Mexican Night: Daniel Fast Approved!

Did you ever stop for a second and think that you could have Mexican food on the Daniel fast? If you haven’t…then stop. Take out a pen. Write this stuff down. By the way, these recipes are COMPLETELY vegan too! Get out…I feel my heart thanking me already – although, it’s probably gonna be back to fried chicken next week – lol.

My pastor issued a challenge – and I accepted!

Check this out – I made HOMEMADE tortilla chips with a hint of lime – salsa verde – pico de gallo – AND tamales! It doesn’t get any better than this!

Swiss Chard & Corn Tamales served with Salsa Verde & Pico De Gallo
- Masa
- Vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup of mined onion
- 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of each, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and chili powder
- 1 cup of corn
- 4 cups of Swiss chard, cleaned and chopped
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- corn husks (soaked in water)

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add corn and seasonings. When fragrant add chard – it will wilt down. Once this happens, remove from pan and allow to cool. In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of masa with about 1 cup of vegetable stock. Add in reserved mixture of chard and corn and combine well. Add about a half cup of mixture in each corn husk. Seal well and place in a baking dish. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Salsa Verde
- 6 medium tomatillos
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 large onion – chopped
- 1 poblano chile
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of water

Toss tomatillos, garlic, tomatoes, onion, and chile with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and add ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add vinegar & water and blend. Taste and if needed, add more salt and pepper. You can enjoy immediately at room temperature. However, salsa verde is best when chilled.

Tortilla Chips
- 20 corn tortillas
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- lime zest
- olive oil

Cut tortillas into triangles and toss with oil, salt, pepper, and lime zest. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until crispy. Allow to cool and enjoy.

Pico de Gallo
-Just toss together chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno. Add a touch of red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh squeezed lime juice!

Swiss Chard & Corn Tamales

Here are a few pics:

Roasting the ingredients for the salsa verde!

The saute of corn & swiss chard for the tamale stuffing.

My homemade tortilla chips…with more than a hint of lime.

The tamales…right before going into the oven.

The finished plate