Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Perfect and delicious way to use up your leftover cooked chicken!

Yield: 12 Servings

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)

2 t. to 1 T. of chili powder

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and shredded

Put these ingredients in a small container and marinate for 1 or more hours.

1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)

½ to ¾ cup of heavy cream

Mix these ingredients together

Preheat oven 350

12 corn tortillas (heated)

2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish. Pour ½ cup of the cream and green enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish. Add a large spoonful of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon of cheese, and then roll tortilla in a line. Add the remaining marinade and mix it with the cream mixture and pour over the top of enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

Cabbage Relish Salsa

I adore the cabbage salsa at a local Mexican restaurant.  This authentic Mexican recipe is a close approximation--friends say they can't tell the difference!

Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: Several Hours, or overnight
Yield: 2 quarts salsa

1 head cabbage, finely shredded
4 medium tomatoes, diced
6 green onions chopped including the green part
1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 large lemons
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano

Mix together and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Sweet Pork Salad

I had a sweet pork salad at Costa Vida last week and was determined to find a way to make this delicious dish at home.

Prep: 30 minutes (plus 6-8 hours to slow cook the sweet pork)
Yield: 6 Salads

* 1 head of Romano lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces.
* 1 can Black or Pinto beans
* 3 Cups of Sweet Pork (recipe below)
* Cilantro Ranch Dressing (see recipe below)
* 6 flour Tortillas
* Pico de gallo (see recipe below)
* Tortilla strip crunchies
* Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below)



Place a warm tortilla in a bowl or on a plate. Place approximately 1/3 cup of warmed sweet pork and 1/3 cup of warmed Bush’s beans on the tortilla. Place a portion of rice on top of the beans. Place lettuce over the meat and beans. Sprinkle ¼ cup of pico de gallo over the salad as desired. Drizzle with cilantro ranch dressing and top with a healthy amount of tortilla strip crunchies. Serve and enjoy.


Mexican Sweet Pork


* 4 lb pork shoulder roast (the more fatty the roast, the better)
* 1 Cup of Pace Picante sauce. (Medium heat is best, but the mild version will work)
* 2 Cups brown sugar
* Salt and pepper to taste


1. Remove pork roast from packaging, and wash. (Avoid cutting the roast to expedite cooking time)
2. In a separate bowl, mix picante sauce and brown sugar and whisk until sugar is mostly dissolved.
3. In a crock pot or slow cooker, place the roast in the cooker and cover the roast with the mixture of picante sauce and sugar.
4. Place on medium heat, cover and simmer. Check it every hour or so to rotate roast in the juices. The roast will eventually produce enough juices to make the right consistency, so do not add water.
5. Once the roast is fully cooked, it will begin to fall apart. Use a fork to separate the meat into smaller segments. Cover and continue cooking.
6. After 8 hours, continue to shred the meat until no chunks remain.
7. If it appears to be too juicy, turn slow cooker down to its lowest setting, remove the cover and let it reduce as needed.


Cilantro Ranch Dressing

* 1 package of Hidden Valley ® buttermilk ranch dressing, prepared to pkg directions
* 3 Tbsp of prepared salsa verde
* cilantro (1/4 bunch)
* 2 cloves of garlic
* ¼ cup lime juice
* 1/8 tsp Tabasco

Clean and rinse cilantro and remove large stems. Pour prepared ranch dressing in a blender, and add cilantro leaves, salsa verde, garlic, lime juice and Tobasco. Blend until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until dressing has thickened.

Pico de Gallo

* 1 cup diced tomatoes (remove seeds)
* 1/3 cup diced red onion
* 1 Jalapeno diced (at least a Tablespoon, but more if you prefer)
* 1 Tbsp minced garlic
* 2 limes juiced (about 1/3 Cup of lime juice)
* 1 Tbsp cilantro, plus extra for garnish
* Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and stir well. Chill.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 cup basmati rice
* 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
* zest from one lime
* 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1 tsp. salt

Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

Mexican Zuchinni Casserole

Cinnamon gives this stove top casserole a delicious Central American flair. It's a delicious way to use up Zucchini from your garden!

