Tag Archives: tamales

I found a new Mexican place!

Posted on March 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Mexican food can be a hard nut to crack in my neck of the woods; there’s actually quite a few mexican establishments lining Central Ave NE, but verifying vegan friendly items in a cuisine pollenated with lard, pork, beef, and chicken stock as flavor enhancers can be difficult. Then Maya Cuisine opened, the 5 star reviews started popping up on line, and a lovely friend passed along the word that she knew the owners, and they made the staples with vegetarians in mind. No lard in the tortillas, no pork swimming in the beans, and no beef or chicken stock in the rice. I was sold!
I went for a fast dinner the other night with the husband, and we got 2 “Maya Plates”; a heap of rice and beans, with your choice of 3 single items- tacos, tostadas, or tamales. We had a savory tamale and a taco each, I had a sweet tamale, and he had a tostada. The tostadas and the sweet tamales were my favorite! I’ve never had a sweet tamale before, but mine was studded with pineapple and raisins and laced with coconut, making it like a cross between a dumpling and cake. Heavenly.
It’s definitely lunch counter style with plenty of seating, so no fancy dates. But the prices are perfect, and the service is fast and staffed by some lovely people.
IMG_6263
My only real complaint is the abundance of styrofoam and disposable paper products- none of our meal was on something reusable, besides the tray.
IMG_6265
Pina con Coco Tamale- the other sweet version had peaches and strawberries, which I’m dying to try!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in can be Gluten Free, field trip!, mexican, restaurant, sweets, tamales

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Tamales and Bloody Mary’s!

Posted on March 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

i mentioned in my carnitas post that i should make tamales, so i did! to be more precise, the hubby and i made 5 dozen tamales, stuffed with jackfruit carnitas, roasted sweet potatoes, and homemade refried beans. we also made roughly 2 quarts of tomatillo sauce. it was sunday, so it seemed only right to drink bloody mary’s all day, but no one carries a vegan and gluten free worcestershire sauce so i had to ad-lib my own! i won’t post a recipe for the sauce as i didn’t jot anything down, i just kind of went for what’s listed as ingredients on the regular stuff and seasoned to taste.

find my carnitas recipe here. 

my favorite tamale dough

filling and steaming how-to’s

tamale party!

* the edamame was for snacking on, although they would probably be delicious in tamales too

sunday, bloody sunday

delicious

i dressed mine up in tomatillo sauce, chipotle tabasco, and guac.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gluten Free, mexican, tamales, whats for dinner?

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Todays Lunch: Microwaved Not-so-Meh!

Posted on March 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

i used to be a HUGE amy’s tamale fan until i learned to make my own- and make lunches at home in general. but today was another one of those days where i had dinner out the night before, and a barren fridge before me, so to the freezer section i ran. when i make tamales at home i almost always make a gallon of Terry Romero’s tomatillo sauce, so i picked up the verde tamales to see how they compared.  as i suspected, they were sweeter, with a very pronounced garlic flavor, and the masa was considerably softer- perhaps to keep them from becoming bricks in the microwave? they’re definitely not what your abuelita` makes, but in a pinch they were definitely tasty.

microwaved food!?

oh, the spanish rice was nothing to write home about, but i find most spanish rice disappointing :/

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gluten Free, todays lunch

Tagged , , ,

Sweet Corn Tamales, perfected

Posted on April 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

Last year i wrote about finally finding La Loma tamales at the state fair, and the delicious sweet corn tamale dough that was used to encase a summer vegetable filling. I tried to replicate the recipe, and had good results but after a second time around i think i have it! or at least i have it the way i like it! yay! since i gave my cooties to my hubby, we needed a weekend activity that involved having fun at home, and my idea of fun always involves food. always. i’ve been working a ton and the hubby is teaching this quarter, so both of us have our fair share of evenings that leave us little or no time to cook. last months pizza bill was embarrassing to say the least, so we took this as a prime opportunity to fill up our freezer with awesome food that could be reheated in a pinch. as of right now, we have 3 pans of enchiladas covered in a cheezy nooch sauce, several dozen tamales, and tons of green tomatillo sauce and red chile sauce from Viva Vegan along with extra sauce from my enchiladas all nestled up and frozen waiting to be consumed. after purging too many unlabeled, freezer-burned soups and oddities from our freezer we finally filled out freezer right; pans of enchiladas were froze first and then covered in oiled aluminum foil before being placed in a heavy duty freezer bag. this way they have extra freezer-burn protection, and the oiled foil makes them immediately oven ready-the foil won’t stick to the glorious cheezy sauce you slaved over! the tamales were allowed to fully cool and then get chilled in the fridge before bagging and tagging. i know this sounds silly but don’t forget to label and date your frozen goodies! you might think you’ll get to all of those meals asap, but trust me, sometimes a carton of coconut bliss gets in the way and by the time you find that old bag of soup you may not want to take your chances at “guess my age?”. to freeze enchiladas, i prepped one recipe each of the quadruple pepper spiked enchiladas and cheezy sauce,  and spread the goodies between 3, 9-inch aluminum cake pans using 9 total tortillas for each pan. to get the tortillas to fit cut 2 of them in half and layer them around the edge of your pan, and plop the last in the center. and as i said before, freeze them in the pan before covering the top in oiled foil-oil side down. this will let the enchiladas fully expand to avoid leaking/exploding.

but anyways-on to the damn tamale dough i promised you!

