Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 I'm making tamales today, and I remember a while ago someone saying his sister in law cooked vegetarian tamales for him with hot pepper inside. I'm wondering if the pepper was fresh. I have some canned hot peppers and also some frozen ones I'm hoping to incorporate (in my ever uphill battle to use up the frozen veggies). Also, was the pepper put in whole, or cut into strips. Thanks! Amy **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Nope, I never had that proble. The tamale isn't watery. The cheese is sealed is as the masa dough is cooked around it Donna Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile akfral Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:35:54 Re: any tamale cooks out there? In a message dated 3/22/2008 11:15:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, thelilacflower@ <thelilacflower%40> writes: lay a slice inside with cheese or veggies doesn't the cheese turn out icky during the steaming? **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home. <http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001> aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Amy I make them and take the canned Ortega chilies whole and cut them in long pieces and lay a slice inside with cheese or veggies or whatever you want to use as a filling. Donna --- akfral wrote: > I'm making tamales today, and I remember a while ago > someone saying his > sister in law cooked vegetarian tamales for him with > hot pepper inside. I'm > wondering if the pepper was fresh. I have some > canned hot peppers and also some > frozen ones I'm hoping to incorporate (in my ever > uphill battle to use up the > frozen veggies). Also, was the pepper put in whole, > or cut into strips. > Thanks! Amy > > > > **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. > Watch the video on AOL > Home. > (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one. And I believe it could be someday, it's going to come. Cat Stevens - Peace Train ______________________________\ ____ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 In a message dated 3/22/2008 11:15:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, thelilacflower writes: lay a slice inside with cheese or veggies doesn't the cheese turn out icky during the steaming? **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 In a message dated 3/22/2008 3:42:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, thelilacflower writes: The cheese is sealed is as the masa dough is cooked around it good to know....I would have thought the steam would permeate it and make icky cheese. amy **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 no...it melts delicious...but if you fold your corn husk inproperly or stuff, roll out dough in an unsealed manner than a little cheese may melt out....but it doesn't hurt anything...still taste delicous. akfral wrote: In a message dated 3/22/2008 11:15:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, thelilacflower writes: lay a slice inside with cheese or veggies doesn't the cheese turn out icky during the steaming? **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030\ 000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Shes right... use a tamale steamer, or a pasta pan inlet with a strainer...if your water level is not to high...no watery gue will happen...likewise the pan should not be allowed to burn dry either for obvious reasons... thelilacflower wrote: Nope, I never had that problem. The tamale isn't watery. The cheese is sealed is as the masa dough is cooked around it Donna Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile thelilacflower@ writes: lay a slice inside with cheese or veggies --------- doesn't the cheese turn out icky during the steaming? Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 My Spanish neighbor never puts cheese in any of them. The veggie ones just have vegetables. No cheese. They are delicious. Who needs cheese. lol Sonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Tamale Tutorial By Cheri Sicard For cultures with Latin roots, tamales are perhaps the most important celebratory food in existence. Special tamales are regularly prepared for celebrations and feast days ranging from Christmas, New Years and Weddings, Christenings and Birthdays. Like many classic foods, tamales can be Zen-like in their simplicity -- a corn dough with or without a few flavorings and/or fillings wrapped up in a cute little package of corn husks or banana leaves (and occasionally other leaves as well) and steamed. But with those few basics, an infinite number of flavors and combinations are possible -- from sweet to savory, mild to spicy, simple to complex and everything in between. Don't let the thought of making tamales scare you. People make it seem like a bigger deal than it really is. Yes, it takes a little time to set everything up, and you'll probably make a few messy attempts your first few tries. But it's not hard to get the knack, and the whole process really took much less time than I anticipated. The reactions you'll get when you make tamales are well worth the effort. When I told people I was going to make over 300 homemade tamales for my New Year's party, they looked at me like I was crazy. Even the Latinas working the local Los Angeles Mexican markets claimed their grandmothers didn't even bother to make tamales anymore, preferring to buy them ready made. But there's nothing like homemade, and the process of making the tamales turned out to be lots of fun. And, by the way, I knew what I was doing. Tamales are a perfect party food -- they are inexpensive to make, everyone loves them and ALL the work can be done well ahead of time. Tamales are also a great way to bond with friends and family. Get a group together and make a project of it. Everyone will go home with great food and you'll all have a great time creating this classic culinary treasure. Since it takes a bit of time to prepare the doughs and filling for tamales, it's a good idea to make a lot. They freeze extremely well and can be reheated for quick snacks anytime by simply steaming the frozen tamales. Anatomy of a Tamale Between the different dough flavorings, fillings and regional styles, you can make endless variations of tamales, but all tamales have certain characteristics in common: Masa Dough -- Most tamales are made with a masa or specially treated ground corn dough which has been mixed with some type of fat, such as lard, butter or oil and some sort of liquid, such as