Arepas

I finally found a 2 lb bag of masarepa, the cooked corn flour you're supposed to use for tamales and arepas.  Get it: masa arepa.  I've been trying to avoid buying a bag five pounds or even larger, since I don't make recipes with it often.  Smart & Final actually had it in both white and yellow varieties.  I chose the slightly less sweet white corn, but it's a personal choice.  Some recipes mix the two to balance the sweetness.

Arepas are common in Venezuela and Colombia.  They are a lot like pupusas, except you don't normally fold the filling into the dough.  You slice them open like pitas or hamburger buns and fill them to eat as sandwiches.  I found a version on Minimalist Baker that's a lot like the recipe on the bag, but with better instructions.

For a filling, I took a can of beef roast and heated it up with taco seasoning and probably more cilantro than is reasonable.  I topped that with some pickled red onion and had it alongside roasted green beans.

Serving-size wise, you could probably double this and have two per person.  I was looking at the carb count and chose a single one for myself as a serving.  They are so amazingly easy to make that doubling the recipe isn't a big deal.

1 C masarepa
1/2 tsp salt
1 C warm water
oil for the pan

1.  Stir together water and salt in a bowl until the salt dissolves.

2.  Gradually work in the flour with a whisk, spoon, or your hands into a wet paste.  Allow to sit 5 minutes while you line a baking sheet with parchment, start preheating the oven to 350º, and preheat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or two of oil on it.

3.  Divide dough into 4 pieces and shape each into a ball.  Flatten each ball to 1/2".  If there's a lot of cracking around the edges, wet your hands and that should be enough water to soften the dough so it doesn't crack as much.

4.  Pan fry the discs on the griddle until the outside is crispy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side.

5.  Transfer arepas to the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness.

6.  Slice open and fill as desired.

Difficulty rating  π