Prep: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

2 T olive oil
3 whole peeled garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
4 small zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet, heat oil, add garlic, onion, & tomatoes. Saute 5 minutes, add zucchini and saute 5 minutes more. Add mushrooms, broth, chicken & spices, mix well and cook until heated through and vegetables are tender. Top with cheese, turn heat to low and cover 5 minutes so the cheese can melt.

Tips & Tricks:
This meal was a hit with all members of my family, but especially my husband. For an even faster dinner, combine ingredients except cheese with raw chopped chicken in crock pot in the morning, then top with cheese 10 minutes before serving.

This casserole would be a delicious wrap filling. Simply heat tortillas & fill with casserole.

Yellow crookneck summer squash can be substituted for zucchini, for either type of squash, peel before hand for a nicer texture.

I didn't have precooked chicken, so I simply cooked 3 half chicken breasts in the oil before adding the veggies, then I cut them up & returned them to the casserole with the broth.


Make it Healthier:
Omit cheese. Reduce or omit salt.

Flan!

Last night I was craving dessert. My husband and I decided to try making flan for the first time, YUM!

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Chill: 60 minutes
Yield: 6-12 Servings

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
6 large eggs
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
26 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins or other specialty flan cook ware, and a large baking pan to put them in.

Pour 1 cup sugar into warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir the sugar until it browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tbs of caramel into each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks and then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

Tips and tricks:
I don't have ramekins, so I used small round flat bottomed stoneware bowls. I used 4 bowls, so with the larger size the baking time increased by about 15 minutes. This is very rich, so a small serving is plenty. The flan that chilled overnight turned out better than the flan that only chilled for an hour.

Quick Lunch Burritos

This recipe was invented when my husband needed something to take for lunch. I dug around in our fridge and came up with this!

Prep/Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

2 whole grain tortillas (1o inch)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed and cooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream, salsa, guacamole, optional

In a microwave safe dish, combine the beans, scallions and corn. Microwave 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Stir to combine.

Spoon one half of the mixture onto each tortilla. Top with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Roll up.

Tips and Tricks
Substitute black beans if you don't like kidney beans. Heat tortillas slightly for ease in rolling. Try this version of Light Guacamole to go with the burrito! Add shredded chicken for a meat option.
Make It Healthier
Use reduced-fat cheese and low-fat sour cream.
How Kids Can Help
Rinse beans. Shred cheese. Roll tortilla.
Recipe Source
original

Mexican Pizza

Prep/Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 slices

1 large onion
1 prebaked Italian bread shell crust (14 ounces)
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/3 cup chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup coarsely chopped ranch-flavored tortilla chips

Slice half of the onion and chop the rest; set aside. Place crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread beans over crust to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with cheddar cheese and sliced onion.

Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, Mexican cheese, chopped onion, tomato, olives and tortilla chips.

Tips and Tricks
I used green onions in place of the regular onion, skipped the Mexican blend cheese and used regular tortilla chips. I also found a tiny can of black olives at my local grocery store. My husband is the only one who likes them, so I placed them on his portion only.
Make It Healthier
Use thin-crust pizza crust. Use fat free refried beans. Use trans-fat free tortilla chips.
How Kids Can Help
Spread beans on crust. Top with cheese and other toppings.

Spinach Enchiladas

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Yield: 10 servings

1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided

2 egg whites, lightly beaten
10 flour tortillas (8 inches)

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable broth
1 bottle (7 ounces) mild green taco sauce
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 teaspoons canola oil


In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup cheese and egg whites. Spoon down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch and broth until smooth. Stir in taco sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Pour over enchiladas. In a nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender; arrange evenly over enchiladas.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Tips and Tricks

Although this recipe was supposed to make 10 enchiladas, I filled the shells a little more generously and made 7. I also used dried cilantro. I use a potato ricer to squeeze the spinach dry.

