HORSERADISH PICKLES

• 1 1/2 quarts of dill pickles (can be store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white horseradish (get it HOT!!!!)

Here’s what you do:

1. Drain the dill pickles and discard the brine. ( I reused the brine and added sliced cucumbers for a lightly flavored dill pickles…. I am a sucker for pickles!)
2. Quarter the pickles to create spears.
3. Return the pickles to the jar and add the horseradish.
4. In a saucepan, boil the sugar, water, and vinegar.  After shutting off the heat, allow the liquid to cool for about 3 minutes.
5. Pour the liquid into the jar over the pickles.
6. Cover the jar with the lid and shake to mix up the horseradish and the liquids.
7. Store the jar in the fridge overnight to allow all flavors to be absorbed.

PICKLED RED CABBAGE

Pickled red cabbage


Ingredients:
1 medium size head red cabbage
2 carrots

Marinade:
0.5 liter (2 cups) boiling water
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup white vine vinegar or white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil


Directions:
Shred the cabbage and carrots (use Borner slicer to make this process enjoyable and fast)
Mix well
Prepare the marinade: boil the water, add sugar, vinegar and salt and turn the heat off once sugar and salt are dissolved. Do not add oil. Keep oil in a cup and pour it along with marinade.
Put cabbage in the 2-3 liter ( 2-3 gallon) glass jar in layers: first fill out 1/4 of the jar, push cabbage tight and pour 1/4 of the marinade and 1/4 oil. Add another 1/4 of cabbage and carrot mix, push it down and add 1/4 of the marinade and 1/4 of oil again. Repeat 2 more times until the jar is full.
Put it in the bottom shelf of refrigerator (usually, it is warmer there)

Ready to eat right away, this marinated sweet and sour cabbage is even tastier in two days. Keep refrigerated – and enjoy!

AVOCADO PICKLES

• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 2 ripe but still firm avocados
• 6 fresh cilantro sprigs
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 jalapeno or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into thick matchsticks
• Zest of 1 lime, removed with a vegetable peeler

Combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

QUICK PICKLED OKRA

QUICK PICKLED OKRA

Yield

Makes about 2 quarts

Made with fresh vegetables and pungent seasonings, Quick Pickled Okra holds an appeal to all okra lovers.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped fennel 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1/2 cup chopped tomato 1 jalapeño chile, halved 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar 3 cups apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups water 1 pound fresh okra

Step 1

Combine first 12 ingredients in a 4-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain through a fine wire-mesh strainer, reserving liquid, and return liquid to a boil.

Step 2

Add okra. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Pour okra and liquid into a container, and cover; refrigerate 2 hours or up to 1 week.

GREEN TOMATO CASSEROLE

GREEN TOMATO CASSEROLE 

READY IN: 1 hr 10 mins

SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 4  medium green tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2  cups  soft breadcrumbs
• 1  cup  of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1  tablespoon butter, soften

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange one layer of tomatoes in the bottom of 1 ½ quart casserole.
2. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper 1/3 of bread crumbs and 1/3 cheese.
3. Repeat layers twice omitting the cheese from the top.
4. Dot butter over the bread crumbs on top.
5. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for one hour.
6. Add remaining cheese, bake uncovered until cheese melts.

OVEN FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

OVEN FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

• 4 medium green tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thin
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooking rack on top.
3. Mix olive oil with panko in a bowl. Add cornmeal, parmesan, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne, stirring well to combine, and spread mixture in an even layer on a plate.
4. Dip tomato slices in eggs, letting any excess mixture drip back into the bowl, then press into the breading mixture on both sides to coat and carefully lay on the baking sheet. Repeat with all slices.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, turn over and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until crisp and golden

SWEET CORN TAMALES

SWEET CORN TAMALES

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 16 LARGE TAMALES

Author: Mely Martinez - México in my kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 1 Ancho pepper seeds and veins removed
• 2 Guajillo peppers seeds and veins removed
• 1 Chipotle pepper if you don’t find dried, use canned*
• 11 sweet corn ears with husks about 11 cups**
• 3 Cups of Masa Harina have some extra in case your corn is too watery
• 1½ cups lard or softened butter 10 oz.***
• 1 Pound pork shoulder cut into bite-size cubes
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 16 Epazote leaves if you find them in your area.

Instructions

FOR THE SALSA:

1. Place the cleaned peppers and tomatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat until they’re soft.
2. Place the contents of the saucepan in your blender and process until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside.

FOR THE DOUGH:

1. Detach the husk from the cobs and place in a large pot with hot water to soften (see notes).
2. Remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife, then place them in your blender or food processor. Process until they’ve been around, but still have some texture. Pour in a large bowl.
3. Stir in the softened lard (or butter) and mix well. Add the masa-harina little by little as needed. Depending on how watery your dough is, you will need to add or reduce the amount of masa-harina. Mix the dough until it looks like a smooth and thick cake batter.
4. Season with salt and sugar. The amount of sugar and salt will depend on the corn flavor, and your taste. Sometimes, the corn is too sweet and other times they are just plain in taste. Remember that some of this seasoning gets lost when you are steaming the tamales.

ASSEMBLING THE TAMALES:

1. Remove the husks from their warm bath and drain well. Place the smallest husks at the bottom of your steamer.
2. Place two husks together, with the wide sides facing each other and slightly overlapping (if the husks are too small, you can place more than two together). Spread 1/3 cup of the corn masa dough and add 3 – 4 small cubes of the raw pork meat, then top with 3 tablespoons of the sauce. Finally, place an epazote leaf (if using) on top of the salsa.
3. Fold the sides of the husk to the center and then do the same with the narrow edges of the husks. To tie the tamales, do so in the same way as if you were tying a package.

TO COOK THE TAMALES:

1. Place the steaming rack in your pot, add 2 cups of hot water, and cover the steaming rack with the small husks. Place the tamales in the pot, arranging them in a vertical position. You can also place them in a horizontal position like I did in the pictures (my pot is too small to hold them vertically). Cover the tamales with extra corn husks and then place the lid on the pot. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check the pot during the cooking time to see if you need to add more hot water.

Recipe Notes

One chipotle pepper won’t render a spicy sauce. If you like spicy, you can add two or more peppers.

Not everyone can find lard in their area, but butter works very well for these types of tamales.

You can also use dried husks (the ones sold in packages) for this recipe, or a combination of both

Sweet Corn Tamales

I hope you enjoy these Sweet Corn Tamales and its delicious pork with chipotle filling