Gorditas

These are sublime, I learned to make these as I could not find any in Alabama which were authentic tasting. Another good way to use leftover Corn Tamale flour.

Gordita Recipe

2 cups Maseca Corn Flour
1/4 cup Flour or GF Flour
1/4 t sea salt
2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients well, make a well in the center of the corn flour. Add the water all at once. Mix well, Knead for 1 to 2  minutes.  Separate into two large masses of dough, then separate each large mass of dough into 4 additional balls. Place balls of dough into the same bowl and place cling wrap on top of the bowl and form each into a pancake with your hands. This "pancake" will be about the size of a DVD. Place on a hot griddle, add a little PAM to brown each side, heat each side for 4 minutes and turn around making sure to cook and brown the other side.

Run a sharp knife along the edge of the Gorditas, and make a deep slit into the Gordita.

Fill with sauteed vegetables, beans or meat and shredded lettuce as well as a little fresh Pico de Gallo or Fresh Salsa.

Super Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

I have a couple family members who have Gluten problems and have a simple recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies. So rich and good -- you'd never know they are gluten free!

You may of course omit the Gluten Free flour and use regular All Purpose Flour.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 slightly beaten Egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 dash of sea salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 scant Tbsp Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (or 2 heaping Tbsp All purpose baking  flour)

Directions


Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix ingredients together in a bowl until well blended and roll into 1 inch balls, cross hatch tops with the back of a fork and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for approx. 8 - 10 minutes, let cool for 1 minute before removing.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

To make Peanut Butter Blossom cookies push a Hershey's Chocolate kiss on top of the cookie before baking.

Fresh Corn Tortillas

Have you bought that 5 lb sack of Maseca, made your tamales for the holidays and still have left over mix? Make fresh home made Corn Tortillas with the left over Maseca corn flour mix.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Maseca Corn Flour Mix
1 1/2 cups of water
1/3 t salt

Mix the salt with the cornflour mix, make a well in the center, add water to the well and mix the dough with clean hands for 1 - 2 minutes to make a pliable dough.

Pinch off dough to equal the size of a walnut and put into a Tortilla Press or roll out between two sheets of plastic film. Gently peel off the top layer of plastic and flip the tortilla onto a hot griddle. Cook tortilla for 20 seconds and flip the tortilla and 30 seconds later flip it again. It is ready to be eaten with butter; filled with cheese and sauced to make enchiladas; filled with taco meat and a mix of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cheese; or used simply as a scoop with your carne guisada or Huevos Rancheros.

Makes 18 corn tortillas. Freezes well.

Use to make Enchiladas or serve warm with butter.

Happy New Year!

Another year, another decade, another clean slate.

I'm not going to start out this year with brand new "New Years Eve resolutions for 2011" (last year's resolutions were never really met), instead of looking back at the past with rose colored glasses. I admit, I do so often tend to do just that -- look at everything with rose colored glasses. Let's clean our slate, we have a fresh year to look forward to, therefore I want to only look FORWARD and move FORWARD this year.

I have mixed the Southwest tradition of Tamales on New Year's eve with the deep southern tradition of Black Eyed Peas and am attaching a photo of the end product. Here in the deep south of Alabama, amidst the old southern charm, lace curtains, conservative thoughts, attire and elegant homes there are many ways to do things the right way, the southern way. There are new "southern" traditions to become aware of, traditions long kept and steeped in the southern people. Some of these "beliefs" could be misconstrued as "superstitions". I write about my thoughts of eating collard greens ( representing money), greens and cornbread ("mad" money or money for your pockets) and eating 365 black eyed peas (one black eyed pea for every day of year to bring good luck, wealth and prosperity everyday of the year) on New Year's day. Hoppin John is the Black Eyed Pea recipe I speak of, many folks down here in the south have old family recipes, some eaten with white rice, some folks eat Black Eyed Peas without rice. But there is one staple - the recipe for Black Eyed Peas has onions, thyme, chopped ham or a pork meat (sausage) of some type to give the black eyed peas another layer of flavor.

