Tofu Scramble

This morning, I made the tofu scramble recipe posted in the last entry. It was delicious! It was actually better than I had anticipated. Lucas even thought it was eggs. He liked it too. :) This is definitely going to be a regular occurrence for weekend brunch. Mmmmm.

P.S. Served with some grits and cinnamon toast. Mmm.

Going all the way...............

It's getting to the point that I am totally grossed out by all meat.

I was eating fish (e.g. see two recipes below), but that is an increasingly rare occurrance. I bought some tuna fish to make some tuna salad for lunch and I couldn't bring myself to eat it. I just had to throw it away. I wasted $1.99. I hate that. Thank goodness I also bought myself a yummy indian veggie microwave meal. I guess I'll give the other two cans to Lucas for lunch this week. yuck.

I also looked up some not-so-good facts about eggs. I really haven't concerned myself with cholesterol levels of foods because I eat mostly vegetarian (like 90% of the time). I do, however, enjoy eggs on the weekends for brunch. It seems that women really shouldn't eat more than 300mg cholesterol per day and a single egg has 220mg of cholesterol in it! ick.

Maybe I will try to make a tofu scramble this weekend. Of course, the occasional indulgence is OK ... and I probably don't come anywhere near 300mg per day on most days, but still ... I want to enjoy old age and travel my arse off!

So ... this tofu scramble sounds good and it doesn't call for nutritional yeast like most other tofu scramble recipes. (I am too lazy to search for this ingredient because I will rarely use it.)

Curried Tofu Scramble with Spinach
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 countainer firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, diced
1 bunch fresh spinach

Preparation:
Sautee the garlic and onion in olive oil in a large skillet. Allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion turns soft. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and cook, stirring frequently for another 5 minutes or so, until tofu is hot and cooked, adding more oil if needed.
Add spinach and cook a minute or two, just until wilted, stirring well.
Makes two servings of tofu scramble.

Nutritional Information:
Calories per serving: 236, Calories from Fat: 96
Total Fat: 10.6g, Saturated Fat: 2.0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 166mg
Total Carbohydrates: 21.7g, 7% daily value
Dietary Fiber: 8.3g, 33%
Protein: 21.0g
Vitamin A 340% RDA, Vitamin C 116%, Calcium 55%, Iron 9%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Recipe Source: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/curriedscramble.htm

Lychee Martini

Photo source: Flickr

Ingredients:
1 can of lychees in heavy syrup
Your favorite vodka (mine is VOX)
Some ice

Method:
Put ice in a martini shaker, add 2.5 oz vodka, 2 oz of the syrup from the can of lychees, and shake. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a lychee on a cocktail stick.

These are trouble. Delicious and easy to make.

Israeli Couscous ... and a Pumpkin Pie

I made the Israeli Couscous with Pistachios and Apricots from Veganomicon (p.117). It was delicious!
Note if you live in Brooklyn: I got my couscous at Sahadis on Atlantic Ave.

I also made a pumpkin pie!

I don't usually bake, but I was feeling especially crafty last night.
I made the traditional pumpkin pie from Martha Stewart Living, Nov 2008, p.82.

1 9" pie crust
1 (15oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
pinch of ground cloves
Whipped cream for topping

♥ Preheat oven to 325°F
♥ Whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, eggs, milk, and a pinch of ground cloves.
♥ Pour mixture into pie crust
♥ Bake for about 50 minutes

Yes, my boyfriend is spoiled. haha.

Fresh Dill-Basmati Rice and Pumpkin Saag

I made the fresh dill-basmati rice (p.116) and pumpkin saag (p.184) from Veganomicon last night!

Both were delicious. I added a bit more lemon juice on top of my rice once I had it on my plate because I really love lemon. I'll also add more cayenne pepper to the saag the next time I make it 'cause I love spice!

I'd never cooked a fresh pumpkin before (!!!) so it was really fun roasting it and seeing how fresh cooked pumpkin tastes compared to canned pumpkin. It was delightful. Plus, this was a fun twist on saag paneer which I make on occasion.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping

I made the Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from p.194 in Veganomicon last night.