Make It Healthier

Use part-skim ricotta. Use corn tortillas in place of flour. Use reduced-sodium or sodium-free broth.

How Kids Can Help

Squeeze spinach dry. Measure and mix filling. Roll up tortillas. Pour sauce over tortillas.

Suggested Sides

fat-free refried beans, Spanish Rice

Nutrition Facts

1 enchilada equals 271 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 22 mg cholesterol, 674 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 15 g protein

Diabetic Exchanges

2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1

Make And Freeze: Mexican Style Barbeque Beef

Prep To Freeze: 10 minutes or less
Time To Cook: 6-8 hours
Yield: 6 servings

4 pounds chuck roast, fat trimmed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 cups onion, sliced into rings
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried chilies
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Place all ingredients into a large plastic bag. Seal, being sure to squeeze out excess air. Mix ingredients. Label and freeze flat. Use within two months.

To Cook: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place contents of bag into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred meat with two forks, stir to mix seasonings. Serve on warm rolls or tortilla shells.

Tips and Tricks
Reduce the amount of cayenne pepper and dried chilies if you don't like spicy food. If the roast starts to look dry while cooking, add about 1/3 cup water. When thawing the meat, place the bag in a bowl in case of leakage.
Make It Healthier
Use lean meat. Omit salt.
How Kids Can Help
Measure spices. Mix ingredients once bag is sealed.

Fajita Quesadillas

These delicious stuffed tortillas can serve as an appetizer, a snack or a main course. Serve them with salsa & sour cream or guacamole, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Prep: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup quartered, sliced onion
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 package Taco Seasoning Mix
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas,
2 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup water
1 cup green or red bell pepper strips
1 medium tomato, peeled & chopped


Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in seasoning mix and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; Add tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Spread 1/2 cup fajita mixture on one tortilla; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Place second tortilla evenly over mixture. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadilla in skillet; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Mexican Seasoning Mix

Yield: approximately 15 tablespoons
(3 tablespoons is equivalent to one seasoning packet)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I like to use white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour)
2 T chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp salt
4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano

Put all of the ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend until powdery for 5 seconds or less (don't over blend). Use the "pulse" feature if your blender has one. Add more cayenne powder if you prefer it hotter.

Store in an airtight container for up to six months.

Tips & Tricks:
The mixture works well even if you skip the blender/pulse step.

Chicken Enchiladas

Prep: 20 minutes, plus baking
Yield: 12 Servings

4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
1 bunch green onions, chopped.
2 cans chopped green chilies (mild)
1 pint sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 pound cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 pound monterey jack cheese, grated
12 8 inch flour tortillas

Combine chicken & chopped onions. In separate bowl combine soup, sour cream, & chilis.

Build enchiladas by placing 3-4 tablespoons of soup mixture in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Place heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with spoonful of soup mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tightly and place in pan, seam side down. When all enchiladas are rolled, top with remaining soup mixture & cheese Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove cover for last 10 minutes of baking.

Tips & Tricks:
To save money & make it healthier, I use less cheese & less sour cream with good results. If I don't have monterey jack cheese, I just use cheddar or even mozzarella. Instead of cubing chicken, I chop it finely using my pampered chef chopper-to save money you can get by using less chicken this way. If you don't have green onions, you can use finely chopped yellow or white onion, or onion powder/onion flakes. In a pinch, cream of mushroom soup can be used in place of cream of chicken. Since there are only four in my family, I make this with 8 tortillas, 2 chicken breasts, and cut the rest of the ingredients in half. Then we have leftovers for lunch the next day. To save money use less expensive cuts of chicken, or use leftover cooked chicken from another meal.

Make it Healthier:
Use reduced fat sour cream, less cheese than suggested (I use about 1/2 lb total of cheese.) Use reduced sodium soup & chilis.