Improved Sweet Corn Tamale Dough, adapted from Viva Vegan

1, 10oz bag sweet corn kernels

vegetable stock- warmed

2 tsp agave nectar

1/2 c non-hydrogenated vegan vegetable shortening

1/2 c earth balance, or another non-hydrogenated vegan margarine

3 1/2 c masa harina, i use maseca

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp onion powder

 1/2 tsp salt   1 tsp salt

 

cream together the margarine and shortening until fluffy and light and add in the agave, salt, baking powder, onion powder, and the masa. continue to beat on low until a sandy mixture forms. place the corn kernels into a tall measuring cup, and cover with enough vegetable stock to equal 3 cups. place this mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse until partially blended. you definitely want to see little corn bits in here. pour this into your masa mix and beat on low until a moist, pliable dough forms-similar to mashed potatoes. this stuff is the jam for making “white” or plain tamales, and is just as delectable stuffed with whatever your little vegan heart desires. follow my tamale making instructions here for uses.

*one of these days i’ll actually buy a new camera and give you back your food porn!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in can be Gluten Free, Gluten Free, whats for dinner?

Tagged , , ,

Sweet Corn Tamale Dough

Posted on October 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

so, back at the state fair i had the pleasure of eating a la loma tamale, and one of the things that made this tamale extra special (besides being vegan), was the fluffy, slightly sweet, corn studded dough that encased the teeny roasted veggies. it was unlike any other tamale i had ever had before, and it left me craving more. so flash forward to last week, i’m running on a treadmill watching the food network, and a new mexican food show comes on. and they’re making tamales. i’m intrigued, i watch on and  i saw it-the host was pureeing corn and folding it into her batter! but, her tamales were more like cachapas; a high liquid to flour ratio made her tamales un-stuffable, and flat, more like a little corn cake, or dumpling. but i figured, if i can take my dense tamale dough, and pump it up with frozen corn, and add a little extra fat, maybe, just maybe, i could re-create those little la loma gems i love so much. i came close.

Fluffy, Sweet Corn Tamale Dough

makes about 8 dinner sized tamales

2 cups fresh, or thawed frozen corn

1 1/2 c Masa Harina- try Maseca

1 tbs sugar

3/4 baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 c corn oil- unrefined will have a more pronounced corn flavor

8-10 large dried corn husks-available at any mexican grocer

get a steamer basket at the ready and place the husks in a sink of hot water to soften. place the corn kernels in a food processor and pulse into small pieces, but not smooth. place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl or your electric mixer. add the corn, mixing well, and then slowly mix in the oil. now stream in the vegetable stock and beat the dough until light, fluffy, and spread-able. you may not use all of the stock, but i did. heres my first tamale post if you need help with the hands on stuff. fill the tamales with your desired filling, we used some sauteed onion, garlic, pepper, peas and carrot-or go naked! steam for about 45-60 minutes and serve with some spanish rice, a green, and some hot sauce!

 

sweet corn tamales

sweet corn tamales

 


→ 1 Comment

Posted in Gluten Free, whats for dinner?

Tagged ,

Tamales Part 2!

Posted on March 22, 2010 | Leave a comment

I spent the batter half of yesterday making tamales with the hubby, but with new fillings, and a new size; gigantic! i didn’t feel much like rolling a gajillion cigar sized ones, so we made dinner sized ones. we still rolled about fifty, down from last time, which i think was 8 dozen :P we made smoky re-fried beans from scratch, a crazy spicy indian lentil dal-because we’re crazy like that, and a super duper yummy mole spiced mock duck. i called those ones tamoles, get it!? use the same dough recipe, found here http://midwestvaygun.wordpress.com/tag/mexican/ and make sure to halve it before putting it in your mixer, or you will have a mess! half of the dough will make 32 small/medium tamales, in case you were curious.

TAMOLES! OLE!

makes 16

1 lb seitan, or mock duck, or veggie crumbles (TVP if you’re gluten free). diced.

1/4 c vegetable stock

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbs peanut butter

1.5 tbs Penzey’s Chili 9000*

in a cast iron skillet, saute the onions in a few tablespoons corn, or canola oil until beginning to soften. add the garlic and the seitan and brown. add the chili powder and cook until starting to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. add the stock to deglaze, and turn down to a simmer. cook for another 5 minutes. toss into a food processor with the peanut butter and pulse until crumbly and combined. let cool slightly before using. also makes a great enchilada or taco filling!

*find it here:http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyschili9000.html

Slow and Smoky Re-Fried Beans

makes a ton, use half now and freeze half for later if necessary

1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked over night

1, 2 inch piece kombu (softens and flavors the beans)

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/4 vegetable stock

2 tbs earth balance, or corn oil

salt to taste

place beans in a 4qt or larger crock pot and fill 3/4 of the way up with water. add the kombu and bay leaves. cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 3. remove kombu and bay leaves. drain well and mash immediately with the stock, soy, oil, and smoke. add salt to taste. let cool to room temp before using.

