Best White Bean And Pumpkin Seed Masa Appetizer Recipes

WHITE BEAN-POMEGRANATE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds and 1 tablespoon each sherry vinegar, chopped parsley and honey; season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 chopped shallot and 3 chopped garlic cloves in a skillet with olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in one drained 15-ounce can cannellini beans plus 1/4 cup reserved liquid from the can and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper and simmer 5 minutes. Smash, then spread on toasted baguette slices; top with the pomegranate mixture, a drizzle of olive oil and some orange zest.

PUMPKIN WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Place beans in a medium saucepan and cover by about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
• In a stockpot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion, garlic, serrano chile, and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in hot or sweet paprika and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Add beans, chicken stock or water, and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 35 minutes.
• Peel, seed, and cut half small sugar pumpkin. Add pumpkin to bean mixture, plus additional stock or water to cover, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 25 minutes more. Remove and discard cilantro. Serve immediately.

WHITE BEAN AND PUMPKIN SEED MASA APPETIZER

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tomatillo salsa. Cover and reserve. Then prepare the tortilla dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds until they start to brown and pop in the pan. Transfer to a plate. 2. When the pumpkin seeds are cool, grind them coarsely in a food processor and put in a bowl. Add the beans, chives, salt, and pepper. Mix well. The mixture will be thick and hold its shape on a spoon. Reserve. 3. Line a tray with plastic wrap. Prepare the tortilla dough to make 8 tortillas. Press 1 (4 1/2-inch) tortilla. Peel off the top piece of plastic, and lay the tortilla on a flat work surface with the bottom piece of plastic still attached. Put about 1 tablespoon of the reserved bean filling on one half of the tortilla. Carefully fold the tortilla over, using the plastic as a guide, and press the edges together to form a crescent. Unfold the piece of plastic. Seal the edges of the filled crescent. Place on the tray. Repeat, pressing, filling, and folding the tortillas until all are finished. 4. In a deep skillet, pour oil to a depth of about 2 inches and heat until the oil shimmers. Fry the filled tortillas 1 or 2 at a time, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, topped with the salsa. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

STEAMED CLAMS, BAJA STYLE

Steps:

• Put all of the ingredients except the lime wedges and rolls in a large pot, and cover with a tight lid to prevent steam from escaping. Bring to a boil over high heat until the clams pop open in about 5 minutes. (Discard any that don't open.) Serve hot in the shells with lime wedges to squeeze over the clams. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

POLKANES

Steps:

• Make the masa into a dough by adding salt and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water. Stir it well and knead it a bit - it should not be sticky or dry - and then let it rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes. Mix together all the remaining ingredients except the oil.
• Flatten about 1/8 of the dough on your hand, then fill it with a bit of the stuffing. The dough will be flexible, so you'll be able to make an egg-shaped dumpling by enclosing some of the filling within. (Even if the dumpling is imperfect - that is, with some of the filling escaping - it'll be fine. Just shape it nicely and don't worry about beans or bits of onion on the surface.) Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling.
• Fry in about 1/4 inch of oil or lard, turning as needed to brown beautifully. Serve hot or at room temperature with tomato-pumpkinseed salsa (recipe here).