Chicken Sopes

Sopes, or gorditas, are miniature fried corn-dough bowls filled with beans and sauce and topped with cheese. There are many variations that you can create. One of my favorites is chicken sopes. A few time saving tips are: use canned or boxed low-sodium chicken stock instead of making your own; buy pre-cooked chicken (such as rotisserie); use canned re-fried beans and; buy pre-made sopes at your grocery store or your local Latin-American food store.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALSITA

• 1 large tomato or 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 quarter of a red onion
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 1 small jalapeno, or serrano or güerito chile
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt & peper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. oregano

Add the first five ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Peel the skins from the tomatoes.

In a food processor, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and the chile (optional). Process until smooth. Add the salt and pepper to taste and the oregano. If it's too chunky, add some of the chicken stock until you get a soupy consistency. Place the salsita in a small bowl and set aside.

SOPES

1 bag of pre-cooked sopes

Corn or Vegetable oil, for frying

1 can refried beans

2 cups fully cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 Lettuce or cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 cup red onion, diced and marinated with the juice of 2 limes + pinch salt for 15 minutes

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

4 oz. Cotija cheese or Romano or Parmesan if you can't find cotija

1 avocado, cut into wedges (optional)

1. Add about 1 to 1-1/2 inch of corn or vegetable oil into a large fying pan and set on medium-high. When bubbly, add two or three sopes at a time and fry them for about 2 minutes per side or per package directions. Remove and let them drain over paper towels.
2. In another pan, add your refried beans and heat them up.
3. To assemble: Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of refried beans inside the sope. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded chicken (or more if you prefer), then top with marinated red onion, tomatoes shredded lettuce or cabbage, cheese and generously pour some salsita with a spoon over each sope. Top each sope with avocados, if using.