Roasted Bell Pepper and White Corn Tamales with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Living in Colorado for the past 18 years, I have grown fond of south-western and Mexican Cuisine. This is my version of tamales. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients
18 dried corn husks, plus extra husks to make ties
3 cups freshwhite corn kernels or frozen kernels, thawed
2 cups masa harina (found in the ethnic food section of your gorcery store)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper (roasted then chopped)
1 green bell pepper (roasted then chopped)
2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the salsa
1/4 cup chopped avocado
5 ounces tomatillos, husked under warm running water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 tsp Cumin, ground
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh coriander
1/2 jalapeno chile
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place the corn husks in a bowl of water to soften for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Pat dry and set aside wrapped in paper towels.

Grill or char Bell peppers on gas stove until skin is completely charred all over. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 30 min. Under cold running water, de-seed and remove as much of the peppers skin as possible. Coarsely chop.

In a food processor, process 2 1/2 cups of the corn kernels until coarsely pureed.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, masa harina, lukewarm water, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and oil. Mix until well blended, using your hands if necessary.

Place a dry nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, and saute until tender-crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chopped roasted peppers and red pepper flakes and remove from the heat.

To assemble a tamale, place 3 tablespoons of masa mixture in the center of a soaked corn husk. Flatten with your hand and form a small well in the center. Add 1 tablespoon of the sauteed vegetables to the well. Fold the long side of the corn husk over the filling to cover, then fold over the ends, overlapping them. Tie with a thin strip torn from an extra soaked husk. Repeat to make 18 tamales in all.

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Layer the wrapped tamales in the steamer basket. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and steam until the filling becomes firm and the tamales are heated through, 45 to 60 minutes. Add more water as needed.

While the tamales are steaming, make the salsa. Toss tomatillos, jalepeno and red onions in 1 TBS olive oil. Roast in 425 oven for 15- min, stirring once half way through. Puree tomatillos, jalepeno and red onions in a blender,careful not to allow the top to blow off because of the steam. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine tomatillo mixture with the avocado, lime juice, ground cumin, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss gently.

To serve, place 3 tamales on each plate. Accompany each serving with a generous spoonful of salsa on the side.

Serving size: 3 tamales
Calories 297 Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 7 g Sodium 375 mg
Carbohydrate 49 g Fiber 7 g
Total fat 11 g