My Official Return :-)

Good morning to ALL!!!

I have resolved to return to the world of Blogging! It has been a very l-o-n-g winter and I have had a lot of personal life changes to work through (as stated in a previous post). I have taken time off to pray, reflect and come to terms with this season of my life and now, I am happy to announce, I am ready to get back on track with this favorite old blog. I have missed posting.

Well, today is Monday, so the BEST place to start is by offering a recipe. This past week-end, my FB friend, Shannon (better known as Epic Gifted Academy) posted some WONDERFUL Mexican recipes! Though they all sound so very tempting, my very favorite had to be the one for Sopes! I had never heard of these delicious little corn-based shells! She states that, " Kids love sopes because they can fill them with any ingredients they want".  Without any further delay, here is the recipe:

Sopes are made from corn (just like a corn tortilla) but are thicker and can be filled up with your favorite ingredients.


Ingredients:

3 cups of Masa Harina (I use the brand Maseca)
2 cups of warm water
1 tbsp salt
Corn oil (for frying)
Toppings

Prep:

Mix your Maseca, water and salt until you get a soft (Playdough-like) dough. I usually have to add more water to get the consistency I want if the masa is too dry. If you get it too moist, you can always add back in a little more masa. Once you're done kneeding out all the dough, let it sit for about 10 mintues. This usually gives me time to clean up and get the rest of the ingredients I need out and on the table.

Make small balls out of the dough (I usually have them fit in my hand, about 2 inches unless I'm making mini-sopes for appetizers). I have a tortilla press but if you don't have a tortilla press, you can lay the ball on a flat surface, put plastic wrap on the bottom and on the top, then press firmly with something flat. You don't want it flat as a tortilla (or pancake) but rather, relatively flat and thick.

Once you have all your sope balls flattened out, get ready to fry them. I do not use a lot of oil but these do require oil to cook (you can always dab them afterwards and absorb much of the oil).

I put a small layer of oil in the pan just so it's entirely coated (about 1/4). You do need to submerge them a little so they cook evenly.

Once you're done frying the sopes, which should not be overcooked or undercooked. You can tell when you look at them. They look like thicker cooked fresh tortillas.

Take them out to cool a little. When they've cooled just enough that you can actually handle them without getting burned, poke your finger or a knife toward the rim of the sope and follow it around (like you're opening a can of soup). Cut with your finger or knife a ridge that leaves a wall on the outside of the sope. The rest you will push in. It ends up looking like a little boat that you can fill. You're going to want to fill the sopes with refried beans (traditional recipe) and you don't want the beans falling out.

Once you have your sopes made, fill them with refried beans (will post another recipe for homemade refried beans so NO ONE buys them in a can, yuck!) and serve them on a platter on the table.

There are many things you can fill your sope with... traditionally speaking, they are filled with cheese (oaxaca or queso fresco - fresh cheese), cream, sliced avocados, diced tomatoes, grated cabbage (not lettuce like they serve stateside), red or green salsa, or meat products (tinga, chile con carne, chicharron)...

Buen provecho!

Thank you, Shannon! These are WONDERFUL!!!

I will see you all tomorrow with my weekly entry in the Simple Woman's Daybook!!!

For now, Stay Cozy!!!
Charlotte