Pork Tamales

I remember the first time I had a tamale was when I was in high school and my dad took me to the farmers market. There was a local Mexican restaurant selling them there and my dad bought me one. I immediately loved it and couldn't believe it had taken me so long to try tamales!

This is my second time making tamales. The first time... well.... lets just say it wasn't all that successful. Somehow the meat ended up tasting just like ketchup and I mixed the masa all wrong so it was really course and dense. Lucas still ate them with a smile on his face though- what a good man. :) 

I am happy to say that this round of tamales turned out much better! The flavor is really good and the masa has the right texture. (It's amazing what reading the directions will do for you!) The great thing about tamales too is that you can add any flavor you want. You can do beef, chicken, pork or even sweet tamales. Your imagination is the limit! Next time I am going to try a chicken tamale.

Tamales can take a lot of time to make. I made my meat in the crockpot one day, and then assembled the tamales and cooked them the next. It took me about an hour and a half to assemble all the tamales, which isn't too bad. And it would be really fun to get a bunch of people together for a tamale party to make a whole bunch! So without further ado, here is what I did for my simple tamales.

Pork Tamales

What you need:

2 lbs pork roast

1 (28 oz) can red enchilada sauce

Corn Husks

Masa flour mixed according to directions

(This is where I went wrong last time. I just looked at the ingredients and put them all together in a bowl without whipping my shortening first. Bad mistake! Make sure you follow the directions for a great Masa dough.)

Cook meat in crock pot with enchilada sauce on high for 6-8 hours until meat is really tender and shreds easily. Remove meat from crockpot and shred. Mix the remaining sauce in with shredded meat. I refrigerated mine until the next day when I assembled my tamales. 

Soak corn husks in warm water for about an hour until pliable. Spread a large spoonful of prepared masa dough on to center of corn husk. Make it about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Put a tablespoon of shredded meat in the center, and fold corn husk over to seal the tamale. 

Steam in a large steamer for 90 minutes. Remove tamale from corn husk and enjoy either plain or with your favorite salsa or hot sauce.

Root Beer Float on a Stick

It has been so nice and warm here the past few days. We have spent lots of time playing in the sun! Since us Idahoans aren't used to this warm weather, we really needed a treat to cool us down. I saw these on Pinterest and they looked so good, so I decided to try them out. MMMMMM!! They were delicious! A sweet, creamy and cool treat.

Root Beer Float on a Stick

Photo Courtesy of Smile Monsters

What you need:

3 cans root beer

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Whisk root beer and sweetened condensed milk together slowly so it does not foam up too much. Pour in to popsicle molds or dixie cups. Let set in freezer for about an hour before putting popsicle sticks in. Freeze for 3-4 more hours. Enjoy!!

Greek Orzo Salad

My brother-in-law got back in January from serving a 2 year mission for our church in Rome Italy. While he was there he acquired a very European taste for food, and has missed it so much! I decided to make this salad to take over to a dinner at my in-laws house, and I thought he would love it. Turns out I was right! He congratulated me on making the best tasting thing he has had since he got back in January! It really was so good. It was so refreshing too, perfect for summer!

Greek Orzo Salad

What you need:

2 C. uncooked orzo pasta

2 cucumbers

2 medium tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted

1/4 C chopped red onion

1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

1/2 C red whine vinegar

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook orzo pasta until done. Drain and let cool while you peel and chop cucumber, dice the bell pepper, and dice the tomatoes. All all the vegetables, onion and cheese to the pasta. In a separate bowl, whisk together red whine, olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and veggies and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!!

*NOTE: You can also use fresh basil as a garnish or in place of the dried basil. Just use a little less fresh as it has a more powerful taste.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

While Lucas while eating this he kept saying things like, "This is perfectly seasoned." "I really love this." "This is one of my new favorite meals." "Jess. This is seriously so good."  I think he liked it. :) And I have to agree! I was worried that it was going to be too spicy for me, but the salsa cooled it right down and all I could taste was great flavor. 

You may also be wondering, "Isn't avocado salsa just guacamole?" I am here to tell you that there is a big difference in taste and texture, and I am now a lover of avocado salsa.  It was so delicious!! 

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

from Martha Stewart

What you need:

2 chicken breasts (I cut each in half lengthwise so I had 4 pieces of chicken)

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Combine cayenne, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub on both sides of chicken breasts. Put in pan and cook until cooked completely though. While chicken is cooking, make your salsa.

Avocado Salsa

2 small avocados, chopped

1/2 large mango, chopped

1 Tbsp  red onion, chopped

1 Tbsp lime juice

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon over cooked chicken and serve. Enjoy!!