I’m having people over this weekend for Game Night and decided that we needed some munchies. I want it to be healthy 
and/or made from scratch so I can continue my unprocessed challenge, but I also want my friends to feel comfortable bringing something that may not be homemade. So, I compromised.
We’re going to have a nacho bar where I provide the corn tortillas chips, cheese and homemade salsa*, and they bring their favorite toppings and beer. I also decided to make some refried beans because it is just so easy. Buen apetito!
Corn tortillas
2 cups corn flour (Masa Harina, I used Bob’s Red Mill but you can find a different brand in the Mexican Food aisle of the grocery store. )
½ tsp sea salt
1 ½- 2 cups water
Put flour and salt in a bowl and mix. Add water, ½ cup at a time to reach desired consistency. The dough should be spongy to the touch, not too dry or sticky. Let sit, covered, for 1 hour in a cool, dry place.
Put small amount of oil into a frying pan or cast iron skillet at medium heat to thinly coat. You won’t need to add more oil, even when the tortillas absorb what is in the pan.
Roll dough into golf ball size balls and flatten with a tortilla press covered in plastic wrap, or place dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and use a heavy pot or pan to flatten very thin. Place in pan and heat just until edges dry up, then flip and repeat on other side. It only takes a few minutes once the pan is hot enough.
To make into chips: Cut each tortilla into triangles using scissors or a knife. Depending on size of tortillas, you can get 4-6 triangles per tortillas. Sprinkle with salt.
Preheat oven to 400. Place tortillas wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet at least 1/4” apart. This promotes crispiness. Bake 8-12 minutes or until chips start to crisp and edges are turning brown. (After 8 min, check every 2 min.) Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
You can also fry the chips using this method.
Refried Beans
2 15 oz cans pinto beans (I used a bag of beans I bought from the store, following the directions on the bag to prepare.)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp cumin
chili powder to taste
salt to taste
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender, about 3-5 min. Put one can (or cup) of beans in food processor to mash, or mash by hand. Put both cans beans in saute mix. Add spices, tasting all the while to get to where you like it. I have added a jalapeno before, which is good if you like hot. Cook until warm. Usually tastes best after sitting in the fridge for a day or two, then reheated.
*The salsa I made was weeks ago because I had a lovely, gigantic Pink Dahlia tomato, some tomatillos, an onion and some other goodies from a garden I volunteer with. It’s delicious, but adapted from a couple of different recipes that I unfortunately didn’t keep track of.
Gobble and Gab 