Here is to mixing Hispanic traditions with Southern traditions, Green Chile Serrano Chicken Tamales with Black Eyed Peas. If I have to eat Black Eyed Peas -- I'm sure gonna make them taste extra special good and add some good hot serrano peppers and a couple of bay leafs and cook until they are very tender.

So, here's to wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2011!

Tools of the trade - Tamale Husks, Fresh Pintos and Serrano Chicken

I have my corn husks for tamale making!
Got a bag of Maseca Corn Masa Mix to make the Tamales.

I am going to make fresh pintos tomorrow. The beans will be for the 3 doz Bean and Cheese Tamales and I shall also make 3 doz Serrano Green Chile Chicken tamales for New Years Eve along with the traditional Cinnamon Sugar Bunuelos which I learned to make from my grandmother/mother.

Here is the basic recipe for fresh PINTOS:

1 lb beans, cleaned
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 t. crushed black pepper
4 oz. tomato sauce
2 strips bacon, chopped coarsely
baking soda
1/4 cup cilantro, fresh torn
4 quarts of water + 1 beer

Clean beans, add a good handful of baking soda and cover overnight in a non-aluminum bowl with water to cover the beans. The next morning, rinse the beans three times, discarding water each time.

Add garlic, pepper, tomato sauce, bacon, and water + beer as well as cilantro. Cook for 6 hours or until the beans are tender and the bean skin curl when you pull them out of the water. Add cilantro -- if you have not doe so already. Add 1 t. sea salt AFTER the beans are cooked as it will cause the beans to burst when you add salt while they are cooking.

Use immediately!

Great with a big hunk of buttered cornbread!

Amount Per Serving
Serving Size 545g
Recipe makes 8 servings
Calories 260
Calories from Fat 103	40%
Total Fat 12.29g	15%
Saturated Fat 1.78g	7%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 95mg	4%
Potassium 826mg	24%
Total Carbs 19.5g	5%
Dietary Fiber 4.9g	16%
Sugars 0.61g	0%
Protein 22.67g	36%

Serrano Green Chile Chicken:
1/4 Onion sliced thinly
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 t. Cayenne
1/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
2 cups fresh Green Chile sauce (buy my cookbook for the recipe) or use Hatch GREEN Chile Sauce
2 - 4 Serranos, minced
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 t Sea Salt
1/2 t  Pepper, ground

Add oil to a hot pan, add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent. Add Chicken and Serrano's saute until just browned and turn. Add Cayenne, Green Chile Sauce, salt and pepper and simmer covered until the sauce thickens and chicken is no longer pink. Take chicken out. Shred it with two forks and return back to the pan, thicken sauce as needed. Correct seasoning and reserve for chicken tamales.

 Soaking Tamale husks in preparation of spreading corn masa and filling them before steaming the tamales.

 Here is a photo of the finished product, without the tamale husk, a Bean Tamale -- steamed and ready to be consumed with a little sprinkle of sea salt.

Christmas Holidays are about here so - it's time to think "Tamales"

The closer it gets to Christmas, the more those of us who make tamales start to think about what types we will make for the Holidays to share with family. While I have never sold them, I do give them away! Here is a "FAST AND DIRTY" recipe for pumpkin tamales - one of the many sweet varieties you will find.

makes 3 dozen

40 or 80 corn husks, cleaned and soaked
7 c MASECA (this is corn flour used to make the tamales)
2 c brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
2 t sea salt
2 t ginger
1 t cloves
1 t nutmeg
2- 28 oz cans pumpkin
4 sticks butter, melted
2 c warm water, add more as needed
2 c pecans, toasted (or walnuts)
2 c raisins, soaked in alcohol

Soak the corn husks in water in a large pot - make sure to add a small plate on top to weigh them down. Soak for 3 hours. 

