MELISSA'S "KIT" TAMALES

Melissa’s Global Produce (www.melissas.com) has always offered a variety of ingredients to prepare tamales…now they have a simple way to make them in your own home.  With Melissa’s Authentic Tamale Kit, all you do is add water to the dried corn masa mix, spread the mix onto the provided corn husks and add the meat of your choice!  You’ll have 12 steaming tamales to enjoy in just an hour.  Or, use the following Tamale Recipes from Ida Rodriguez, Melissa’s Corporate Chef, to make fabulous gourmet versions of the traditional favorite. 

MUSHROOM TAMALE FILLING
1 Melissa's Tamale Kit
1 pound tomatoes, roasted & peeled
3 large pasilla chilies, roasted, peeled & seeded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano & dried thyme
2 ounces Melissa’s dried Shiitake mushrooms - rehydrated in water

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  To roast tomatoes and chilies in oven, wash and dry.  Spray with vegetable oil spray.  Place on baking sheet in oven till charred, 30-40 minutes, turning 1/2 way through.  Remove from oven, place in bowl and cover tightly to sweat.  When cool enough to handle peel and seed.  To rehydrate mushrooms, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat.  Add mushrooms and let sit 30 minutes or until softened.  Chop tomatoes, chilies and mushrooms. Set aside to cool.

Heat oil in large pan add onions cook 5 minutes.  Add garlic, herbs, chilies, chopped tomatoes & mushrooms.  Cook stirring often for 5 minutes.

Season with salt to taste.  Follow tamale instructions on back of Melissa's Tamale Kit.  Spread 1/4 cup masa on corn husks, fill with 2 tablespoons of filling, and fold over.  Steam tamales as indicated on package Makes 12 tamales

TOMATILLO SALSA
1 small red onion -- sliced 1/2" thick
2 cloves garlic -- peeled
1 pound tomatillos -- husk removed and washed
1 Serrano chilies -- halved and seeded
4  jalapeno Chile pepper -- halved and seeded
2  tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons course salt

Preheat broiler.  Arrange onion slices, garlic, tomatillos and chilies on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Broil 6-8 inches from heat turning half way through. Broil until evenly charred.

Place all roasted ingredients including juices to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the lime juice, oregano and salt, process until smooth. Serve with Tamales.

MELISSA'S SWEET TAMALES WITH PINEAPPLE & RAISINS
1 package Melissa’s Tamale Kit
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 Dash nutmeg
2 cups pineapple juice

Filling:
2 cups chopped pineapple
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup Melissa’s Flaked Coconut -- chopped
1/2 cup sugar

Filling:  In a medium saucepan add fresh pineapple, coconut, raisins and sugar, bring to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes till pineapple begins to release juices.  Let cool.  In a large bowl combine, tamale mix, brown sugar, Cinnamon, nutmeg and pineapple juice.  Follow package instructions for making tamales, add pineapple mixture as filling.  Steam tamales as indicated on package

Makes 12 Tamales

 

MELISSA’S DRIED CHERRIES AND CHOCOLATE TAMALES
1 Melissa’s Tamale Kit
2 3ounce package Melissa’s Dried Bing Cherries
2 cups chocolate chips

Following package instructions to make Tamales use dried tart cherries and chocolate chips as filling.