Baleadas

I was attracted to this recipe since it was on the lines of a bean burrito. Baleadas come from Honduras and this healthy, filling meal is in fact that country's national food. It is one of the popular and original dishes of the region and is eaten as a breakfast, lunch or a light snack. When kept to the basic version, this hearty meal has only 4 ingredients - wheat tortilla, refried beans, crema / fresh cream and crumbled cheese. Going by the recipes online, cooked red / black beans, fresh cream, thick wheat tortillas and crumbly dry version of queso fresco are the ones specifically used.  However there are other variations adding extra ingredients like a mixture of onion, tomato and bell peppers, hot sauce, plantain, avocado, scrambled eggs or meat.
I went with a recipe I saw on Kraft's website and they had substitutions with sour cream and feta cheese. Just going by the ingredients in a baleada, one can guess that it would be a substantial meal and I knew that my daughter would love it. I wasn't wrong and she liked it so much that she had it both for her lunch and dinner yesterday. If your palate is like mine and prefers spicy stuff, drizzle some sauce over it.
 
Ingredients:
8 -10 wheat tortillas
1 & 1/2 cups refried red / black beans
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Method:
* I made my own tortillas with a pliable dough made out of 2 cups wheat flour, 1/8 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. oil, milk and water. If using store bought ones, just warm them before assembling.
* You can use the store bought refried beans but I chose to cook them from scratch. I pressure cooked the black beans and just  pulsed them coarsely in a food processor adding some salt. If you prefer, mash the cooked bans to mushy, add salt and fry the paste in 3 to 4 tsp. oil for a couple of minutes.
* Spoon the warm beans evenly on the tortillas and top with the remaining ingredients you have chosen to use. Fold the tortilla in half and serve immediately.

This is going to be a part of BM # 37 under the theme of "National Foods".

Comments