Mexican food night.

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corazon90 said:
Looks good tg! I really like how the website lays it all out and has lots of pictures. I'll print that out to help me along for sure. We'll be able to compare notes since we're making the same thing. What a major production though! I'll have to go by Target and get a steamer that will fit in my large pot.

I like the site too, because of the pictures and easy reading directions.
They did a great job on it.
I don't even have a big enough pot. All I have is a 5 qt. :LOL:
I need a big one so that I can make a bunch and freeze some for later too.
I just don't want to spend an arm and a leg:-p
 
Hey texasgirl-
Why is it my recipe says to cook for 45 mins and yours says 2 hours? Seems like it makes about the same amount of tamales, why such a big difference between cooking times? My recipe also says I can cook them in a pressure cooker, but I have no idea how to do that.
 
No clue.??? I've never made them before, myself.
Maybe it's the difference in the meat?
 
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Mexican Stuffed Peppers

This recipe just came to me out of the blue when we were eating tacos one day. I thought, "if only I had something different to hold all this good stuff together. We love it.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

6 large sweet bell peppers
1 can Campbell's Naco Cheese Soup

Filling:
1 lb roll pork sausage
1-1/2 lb lean ground chuck
2 cans fat free refried beans
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 tbl chili powder
8 oz shredded Mexican style cheese
hot sauce to taste

On the side: lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, avacados (opt)
Warmed flour or corn tortillas, or corn chips

Blanch cleaned peppers in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them a bit. Drain upside down on paper towels.
Crumble and brown the sausage and ground chuck until no pink remains,and drain well in a colander. (I do the browning in a large round bowl in the microwave to save dishes.)
Return meat to bowl, combine with remaining ingredients, and taste for seasoning.
Spoon filling into peppers and place in sprayed baking dish. Pour a can of nacho cheese soup over the top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees till hot and bubbly. If you have extra filling, freeze for later use.
Serve on a bed of lettuce with warmed flour tortillas, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and slices of avacado (opt).
*******
If you don't have the nacho cheese soup on hand, there are several things you can sub. If you like Mexican food, I doubt you need any suggestions from me.
******

Funny thing...Emeril Live is doing a special on Mexican food tonight. It's on right now, here in the midwest.
 
Ok, have talked to the girls, and here is what we've decided on, chicken enchilladas with a green sauce (tomatillios) carnitas tacos, with shredded lettuce,chopped tomatoes,cheese, our avocado dip,onions, my version of chiles rellenos, to begin we are trying a black bean dip that is similar to refried beans, but has bacon,onion,jack cheese, yellow bellpeppers, green onions, chili powder all layerd and baked then served with fried flour tortillas and some jicama slices. We are going to try for the first time some Agua Fresca, Sangrita and mexican coffee..Dessert we will try an orange flan...Thank heavens the girls are gonna help:LOL:
kadesma
 
Hi everyone! Thanks for getting the thread going Texasgirl. I'm so excited knowing that so many of us will be cooking Mexican food this weekend. I'm actually starting my cooking on Friday to get a headstart on my son's 3rd birthday party on Saturday. I've added Mexican lasagna to my menu, aside from the tamales and chicken in mole sauce, Spanish rice and charro beans, salads, pico de gallo and hot, spicy sauces. Enjoy your cooking everyone and we'll be meeting up in here to chat more about everyone's Mexican delicacies. Mmmm, I'm drooling with some you all's stuffed peppers recipes. Here's my recipe:

Chiles Rellenos con Picadillo

Picadillo:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh Mexican oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup tomato paste
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
3 to 6 tablespoons golden raisins
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives, sliced
1/2 to 1 cup crumbled queso blanco

8 large poblano peppers
Vegetable oil, for frying
Flour, for dredging
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, separated
Tomato Ranchero Sauce, recipe follows
To prepare Picadillo: In a large skillet, saute the onion, garlic and bay leaves in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the beef, and continue to cook until the beef is no longer pink; breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in oregano, cloves, and cinnamon. Pour out any excess fat and stir in the tomato paste until thoroughly incorporated. Add chipotles, raisins, almonds, and olives; salt to taste. Remove from heat. When mixture is cool, add cheese and mix well.

Char the flesh of the peppers over a gas flame, under a broiler or on a grill. Alternatively, set a rack over an electric burner or use a very hot heavy frying pan. Cook, turning frequently, until the skins are blistered all over. Take care not to overcook and burn right through the pepper. Put peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sweat for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins. Rub off as much skin as possible and cut a slit along the side of each pepper, keeping the stems and tip intact. Carefully remove the seeds and inner membranes, but do not rinse with water.
Heat 1-inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot. Place flour in a shallow platter and season with salt and pepper. Beat egg whites until foamy, add a pinch of salt, and whip to stiff peaks. Lightly beat the egg yolks and fold into the whites. Stuff the chiles with picadillo, leaving enough room to close the opening. Overlap the seam slightly and gently squeeze closed. Secure with wooden toothpicks if desired. Pat the peppers dry and lightly coat in the seasoned flour. Pick the chile up by its stem and dip into the egg batter, making sure they are well covered, tap off excess. Fry until evenly browned, about 3 minutes each side. The egg burns easily so take care not to cook too long. Drain on paper towels. To serve, ladle a pool of Tomato Ranchero sauce on plates and set chiles rellenos on top, serve immediately.
Tomato Ranchero Sauce:
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Pinch cumin seeds, toasted
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt
Sugar
Dash hot red pepper sauce

Combine and puree the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, cumin, and garlic in a food processor.

