The beginning and.... Spinach Mushroom Tamales

Every time I cook lately, I've been wanting to share it with the world. I've been going through an adventurous kick... breaking the way I was taught to make things, and so far the results haven't been disappointing. I grew up in Mexico with a mother who makes the best food and a father who owns a restaurant and is extremely strict about measurements and preparation. I was always a picky eater growing up. I loved to help in the kitchen, but if something had red "stuff" in it, I assumed it was spicy. If it was green like peppers, I'd avoid it like the plague. My consumption of veggies was limited to lettuce, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, gray squash, potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes (as long as my mom promised that it wouldn't be spicy.) My poor mother usually had to come up with ways to conceal "the good stuff" just so I would eat.

Then high school came along and they offered a cooking class after school. It was a wonderful thing, because being in the swim team and going to the gym everyday after school, I barely ever had anything to eat. Needless to say, I was hungry! And hunger makes you a lot less picky!!! You'd think growing up in a restaurant is where I learned to cook, and while I learned a lot there about proper preparation and handling of food... being on my own, in my lab, is where I've experimented and developed those taste buds. 

But I was still weary of spicy foods. I don't know if I should blame it on the fact that one day we were making tamales and I offered to cut up some peppers, I rubbed my eyes and needless to say it was a very painful experience. 

And along came my gringo. The love of my life and the one person I trust with every fiber in my being and he offered me "Chile Rellenos" and he said they were good. And I trusted him and I tried them and OH MY GOODNESS! The experience is so hard to describe as they were the most wonderful thing I had ever eaten. Poblano peppers are so full of flavor and since then I've become hooked. Since then, I've become an avid explorer of Mexican food and food in general. The picky girl in me still comes out from time to time, but I've discovered that variety in food is a good thing.

I've made tamales by myself a total of 4 times. It's one of those dishes that is better to make in a group setting because the process can get tedious... especially if you're not happy with the result (it happened to me the first three times). From start to finish it took me about 4 hours, then again I was watching Star Trek during the assembly process and cooking time is about 90 minutes, so plan this on a day when you're not terribly busy, don't have any meetings and you're feeling well and rested. Having someone to help will be a definite plus! 

So how am I breaking the rules on this recipe? I was taught that you always make tamales with lard. Lately, I've been looking for healthier alternatives to foods I enjoy... so I decided to make these tamales with coconut oil. They were wonderful! We've also been getting Bountiful Baskets recently and always have a lot of fruits and veggies at home. It's wonderful because we're eating a lot healthier meals, because we're worried about our produce going bad. So we used a bunch of our produce on this recipe.

SPINACH MUSHROOM TAMALES

Makes about 40 medium to large sized tamales

Masa:

1 kg (about 8 1/2 cups) Maseca masa harina (corn flour)

100 g (about 3/4 cup) White wheat flour

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 cups bean broth (from beans I had cooked earlier)

2 cups 2% milk

1 1/3 cup coconut oil

warm water, as needed

Stuffing:

1 bunch spinach, washed and chopped

1/2 medium sized onion, diced

6 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced (Wear gloves!!! You might want to wear goggles as well)

15 mushrooms, diced

epazote or oregano for seasoning

salt and garlic powder to taste

olive oil, for frying

cheese, cut into pinky finger size slices (I used Monterrey Jack but would have much rather used Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese)

Other items and utensils:

Corn husks

Water for steamer

Two mixing bowls

Sauce pan

Wooden spoon or spatula

Beater

Measuring cups/spoons

Steamer

1. Wash and soak corn husks. Some people like to give them a boil for about 30 minutes prior to making the tamales, others like to soak them overnight in cold water. Either way works, just depends on how far ahead you planned to make them. If you soak them overnight, make sure to change the water and give the husks a good rinse prior to using. Also, as you're washing, take out all the little husks that are too small to stuff as well as hairs and debris.

2. Heat oil in saucepan and add onions and peppers. Cook for about three minutes and add mushrooms and spinach. Season to taste and cook until spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat and allow to sit while you prepare your masa.

3. In one of the mixing bowls, mix all your dry ingredients. In the other one, beat your coconut oil until light and fluffy. Incorporate bean broth and and milk. Once it's thoroughly mixed, add dry ingredients. At this point, add warm water and keep on mixing until dough is fluffy, easy to spread and somewhat sticky.

4. Assembly time!!! Line up your ingredients from right to left or left to right: corn husks, masa, stuffing, cheese, steamer. Grab a corn husk pointy side up and the thicker portion on your palm, place about three tablespoons on stuffing on it and spread it into a thinish layer covering the lower middle part of the husk. Add a spoonful of the veggie mix and a slice of cheese. Fold over each side and then fold from the top down. Place at the bottom of steamer, open side up. Repeat for the rest of the dough. If you run out of husks, you may also use foil.(If my instructions are too confusing, it helps to look at the picture :P)

5. Add water to bottom of steamer and bring to a boil. Cover tamales with remaining corn husks or a towel and then with lid. (I honestly don't know why this worked, but this time my tamales were a lot more moist than other times.... maybe my steamer releases too much water). Boil for about 90 minutes or until tamales easily release from the husk. Check your water level periodically to make sure you have enough steam.

6. When they are ready to eat, serve with beans (refried, whole or just mashed up) and salad or soup. Some people also like to top them with a creamy poblano sauce or tomato salsa... even Chili! I like to place mine on a skillet for a while so they get nice and crispy on the outside and I eat them without any toppings.

7. If you and your family can't eat them all, tamales freeze well. Allow them to cool and just cover them in foil and place in zippered bags. Tamales are also a wonderful thing to share!

Hope you enjoy!