Serves 3 - Mushroom arepas
2 Cups P.A.N Harina
½ teaspoon Salt
2 ¼ Cups Warm Water
And additional ½ Cup water if needed
Vegetable Oil
In a mixing bowl, add the P.A.N. Harina and salt. Mix together. Stir in the warm water and knead the dough with your hands until it comes together. You want the dough to be really moist. If it starts to crack, add in a little of the additional water as needed. Squeeze out any lumps that might have formed in the dough. If the dough is too moist, add in a tiny bit of more flour. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Divided the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each dough portion into a ball. Then form the dough ball into a patty that is apart 3 to 4 inches in diameter by using the palms of your hands. If the dough is drying out and cracking when you roll it, add a little warm water to your hands before forming the disks.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly oil a large skillet over medium heat. Let the skillet get hot before adding the arepa dough. In batches, add the formed arepas disks to the skillet. Cook each arepa about 4-6 minutes on each side, or until they start to get light brown spots. Transfer to the baking sheet.
Once all the arepas have been browned in the skillet and transfered to the baking sheet, place in the oven and cook for 14-18 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. They will finishing cooking in the oven. When they are done, the outer part will sound hard and hallow when tapped with your hand. They should also be a nice golden brown color. Remove from the oven.
Let cool a few minutes before handling. Carefully slice the arepas ¾ way through, creating a pocket. Fill them with the mushroom filling. Serve right away!
Magic Green Sauce for Arepas
1 avocado
1 cup packed parsley and cilantro leaves (combined)
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed
2 cloves garlic
juice of one lime (or two – get lots of limey goodness in there!)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pistachios (you can sub other nuts – see FAQs)
Pulse all ingredients – except pistachios – in a food processor until incorporated. Then add pistachios and pulse until mostly smooth (depends on what consistency you want).
Mushroom Filling:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 lb. Cremini Mushrooms, cleaned, steams removed and sliced
1 Large Leek, cleaned and diced {white & light green parts only} or large onion
4 Green Onions, sliced {white & light green parts only}
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
½ Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
3 Medium Tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
½ teaspoon Sea Salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ Cup Cilantro, chopped
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep sided skillet or dutch oven oven medium heat. Add the mushroom and cook 8-10 minutes, until the start to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add the diced leek/onions, green onions and garlic. Stir and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the red wine and deglaze the vegetables. Add the red wine vinegar, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another 10-12 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Pulse mixture 8-10 times. You don't want to puree the mixture. You are looking for a chunky texture. Then add the mushrooms and cilantro back to pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and add any more salt and pepper to taste. For more tang, add a touch more vinegar. Set aside until serving with the arepas.