Black Bean Corn Salsa

Yield: Just shy of 6 cups salsa
Prep: 10 minutes

2 cups black beans, drained
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chopped jalopeno peppers
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a small bowl.

Suggested Sides:
Serve as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips, or use as a garnish on tacos, burritos, breakfast omlettes, etc.

Make it Healthier:
Use reduced sodium corn & beans. Omit salt & oil.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can help add ingredients to bowl & stir.

Tomato Recipeshare: Salsa

For the summer months when we have too many tomatoes to eat, this is a fabulous homemade salsa!

32 tomatoes
4 onions
1 large can diced green chilis. (Look in the bulk foods section, can is about 8 inches tall)
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 regular size spice bottle of cilantro
Vinegar to Taste (1/4 cup to 2/3 cup)

Blanch tomatoes & remove skins. Dice tomatoes & add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cook & pour into pint size bottles. Hot water bath.

Tips & Tricks:
This is a relatively mild salsa. For spicier salsa you can add canned jalepenos or habanero peppers in addition to or in place of green chilis. If you replace chilis with spicier peppers, one small jar goes a long long way! Don't make the mistake of using a bulk size jar! My mom did that one year, and the salsa was spicy enough that in subsequent years she would use 1 quart of the jalepeno salsa to season an entire batch!

Mile-High Tortilla Pie

This recipe is from the "out of the box" feature in the June 2007 issue of Parents magazine. I don't normally like recipes out of this magazine, but this one was not only easy, but delicious!

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

1 can (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (11 ounces) whole-kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 jar (16 ounces) chunky mild salsa

1 pck (10 oz) fajita-style cooked chicken

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

5 (10 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups (8 oz) shredded reduced-fat Monterrey Jack cheese

Fat-free sour cream, optional

Heat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, combine black beans, corn, salsa, chicken and cilantro. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 tortilla in coated pan. Top with 1 1/2 cups of the bean mixture and 1/4 of the cheese. Layer three more times, finishing with the last tortilla.

Bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese melts and filling is hot. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Tips and Tricks

I used frozen corn instead of canned to lower the sodium and omitted the peppers. Use 1/3 the amount of cilantro if using dried in place of fresh. I also made my own chicken to lower the cost.

Make It Healthier

Use fresh or frozen corn to lower sodium. Use whole wheat tortillas.

How Kids Can Help

Stir bean mixture. Stack tortillas and layer filling. Older kids can shred cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1 servings equals 409 calories, 31 g protein, 10 g fat, 52 g carbohydrate, 438 mg calcium, 6 g fiber

Sizzlin' Fajitas

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes, plus marinating

2 cloves minced garlic
1 green onion finely chopped
1/2 cup italian dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 lb lean boneless pork, chicken, or beef, cut into thin strips
2 onions, sliced
1 green pepper seeded & thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper seeded & thinly sliced
8 flour tortillas, warmed
sour cream
chopped tomatoes
grated cheese
shredded lettuce

Place garlic and green onion in shallow baking dish. Add dressing, lime juice, soy sauce. Stir and arrange meat in dish, cover and marinate in refrigerator turning occasionally for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade.

On broiler rack, arrange meat and vegetables. Broil, turning meat and vegetables once and brush with reserved marinade, 6 minutes or until meat is done. Remove meat and keep warm. Rearrange vegetables, then brush with additional marinade. Continue broiling 1 minute or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve meat and vegetables in tortillas and top with sour cream, tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce.

Tips & Tricks:
I like to throw sliced tomatoes in with the broiled veggies. Broiling is healthier than skillet-fried on cast iron, but retains the fresh traditional flavor.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can help arrange veggies on (cool) broiler rack and can set out sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, & cheese with serving utensils. Older kids can help grate cheese.

Make it Healthier:
Use reduced fat Italian dressing, cheese, & sour cream. Use whole grain, trans fat free wraps instead of tortillas. Use reduced sodium soy sauce.

