Today we are celebrating ‘Día de la Revolución’, and what better way than with a homemade Mexican street food staple. Sopes are an “antojito”, which you can find all across Mexico. They are made from corn masa, that are shaped into a thicker version of a tortilla. They have rims on the outer edge, that are meant for holding in all of the flavorful fillings. My version that I made happens to not include meat, but typically you can find them with shredded meats, and even mole. The sopes work as your own little canvas. You can make little masterpieces, while being as creative as you would like. I made my sopes with colorful and delectable toppings. I started out with a layer of creamy refried beans, followed by crunchy shredded lettuce, and marinated onions. To add a touch of tanginess there is crema Mexicana drizzled over the top. Feel free to add a salsa of your choice, but this time around I made a fresh Salsa Verde. As a finishing touch a sprinkle of Cotija cheese rounds out the sope with its sharp and crumbly characteristics.
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Category Archives: Appetizers
Apple, Prosciutto & Gorgonzola Tartlets
This is the second recipe that I came up with using the apples we picked up in Julian. I am surprised that we have any left, they are so delicious just by themselves as a snack. These actually came about from ingredients that I had on hand. The flavors and textures work together wonderfully. The prosciutto becomes a bit crisp in the oven, and that really enhances its salty bite. Put that next to a sweet apple and pungent Gorgonzola cheese, and you have a winner. I will definitely be serving these at my next dinner party or get together. These have a little dash of Fall in each bite. Fall doesn’t only have to be about pumpkins, apples need some love too.
Ingredients:
- 1 Sheet Puff Pastry, Thawed
- 1 Apple, Thinly Sliced
- 3-4 Slices of Prosciutto, torn or chopped into equal pieces
- 1-2 tbsp. Gorgonzola, Crumbled
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F.
- Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface to be about the size of 11×17. Pierce with a fork.
- Use a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut circles out of the dough.
- Place circles on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are golden in color.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 Degrees F.
- Once baked, top each tartlet with apple slices, a piece of prosciutto and Gorgonzola crumbles.
- Place back in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese has just started to melt.
- Transfer to a serving plate.
Enjoy!
Birthday Bites
Over the weekend we threw a little get together in celebration of my Birthday. I love to throw dinner parties, but this was more of a “tapas style” soiree. I chose to make a couple of different finger foods, and even made cake pops for the first time ever.
I made my Roasted Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta. You can find the recipe here. I love how simple this dish is. I can not get over how beautiful the colors are.
We have been experiencing some hot days and warm nights here in San Diego lately. I thought that the Chilled Avocado soup would be a perfect addition to the lineup. You can find that recipe here. It was served in shot glasses, which made it a delightful version of an amuse bouche. I added Tajin (chile lime powder) on the rim for an extra kick, as well as some color.
Proscioutto Wrapped Canteloupe has to be one of my favorite food combinations. The sweet and salty components are so perfect together. I actually had a few friends that had never tried it before, and they ended up loving it.
Here are the the Caramelized Onion Tartlets with Feta Cheese. I have made a French Onion tart, where I topped it with Goat Cheese. These are basically a mini version of that, but this time around I decided to use Feta Cheese. You get just the right amount of tangy and salty bite with the rich caramelized onions and flaky puff pastry.
I am normally all about cupcakes, but hearing so much about the cake pop world lately, I had to give them a shot. I made Carrot cake pops with cream cheese frosting, and Devil’s food cake pops with buttercream frosting. They came out so moist and delicious. I will definitely be making some of these for my son Giovanni’s First Birthday that is coming up. I love everything about them. They were displayed in glasses with sugar cubes, but it will be fun to experiment with different displays.
I had a wonderful time! I love to see people eat and enjoy the food that I make. I will spend an entire day in the kitchen, if that means that someone gets to enjoy what I have created. I want to thank every one that sent me birthday wishes, as well as the ones that I got to enjoy this special evening with.
Chilled Avocado Soup
I received a wonderful cookbook from my husband as an early Birthday present, and I am so in love with it! It’s called Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates. It is full of Mexican recipes that I have been wanting to try, as well as my husband has asked me to make. It’s a win win situation with this Birthday present. I get to learn a variety of different and authentic recipes, and meanwhile he gets to be the tester. Lovely! Flipping through the book I wanted to make everything at once, but we all know that wasn’t possible, especially these days with an extremely active ten month old crawling around the house. I am so excited for the days when Giovanni can help me in the kitchen, as well as try everything that I make.
To start off my way through this book I picked the chilled avocado soup. I love soups, but it has been so hot that even thinking of eating a hot soup doesn’t appeal to me. The chilled aspect of this soup is the perfect light dinner for a hot summer day. I am so happy with how the soup came out. The texture is so velvety and creamy. You get a little kick, crunch, and tang all at the same time. I love when simple recipes are so full of flavor and textures. If you are looking for new ideas for an appetizer, or a light lunch or dinner, I highly recommend trying this recipe out. Here is the recipe out of the book. I used sunflower seeds instead of pepitas, as well as just normal chile powder opposed to the Chipotle chile powder. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 3 Ripe Avocados, Halved, Pitted, Peeled, and Coarsely Chopped
- 3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1-2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp. Canola Oil
- 1/2 Cup Green Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
- 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- Chipotle Chile Powder
Instructions:
- In a blender, combine the avocados,broth and 1 cup cream.