It's heavenly! ... and I really do think the cashew ricotta tastes like cheese. It was a little time consuming, but the result is definitely worth it. It's such amazing comfort food. Mmm mmm good. I'll definitely be making this again.

I think Lucas liked it. hee hee.


Here's a pic of a praying mantis that decided to land on a sheet I was drying outside this past August. :) (I just found this picture again when I was uploading these last night.)

White Bean Aioli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Curried Carrot Spread

It looked like this, but I'm no good at taking pictures, so I got these thanks to google image search. haha



The white bean aioli is a combo of the white bean aioli in Veganomicon and one I found here on recipezaar.com.

I used two cans of great northern beans, some chopped rosemary, re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients over at the recipezaar recipe.
I added more garlic and oil though (more like Veganomicon's recipe) ... 3 cloves of garlic.
Then I processed everything in my food processor. It is friggin' delicious! I used some pita to dip... Mmmm.

I also made the curried carrot spread on p.62 of Veganomicon. It is REALLY good. Go buy this book; you will thank me.
I think next time, I'm going to throw a can of cannellini beans into the carrot spread to give it a smoother texture. Mmm mmm good.

Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas

This is delicious! It's healthy, inexpensive, and easy too!



Ingredients:
extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions:
♥ Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
♥ Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute.
♥ Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt.
♥ Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Source: http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Indian_Spiced_Kale_and_Chickpeas.aspx

Barley with Butternut Squash, Apples and Onions

*Happy Fall!
*I made this last night. It's delicious, cheap to make, low fat, and good for you! yay!



Ingredients

3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cup butternut squash, diced
1 cup onion(s), chopped
1/2 cup sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 medium apple(s), peeled, cored, diced
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium vegetable broth

Directions

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; add barley. Cover saucepan and simmer barley until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add squash, onion and red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are browned and almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in apple, garlic, thyme, black pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes; stir in broth, scraping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Stir in cooked barley; toss over low heat to mix and coat. Remove from heat and serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe Source: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=402621

Salade de carottes à l'eau de fleur d’oranger

Salade de carottes à l'eau de fleur d’oranger
(aka Carrot Salad with Orange Blossom Water)



I made this Moroccan dish last night to accompany some salmon that I put on the BBQ. I loved it, but Lucas didn't like the scent of the orange blossom water. He said it smelled like perfume and not something he should eat. Ah well.

I thought it was delicious!

Ingredients :

600g of carrots (1.3 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons orange blossom water (purchased at local Indian grocer)
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
frech chopped flat leaf parsley and cilantro leaves to garnish

Method:
Peel the carrots and cut them in half and lengthwise. Put them in a pot with just enough water to cover them, 1/2 the garlic, and the sugar. Boil until just tender. Drain.
While the carrots are boiling, mix together the olive oil, orange blossom water, remaining garlic, and pepper. Return the carrots to the pot with this mixture and sauté over low heat for a few minutes to combine the flavors.
Remove from heat, put in a serving dish, and mix with the chopped parsley and cilantro.

Yummy. Yum. Yum.

Recipe and Picture Source: http://www.la-cuisine-marocaine.com/recettes/entrees-froides-173.html

Two things that make me happy ...

Beers ... and a quick veggie patty melt!


So, there's a Polish supermarket a couple of blocks from my house that has a beer section that is just awe-inspiring. ;) They have beers from nearly every country in the world that makes beer. They even had the beer I had in Casablanca, Morocco (pictured above)! I also picked up the Zywiec Porter which is a delightful brown-sugary dark beer with 9.5% alcohol. tee hee hee.

I made this delicious, quick, and low-fat veggie patty melt for dinner yesterday to accompany my Casablanca beer.

I was quite pleased with the results.

Ingredients:
1 Boca® burger patty (or other veggie patty)
1 yellow onion, sliced in thin strips
olive oil to fry onion
1 slice 2% white American cheese
2 slices bread
mustard

Preparation:
1. Sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil until it's brown. Mmm.
2. Microwave your veggie patty and toast your bread
3. Spread mustard on toast and layer burger, cheese, onions.
4. Serve with your fave side and a nice cold beer.

MMmmmmm.

Blueberry Yogurt Bran Muffins!

