Baleadas (pronounced bal-e-a-das) are the quintessential cheap street food in Honduras. This recipe is very traditional, simple and crazy delicious. You can dress it up with scrambled eggs, avocado and/or chiles. 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)
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 ounce 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 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
1 cup crema
4 ounces 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 tablespoons beans over the tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon crema, 1/2 ounce cheese and a dash or two of Tapatio.
Writer Bio: Adrienne D. Capps loves food AND is a vegetarian! These things are not mutually exclusive in her world. She is passionate about eating, drinking, cooking, teaching, reading about food and growing food. Her goal with her food blog, Vegetarianized.com, is to open up the world of vegetarian cooking and eating to the veg-friendly and the veg-curious in an accessible way. She promises never to try to convert or make you feel guilty—just that eating less meat can be part of a healthy, fun and, above all, tasty, lifestyle.
