I love tamales. I could eat them any time of year, but especially during December. They are warm, comforting, and so very delicious. I also happen to love stuffing. It is one of my favorite foods of the holidays. Stuffing is also a very luscious side dish that usually makes its appearance during our family's holiday meals. Sometimes I don't feel like making tamales all the way from scratch. I've made tamale pies before, but they weren't quite the same as a traditional tamal. Since I am such a huge stuffing fan, I thought why not combine two of my favorite holiday dishes and make a Tamale Stuffing.
The result was pure comfort. It's warm, hearty and perfect for your family holiday meals. It isn't just for Thanksgiving, but also perfect for Christmas and any holiday get togethers that you might be having during December. The filling is filled with lots of veggies including: corn, onion, zucchini, kale, garlic, and roasted poblanos.
The masa is similar to the same masa that you would use if you where steaming the tamales in traditional corn husks. To keep the Tamale Stuffing Vegan, I used partially frozen Olive Oil. A few hours before you plan on making the stuffing, stick the olive oil in a thin plastic container in the freezer. Remove when ready to make the masa. You don't want it to be compelety frozen; however if this happens, simply leave it on the counter to thaw a little bit. The filling is mixed right into the masa. It's so easy!
Banana Leaves line the baking dish and the masa stuffing mixture goes right on top. It bakes in the oven and that is it!
It does take some pre-planning, but this Tamale Stuffing is a great way to have tamales at your Holiday parties, but without all the fuss!
Tamale Stuffing
Tamale Stuffing is the perfect side dish for the Holidays because it combines two Holiday favorites: Tamales + Stuffing! It also happens to be Vegetarian + Vegan Friendly, plus it's gluten-free. A great option for serving guests with dietary restrictions!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3-4 Poblano Peppers
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Cups Fresh Corn Kernels
- 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
- 3 Zucchinis, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 Cups Kale, chopped small
- ½ Cup Cilantro, minced
- ½-1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
For the masa:
- ¾ Cup Olive Oil, partially frozen
- 3 ½ Cups Masa Harina
- 1 Cup Vegetable Broth, warmed
- 2 Cups Water, warmed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
For assembling:
- 2 Banana Leaves
- 9 X 13 Baking Pan
Instructions
For the filling:
- Preheat the broiler. Place the poblano peppers on a baking sheet. Roast until the peppers are blackened in spots, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. After the peppers have sweated, about 10-15 minutes, removes the steams, seeds, and skin. Chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the corn kernels and red onion. Sauté until the onion begins to soften, about 5-7minutes. Add in the zucchini and sauté for another 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add the kale and cook for 1 minute. {The kale will cook longer in the oven.} Turn off the heat. Stir in cilantro, roasted poblanos and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Set aside and cool. Now start on making the masa.
For the masa:
- Place the olive oil in a thin plastic container. Place in the freezer for 1-3 hours, or until it is partially frozen. You don't want it to be fully frozen. If it is too solid, just let it thaw on the counter until it is ready to use.
- In a medium bowl beat together the olive oil, salt and baking powder. Mix until everything is incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, wisk the masa harina, broth and hot water. Mix until a dough forms. I find that it is best to use your hand for mixing. Add the olive oil mixture gradually the the masa harina mixture. Mix together with your hands until a smooth dough forms,about 1-2 minutes. If the dough is too moist add in a little bit of masa harina. If the dough is too dry and in some warm water or broth.
- Add the slightly cooled filling to the masa mixture. Mix throughly, making sure that the filling is evenly dispersed in the masa.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Run the banana leaves under warm water, making sure that they are pliable. Dry the leaves.
- Line a 9 X 13 baking dish with the banana leaves, making sure to cover the entire bottom. Add the masa filling mixture in an even layer. Cover the top with tin foil. Bake until the top springs back about 1 hr- 1 hr 15 minutes. Remove the tin foil halfway through the cooking time.
- Feel free to serve the stuffing with your favorite hot sauce or salsa!
Recipe Highly Adapted from Food Network.
Masa Recipe Inspired by Terry Hope Romero's Tamales.
VeggieNextDoor
That's so cool that the banana leafs are nature's parchment paper. Too bad they are hard to find in the US!