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From:	Bryanna (NewVeggies.vegsource.com)
Subject:	here are some recipes to try:
Date:	October 12, 2005 at 5:50 pm PST

In Reply to: Re: Vegan FAT-FREE tamales? posted by Karen on October 12, 2005 at 4:51 pm:

Tamale dough is usually full of fat, so I'm always on the lookout for lower-fat versions. The first one is adapted from Sunset’s, "Low-fat Mexican cooking” and the rest are adapted from the old version of "Eating Well" magazine. See bottom of file for how to steam-fry or saute without fat. Then there is another lowfat tamale recipe under that. I haven’t really experimented with these yet.

From SUNSET, March, 1994:

FAT-FREE MASA DOUGH FOR TAMALES

4 c. masa harina
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt 3 and 3/4 c. warm water or broth
(MY NOTE: I'm going to try some blended creamed corn next time, in place of an equal amount of liquid)

Mix all the ingredients together until moistened. Use or cover airtight and chill up to 2 hours. Yield: about 4 & 2/3 c.

TOFU TAMALE FILLING (Bryanna’s version)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place in a 10x15" pan:
1 and 1/2 oz. (about 4 large) dried ancho or pasilla chiles

Bake until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Let cool. Discard stems, seeds and veins. Place chiles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and let stand until pliable, about 30 minutes.

In a 10 or 12" skillet steam-fry (without oil) or saute:
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 c. broth

Steam-fry until the onions start to brown; add 1/4 c. more broth about 3 more times (1 c. broth in total), until mixture is browned and dry.
Drain chilies and discard liquid. In a blender purée:
the chilies
14 oz. canned tomatoes and liquid
2 tsp. sugar

Add this to the onions and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 10 min.

Mix this sauce with:
3 C. slivered baked flavored tofu (extra-firm) salt to taste

To make the Tamales:
Follow directions for making tamales in a Mexican cookbook-- this makes about 14 tamales and you'll need 30 large cornhusks (about 3 oz.). (For each tamale you need a husk that makes an 8x10 rectangle.) Use about 1/3 c. masa for each. use about 1/3 c. filling for each. Steam the tamales for 40-50 minutes. Serve with beans and salsa.

RECIPES ADAPTED FROM "EATING WELL" MAGAZINE:

SMOOTH LOW-FAT MASA:
This smooth-textured masa has the tenderness that tamale aficionados expect, while eliminating the solid fats traditionally used--the trick is folding in a beaten egg white, for fluffiness. (I substituted beaten egg replacer-- BCG).

Ingredients:
15 ounce canned white hominy, not drained
1 and 1/4 cup masa harina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup veggie broth
2 Tsp. EnerG egg replacer beaten mixed with 2 T. cold water

Preparation

1.)In a blender, puree hominy and its liquid until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder and salt. Stir in pureed hominy and broth and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, until smooth.
3. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg replacer with an electric mixer until almost stiff, for about 11 minutes. Fold into masa mixture until thoroughly mixed.
****************************

ROUGH MASA
Masa is a fresh dough made by grinding moist kernels of dried field corn. The corn is first soaked in an alkaline solution of slaked lime. Cornmeal is not a substitute for masa harina, as it has not had the alkaline soak required for masa.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup quick grits
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup Veggie broth
1 cup masa harina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tsp.EnerG egg replacer mixed with 2 T. cold water

Preparation
1. Place grits in a mixing bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to soften. Stir in broth.
2. In another bowl, whisk masa harina, baking powder and salt. Add to grits and beat with wooden spoon for 2 minutes, until smooth. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg replacer with an electric mixer until almost stiff, about 11 minutes. Fold into masa mixture until thoroughly mixed.
*****************************

RED CHILE SAUCE
This sauce is a great condiment for Mexican food; it's also used in Tamales.

Ingredients:
3 ounces dried red chile, large, such as pasillas, anchos or Anaheims 1 cup Veggie broth
1/2 cup water
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, preferably Mexican
2 teaspoon canola oil
2 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Preparation
1. Wash chiles, pat dry and tear into long strips. Discard stems and seeds. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast chiles, turning once or twice, for 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Transfer chiles to a bowl. Add simmering water to cover and set aside until chiles have softened, about 20 minutes. Drain. Place softened chiles, half the broth, the water, garlic and oregano in a blender; blend until very smooth. (If the mixture is too thick, add just enough water to give a smooth consistency.)
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chile puree and sugar, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce has darkened and thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove sauce from heat and add the remaining broth. Strain sauce through a fine sieve, pushing puree through sieve with a wooden spoon. Adjust seasonings with salt and more sugar if desired. (The sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 week.) *********************************

BLACK BEAN AND OLIVE TAMALES
Flavor flares when you combine Black Bean and Olive Tamale Filling with Rough Masa and Red Chile Sauce.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup Red Chile Sauce (see above)
1 tablespoon chili powder, preferably from pure ground chilies
2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 ounces canned black beans, drained, rinsed, and coarsely chopped 1/3 cup green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 and 1/2 cup Rough Masa (see above)

