Black Bean Sopes, Birdeye

Oh the sopes...one of my new favorite recipes from
genius Terry Conlan's first cookbook

This was my first time to pickle onions and Jackie and I both
agreed that they were excellent and milder than chopped
red onions typically served with Mexican food, there's pico and
homemade Picante sauce.  FABULOUS!

A picture of Chloe's BFF Kate Davis who spent the night Friday,
those two, Oh lordy, they had the best time EVER.  It was one
of those sleep overs where they were trying to figure out how
they could spend more time together and go another night.
It's great to have good friends like these.  Reminds me of
Wendy from home and college friends Aricka, Leigh Anne and Dana

The plate...sope on bottom, topped with black beans,
low fat cheddar, lettuce, pico de gallo and pickled
onion rings...DELISH!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Ok...it's official.  I am a tex-mex freeaakkk!  I just love both of my Terry Conlan cookbooks from Lake Austin Spa.  He's a total genius and I'm so grateful to have these two "bibles" in my kitchen.  I made this last week and it was absolutely fabulous.

This isn't your usual type Mexican meal but since I had all the ingredients, it was a no brainer to try.

Black Bean Sopes, Terry Conlan, Lake Austin Spa

"Sopes are commonly served as an appetizer in Mexico and you may want to make small ones for this purpose.  The larger version makes a delicious and unusual lunch, bursting forth with a wide array of colors, textures and flavors.  You can prepare all of the salad ingredients ahead of time; the masa cakes will taste best if recently made and kept warm.  (Pickle onions by slicing into a glass or stainless steel bowl and pouring a 50/50 mixture of boiling vinegar and water over them.  Steep one hour and drain)

1 T. chili powder

2 t. garlic powder

3 C. corn masa 

salt

3 T. Parmesan cheese

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. sugar

1-1/3 C. water

cooking spray

(Have on hand a red onion, black beans, cheese, lettuce, mock sour cream (which is in this cookbook and I didn't use), Guacomole Surprise (from Spa Specialties, which must be another Conlan masterpiece), pico de gallo, picante sauce and pickled purple onions)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Kneed for 5 minutes, adding more water if needed to make a stiff but workable dough.  Break off into large meatball size balls and flatten into patty shapes about 3 inches in diameter.  Spray both sides with cooking spray and cook one side in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Remove to count, invert and using a teaspoon scoop a shallow depression out of the center, pinch up the sides to make a small border and return the sope to the skillet to continue cooking.  After 2 minutes, invert again so the hollowed side is down and cook one more minute.  (I totally struggled with  this part and I think I may have burned the sopes but....we survived and was delicious with the pico, and homemade Picante I made and the awesome, and I mean awesome, pickled onions)

Top with black beans, cheese, lettuce, mock sour cream, Guacomole Surprise (from Spa Specialities), pico de gallo, picante sauce and pickled purple onions. 

Yield 12 servings: 260 calories, 4.5 grams of fat per serving