- Process until smooth, and the consistency of a thick cream soup. (You may have to work in batches)
- Add more cream (up to 1 cup) as needed to achieve the correct consistency.
- Transfer to a bowl and season with the lime juice, coarse salt, and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until chilled.
- In a nonstick or cast-iron skillet heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the pumpkin seeds, and toss for about 20 seconds, until they darken a shade and are fragrant.
- Add the kosher salt and a little chile powder, and toss to coat the seeds evenly.
- Pour onto a plate and let cool.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and a little bit more of Chile Powder, if you like.
- Serve at once.
Steamed Artichokes with Tarragon Mayonnaise
As a child, I remember eating artichokes a lot. I would always ask my parents to cut up the “heart” for me when I was finished with the leaves. As far as I can remember, it was always served with a side of mayonnaise. I decided to take the traditional mayonnaise and add my own spin on it. This mayonnaise has wonderful bright flavors to it, which would also work perfectly on sandwiches. As well as pretty much anything else you want to slather it on. Yes, I believe that it is just that delicious! The next time you serve artichokes, try out this mayonnaise recipe, and let me know what you think of it.
Ingredients:
- 2 Artichokes
- 1 Lemon, Sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Peeled and Smashed
For the Tarragon Mayonnaise:
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Garlic Clove, Peeled and Grated
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- The Zest of one Lemon
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, Chopped
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, Whisk together all of the ingredients for the mayonnaise, then cover and put in the fridge.
- This will let the ingredients hang out and get to know each other a bit.
- Rinse the artichoke in cold water.
- Using a serrated knife,cut off the top inch of the artichoke, remove the stem, and then pull off the lower petals that are small and tough.
- In a large pot add about 3 cups of water, then add the lemon slices and garlic cloves.
- Place a steamer basket inside the pot, and place the artichokes in stem side up.
- Cover and steam for 40 minutes, or until the leaves pull off easily.
- Place the steamed artichokes on serving dishes, and serve with the Tarragon mayonnaise on the side.
Enjoy!
Roasted Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
The heirloom tomatoes add such gorgeous colors and sweetness to this bruschetta. I love when simple ingredients are so full of flavor. There are a few different variations to Bruschetta, and this is just one of my versions. Start off a great meal with this bruschetta, or share as a light meal.
Makes 8-10
Ingredients:
- 1 Small Baguette, or 3/4 of a Large Baguette (In this case I used Multigrain), Sliced about 1″ thick
- 2 Cups, Mini Heirloom Tomatoes, If using Large, 2 Heirloom Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped
- About 5 Fresh Basil Leaves, Torn into pieces
- 1 Garlic Clove, Peeled
- 4 tbsp. Extra virgin Olive Oil, Plus more for drizzling
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F
- Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet
- Drizzle them with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until they are soft to touch.
- Set the tomatoes aside.
- Reduce the oven to 350 Degrees F.
- Place the Baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp. of olive oil
- Place in the oven and toast for about 7 minutes on each side. Until bread is toasted, but still soft in the middle.
- Remove the toasted baguette from the oven, and allow to slightly cool.
- Then rub the garlic clove on each side of the baguette, top with the tomatoes and fresh basil.
- Place on a serving dish, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve.
Enjoy!
Tostaditas de Rajas
Clean and simple ingredients make up these mini tostadas. These little bites are a wonderful appetizer, as well as a great vegetarian option. They are full of character and beautiful colors. Make this recipe as a start to your next dinner party, or even make it a “tapas” night.
Makes 10-12 Tostaditas
Ingredients:
- 10-12 Round Tortilla Chips
- 1 Cup Refried Beans
- 1 Cup Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 1 Cup Avocado, Thinly Sliced
- 2 Roasted Poblano Peppers, Thinly Sliced (Rajas)
- About 1 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 Cup Panela, Diced
- 1/4 tsp. Smoked Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano Leaves
- About 1 tbsp. Hot Sauce (Optional)
Instructions:
- Place the thinly sliced onions in a bowl with the fresh lime juice, oregano, and Smoked Sea Salt. Let them marinade for about an hour.
- Place the Poblano Peppers directly over a gas flame to roast, rotating often.
- Once they are evenly roasted place in a Ziploc Bag, or a bowl and then cover in plastic wrap.
- After 5-7 minutes peel the charred skin off of the peppers, deseed, and then thinly slice them and set aside.
- To assemble each tostadita: Spread each one with the refried beans, then top with the Rajas, Marinated Onion, Avocado, Panela, and Hot Sauce (Optional).
- Serve.