Preparation

1. Prepare the cornhusks as directed; set aside. (see below)
2. Make the sauce.
3. Make the filling: In a small dry skillet, toast chili powder and cumin over low heat, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add black beans and olives; mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
4. Make the masa.
5. Fill and roll the tamales.
6. Steam the tamales: Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Add enough water to come just below the bottom of the basket. Line basket with a layer of cornhusks. Stack tamales in steamer and cover with another layer of cornhusks. Cover and steam over medium heat until husks or leaves easily peel away from tamales, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat. Let stand in the steamer for 10 minutes to firm up before serving.
7. Serve with Red Chile Sauce.
************************************

PREPARING CORN HUSKS FOR TAMALES
A traditional tamale uses a dried cornhusk to wrap a layer of masa— a dough made from dried and treated field corn that is tender and bready when cooked. There is usually a filling as well, and the whole shebang is folded and then steamed. This Recipe Serves: 16
Ingredients:
4 ounces Mexican corn husks, dried and packaged

Preparation

1. To make the cornhusks pliable, simmer them in a large saucepan with water to cover for 10 minutes. Cover pan and let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain. Sort through husks and pick out large, unblemished ones [16 in original recipe] to use as wrappers. Tear thin strips [about 3 dozen in original recipe] from remaining husks to use as ties; any leftover husks can be used to line the steamer basket.

**** STEAM-FRYING*****

One term that you will see over and over in my recipes is "steam-fry". It simply means sautéeing or stir-frying without fat. To do this, use a heavy skillet, non-stick or lightly greased with about 1/2 tsp. of oil brushed on with your fingertips, or sprayed with a pump oil sprayer, or pan spray; or a well-seasoned wok; or a well-seasoned wok, greased in the same way.

Heat your pan over high heat, add your chopped onions or other vegetables and one or two tablespoons of liquid (water, broth or wine), depending on the amount of vegetables. Cook over high heat until the liquid starts to evaporate, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep doing this until the vegetables are done to your liking, add JUST ENOUGH liquid to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan-- you don't want to stew them! (Also, DON'T crowd the pan!)

You can brown onions perfectly by this method. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add a little liquid and scrape the brown stuff, mixing it into the liquids and around into the cooking onions. Keep doing this until the onions are soft and brown, being careful not to scorch them.

TO “STEAM-FRY” IN THE MICROWAVE, use a glass dish, such as a round 10” casserole dish. Spray with cooking spray or rub the surface with oil. Add your chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, etc.. Cover (you can use a plate) and microwave 5 minutes, or however long it takes to soften them. I haven’t actually browned things this way—have to experiment more, but it works great and you don’t have to watch the veggies—you can be fixing the rest of the recipe. Just add the softened veggies to the recipe.

From CafeCreosote.com

Lowfat Tamales (veganized by me)
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces whole kernel corn, canned - drained and pureed
2 cups masa harina
3/4 cup warm water
3 tablespoons corn oil
2 tablespoons sugar
8 large dried corn husks
1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese – shredded (use vegan cheddar)
4 ounces diced green chili pepper - canned

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, stir together corn puree, masa harina, warm
water, oil, and sugar to form a soft moist dough.
(If dough is too dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at
a time). Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the
corn husks and then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered,
for about 5 minutes or until soft. Drain.
To assemble tamales, place husks on a flat surface
with shorter, tapered points toward you. Spread 4
tablespoons of dough on each, leaving a 1/4 inch border
at the top and 1 1/2 inch border at the bottom and
the sides. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each of cheese and
chilies down the center of each. Fold the sides up
and over the filling. Then fold in half to bring the
bottom ends together; tie closed with a long strip
of corn husk.
In a large skillet with a tight fitting lid, place
tamales on an open steamer basket or a wire rack.
Add water to cover the bottom of the skillet, making
sure the water does not reach the tamales. Bring water
to a boil. Cover and steam for 35 to 40 minutes or
until tamales easily pull away from husks when unwrapped.

BASIC MASA FOR TAMALES
Unlike conventional masa, this recipe uses yoghurt in place of lard or shortening.
Ingredients
1 cup (240mL) vegetable stock
2/3 cup (100g) white grits, ground as finely as possible, or white cornmeal
1 cup (240mL) masa harina
1/3 cup (80g) thick, drained soy yogurt
1 tsp (4g) baking powder
1/2 - 1 tsp (3–6g) salt
Directions
To make yoghurt cheese, pour plain yoghurt into a sieve lined with cheese cloth. Set over a bowl and let drain for 4 hours.
When the cheese is ready, bring stock to a simmer, then pour over grits in a bowl and allow to soften for about 15 minutes.
Mix in masa harina; set aside until cool. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, combine half the masa mixture and yoghurt, beating for three minutes. Add remaining masa and mix another 3 minutes, to the consistency of cake batter. Add baking powder and salt to taste.

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