Archives for March 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tamale Filling:

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced

3 tomatillos, quartered

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

2 dried pasilla peppers, stemmed and seeded.

1 white onion, minced

Pinch of Black Pepper

Pinch of Sea Salt

3/4 pound pork tenderloin

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Directions:
Place first 9 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chopped. In a crockpot, place the pork tenderloin, chicken broth, and chopped mixture. Cook for 8 hours on low. Turn off crockpot and allow to cool some before filling the tamales.

Masa:

2 cups masa flour

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

12 dried corn husks

Directions:
Prepare the masa mixture by combining all ingredients with a wooden spoon and mixing until the mixture clumps together. Add broth as necessary to make the masa pliable. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for a minute. Divide the masa mixture into 8 equal balls.

Rinse the corn husks. Pat dry and keep covered with a warm damp towel. Tear two or three corn husks into 1/4 inch strips to use for ties. You will need 8 corn husks for the tamales—the other four can be used to make the tie strips.

Flatten the corn husk on a flat surface. With a spoon or spatula spread one ball of dough over the husk leaving about a 1-inch margin on all sides. You may need to sprinkle some warm chicken broth to the masa to make it more pliable and easier to spread. Add about 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling to the center. Roll up lengthwise into a cylinder and wrap with the corn husk. Secure the ends by tying with a strip of husk on either end. Repeat with remaining dough, filling the remaining husks.

Place the tamales in a steamer basket (I use a bamboo steamer basket) and set over a large, full stock pot of boiling water. Steam the tamales between 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked.
Check frequently and replenish water as needed. Remove steamer basket from stockpot and set aside to cool.

May top with some extra sauce filling, pico de gallo and/or reduced fat sour cream (optional)

Servings: 4 (two tamales per person) * Calories Per Serving: 317 * Fat: 7.7 g * Carb: 23.2 g * Fiber 3.3 * Protein: 36.7 g * Sugar: 1.3 g * Sodium: 473 mg * Cholesterol: 83 mg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seasoned Steak:

16 ounce lean sirloin steak

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Onion powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
Mix the seasonings in a small container. Rub steak with the olive oil and then sprinkle both sides with the seasonings. Preheat outdoor or indoor grill. Grill the steak 4-5 minutes on one side, turn, and then 3-5 on the other for medium rare, another 5 minutes for medium well, or another 8 minutes for well done (how I normally like mine). Remove from grill and set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

Servings: 4 * Calories Per Serving: 223 * Fat: 8.3 g * Carb: 0.4 g * Protein: 34.5 g * Sodium: 222 mg * Cholesterol: 101 mg

Chimichurri:

1/2 small shallot, minced

1 red Fresno chili pepper, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 small garlic clove, pressed

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flake

Directions:
Add all the ingredients to a food processors and process until smooth.

Servings: 4 * Calories Per Serving: 83 * Fat: 7.1 g * Carb: 4.5 g * Fiber 0.5 * Protein: 0.9 g * Sugar: 0.9 g * Sodium: 126 mg * Cholesterol: 0 mg