water or stock. Some nouvelle tamales might use other ingredients such as rice, potatoes or polenta as a base, but for the purposes of this article we will deal with traditional masa tamales. You can also substitute mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes for the fat or oil when making fat-free tamales. Dough Flavorings --Some people like to keep their masa dough plain, others like to mix flavoring ingredients (such as corn, onions, peppers, etc.) right into the masa dough. Fillings -- The fillings for tamales are literally infinite -- vegetables, cheese, sauces, salsas, even fruit or chocolate. Use your imagination! Wrappings -- Dried cornhusks are the most common (and easy to find) tamale wrappers. Simply soak the wrappers in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using. Some cultures, especially those in tropical regions, like to use large banana or even avocado leaves to wrap their tamales. Tamale By Any Other Name Tamales can come disguised with other names, but they're still basically tamales. For instance in parts of Central and South America as well as Cuba they may be called tamals, in Bolivia and Ecuador you may find humitas, and Venezuelan markets and snack bars are often filled with halacas while tamales in Colombia can be called bollos. Depending on which parts of Mexico you travel to, you may be served tamales, corundas or zacahuiles. Essential Tamale Tools Tamale making doesn't really require much in the way of special tools, but you will need: 1. A large pot or container in which to steam the tamales. If you're only making a small amount, a large pot with a steamer insert will do. If, on the other hand, you plan on making a large amount (and why not, if you're going to go to the trouble of making tamales, make a lot and freeze them), a tamale steaming bucket is best. 2. A heavy-duty electric mixer, such as a Kitchen Aid will make the job infinitely easier. The masa dough must really be beaten a lot in order to achieve the right consistency for good tamales -- while it's possible to do this without an electric mixer, I wouldn't want to tackle it. There's a small plastic masa spreader gadget on the market. It's an inexpensive little trinket, but totally unnecessary. In our experience, it was easier to spread the masa with the back of a tablespoon than with the gadget. Maybe you'll have a different opinion, but we found it slowed us down. Storing, Freezing and Reheating Tamales Tamales store very well, which makes them a perfect party food because you can do ALL the work, except for re-heating long before the party. Use a steamer to reheat cooked tamales, just until heated -- about 10 minutes for refrigerated tamales, about 25 minutes for frozen tamales. You can store cooked tamales, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 6 months (longer if you have a vacuum sealer system like the Tilia Foodsaver). Pack your cooked tamales in water tight plastic bags before putting in ice chests for travel. Even better, use ice packs instead of ice, so there's no danger of the tamales getting wet. " artichoke72x " Sat, 18 Dec 2004 13:23:12 -0800 (PST) Tamale Tutorial (article) Hope this helps Love baba http://groups.msn.com/JKalianandaswami/cookvegetarian.msnw?action=get_message & mv\ iew=0 & ID_Message=14100 & LastModified=4675625729891060640 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 We do banana leaves too. They keep the tamales very moist Donna Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile " rosetalleo " <rosetalleo Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:03:50 Re: any tamale cooks out there? I have been making vegetarian tamales for a while too, maybe 20 years or so. My tamales are not authentic from anywhere, because I incorporated ideas from other tamale latin recipes (central america). So they are more like 'fusion' tamales. Instead of lard (yuck!) vegetable shortening or any oil, here is what I do: Take the kernels off a couple of ears of sweet corn. Put in blender with enough veggie broth or water to make it into a paste, mix with masa harina or prepared masa and add salt to taste. I like the way they come out after steaming this way, and I also like it they they are lower in fat, and probably more nutritious. Vegetable shortening is not something I want to put in my body on a regular basis, and I like tamales a lot (when I make them I make a whole bunch and freeze them they freeze very well). Another thing I do a little differently is use the banana leaves instead of the corn husks. I like the taste they give out from steaming (the husks are also nice) but I find them easier to use as wrapper, and they are the type that I grew up with (banana leaf wrapped tamales). They sell them in latin stores, but I have been using them out of my banana trees in my back yard... @ <%40> , SonnieB <sonnie3 wrote: > > My Spanish neighbor never puts cheese in any of them. The veggie ones just have vegetables. No cheese. They are delicious. Who needs cheese. lol Sonnie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I have been making vegetarian tamales for a while too, maybe 20 years or so. My tamales are not authentic from anywhere, because I incorporated ideas from other tamale latin recipes (central america). So they are more like 'fusion' tamales. Instead of lard (yuck!) vegetable shortening or any oil, here is what I do: Take the kernels off a couple of ears of sweet corn. Put in blender with enough veggie broth or water to make it into a paste, mix with masa harina or prepared masa and add salt to taste. I like the way they come out after steaming this way, and I also like it they they are lower in fat, and probably more nutritious. Vegetable shortening is not something I want to put in my body on a regular basis, and I like tamales a lot (when I make them I make a whole bunch and freeze them they freeze very well). Another thing I do a little differently is use the banana leaves instead of the corn husks. I like the taste they give out from steaming (the husks are also nice) but I find them easier to use as wrapper, and they are the type that I grew up with (banana leaf wrapped tamales). They sell them in latin stores, but I have been using them out of my banana trees in my back yard... , SonnieB <sonnie3 wrote: > > My Spanish neighbor never puts cheese in any of them. The veggie ones just have vegetables. No cheese. They are delicious. Who needs cheese. lol Sonnie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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