Sopes

I've had so much success with breads, crackers and flatbreads lately that I thought it was time to try my hand at home-made corn tortillas.  I needed masa harina for that and the only place in my neighborhood I could find it had it in a 5-pound package only.  It was much more than I needed for one little batch, but I really wanted to make them and I was too impatient to go to a neighborhood where I had a better chance of finding broader, smaller options.  So I lugged the 5-pound bag home with me and measured out a measly little cup for my first batch of tortillas.

And they were good.  Fine.  They weren't great, but they weren't awful.  But I don't eat them very often and I still had almost a full package of the masa in the house.  I needed to find something else to do with it.

I found it in a recipe I had pulled from the May/June 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.  As I've mentioned before, I have not had the best luck with their recipes, but for some reason I keep trying.

And I'm glad I did.  These came out soft, moist, and full of that toasty corn goodness.

The first time I made them I threw together a quick picadillo using some ground beef I had in the freezer, topped with a dollop of yogurt (I would have used sour cream if I'd had any around but the yogurt worked just fine) and some chopped pickled jalapenos given to me by a co-worker made from peppers in his garden.

They were tasty enough that I immediately made a batch of Ten-Minute Black Beans with Tomatoes and Cilantro and whipped up another batch.  They are somewhat time consuming, but well worth the effort.

These make a great snack, appetizer or main meal.  The possibilities are endless.

And they even traveled well to work for weekday lunches.

Home Cookin Chapter:  Breads and Muffins
SOPES makes 12 small or 6 large sopes

3 cups masa harina
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (opt)
2-1/2 cups hot water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 cup grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (or any good melting cheese)

Preheat oven to 350°F. and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  

Combine the masa harina, baking powder, salt and cheese if using in a large bowl and mix well.  Stir in the hot water until the mixture forms a soft dough. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.  Add the egg and mix it in completely, then add the oil and stir it in completely as well.

Divide the dough into 12 1/4-cup or 6 1/2-cup pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and then press into a 3- or 6- inch disk on the prepared baking sheet.  Make an indentation in the center of the disk using a small drinking glass or your fingers, then shape a 1/2-inch edge around the circle.

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the sopes start to look dry. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese, equally divided, into the center of each circle. Return to oven to the oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 5 more minutes.

Remove from the oven, fill with your topping of choice and serve.

from Vegetarian Times May/June 2009

Exported from Home Cookin v.8.58 (www.mountainsoftware.com)