Sopes

Do you have a Panaderia Tortilleria in your hometown? Chances are you do, they are Mexican bakeries with all kinds of delicious foods inside. We are a melting pot of cultures, even in NW Arkansas you can sample Indian, Thai, Mongolian, Szechuan, Cantonese, Salvadorian, and Mexican. I love trying new recipes and no matter where we've lived, I try my hand at regional favorites. In Texas, that included making tamales, gorditas and sopes. Masa Harina is the secret ingredient, but it's not easy to get the same results as Mamacita's kitchen turns out. Just like a Southern Grandma's biscuits, technique is key. So, since my Moma was not a Mamacita... I have trouble making something as simple as a sope!

In Mexico, the sope (pronounced “SOH-peh”) is as common as a taco for lunch. Street vendors turn them out in minutes while you wait, and salivate! They are open face sandwiches, similar to a tostada, but the sope is made of fresh masa formed into a boat shape vessel to get the delicious fillings from plate to your mouth easily. They can be hand held, but the best ones require a plate and a fork to get every last bite! 

My local Panaderia sells the sope shells, freshly made and ready to slip onto a warm griddle to crisp (or a quick dip into hot oil and drained), then topped with chopped brisket, pork or chicken it turns leftover meat into a delicacy! From Rick Bayles' Mexico One Plate at a Time, here is the simple recipe for sopes. I love the way he writes recipes, you taste the country as well as the food! This recipe is long but not complicated, it's technique that he teaches.

Sopes 
"Every culture has its small bites–sushi, dim sum, tapas, mezze. But in Mexico, these flavorful tidbits fall into a different kind of category: “antojitos,” the foods you crave. These are the snacks and street foods, as well as the special-occasion treats, that Mexicans love best–the stuff that comforts the soul and sets the heart racing."
Dough:
1 pound (2 cups) fresh corn masa for tortillas (OR 1 3/4 cups powdered masa harina mixed with a scant 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water) 
2 tablespoons lard or 2 tablespoons shortening 
3/4 teaspoon salt
Filling: 
1 cup brothy beans, coarsely pureed with a little broth 
8 ounces chorizo sausage
vegetable oil (for frying) 
Toppings:
green tomatillo sauce 
mexican queso fresco 
mexican crema or thinned sour cream
shredded lettuce
radishes, sliced paper thin

Forming and griddle baking the sopes: Heat a well seasoned or nonstick griddle or heavy skillet over medium. Put the mash (fresh or reconstituted) into a bowl and knead in 3/4 teaspoon salt. If necessary, knead in a few drops of water to give the masa the consistency of soft cookie dough. Divide into 5 pieces, roll into balls and cover with plastic to keep them from drying out.
One by one, form the fat little tortillas that will become the sopes: Line a tortilla press with two pieces of plastic cut to fit the plates (be on the safe side, cut them from a food storage bag; the thicker plastic usually works better for beginners). Place a ball into the plastic lined press, gently pat and press it into a evenly flat disc, about 3/8 inch thick (the original recipe says 1/4" thick, with practice maybe I can do this!) and 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter. With the fat little tortilla still on the plastic, flip it over onto one hand, dough side down and peel off the plastic. Lay the tortilla on the hot skillet and bake for about a minute per side, until lightly browned-- in doing so you are transforming the tortilla into a sope, a little masa boat!  Do the same with all of the balls, allowing each to cool and forming into sope/masa boats. Cover with plastic and set aside. 
For the Filling: Simmer the beans down to a thick bean soup consistency. Take out half the beans and mash, add back enough of the brothy beans to make a refried consistency. (Also adapted from the usual method of re-frying the beans.) In a small skillet heat 1 T. oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up any pieces. When cooked drain off fat and cover with foil-place in oven to keep warm. (I used leftover grilled chicken.)
Frying the shells: Add the oil to a heavy skillet 3/4 of an inch deep. Fry the shells one at a time until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels then place in a cast iron skillet to keep warm in the oven. Repeat until shells are done. (You just have to do this step, no baking the shells. It's a flavor thing... the crispy/soft shell, the spicy filling and the cool creamy toppings!)
Finishing the Dish: Layer in this order- Shell, refried beans, chorizo, tomatillo sauce. cheese, lettuce, radish slices, crema.

