Baleadas

This is another recipe I've developed specifically for Java City, a great, little Sacramento coffee company. Baleadas (pronounced bal-e-a-das) are the quintessential cheap, street food in Honduras and a perfect match for Java City’s Mundo Verde. This recipe is very traditional, simple and crazy delicious. You can dress it up with scrambled eggs, avocado and/or chiles. The salty, warm bites of the baleadas marry beautifully with the light, sharp coffee. Cut out the crema for a healthier, lower fat version.

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Servings: 8 (2 tortillas)
Time: About 45 minutes active; 90 minutes total (plus overnight refrigerating)

Price: About $13.50 total; $1.70 per serving

Nutrition (per serving with beans, crema and cheese):

Calories: 571.9
Protein: 17.3g
Fat: 27.8g
Saturated fat: 10.2g
Carbohydrates: 63.3g
Fiber: 6.2g
Sodium: 1175.3mg
Cholesterol: 70.3mg

For the beans, check out my Refried Beans recipe. and double the recipe using dark red kidney beans. Omit the jalapeño and oregano altogether and at the end puree the beans in a blender or food processor.

If you can’t find crema, mix together 1/2 pint heavy cream with an 8 oz carton of sour cream. For the tortilla, you can use store-bought, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

3 cups white flour

1 cup warm water

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil

1 cup crema 

4 oz cotija cheese

Thin red hot sauce (Like Tapatio)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it’s completely mixed and not sticky.

2. Form into 16 balls, cover and let rest 20 minutes. With each ball, stretch or roll into 6-8" tortilla.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook each tortilla until browned on both sides, about one minute total. Stack the tortillas on a plate to keep them warm and soft.

4. To assemble, smear 2 Tbsp beans over the tortilla. Add 1 Tbsp crema, 1/2 oz cheese and a dash or two of Tapatio.