Lower fat and delicious! I made these on Saturday morning and after having a bunch of friends over on Saturday night - they were gone!

Recipe Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/86793

Ingredients:
400 g any flavour yogurt (about 14 oz ... I used low fat plain)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar (increase to 1 cup if you prefer sweeter muffins)
2 large eggs
1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup apple sauce)
2 cups natural bran (not cereal, the real wheat bran)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (can be white or whole wheat)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup blueberries (I always use about 2 cups, I like lots of blueberries in my muffins)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with Pam.
3. Measure yogurt into medium bowl and mix in baking soda, it will foam and it is supposed too; set aside.
4. In a large bowl beat together sugar, eggs and oil.
5. Add bran and vanilla.
6. In a separate bowl mix together flour and baking powder.
7. Gradually add the flour and yogurt mixtures alternately to the sugar mixture.
8. Fold in blueberries.
9. Bake 20-35 minutes.
10. Makes 12 very large muffins or 18 large muffins. (For real - It made 12 good size muffins and an entire tray of the mini muffins! yay!)

Vegetarian Crock Pot Lasagna

Easy and delicious! Load it up and forget it!

I made this last night and it was pretty darn good. I used an extra can of tomatoes in mine and added some italian spices. I set the crock pot on low for 2 hrs 40 minutes. Yum!

Ingredients
1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend or 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup frozen veggie crumbles (Like Boca, etc)

Directions
1. In medium bowl, combine marinara sauce and tomatoes with their juice.
2. Spray 4.5-6 quart slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Spoon 1 cup tomato-sauce mixture into bowl.
4. Arrange 1/4 of noodles over sauce, overlapping noodles and breaking into large pieces to cover as much sauce as possible.
5. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce over noodles, then top with 1/2 cup ricotta, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
6. Spread half of spinach over cheese.
7. Repeat layering 2 more times beginning with noodles, but in middle layer, replace spinach with frozen crumbles. Place remaining noodles over spinach, then top with remaining sauce and shredded cheese.
8. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low 2.5 to 3 hours or on high 1.5 to 1.75 hours, or until noodles are very tender.

Recipe Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/204366

BANDHAKOPIR DALNA (BENGALI CABBAGE CURRY)

I made this last night. It's one of my favorite cheap recipes because, if you already have the spices, you really just have to buy a head of cabbage (uber cheap at less than $3) and some ginger. I usually skip the potatoes and serve this over basmati rice with some sour cream on top. Yummmmmmmmmmm.

Ingredients:
1 lb cabbage, sliced finely
2 potatoes, cut in small cubes
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp turmeric
1 1/4 to 2 tsp green chili paste (I substitute with THAI KITCHEN brand green curry paste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 inch ginger grated
1 tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Method:
♥ Fry cubed potatoes in hot oil in a wok until lightly browned. Remove from oil and keep aside.
♥ To the hot oil add cabbage. Sprinkle with salt.
♥ Stir and cover. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove cover.
♥ Add the turmeric, chili paste, cumin, coriander and ginger. Stir and fry until the spices are well blended with the cabbage.
♥ The cabbage should be nearly cooked at this stage.
♥ Add 1/2 cup water and add potatoes. Adjust salt and add sugar to taste.
♥ Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked and there is practically no gravy in the pan.
♥ In a frying pan, heat butter. Add the bay leaves and garam masala. Stir fry a couple of minutes and pour over bandhakopir dalna.
♥ Stir the cabbage and remove from heat.
Recipe Source: http://festivals.iloveindia.com/durga-puja/cabbage-curry.html

Help needed! Cancer sucks!

Click the link below to donate to someone's personal monetary needs as she deals with stage IV cancer.
I'm a grad student now, so I couldn't give much, but something is better than nothing!

---

This is an appeal on behalf of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here: http://figswithbri.com/.

Déjeuner sur l’herbe avec Anna

My friend Anna and I lunched in Prospect Park on Saturday. The weather was lovely and we saw lots of cool dogs. I would have liked to take pictures of the dogs, but I always feel weird snapping photos in front of the owners. :)

I made some brie, pear, fancy lettuce, and balsamic vinagrette sandwiches along with a mango/cannellini/cilantro/lime juice/red onion/yellow tomato salad.

