Tamales

Whenever I tell someone that I am making homemade tamales I always get the same reaction, "Wow, that is so much work."  Well, if someone had told me they were making homemade tamales a couple of years ago I would have had the same reaction, but now I know, it really isn't all that hard!  Now, in saying that, I don't grind my own masa or anything, and maybe that is where the difficult part lies, but with store bought masa it couldn't be easier!  It has become a tradition now for me, my sister, my mom and my aunt Martha to get together and spend an afternoon making tamales.  Yes, it does take some time for them to cook, and the more people helping to assemble the better, but the results are so worth it!  This would also be a really fun dinner party idea, invite a group of people over to help assemble the tamales and then drink margaritas and eat guacamole while they cook....hmmm....maybe I am going to have to do that!

My sister, mom, Aunt Marth & Me showing off our tamales!

Tamale Dough

2 c. masa harina (It can be found by the flour in the grocery store)

1 (15.5) oz. can chicken broth, warmed

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. lard

1 (8 oz.) can creamed corn

1 bag corn husks (Follow soaking directions on the package to pre-soak)

Combine masa harina, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in lard with a pastry blender.  Stir in warm broth and creamed corn to form a soft dough.  Now you are ready to assemble!

Optional Fillings:

-Green Chilies

-Shredded cheese

-Shredded beef (We use Del Real brand pre-cooked shredded beef found at Costco)

-Cooked Chicken

The options are endless!

Lay out a pre-soaked corn husk on your work surface, with the wide side closest to you.

Spread a thin layer of the dough on the husk, leaving about 1/2 inch on each of the sides and only up 3/4 of the way up the husk starting on the large end.

Layer your desired filling ingredients on the dough.  (On this one we put shredded beef, diced green chilies and shredded cheese!)

Now we are ready to fold them up!

Lift up the husk from the left side, and fold over on top of the tamale.

Then fold the right side over (it will be overlapping the the left side).

Lastly, fold the bottom flap up.

Now your tamales are ready to be steamed!

(If you want these to look more decorative, you can take a strip from a husk and tie it around the tamale and knot it, but they will stay together just fine even without it.)

To cook the tamles, you need to fill a large pot with about an inch or two of water and bring to a boil.  Then you you need to use a steamer basked (or in our case, a jimmy-rigged upside down strainer) to put the tamales in so that they are not touching the water. Cover with a damp towel and steam for about 40 to 45 minutes until the tamales are cooked.  They are down when they easily peel away from the husk.  You may need to had more water during the cooking time, so check after 20 minutes or so.

And there you have it, a plate of fresh, homemade tamales!

This recipe makes about 20 tamales, but we quadrulpled the recipe and ended up with about 6 dozen!  These freese really well, and can reheat in the microwave in about 2 minutes.

Mexican Cheese Corn Dip

So I haven't posted in a week, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking! I just got back from a lovely 5 day stay in cool and breezy Coronado, California! As a kid, we used to spend the month of August there every summer, but as we got older, and school started earlier and earlier, we stopped going. When my dad "semi-retired" a few years ago, he and my mom started going for the month of August again to avoid the heat; and since they love me, I get to go and visit! We have stayed in a variety of houses over the last few years, with the house this year being the best because it can sleep 18 people! With so many extra beds to choose from, my sister and I decided to bring along a bunch of friends to share in the fun and escape the Arizona heat! There ended up being 9 of us total, plus my parents, and we had a great time relaxing, napping, playing cards and riding bikes around the island! Our friends all got in some beach time too, but I get too antsy just sitting on the beach, so I went to the outlet mall instead!

Since my parents were so gracious in letting a group of people invade their peaceful, tropical getaway, I figured I should bring some food for everyone to snack on! I always get rave reviews for my Mexican Dip, so I whipped up another batch, but I also felt that I should try something else that was new. I had been wanting to try this Mexican Cheese Corn Dip for awhile, so I decided this was the perfect opportunity. Let me just say, my friends could not stop eating this! It doesn't have a lot of heat to it (which could always be kicked up with more chilies or jalapenos or a dousing of Tabasco sauce, which is the route Kristen went), but the flavor is great and goes great with tortilla chips. This is the perfect dip to take to a party because it really needs to be made ahead of time to let the flavors blend and turn into something really yummy!

Mexican Cheese Corn Dip

3 (11 oz. each) cans Mexicorn, drained

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (7 oz.) can diced green chilies

2/3 c. green onions, chopped

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

3/4 c. mayonnaise (I used light)

8 oz. sour cream (I used light)

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and cumin; stir well. Add corn, cheese, chilies, garlic salt, and onions to the sour cream mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.