One more note Herdez is making a great new Taqueria Salsa made from tomatillos and morita peppers, just like the familar smoky sauce you find on dinner tables all over Mexico! I found it at Walmart.

Soup and Sandwich

Soup and sandwich, soup and sandwich, go together like a horse and carriage. 

Anytime or weather, soup and sandwich go together!

All these years later and we still have this song stuck in our head!If you're like me, you probably sing it every time you open a can of Campbell's! Soup is our friend, comforting on a cold day or soothing after a hard one. If you don't have time to make homemade soup during the week, make it on Sunday afternoon and let it bubble away on the stove. Portion for lunches or put in a casserole for a busy day's supper later on that week! You won't hear any complaints....

Hot-Stuff Kielbasa-Cheese Soup ...Just click on the recipe titles to print!

1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 14 1/2 - ounce can chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
8 ounces fully cooked kielbasa (Polish sausage), sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 1/4 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese and coarsely ground pepper (optional)

In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook onion and celery in hot butter or margarine until tender. Stir in flour, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Carefully stir in broth. Add potatoes, carrots, and kielbasa. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk. Heat and stir until mixture almost comes to a boil. Reduce heat. Add the 3 cups cheese and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with more cheese or pepper, if you like. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

1 rotisserie chicken, the ones they sell at Walmart are about 2 1/2 lb.

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons pickle relish

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 slices bread

6 leaves lettuce

6 slices tomato

Remove skin and bones from the chicken, then tear or chop meat into bite size pieces (you can separate the white and dark meat and use only one for the chicken salad, if you do this use less mayo, celery and seasonings). Add mayo, celery, relish, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Spoon on bread and top with lettuce and tomato.

Bacon and Baked Potato Soup 

2 (6- 8 ounce) baking potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

12 cup chopped onion

14 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups half and half, light cream or milk 

1 1/4 cups shredded American Cheese (5 ounces)

1 cup chicken broth

8 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained and crumbled

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

1/4 cup dairy sour cream

Scrub potatoes with brush, pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 40-60 minutes or until tender, cool. Peel potatoes if desired, chop and set aside. In a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir about 5 minutes until crisp tender. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Add half and half or milk all at once. Cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese and broth, stir until cheese melts. Slightly mash potatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher. For the topping, reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon, stir remaining bacon and 1 tablespoon of the green onion into the soup. Heat through. To serve, top each serving with bacon, remaining cheese, green onion and sour cream. Makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each.

Smoked Turkey Panini 

1/2-inch thick slices country Italian bread

1/2 cup refrigerated classic bruschetta topping

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

12 ounces sliced cooked peppered turkey breast

1 cup large spinach leaves

Olive oil

To assemble sandwiches, spread 4 bread slices with bruschetta topping and 4 slices with mayonnaise. On bruschetta slices layer turkey, and spinach; top with mayo slices. Lightly brush sandwiches with olive oil. Place sandwiches in hot skillet; weight with additional skillet or use Panini Press. Grill 2 minutes; turn if using pan and cook 2 minutes more or until golden and hot. Serves 4.

Pamenna Cheese

There's hardly a household in the south that doesn't have a jar (or two) of these up in the pantry. You never know when you're going to make deviled eggs or potato salad and if you plan on making a batch of pamenna cheese you will need the whole jar, at least that's the way we always used it. My Grandmother was the maker of the delicacy, but Mom would buy Mrs. Price's at Ralph Browns Grocery. I don't remember a time when it wasn't in the fridge, toward the back next to the small curd cottage cheese. It was a staple. In the summer, I'd come inside from playing and make myself a pamenna cheese sandwich on white bread. It was one of the few meals I ever made for myself. I'd set there with my feet swinging under that old chrome table and taste the deliciousness of the 3 ingredients. It was good!

