Christmas Eve Tamales

Tamales were a Christmas Eve tradition for my husband when he was younger and last year we decided that we would do the same in our home each year.  After the heart attack, I really wanted to find a way to make some delicious tamales for him to eat.  After a good deal of searching, I found the recipe for "Mama Totota's Tamales."  Having never made tamales, I was not too sure how well this cooking endeavor would end, but Eric loved them!
I made a few of my own changes to the recipe to make it healthier and a little easier.  The real recipe calls for 1 lb. of pork tenderloin, but I substituted it for 98% fat free ground pork.  Less fat and much faster to cook.  The recipe below has my additions/changes in bold print.

Mama Totota's Tamales:

Ingredients:
14 large dried cornhusks

Filling:
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/2  teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 chopped onion

Dough:
3 cups masa harina
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Place cornhusks in a large bowl of hot water; weigh down husks with another bowl.  Soak for at least 30 minutes.  Drain husks; rinse with cold water.  Drain and pat dry.  Make sure that the ENTIRE cornhusk is submerged in water or you will have a difficult time folding them once you have rolled the tamale!
2. To prepare filling, combine ground pork, onion, cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and paprika in a skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat from pork and put into the food processor until pork is all the same consistency.
3. To prepare dough, combine masa harina, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.  Add water and oil, stirring to form a soft dough.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface;  knead lightly 4 to 5 times.  divide dough into 12 equal portions.  Working with 1 portion, place dough in the center of 1 husk.  Press the dough into a 4 x 2 1/2 inch rectangle, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch border at the tapered end and a 1 inch border at the broad end.  Arrange about 1 tablespoon of filling down the center of the dough.  Take 1 long side of husk and roll dough around filling, making sure dough seals around filling.  Twist both ends of the corn husk tightly and fold underneath each tamale.
4. Arrange tamales in steamer, and cover with steamer lid.  Add water to a large skilled to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil.  Place steamer in pan; steam half of tamales for 12 minutes or until the husks peel away cleanly.  Repeat procedure with remaining tamales. 

I personally am not a huge fan of tamales, but I loved the flavor of the pork filing.  To make it a complete meal we topped these with a little fat free sour cream and salsa, added a green salad, some brown rice, and a few avocado slices and it was delicious!