Healthy Dinner: Low Fat Vegan Tamales

Even the most dedicated healthy eater can find it challenging at times to come up with something tasty and easy to make at the end of a long day. You know, something a bit more exciting than your everyday bowl of beans and greens. Enter these fiesta worthy vegan tamales! They are (fortunately) extremely easy to make, and this low fat version is healthy to boot!

Low Fat Vegan Tamales

Ingredients for Filling: Red Pepper

Portabella Mushroom
Can of Black Beans, drained
Zucchini
Lime Juice
Cumin (start with 1 tsp and work your way up slooowly, cumin is a powerful spice)
Salt and Pepper
Cilantro
2 Ears of Corn
1-3 Serrano Peppers
Small amount of Vegetable Stock
Garlic
Shallots (or 1 Red Onion)

1. Finely chop all the vegetables, and place into a pan. Using some vegetable stock to sautee all the ingredients (except the lime juice and cilantro), cook on medium high heat for 6-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

2. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Take off heat.

Ingredients for the Masa Dough:

4 Cups Instant Masa
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt

Combine all ingredients and form into balls with your hands.

I bought corn husks at my local grocery store and rinsed them under hot water until they became pliable. Lay the husk down on a flat surface and place a masa dough ball in the middle of the husk. Flatten the ball with your palm, spreading the dough and making sure to leave some space at the top and bottom of the husk to make it easier to fold.

Fill the tamale and fold the husk over itself and make sure the filling is completely covered. Roll one side of the husk into itself (kind of like sushi or burrito making). Fold the ends under and use strips of cut corn husk to tie it together.