Lucy’s Tamale Sauce

• 1/2 C. roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 C. roasted sesame seeds
• 4 oz. New Mexico chiles, dried and soaked (use California chiles if you want milder sauce)
• 4 oz. chili ancho (optional), dried, and soaked
• Large can tomatoes (add more if needed)
• veggie broth
• 1/2 C. olive oil

Remove seeds from chiles and discard; boil peppers in water for five to ten minutes. Grind the pumpkin and sesame seeds very finely.  Add to blender with chiles, olive oil, tomatoes. Blend well with enough veggie broth to taste, about 1-2 cups. Pour mixture into a saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes on low. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The true Guatemalan tamales call for banana leaves, which you can find in a Mexican grocery in the freezer department.  If you do not have such a grocer, you can use parchment paper encased in aluminum foil. The traditional corn husks can also be used; they are shown here because I did not have time to get to the specialty grocers, tied with string.  The exterior is just to hold all the goodness together and is not mandatory, but it is better to use the traditional coverings if you can find them.  Use whatever you can find because it all works just fine.  For the traditional Guatemalan tamales, the masa is cooked, but it is not necessary to do so.  I mixed the Masa in a large stockpot, along with the veggie broth and olive oil, and it turned out great. The consistency is like a fluffy cookie dough. If you do decide to cook the masa, I would suggest using a large wooden dowel because it can bend other utensils.

Making the Masa

• 5 lbs. masa
• 1 cup olive oil
• pot of boiling veggie broth to mix with masa, cooled slightly

Put some of the veggie broth into a large pot to mix.  Add the masa and the oil, along with the veggie broth, alternating and stirring until the mixture is like fluffy cookie dough. When the mixture is cooled and ready, form into small patties, add the filling and top with tamale sauce.  Cover with masa and fold into softened corn husk (washed and soaked for 30 minutes, then drained), folding the ends like a package. Tie with string.  Place into a large cauldron with a steamer in the bottom and water to the top of the steamer basket.  Cover with wet towels and steam on medium heat (turn down in necessary) for 90 minutes.

For the alternate filling, I used black beans, garlic, corn and green chiles with some of the tamale sauce, but I now have Lucy’s recipe for spinach and corn filling that I will try next time. Make the tamale sauce a day ahead, or buy prepared sauce if time is short.  The whole process was simple and not nearly as messy as I expected; I just cleaned up as I went along. It is a little time consuming. I would suggest making the sauce one day and then the masa and the assembly another. It took me over two hours to assemble them, but it left me enough for about 40 tamales, which will keep me stocked up for months.  (Well, for weeks, anyway. I really love these!)

Guatemalan Filling

• 1 green olive
• 1 pitted prune
• 2 blanched whole almonds
• cooked carrots and potatoes (optional)

Mexican Filling

• 2 bunches spinach
• fresh corn
• chiles (Ortega (mild) or Anaheim (spicy)
• roasted red peppers, cut into strips
• pinch episote (optional)

Wash, drain, and chop the spinach.  Remove corn from 2 or 3 stalks of corn. Clean and de-seed the chiles, wash and chop. Mix together and fill into the masa, using tamale sauce to cover. Lucy calls the Anaheim chiles “Fullerton” chiles after living in Southern California for awhile. It is all O.C. (Orange County)!

Serve them with fresh salsa and a salad, beans, or rice for a full meal. They can be reheated in the microwave easily, and transport well for lunchboxes or for taking to a potluck.  Best of all, they are usually very well received, because not everyone is willing to take the time to make them. I had two relatives here asking for them before they were done steaming, and they were Asian, Caucasian and omnivores!  They are great for parties because they can be made ahead and seem to please every taste.

My sister created this wonderful recipe for her family and shared it with me, so I could share it with all of you. I test drove it by my son’s family and it got two thumbs up.

• 4 or 5 medium/large potatoes, peeled
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 oz diced green chiles
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 28-oz. green enchilada sauce
• 1 small can chopped olives
• shredded soy cheese (optional)

Steam peeled potatoes for 10-15 minutes – not too soft. Drain and cool. Put the oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onion.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  Add potatoes and cook until a little crisp. Add more oil as needed.  Remove from heat; add the green chiles and stir.

Heat the enchilada sauce in a pan until warm.  Soak the tortillas in the warm sauce and place in an oiled pan.  Place filling in center of tortilla, roll, and place in pan, opening side down.  Place olives and cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes. (I used a topping of nutritional yeast, ground nuts and salt.)

Serve with fresh salsa (chopped tomatoes, cilantro, onions, green chili peppers), and rice or beans. A green salad would be a nice textural balance, too.

Per 2 enchiladas

This is a vintage recipe my sister gave me.  I veganized it, of course, and modified it slightly.  It is a quick and easy type of meal, and the nutrition is very good. If you like things spicy, I would suggest adding minced chile pepper or hot sauce to the filling, as it is very mild.  Served with brown rice and a salad, it provides a solid, balanced meal.

6 corn tortillas

1 can (15-oz) red enchilada sauce (low salt variety)

1 small can (6 oz) tomato sauce (no salt added)

1 can (15-oz) small red kidney beans (no salt added)

1 small can olives, chopped or sliced

3 sprigs of green onions, whites and greens, chopped

1/2 pkg grated soy cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

salt, pepper to taste

I was keeping the sodium low, but you can use regular types of beans and sauce if you are not concerned about it.  Mix the two sauces together and add the seasonings.  Put it into a medium sized pan,  just large enough to fit a corn tortilla.  Heat to very warm before using. Dredge the tortillas in the sauce long enough for them to become pliable, but not so long they fall apart. I use some gentle tongs but support them with a spatula underneath when lifting them out of the sauce.

Meanwhile, mix the beans, olives, and green onions; add about 3 oz. of grated soy cheese.  Put the warmed, dredged tortilla in the baking pan and add a couple spoonfuls of the bean mixture to the center, in a long stripe.  Roll the enchilada around the filling and put the sealing side face down in the pan.  Continue with all six tortillas.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly and bubbly.  Place more soy cheese and some sliced green onion tips on top before serving.

Per serving (2 enchiladas)

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1 large head lettuce, shredded

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, cubed

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained

4 oz. soy cheese shreds

4 oz. soy crumbles (ground round substitute), heated and cooled

Toss together chopped onion, tomatoes and lettuce.  Add kidney beans, soy cheese and avocado pieces.  Add soy crumbles and toss gently.

You may add 4 oz. corn chips if you want some crunch and your diet permits.  For dressing, try using some soy mayo with a little salsa.

Nutritional information is for salad only, without corn chips or dressing.