Butternut Squash Tamales Recipes

WINTER SQUASH AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM TAMALES

Steps:

• For the red tamale sauce: Add the ancho chiles, California chiles, onions and garlic to 4 cups boiling water. Turn off and let rest for 30 minutes. Process until smooth in a food processor or a blender (including the water).
• Heat oil in a soup pot, then add cumin and oregano. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add pureed chiles, vegetable stock, sugar and salt and let simmer, 10 minutes. Add can of red chili sauce and stir to heat thoroughly.
• For the filling: Pour oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, squash, garlic, oregano and some salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are glazed and no longer crisp, approximately 10 minutes. (The filling does not need to be tender because it will also cook while tamales are steaming.)
• Add 3/4 cup red tamale sauce to the filling and let cool.
• For the masa: Mix together masa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until incorporated. Stir in the vegetable stock and 1/2 cup red tamale sauce.
• Beat the vegetable shortening in a stand mixer until fluffy, then beat in masa mixture with the mixer running until evenly incorporated.
• Soak the corn husks in hot water until softened and pliable, about 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze water from husks.
• Spread masa on the less ridged side of a corn husk, across all but the pointed end, with a spatula or the back of a spoon, Fill each with 2 to 3 tablespoons squash and mushroom mixture.
• Roll tamale by folding one long side about a third of the way over the filling, then the other side, and folding the long pointed end against the tamale (this will leave the filling exposed on the opposite end, and that is okay). Push two black olives into masa on the open end of each tamale.
• Place a steamer rack in a large pot filled with just enough water so the bottom of the rack sits just above the water line. Line the rack with flat corn husks. Place rolled tamales in pot on the rack, open-side up. Drop two pennies in the bottom of the pot. Cover the tamales with more flat husks. Cover the rack with a clean dish towel. Cover the large pot with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil and steam for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. (The pennies will dance and tinkle furiously when the water comes to a boil. Turn the heat down until the pennies dance to a relaxing beat. If you no longer hear the pennies, you have boiled away the water, and you had better add more?fast!)
• Serve tamales with additional red tamale sauce.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH TAMALES RECIPE - (4.6/5)

Steps:

• Dough: Put butternut squash in a medium pot with broth, scallion, adobo sauce, garlic, salt, and cumin. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the squash with a slotted spoon, and reserve the broth. Set aside half of the squash for the filling, then mash the remaining squash is a large bowl. Mix in the masa with a fork. Slowly pour the seasoned broth over the filling, mixing with a fork (or hands) until smooth. Slowly stir in oils, a little at a time until dough is soft and moist. Cover with plastic wrap, set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, garlic, chiles, cumin and salt and cook until soft, about 1 minute,. Add reserved squash, olives, raisins, capers, and cook, stirring gently, until well combined, about 1 minute longer. Add broth and orange zest and cook, stirring occasionally until broth is slightly absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro, remove from heat. Assembly: Cut 2 husks into 24-inch lengths about 1/2-inch wide. Place other soaked corn husks on cutting board, open side up. Place about a 1/4 cup dough in the center of each husk, leaving enough corn husk free to enclose tamale. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons filling on top. Then cover filling with about 2 to 3 tablespoons more of dough. Wrap the husks around the filling and twist and tie ends with reserved strips to make party favor shaped tamales. Set up a 10-inch steamer basket. Lay tamales in steamer, cover and cook until the husks get slightly translucent, about 50 minutes. Remove tamales from steamer, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with additional hot sauce if desired. Cook's Note: These can also be made into smaller finger sized tamales, and then steamed for 45 minutes as well.

MEATLESS TAMALE PIE

Steps:

• Roast poblano chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose chilies in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop chilies.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeño chilies, garlic, cumin and oregano; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in roasted poblano chilies, canned tomatoes, 1/2 cup reserved juice from canned tomatoes, green onions and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook squash in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Mix cheeses in medium bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine 5 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Combine cornmeal and remaining 2 cups water in medium bowl. Gradually whisk cornmeal mixture into boiling salted water. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until cornmeal is very tender and mixture is thick, stirring often, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in yogurt.
• Spread 2/3 of cornmeal over bottom of prepared dish (cover remaining cornmeal to keep warm). Arrange squash over cornmeal in dish. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 cups cheese over squash. Spoon corn kernel mixture evenly over cheese, spreading with spatula. Spread remaining cornmeal evenly over corn kernel mixture. Arrange tomato slices atop cornmeal, pressing gently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup juice from canned tomatoes over. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over casserole.
• Bake casserole uncovered until heated through and top is golden, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.)
• Let casserole stand 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CORN TAMALES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the squash skin-side up on the lined baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes, until fork-tender. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp and put it in a large bowl. Put the corn and leeks in a medium dry saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Add the leeks and corn to the squash and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Let cool. Drain the corn husks and pat them dry with paper towels. Select a large husk or overlap 2 smaller ones (totaling about 7 to 8 inches in length) and lay on a flat surface. To assemble a tamale, spread about 1/3 cup of the dough in the center of the wide end of the husk. Spread about 1/3 cup of the squash mixture on top of the dough. Wrap the husk around the filling as tightly as possible, folding down the narrow end to seal it tightly. The narrow end should be completely closed, but the other end should be left slightly open, exposing some of the filling. Assemble the remaining tamales in the same fashion (to make 6 tamales in all). Put at least 2 1/2 inches of water in a large pot fitted with a steamer insert. Arrange the tamales in the steamer insert with the slightly open ends up. Cover with a clean dish towel and steam for 60 minutes. Remove from the heat. Uncover and let the tamales sit for 10 minutes. Serve immediately, passing the salsa at the table. Note: Before the corn husks can be used, they must be soaked. Because the husks float, you'll need to put a plate or a similar type of weight on top of them to keep them under water.