Heat the oil in a saucepan or skillet and fry the tomato puree over high flame. Add broth, and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and is heated through. If sauce tastes somewhat bitter, add a pinch of sugar. Sprinkle with a dash of hot red pepper sauce. Sauce may be served hot or cold. Yield: about 2 cups


Alix,
Happy, Happy Birthday to Madeleine! Lots of hugs to her!
 
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Bumped for PA.

Getting started tonight! I hope they turn out good! I'll be doing some experimenting, as they'll be 5 dozen tamales! Some will be a pork, red chile filling and some will be green chile with corn, maybe zuchinni & mont jack, some will be green chile, chicken & cheese (either mont jack or cheddar) and some will be just chicken & cheese (for the kiddo, he's not a big fan of spicy foods yet).
 
I know, I know. I'm a day early but I thought I'd keep you all posted anyway. Just got started. The pork cooked in the slow cooker overnight and is shredding nicely and am about to make the pork meat mixture. Got the husks soaking (2 hours!) and masa halfway done. Guess I should get to work and stop lazing around. dh is really excited about these tamales. I'd better clean out some room in the freezer for my 5 dozen+ tamales. Anyone feel like coming over? I'll have plenty to go around...
 
I can be there in about three hours.
It sounds like you're off to a good start.
Have fun and enjoy.
 
Don't be surprised if it takes 3+ hours for actual steaming before the masa pulls cleanly away from the husk. There are always a few surprises for first-time tamale makings. Keep an eye on them and keep testing! P.S. A pound of husks will yield about 86 tamales including the culls and the ties. I always make tons of extra pork/chicken shred with the seasonings and then use it in taquitos and enchiladas later. Easy to thaw and reheat in whatever recipe.
 
Thanks BlueHeron! That is very helpful. I knew after reading the recipe that it would be an all day project. 3 hours of steaming? I was asking about that earlier, my recipe say 45 minutes but texasgirl's recipe said 2+ hours. I was also wondering how to tell when they are done, thanks for answering that question for me too. Thanks again!
 
You're welcome. Can't wait to hear how they come out! Homemades are so incredible. The down side is that everyone will love them and want more and more and more - it's hard work!
 
Alright, I barely finished putting together the red chile & pork tamales before Callum needed to be fed. My pot is not tall enough to put them in there vertically so I had to place them in the pot horizontal, does this mean I need to rotate them? Or should I not worry? Kitchen is a mess but I still need to make the green chile, chicken & cheese tamales. Will go clean a bit and then make more mess. :)
 
If you have extra husks, fold them over and use to separate between layers. If not, it won't hurt to scoot them around a little, but I usually just stuff mine in and let 'em ride. (And, yes, I understand how your kitchen looks about now:ohmy: ). Remember, the meat's already cooked, you're just going for the husk flavoring and getting the masa done.

Cindy
 
I can't even find a steaming pot:( Waiting for sister to get home and hopefully, she will have one. They are expensive here. The cheapest pot with basket that I can find is $50.
 
I know what you mean. I have to split mine up between pots and really watch the water unless my sister comes down - she has a bunch of gonzo steamer pots that I lust after. I'm waiting to find a good-sized basket for the turkey fryer pot, then I'll just load it up and throw it on the stove.

BTW, how's your lake over there, TG? We're down almost six feet and sitting in the middle of a tinderbox.
 
texasgirl said:
I can't even find a steaming pot:( Waiting for sister to get home and hopefully, she will have one. They are expensive here. The cheapest pot with basket that I can find is $50.

I hear ya tg! I just bought one of those folding steam racks to put in my biggest two pots. They were $6 at Target. I figure I want to know how much I like them before investing in the right equipment.

I just finished the second batch of tamales. They are steaming now. There isn't anyway to overcook them right? I figure just keep steaming them until I'm positive they're done. Dh is really excited, and keeps telling me what a great wife I am. Then I told him, I'd save the dishes for him until he gets home.:LOL: Kitchen should be roped off until I get a fire hose in there! Just kidding, it's not that bad. Dinner should be ready about 7pm and I'll fix some pinto beans too. I ended up making about 3 dozen tamales. I think I made the masa to thick but we'll see but I spread it thin on the husks. We'll like it like that, just a little masa but a lot of filling. I'm hungry now!
 
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