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Tamales With Black Beans, Greens and Guacamole

Gentle people. You've asked for recipes. Here are a few. Typically, when I think about my meals for a week, I think about what I can use and re-use. So, when we make a pot of refried black beans, we like to think of a few ways to use them. Now, I've included a full dinner's worth of recipes, but if you are expecting to have dinner one night and keep your guests for breakfast the next morning, tune in for the next posting. One thing you should know: I don't stuff the tamales, I just make them plain and then encourage people to Mix It Up on their plates.

Here are the recipes, folks:

Dinner:
Refried black beans
Tamales
Sauteed greens with garlic
Guacamole
Lime wedges, salsa and Tofutti brand sour cream

Make the guacamole and chill it. Start the beans. While the beans simmer, work on the tamales (don't be a perfectionist...it's not worth it here, they taste incredible no matter how much of a mess you make). While the beans finish up and tamales steam, cut up the greens. Plan for 1 to 1 1/2 hours total.

Refried Black Beans (inspired by Rick Bayless)

1/4 cup canola oil
2 white onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans black beans (we like Eden's)
Freshly ground salt and pepper

In a heavy stockpot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they render their sugars and become carmelized. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add the black beans with liquid and let simmer until the beans become soft (about 20 minutes). Using a potato masher or the back end of a spoon, mash up the beans to a consistency that you like. If too watery, let simmer a bit longer. If too dry, add some vegetable stock or water. Cook to your liking, add salt and pepper to taste.

They'll look like this...

Tamales (based on a recipe from Nathan Nobis, friend and vegan mentor).

You can find tamale wrappers, or corn husks at a Mexican grocery or at the local D&W. Nutritional yeast can be found at any health food store (Harvest Health sells it in bulk). You'll want some kind of large pot that you can use to steam the tamales; I use a large saute pan that has a tight fitting lid in which I place a round cooling rack and a bit of water.

15-20 corn husks, suitable for tamales
2 cups masa flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (I like Rumford)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup olive oil

Soak tamale wrappers in a bowl filled with warm water.

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, then add broth and oil. Stir until well combined.

Ready your tamale steamer and prepare to make your tamales!

When the wrappers are pliable, remove from water (one at a time as you make the tamales).

Take about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of tamale dough and place onto the tamale wrapper. Now I pretty much cheat at this process, so if you're a purist, please forgive me: make the tamale dough into a lump about three inches in length (so it's in line with the tamale wrapper), then roll the husk tightly around the dough. The tamale should be about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Some people make these into nice little packages tied with string, but I don't (too impatient). If I were doing a really nice dinner party, I might. Most of our guests get the untied tamales though, and they don't seem to mind.

Repeat until you use up all of the dough.

Steam for about 1/2 hour.

You can keep these in a warm oven until you're ready to serve them.

Guacamole (from my super cool friend Tom)

2 ripe avocados
Juice squeezed from one lemon
1 small onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mash the avocados with the lemon juice. Add the onion, tomato, jalepeno and cilantro. Mix to combine. Add seasonings and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Greens sauteed with garlic

1 lb greens (like kale or swiss chard), stems cut out and cut into 1-inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet (I like to use an iron skillet). Add greens and saute until slightly wilted. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Season with a bit of salt, and if you like, lemon or lime juice.

Serve beans, tamales, guac, greens, salsa and sour "cream" in their own bowls on the table.