I even went to the French bakery to get fresh bread in the morning. Oh là là!
It was quite yummy. :)



I think Anna liked it. heh.

Nopalitos!

Eureka! I found nopalitos at the Associated Supermarket near my apartment!



I think I'm going to make breakfast burritos con nopalitos for dinner one night this week.

Post to follow! ;)

---

Edit: Nopalitos con Huevos! Dinner on 5/20/08



Nopalitos sort of taste like mildly spicy peppers. Mmm. So, they went really well with eggs.

I made some breakfast burritos with them ... which included:
2 baking potatoes (diced and steamed before put in the frying pan to toast)
4 eggs
tortillas
some jarred nopalitos
cheese
onion (diced and sautéed in a little oil with the potatoes)
salsa
some leftover chopped fresh basil and parsley

I scrambled the eggs and threw everything else in there with them ... and wrapped it all up in tortillas. Yum.

Pics from my bday and our trip to AZ

Click here to see the slideshow:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vm4isqm.944xwru2&x=0&y=-l4h9gr&localeid=en_US

Polenta with Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes

Last night I felt like having some polenta. I never really cooked polenta before except to microwave it and throw some spaghetti sauce on it. *ick* ... I know ...

I really need to get better at taking pictures of the yummy things I make. We ate it before any pictures were snapped, but it was so simple to make and delicious that I had to share. Maybe I'll make it again tonight and take a picture this time. *laugh*

It looked very much like this though...


Ingredients for Polenta with Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes:
♥ 1 tube polenta (I used non-flavored, fat free, plain)
♥ 1 box fresh cherry tomatoes
♥ 1 red onion
♥ bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
dried oregano
dried basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method:
♥ Cut cherry tomatoes in half, cut polenta up into small cubes, and thinly slice onion.
♥ Put some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
♥ Throw cut cherry tomatoes, onion, and polenta in a sauté pan.
♥ Heat through for a few minutes and then add oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to taste.
♥ Sauté ingredients for about 10 minutes and then fold in chopped parsley.
♥ Sauté for another few minutes and eat! Yummmmmm.

Image of tube of polenta in case you're curious...

Baigan Bharta

HAPPY MAY! Now if only the 40°F weather would go away. ;)
Tonight I'm making Baigan Bharta (an Indian roasted eggplant dish) with a spiced beet salad or chana chaat (cold spiced chickpea salad).

I haven't cooked much since my move because the majority of my spices and whatnot were still at my old place. The move is finally done. Damn, I hate moving. =( Once Lucas and I get our own place, I am staying put for a long time.

Baigan Bharta

image source = http://ruchii-madhu.blogspot.com/

Ingredients for Baigan Bharta:
2 large Baigan (eggplant)
1 large onion, cut into slices
1 can of diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 inch peeled ginger, chopped fine
Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Amchur (mango powder) - 1/2 teaspoon (can be found in Indian grocers)

Method for Baigan Bharta:
♥Wash Baigan (eggplant), brush the skin with olive oil, prick skin with knife, and roast at 400°F until collapsed
♥Remove the skin of the eggplant
♥Mash the insides of the Baigan (eggplant) with a fork and juices into a pulp.
♥Heat the oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, let them splutter.
♥Add onions and salt fry till onions are clear.
♥Add chopped garlic and the chopped tomatoes.
♥Fry together for a minute
♥Add coriander powder, red chilli amchur and Turmeric powder. Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes.
♥Add mashed Baigan (eggplant). Stir and sauté on medium heat until flavors are combined.
♥Enjoy Baigan Bharta with basmati rice and/or naan. Mmm.

**recipe from http://www.indian-food-recipe.com/content/view/163/74/

Update 5/2/08:This was delicious! I made some cucumber raita and a spiced chickpea salad to go with it. Mmm

Tomato Couscous with Capers

I made the tomato couscous with capers from Veganomicon last night. It was delicious!

I think I should go lighter on the capers next time though. I love capers, so I was a little more generous than the recipe called for ...

We ate it up so fast that I didn't get a chance to take a picture. =)

Veganomicon.