Salsa Cruda

Yield: 3 cups
Prep: 10 minutes

2 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 4 oz can green chilis, undrained
1 small onion, quartered
1 can plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
1/4 Tsp Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 Tsp sugar

Place multipurpose blade on food processor work bowl. Add cilantro and hilis to bowl, pulse 2 times. Add onion and tomatoes and pulse 2 times. Add dressing, hot pepper sauce, and sugar. Pulse 2 times to combine.

Suggested Sides:
Tortilla Chips

Make it Healthier:
Use fat free Italian dressing & sodium reduced tomatoes & chilis.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can press the pulse button on the food processor.

Tamales

Today a little boy came through our neighborhood selling Tamales, 12 for $12! I loaded up...hot & fresh, authentic tamales delivered to the door, who could ask for more? I hope his mother adds us to her regular route, but if not here is a tamale recipe I'm planning on trying out in an attempt to duplicate this delicious dish:

DOUGH:
6 cups masa harina and 5 cups warm water or chicken broth
OR 6 cups of Nixtamal
1 1/2 cups lard or shortening
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt


To use Nixtamal-
Prepare corn according to use for masa dough. Add additional chicken broth until it is the consistency of thick peanut butter.
To use Masa Harina-
In a mixing bowl combine masa and warm water or broth until combined. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes or so to let the masa soften. Then mix it on low speed until a dough forms.

After Masa or Masa Harina is prepared-
Gradually add in the salt, cumin and onion powder.

In a separate bowl, whip lard or shortening until fluffy. Add the lard to the dough a little at a time while mixing until well combined.

The mixture should be about the consistency of peanut butter. If not, add more masa, water or broth as necessary.

Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.


FILLING:
3 cups shredded beef
8 large roasted chiles- skin, seeds and veins removed and coarsely chopped.
1 white onion- peeled and coarsely chopped.
6 cloves of garlic- peeled and crushed.
1 jalapeno- seeded and diced
3 potatoes- peeled, boiled and chopped into large chunks.
1 cup homemade chile sauce or store bought



FILLING & STEAMING TAMALES
Time Required: 2 minutes per tamale


Sort the husks
Go through the corn husks removing any debris. Separate the larger usable pieces from the smaller bits and pieces. Save the smaller pieces for later.

Soak the husks
Place the husks into a large bowl. Cover husks with warm water. Set a heavy item (like a heavy bowl) on top of the husks to keep them submerged.

Prepare the husks
Remove the husks from the water and pat dry. Place into a covered dish or a large plastic bag to prevent from drying out. Use only the larger and medium sized husks for the tamales. The smaller ones can be used later for ties or patches. When looking at the husk, they have a narrow end, a broad end, and 2 long sides.

Adding the dough
Lay a husk on a flat surface. Place 1-2 tablespoons of dough onto the husk. When spreading the dough, leave a space of about 4 inches from the narrow end of the husk and about 2 inches from the other end. Spread the dough to the edge of one of the long sides and 2 inches away from the other long side. Try to keep the dough approximately 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick.

Filling
Spread about a tablespoon of filling down the center of the dough.

Folding
Locate the long side with a 2 inch space with no masa. Fold that over, slightly overlapping the other side so the edges of the dough meet. Wrap the extra husk around the back.

Then fold the broad end over the top and then the longer narrow end over the broad end.


Tying
Create strips of husk by cutting or tearing 1/4 inch lengths off of some of the smaller or unusable husks. Use these to tie across the middle of the tamale to hold the flaps down.

Steaming
Set tamales upright in a steamer. You can buy large steamers made just for this purpose. You may have something else you can use to create the same effect. The key is to have a small amount of boiling water on the bottom of the pot and a colander or mesh of some sort to keep the tamales away from the water.

Steam for about 90 minutes


Tips & Tricks:
Do not let the water boil up completely. Add hot water to the pot as necessary but keep it away from the tamales.
If some of the husks are too small or you have trouble closing them, use extra pieces of husk to wrap around the open areas.
You can also use kitchen twine to tie off the tamales.