Curried Lentil Dal

makes about 3 cups of filling

1 cup lentils, red green or brown. this also works with split peas!

2 1/2 c vegetable stock

1 tbs yellow curry powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c onion diced

1 clove garlic minced

saute onion in a tbs oil until soft. add the garlic and cook until fragrant. place everything into a small 1qt crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours, and then low for another hour. the dal should be thick and creamy, and you can add more stock or water as needed to adjust consistency. just like the other filling, let this cool a bit before using.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in can be Gluten Free, Gluten Free, whats for dinner?

Tagged , , , , ,

Midwest Vaygun: Vegan MN State Fair Edition

Posted on September 7, 2009 | 1 Comment

it’s 9:30 p.m., i’ve just put on my jammies and propped my feet up on the couch. all i can say is holy effing fair batman. i just spent about 7 or 8 hours at “the great minnesota get together” other wise known as the minnesota state fair. i didn’t think i would actually go as i only remembered cooped up animals giving birth and all you can drink milk but here i am, belly bloated and wiped out. the best part about the fair is the people watching, here’s a few oddities from the crowd:

1. a pregnant woman getting pushed in a wheelchair, while smoking.

2. winter boots on numerous people (it was 83 degrees)

3. live spaying and neutering of animals (seriously!? wtf?)

4. the guy who came up to me and started pulling up his shirt to show me “some tats!” barf. barf. barf.

5. too many people over the age of 8 with “fairdos”, hair shellacked in colored glitter hair spray that’s teased out in a ponytail. the average ages i saw wearing them were 7 and 55.

before i went to the fair i looked up a few other blogs that listed vegan food options and was impressed with the amount of items i saw listed. sadly, a few that were listed by others as vegan turned out to be not vegan, or couldn’t be found.

item not vegan (but rumored to be)

veggie fries: veggie roll and fries, the man operating the counter said the batter was soy based but contained dairy. maybe he was confused?

vegan state fair food we didn’t try: (don’t hate, we were full)

fried pickle slices. they claimed the batter dry mix was free of whey, egg and dairy and is mixed with beer before the pickles are dipped and fried in corn oil.they had the dry mix for sale but it did not have an ingredient listing on the package.

La Lomas Tamales: sadly,this  could not be found. we looked so hard we spent 7.5 hours at the fair! :( i really was craving a tamale.

vegetarian bean burrito: we didnt see it, but its supposedly located in the food building

sweeties and ??: oven baked sweet potato fries. if i realized that they were there i definitely would have skipped the regular fires for these. they sound super good.

sno cones/hawaiian shaved ice: they’re everywhere.

large soft pretzel: my sister found vegan ones, but we didn’t. we also only stopped at one pretzel stand and it was “apple lils” so you can skip that one in your search.

vegan state fair food we ate!!!! OMG!

the best part of going with someone is that you can share everything giving you a chance to try more stuff!

Holy Land: international bazaar. we had the mini falafel balls with tahini sauce. they are super fluffy and crunchy and the tahini sauce was perfect, not too garlicky.

falafel from holy land

falafel from holy land

cinnamon roasted almonds: international bazaar. not too sweet or hard but taste best when still warm.

DSCF4378

1919 root beer: by the food building. not the best, not the worst. full of bees, so buyer beware.

DSCF4388

tornado potato: food building. a whole spiral cut potato fried on a stick. not as thin as a chip, not as thick as a fry. the texture was awesome and they’re not super greasy.DSCF4389

fresh roasted corn:by the grandstand. my absolute favorite item. i guess butter free is a super popular item  so don’t be surprised when they have a bunch already waiting for you :)

love.

love.

fresh cut french fries: there are 2 of them floating around. decent, but i would have rather held out for sweet potato fries. these could have also been a lot crispier.

DSCF4399friespickle on a stick: they’re everywhere!

island noodles: international bazar. a huge wok full of buckwheat soba noodles, veggies and a “special sauce” that is free of fish/oyster sauce and eggs. one carton is more than enough for two and tasted like fried rice and lo mein had a baby.

DSCF4406DSCF4408

kettle corn: heritage square. this was the best way to end our night, lemonade and warm kettle corn. DSCF4423

when it was all said and done, i learned a few things from my all day fair excursion:

wear sneakers i seriously saw way to many people in ill fitting heels (!) and flip flops getting their feet stepped on. we also parked a mile away to avoid parking fees so even though i wore sneaks, i was still stiff and sore.

dress comfy i think this would be self explanitory but i saw ladies lookin like they were ready for the club

bring a camera because people are hilarious and you need documentation. everybody’s doing it

see you next year!

see you next year!

p.s. if any of the food recommendations turn out otherwise, or if you know of some other vegan* items at the fair, please let me know in the comments section:)

*free of dairy, eggs, meat, fish, by-products such as whey or gelatin and preferably fried in oil not used for meat or cheese.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in field trip!, whats for dinner?

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,