Hello! Day 4 of my meal plan. What a day of food!
You know, even though I’d made Tamales once before I was feeling a bit anxious about it (what a silly thing to worry about..its not as though anyone is even reading this..oh, of course..except for you, wonderful you. I hope you are having a lovely day!). I was excited though too, ‘tasting’ the filing I was going to experiment with in my mind. God, should I experiment when I’m going to post it on the wobblyweb? what if the tamales were a culinary horror?! da da DAA! I got a grip and remembered I had to eat lunch first. Focus on the task in hand you obsessive vegan I childed myself. One step at a time…so right.
After another grey skied day in East Sussex I decided I needed to have colour and comfort. Sorry to those of you sitting in bikinis sipping icy cocktails being little sun beams but it is a bit nippy here today (I’m plotting to make some salads in next few days). I wanted soup. I love soup. Especially this one.
Spicy butternut squash & coconut soup
To serve 4-6
1 large butternut squash (approx 1.5kg)
2 med-large onions
1 tbs grated ginger
liquid * For a light low-fat version I used roughly 6 cups - 4 x water & 2x coconut milk (carton stuff and not the thick stuff in a can). If you want to have a more coconut flavour use a can of lite coconut.
1 vegan stock cube (I used yeast free)
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 tbs oil
salt & pepper to taste
*optional…to garnish use roasted squash seeds and toasted coconut shreds
1.saute the onions in oil
2.chop the squash. I wash it well and keep the skin on.
3.put squash and grated ginger in with the onions and fry for a 2-3 mins
4.add liquid, chili powder and stock cube, bring to boil and simmer until squash is soft (approx 25-30mins)
5.blend
6.salt & pepper to taste.
I LOVE this soup. It is thick, spicy I acutally danced around the kitchen with the bowl in my hand thus was the extent of my happiness. This soup, to me, is SO satisfying I love it. I would marry it. I’d even sign a pre-nup.
I failed to get very creative with the pics as I was SO hungry and I just wanted to sit and savour a bowl full. I did and then repeated with another bowl….don’t judge me reader, it’s bloody good soup!
4pm rolled around and I started to draw out ingredients from drawers and cupboards. Tamale time! I decided on my filling.
Cheezly, Chorizo & chili tomato Tamales
Makes approx 8-10
250g masa harina
3 cups water - this may vary according to your flour and humidity etc so add slowly to make a dough
1 1/2tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbs vegan butter
corn husks or baking parchment
I have only discovered tamale flour (masa) in a London market so far. It’s a rare beast here. Why?…it’s so good. Even though I’d made them before I followed the complicated instructions on the back..cream the vegan marg, with salt, make dough with water..then a whole load of shenanigans to put it all together. They came out no better than my through it all in a bowl was so this is what I will tell you.
Cream ‘butter’ with the salt, then add the other ingredients (not the water yet) and then mix. Slowly add in the water to form a dough.
For the filling
50g vegan chorizo
60g cheezly or if you were blessed at birth to be American, you have Daiya. Use Daiya (oh God I wish I had Daiya..)
2 tbs capers
Chili sauce - 1 mild red chili boiled in a cup of water with chopped onion and 2 tbs tomato paste. Boil 20mins then blend.
Soak enough corn husks until soft or use baking parchment
spread the masa as above and place in your filling. Fold the husks to bring the masa together and seal the filling, use your finger to seal and square off the ends and fold over the top and bottom. Place in the steaming pan. Repeat until you’ve used all the filling.
Steam for one hour. To test if done, remove one tamale and leave to cool for 5 mins. It is mushy, pop it back and check again every 5 mins until done. A hour should be ample though to steam the tamales in to a aromatic sponge.
Oh my gosh, they were fabulous..’punch the air’ good. So FULL of yummy flavour. How happy am I?! AND, in my freezer sat some salted caramel & choc chip banana ice cream!
This picture does not do this ball of frosty magic justice. I used the basic recipe I’d posted previously but added soft, gooey chopped organic apricots (for caramel taste) and bashed a couple of tbs of vegan choc chips with 1 and a quarter tsp of pink salt and mixed that in also. H E A V E N!
See you tomorrow for Day 5 of the meal plan. x
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I *love* your enthusiasm and happy energy. And the recipes look delectable! Will indulge in trying the black bean brownies soon.
Thanks for the ideas and inspiration!
@Thrivalista
Dear Thrivalista,
Your comments made me grasp spoons in my hands to use as maracas and dance joyfully around the room! Happy to be of service. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hey, come back and tell me how your brownies turn out! x