Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

I realize this looks like a hot mess, but don't hold that against the dish (that was just me not taking the time to plate delicately). Which is a compliment really, because this is so good, I didn't want to bother taking my time - I just wanted to dig in. If this looks familiar, it's probably because you've ordered it at the Cheesecake Factory. It's a clone of their recipe (if we can do it with sheep, we can do it with tamale cakes).

SWEET CORN TAMALE CAKES

Yield: 10 cakes (5 appetizers)

Salsa Verde:

2 tomatillos, papery skins removed and chopped

1 (4 oz.) can mild green chilies

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

salt & freshly ground pepper

Tomato Salsa:

1 medium tomato, diced

1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 jalapeno, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Southwestern Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon water

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

salt to taste

garlic powder to taste

Tamale Cakes:

3 cups sweet corn, fresh or frozen (4 to 5 ears)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup masa harina (corn flour)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Garnish:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

___________________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine all Salsa Verde ingredients in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

2.      Combine all Tomato Salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

3.      Combine all Southwestern Sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

4.      Preheat oven to 400°F.

5.      Coarsely puree 2 cups of the corn in a food processor.

6.      Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.

7.      Add masa and flour and blend well.

8.      Mix in the remaining 1 cup corn by hand.

9.      Measure 1/2 cup portions and form into 8 (3 inch) patties.

10.  Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom.

11.  Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the other side is browned.

12.  While the cakes are baking, spoon some salsa verde onto a platter (coat the bottom with about 1/4 inch).

13.  Arrange the tamale cakes on top of the salsa verde.

14.  Top each tamale cake with tomato salsa, a dollop of sour cream, chopped avocado, cilantro and Southwestern Sauce (preferably in a nice zig zag pattern using a squirt bottle).

slightly adapted from a copycat recipe from “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by Todd Wilbur (original dish from The Cheesecake Factory)

tomatillos

salsa verde ingredients

salsa verde

tomato salsa

southwestern sauce

corn kernels

adding butter, sugar and salt

adding masa and flour

whole corn kernels mixed in

formed into patties

baked sweet corn tamale cakes

two sweet corn tamale cakes over salsa verde with
dollops of southwestern sauce haphazardly plopped on top

For that size/shape plate, I should have put
just one cake on there, but I wanted two!

sweet corn tamale cakes topped with
tomato salsa, sour cream and avocado

 .

Taco Pasta (and Homemade Taco Seasoning)

You know how sometimes you're eating tacos with your friends and you're all like "I wish I could have all the flavors of a taco without the annoying crumbly taco shell that falls apart all over my shirt." And then your bitchy friend Patrice says "make it into taco pasta you idiot." And then you say "back off bitch." And then she says "make me." And then you say "I'll cut you." And then she says "the water could be boiling by now." Yeah, me neither. And yet here it is. Pasta (pause) that tastes like (wait for it) tacos! (It really does.)

TACO PASTA

Yield: 6-8 servings

12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shape

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (see recipe below) or 1 packet store-bought

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (or plain diced tomatoes)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.      Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2.      Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the taco seasoning and then the diced tomatoes and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. 

3.      Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream until the cream cheese is melted. Stir in the cooked pasta and stir until well blended. Add reserved pasta water if needed to loosen up the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Stir in the cilantro right before serving. Serve with a green salad.

slightly reordered/reworded from the-girl-who-ate-everything.com (who adapted it from fakeginger.com, who adapted it from delish-blog.com).

cooked pasta shells, draining

beef browning with onions

adding garlic

adding homemade taco seasoning

I added plain tomatoes and half
a can of mild green chiles too

adding cream cheese & sour cream

adding pasta shells

adding cilantro

taco pasta mixed in the pot

taco pasta served

I do wish I'd had some cold, crisp salad
to go with it. I think that would have really
increased the taco experience. Next time.

- - - - - - - -

TACO SEASONING

Yield: 6 heaping tablespoons

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

In a small bowl or spice grinder, mix together chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix (or grind). Store in an airtight container.

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Bill Echols (recipe doubled)

red pepper flakesI decided to grind my spices instead, only so
I could grind the red pepper flakes more finely.

But since the grinder was already out and dirty,
I figured why not grind them all together.

taco seasoning

.

Mexican Ceviche Tacos

Now that Summer is practically endless (thanks global warming!), recipes like these are necessary just to keep the oven off. This one is nice because it has a little bit of everything...crunchy, creamy, acidic, sweet, salty. Plus you can make it as spicy as you like (by using very hot salsa or sprinkling on a little hot sauce). The kids probably won't go near it (at least mine wouldn't), but that's where my old friend cheese comes in. Sprinkle some in a taco shell with leftover chicken (or anything else your kid will tolerate). Then watch as they struggle and the taco shells crumble all over them (dinner and a show).

MEXICAN CEVICHE TACOS

Makes 4 servings

1 ¼ lb. very fresh (sushi-grade) fish fillets (such as tuna, hamachi, barramundi or mahi-mahi),

    cut into 1/2-inch cubes

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeño chiles from jar plus 1 tablespoon liquid from jar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large head romaine lettuce, very thinly sliced crosswise (3 to 4 cups)

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, diced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

12 purchased crisp taco shells

purchased salsa

1.      Place fish in medium glass dish or bowl; sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add lime juice, lemon juice, and sugar and toss. Cover and chill until fish turns white and no longer looks raw, tossing occasionally, at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours. Note: Marinating the fish in lemon/lime juice "cooks" it while it sits in the fridge. Don't leave the fish in the marinade longer than 6 hours or it may become tough.

2.      Strain fish, discarding marinade. Place ceviche in large bowl; add tomatoes, red onion, pickled jalapeños, 1 tablespoon liquid from jar, and olive oil and toss to blend. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

3.      Add lettuce, avocado, and cilantro to ceviche mixture and toss. Fill taco shells with ceviche mixture. Top each taco with large spoonful of salsa and serve.

Bon Appétit, August 2009 by Jill Dupleix

beautiful tuna
(from the sushi counter at Wegmans)

I totally spaced out and didn't cut my tuna. I can't
really explain it. Maybe I was sleep deprived (because
chances are, on any given day, that I am). Anyway, once I
realized my mistake, I got it out of the fridge and cut it up.

tuna, cut up

after about 5 hours

It probably would have been a little whiter if I had
remembered to cut it sooner. I didn't have time to leave
it in longer, but it was sushi grade, so we were good.

tuna, tomato, onion, jalapeño, jalapeño liquid & olive oil

avocado

adding the avocado, cilantro and lettuce

all mixed

Mexican ceviche taco without salsa

Mexican ceviche taco with its little salsa mohawk

.