Add MASECA to another large bowl, add water (you may add 1/4 c. corn oil to soften the consistency and bring out the corn flour taste) and then add the rest of the ingredients plus more water as needed to get the dough to a thick consistency of VERY THICK oatmeal.

Drain the husks, re-use the pot to fill with tamales to be steamed for 1 1/2 hours.

Spread 1/2 c over the middle lower third of the tamale husk. Fold one side of the husk over to the other side, do the same with the other side, fold in half and place tamale standing up (add more tamales filling in all spaced) in pan with extra corn husks or use crushed foil so the tamales do not touch the bottom of the large pan.

Place water or a mixture of cinnamon sticks/water (for sweet tamales) in approximately 1/3 of the pot and bring to a boil, lower temp and simmer until the tamales are done - you may need to add more water to keep the tamales from burning due to the steam created.

Luscious Home Made Caramel Rolls

Came across this recipe which I had to share.

As many of you know I recently moved to Alabama and have been shopping for furniture lately, well let me tell you --  there are some mighty fine, interesting little eateries stuck in the middle of these furniture show rooms. Not to mention cafe's which sit along along side of the big showrooms. Found a few mom and pop shops mainly.

Today I noticed this one little place, stuck in the middle of the Ashley Showroom furniture store in Hoover. One thing which stuck out in my mind is that the sales people kept disappearing off the floor to go hit this little cafe in the middle off the showroom, people were walking in for the single purpose of finding this little cafe to get food there. I told my husband let's go check this out. They had some wonderful great fresh made burgers (Stephen loved them), a wonderful greek salad with fresh feta (my choice).

Home-made sweet rolls, delicious pastries and so I had to go talk to them and ask about their cafe. Turns out is was a family run business which recently had a write-up in the local newspaper! So, here  one of those recipes -- try and make it for yourself at home (I love sweets) - enjoy!

A great simple single rise method of making sweet rolls.

Single-Rise Home Made Caramel Rolls:

TOPPING

• 1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1⁄2 cup butter or margarine, softened

• 1⁄3 cup light corn syrup

• 1⁄4 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

• 3⁄4 cup pecan halves, toast lightly

• 11⁄2 cups good whole wheat flour

• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 t salt

• 2 pkgs regular active dry yeast

• 1 cup water

• 1⁄4 cup butter or margarine

• 1 egg

• 2 to 21⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 2 T butter or margarine, softened

• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 t ground cinnamon

Grease 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray generously with non-stick spray.

In small bowl, mix all topping ingredients except pecans until well blended;

spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly in pan.

In large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, 1⁄4 cup granulated

sugar, the salt and yeast. In 1-quart saucepan, heat water

and 1⁄4 cup butter until very warm (120°F to 130°F). Add

warm liquid and egg to flour mixture; beat with electric mixer

on low speed until moistened, scraping bowl frequently. Beat

on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in

enough all-purpose flour until dough pulls cleanly away from

side of bowl.

Cast flour on a smooth surface, knead dough for 3 minutes. 

Roll the dough away from you, grab it and slap it back towards you, 

pinching the dough lightly where it hits the floured surface creating 

a side seam. Next, with a rolling pin, roll dough to 15x7-inch rectangle. 

Spread ~2 tablespoons butter over dough. In small bowl,

mix 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle

evenly over butter.

Starting with 15-inch side, roll up dough tightly; pinch

edge of dough into roll to seal. Cut into 12 slices; place cut

side down in pan over topping. Cover loosely with plastic

wrap; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45

minutes.

Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover dough; bake 30 to 35

minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 1 minute. Place

heatproof serving platter or tray upside down onto pan;

immediately turn platter and pan over. Remove pan.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

1 Roll: Calories 420 (Calories from Fat 180); Total Fat 20g (Saturated Fat 10g); 

Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 310mg; Potassium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 6g