Tag Archives: Hot Tamales

Mushroom and Kale Tamales

Posted on by May 8, 2016

Of the three different tamales on my Hot Tamale Dinner Menu, these Mushroom and Kale Tamales are my favorites. That is quite the accolade too, because they’re all amazing. The strong mushroom and kale flavor is perfectly balanced against the dark chile rojo salsa. Even when we make all 30 of each kind, and we’re eating them for months, I never get tired of these Mushroom and Kale Tamales. The only modification I make from the original recipe is to omit the cheese and cilantro. While I’m sure they’re really good as conceived, I’ve never made them that way. To be sure, they are plenty rich without the cheese and it’s nice to have options for guests who are lactose intolerant. This is important to me because one of my favorite tamale builders tends to stay away from cheese. I’m glad I skipped it the very first time, because now I make it cheese free every time. So, so good. That’s all you need to say. While tamales are truly a lot of work, these Mushroom and Kale Tamales will make you incredibly glad you put in the time and your freezer is full of leftovers. … Continue reading →

Tomatillo Salsa

Posted on by October 26, 2014

This Tomatillo Salsa is a very light and versatile salsa. It’s easy to make side by side with the chili lime chicken filling and pairs nicely. It also taught me how to use cilantro sprigs and I’m all for cutting back on kitchen waste. The Tomatillo Salsa has an interesting appearance because it isn’t a true salsa verde- the pasilla chile and the fresh beefsteak tomato give it a light red color that’s flecked with dark red. ½ pound tomatillos 1 pound beefsteak tomato(es) 2 serrano chiles 1 dried pasilla chile 1 medium onion, cut into wedges 1 garlic clove ½ cup packed cilantro sprigs (the leaves went into the chicken) 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Salt Preheat the oven to 500° F. Husk and halve the tomatillos. Stemmed and seed the chiles (if you like spicy, keep the seeds from one or both of the serranos). Chop the tomatoes and onions and peel the garlic. On a baking sheet, spread the tomatillos, serranos, pasilla, onion and garlic. Roast the vegetables in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, turning them once or twice, until softened and lightly browned in spots. Cut the beefsteak tomato into quarters and add … Continue reading →

Tamale Dough

Posted on by October 26, 2014

I’m no tamale expert, unless you count eating them, but last year I adopted the tradition of making tamales for Christmas using Anna Zepaltas recipe (I really liked hers because it used part butter and part lard, rather than the traditional all lard. I think the flavor makes a superior tamale dough). I had never hosted Christmas dinner before and it was a cold December day. I wanted the excuse to hold people captive drinking margaritas all day and playing board games and I’d always wanted to undertake the challenge of tamale making. It was a hugely successful, immensely fun, and seriously challenging undertaking. And I learned a lot. Last year made this year possible, and I have to say that now that I’ve done it twice, I feel confident in my ability to help others make them successfully, and certain that this is well on its way to becoming a yearly tradition. The tamales and salsas are amazing and the day is indeed lots of fun. By breaking the steps down over a couple of days, you’ll make your tamale party fun and low stress. Start with the tamale dough, a few days ahead. It stores well. I make … Continue reading →