch. But life isn’t about being unhappy where you’re not. And the girl was happy… Grate some cheese, glorious cheese. Now combine some eggs with some milk. Whisk it together and add some salt… And some freshly ground pepper.
I like color, even in my black pepper. Now add a little paprika…and a little cayenne pepper! If you’ve got the guts, that is. If you can HANDLE the cayenne. Whisk it all together. Lay the chiles on a cutting board… Cut the chiles in half lengthwise, then seed them. And yes, I could roast my own. Ingredients. Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers. I walked to work in the snow this morning. Again. It was cute at first, but now it’s just too much! At least the city seems to be more prepared this time, although I haven’t been outside since 7:30 AM, so time will tell how prepared they really are. My neighborhood was salted up and down, though, so I’m hopeful. It’s fun watching the snow fall from my office 20 stories up, though!
Too bad that I know when I finally start my trek home, I’m not going to think that it’s beautiful at all. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts, I suppose. I know that everyone is probably trying to eat a little lighter now that the holidays are over, but it’s so hard! Your ingredients. Mince your shallots. And your garlic. Add the shallots to the pan with some heated olive oil and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant. Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a separate bowl. Chop your onion. Look at that beautiful Mexican rice! Cook time: Restaurant Style Salsa. Okay. Here’s the situation: I am completely high maintenance when it comes to salsa. Now, I’m not talking about Pico de Gallo. I’m high maintenance there, too…but that’s not what I’m making today. What I’m making today is salsa. As ubiquitous as it is, you’d think salsa would be a pretty straightforward thing.
No vinegar, dude! Must have cilantro, holmes! Who knew I had such deeply felt principles? Salsa…it just brings it out in me. My whole point is, if you have a good blender or food processor, making salsa at home is a total snap. The Cast of Characters: Whole canned tomatoes, Rotel (tomatoes and chilies), onion, fresh jalapeno, salt, sugar, garlic, and cilantro. Dice up a little onion. Throw the canned tomatoes, juice and all, into the bowl of a food processor. Next, dump in the two cans of Rotel. That I used one can of Mild and one can of Original was purely an accident…but strangely, the balance of spice turned out to be just right. Add just 1/4 cup chopped onion to the bowl. Jalapenos.