Tortillas are a big thing in Honduras, and probably all of Central America and Mexico. Yet, I had never made corn tortillas before on my own. A typical Honduran meal will include corn tortillas. You can have them with beans and eggs for breakfast, or rice, beans and chicken for lunch and dinner, or simply any meal that you desire to.
Most Honduran homes will have tortillas with every single meal. Some families will have homemade tortillas, while other families, such as mine, will probably have store bought tortillas. If all you have ever tried are store bough corn tortillas, you are missing out! Homemade corn tortillas do not taste any like store bought.
When I was a little girl I remember going to my grandmas house or my aunts house and their maids (having a maid is pretty common in latin culture) would be making tortillas and I would have them warm and fresh- you can't even imagine how tasty warm homemade tortillas with melted butter or crema (our version of sour cream) are!
So this weekend I decided to take the challenge! I invited a friend over (because cooking hard things with friends is more fun than on my own) and we made homemade tortillas. Then we topped them off with beans and cheese for Mini Bean Pizzas!
Don't let the tortilla making scare you! Try this out and you wont regret it :)
Ingredients
Tortillas:
2 cups maseca (corn masa flour found at the Mexican area in supermarket)
1 1/4 cups of water (more or less as needed)
Pinch of salt
Beans:
1 can of pinto beans or 1 can of refried beans
2 chicken chorizos
1 cup of mild salsa or tomato sauce
Garnish:
Tomato slices
Onion slices
Sharp, mozzarella, mexican, colby cheese (any shredded cheese)
Crema or sour cream
Avocado
Directions
Tortillas
In a mixing bowl combine masa harina and salt. Add water and combine until smooth and a little sticky. If the dough is too dry add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. Dough should feel more or less like playdough. Divide into 16 portions. If you are not going to use the dough right away, cover with a damp cloth to keep the dough moist. (I had never made tortillas before so I followed the instructions in the back of the bag.) Make each portion into a ball and flatten gently with your hands, then put the ball in between plastic wrap and either use a tortilla press to flatten tortilla gently or press with a plate or skillet.
Preheat ungreased skillet or comal on medium-high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time for 1 minute on each side. Cover cooked tortillas with cloth napkin to keep soft and warm.
Beans
Preheat skillet. Take chorizo out of the casing and cook in ungreased skillet. When the chorizo starts looking brown add the beans. If you are using the pinto beans mash them with a potato masher, if you are using the refried beans just combine. Once beans and chorizo are hot add the salsa and some cumin and black pepper. If you want it spicy go ahead and add some hot sauce or jalapenos!
Layering the Mini Bean Pizzas
When you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 450 deegres. In a cookie sheet place as many tortillas as you want or can fit, spread some of the bean mix, then add tomatoes and onion, and last add the cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. When they come out of the oven, garnish with avocados, sour cream and even queso fresco if you have any!