Pimento Cheese

1 lb. block of extra-sharp cheddar cheese (not the kind that’s already shredded)

1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

1 jar diced pimentos 

cayenne pepper to taste, optional

Grate cheese with a grater. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir it up, and enjoy! I recommend eating on saltines, celery, or on plain white bread. 

Cotton Bowl Classic Feast

If you're an Arkansas Razorback fan or a Kansas State Wildcat, you know where you're going to be Friday night at 7PM. If you're lucky and have a ticket for the Cotton Bowl Classic, you and 85,000 screaming fans are going to be in the stands at Dallas' Cowboy Stadium! Even if you can't be there, you're going to be in your seat, ready for a great game with some of your favorite foods. I found some recipes from The NFL Gameday Cookbook that will be perfect for a victory party... I hope!

Buffalo Chicken Breast Sandwiches PRINT
from the NFL Gameday Cookbook by Ray Lampe a.k.a. Dr. BBQ

6 boneless chicken breast halves
Your favorite barbecue rub
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter, melted
6 sandwich rolls
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 cup finely chopped celery

Prepare the grill for cooking over direct medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts lightly with the rub. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, or to an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove the chicken to a plate.
In a medium bowl, mix together the hot sauce and melted butter. Dip each chicken breast in the hot sauce mixture and transfer it to a rack to drain for just a minute. Transfer the chicken to the rolls and top each with an equal portion of the cheese and celery. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Catfish Tacos with Citrus Salsa PRINT

from the NFL Gameday Cookbook by Ray Lampe a.k.a. Dr. BBQ
¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon good-quality chili powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound catfish fillets, patted dry with a paper towel

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 2 tablespoons butter

8 six-inch flour or corn tortillas

Citrus Salsa (recipe below)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dust the fillets on both sides with the flour mixture.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put the fillets in the pan and cook for four to five minutes, then flip and cook another four to five minutes, or until the fish flakes when you poke it with a fork. Remove to drain on a paper towel. Transfer the fillets to a serving plate and break each into a few big pieces. Divide the fish evenly among the tortillas and top with the Citrus Salsa.

Makes eight tacos

Citrus Salsa

Using the supremes in this salsa leaves a little texture to the fruit while getting rid of the pith and skin. To make the supremes, cut the top and bottom off of fruit. Stand on one end and cut down the sides, removing the skin to reveal the fruit. All the skin and pith should be removed. Cut the segments out in between the membrane and pull out the tender wedge of flesh now known as the supreme.

3 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

½ cup finely chopped red onion

Supremes of 1 orange, chopped

Supremes of 1 large lime, chopped

3 green onions, white and green parts sliced

1 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don't want it spicy)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a glass bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Mix again before serving. Makes about two cups.

Bloody Mary Chicken Wings PRINT
from The NFL Gameday Cookbook by Ray Lampe a.k.a. Dr. BBQ

12-15 chicken wings

BLOODY MARY RUB:
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 tablespoon good-quality chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
BLOODY MARY SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups V-8 juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Tabasco Garlic Sauce
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
Prepared horseradish (optional)
Russian vodka
Celery sticks

With a sharp knife, cut the tips off the chicken wings and save the tips for stock. Slash the inside of the wing joint to help them cook more evenly, but don’t cut them all the way through.
In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients. Sprinkle over the chicken wings, coating them evenly.
Prepare the grill for cooking over direct medium heat. Grill the wings, turning often, for 30 minutes, or until the wings are crispy and golden.
Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Put the vodka in the freezer. Transfer the wings to an aluminum-foil pan. Pour the sauce over the wings, tossing to coat. Put the pan on the grill. Cover the grill and cook for another 30 minutes, tossing the wings after 15 minutes to coat. If the pan goes dry, add a small amount of beer to keep it from burning. Remove the wings to a plate, and drizzle with the sauce if there is any left. Serve with celery sticks and shots of ice-cold vodka. Makes 15 servings.

Hot Party Ham Sandwiches

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