It has arrived!

*whoo hoo*
The hardest part will be trying to figure out what to cook first. yay!

What a full book for less than $20! I'm very impressed. There's even a recipe for Brooklyn Diner Macaroni Salad. Mmm. Fresh dill basmati rice with chard and chickpeas ... Tomato couscous with capers ... Oh the joy ...

Oh dear ... I think I've eaten too many beets this week.
I roasted some on Sunday and I got a little too excited about that. I ate beet salad for lunch and dinner yesterday and for lunch today. haha
Ok. Something else for lunch tomorrow ... definitely.

My throat is sore. I doubt that has anything to do with the beets though. bah.

HAPPY LEAP YEAR!

Valentine's Day 2008 was lots of fun. We went to KORHOGO 126 on Union Street. That place is to die for ...
Flowers equal a happy woman. *grin* Words to live by ...


This week, I cooked with panch phoran for the first time. *ugh* SOOOO good.
Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran* (vegan)

1 1/2 cups masoor dal or red lentils (I used channa dal [yellow lentils] because that’s what I had on hand.)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon canola oil (or canola oil spray)
1 tablespoon panch phoran
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger paste (or 1 tsp. minced ginger)
16 ounces diced tomatoes (or 1 can)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (I steam mine for 8 mins before hand, but that is optional)
1/2 cup water

Pick over and rinse the lentils and soak them in 3 cups of warm water for 1 hour.
Drain and add them to a pot with the 4 cups water and turmeric. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. When done, add salt and set aside.

While the dal is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick. When hot, add the canola oil and shake it to spread it around. Add the panch phoran and stir. (You may instead use oil spray; spray before and after adding the panch phoran.) When the first seed pops, immediately add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger paste. Stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and some water, and stir. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes.

When the dal and cauliflower are both done, add the dal to the cauliflower mixture. Stir well, and check seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Simmer gently for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve hot, over rice if desired.

Recipe from: (There are also additional recipes using this spice here.)
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/01/cauliflower-dal-with-panch-phoran.html

* The spelling of this spice blend varies.

The results:

I served the above over couscous and I also made my secret beet salad. *yum*

Photos from our trip to Morocco!

Link to Photo Album:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vm4isqm.6esaimh6&x=0&y=dig0zv

Vegetarian Tamales!

Yesterday, I devoted the afternoon and early evening to making tamale from scratch.
Tamales are not easy to make and they're a bit labor intensive, but they're soooo worth it!

They came out pretty damn good. I have to say that I am proud.
Thanks to The PPK's show on tamales, I was well-informed. ;)

First, I bought the ingredients:
* MASECA brand masa harina (special corn flour that's been treated with lime)
* CRISCO (gross, I know, but you need to add some fat ... at least it's vegetable fat [it's actually vegan!])
* Corn husks to wrap them (I bought them dry in a bag)
* Veggie broth (I buy boxed rather than make my own)
and filling ingredients:
* 4 ears corn
* 1 onion
* 1 bag shredded Mexican blend cheese
* 1 can chipotle peppers in Adobo

Then, I steamed the ears of corn for 10 mins and sautéed the onion until it was nice and brown.
Once it had cooled a bit, I cut the corn off the cob and cut up the chipotles.
WARNING: Chipotles are hot. I usually wear gloves to cut up hot peppers, but I forgot this time and my hands suffered badly.
They were in a lot of pain and it took about 5 good washes until they were better. =(

Then I made the dough by combining 4 cups of the masa harina, 1.25 cups of CRISCO,
and 4 cups of heated veggie broth by hand. (It's messy, but I enjoyed it. heh)

Then I boiled the dry corn husks until they were pliable.

Next, I put down a corn husk, put a bit of the dough on top, and then layered a chipotle,
some onions, some cheese and some corn. Then I put some more dough on top
to seal those ingredients in. Then you wrap up the husk. (The PPK show can show you this in detail.)

The results ... A messy kitchen, but a lovely stack of delicious tamales. Mmm Mmm good.

Christmas Trip to Arizona!

Link to photo album:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vm4isqm.ci2vv5ne&x=0&y=-afntj2