Recipe by Trent Page, Chef de Cuisine and Manager at YouTube Cafe; courtesy of www.walnuts.org
The Vegetable Mixture:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onions, red, halved, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seed, whole, toasted, ground
2/3 cup yellow corn kernels, roasted
4 cups red Swiss chard, packed, stems and leaves separated, julienned
2 teaspoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup California walnut halves, toasted, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons poblanos, roasted, seeded, medium-diced
Heat sauté pan and add olive oil. Add red onions and garlic and cook until onions are slightly translucent. Add cumin, roasted corn, and red Swiss chard. Cook until red Swiss chard begins to wilt. Turn heat off, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep warm and set aside.
The pickled peppers:
2 red jalapeños, thinly sliced
2 green jalapeños, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon agave sugar
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Let marinade 4 hours up to overnight.
The poblano-walnut cream sauce:
2-3 poblanos, whole, fresh, roasted, stemmed, seeded
1/3 cup yogurt, whole milk, Greek
1/3 cup California walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/3 cup cilantro, packed
4 garlic cloves, pan-roasted
Using a blender, combine all ingredients and puree to a coarse texture.
The Sopesitos:
1 1/2 cups corn masa harina
1 cup water, warm
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Canola oil for frying, as needed
In a mixing bowl add corn masa harina, kosher salt, and coconut oil. Blend together until coconut oil is mixed in well. Add warm water and mix well until dough comes together. Dough will be slightly wet, but not sticky.
To Assemble: Take 1-ounce dough balls and form 3-inch oval sopesitos, making sure to form a ridged edge to hold vegetable mixture. May be made a day before, covered in an airtight container. In a frying pan, heat canola oil to 350 °F. Add sopesitos and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, and flip over to brown both sides. Drain on a paper towel and fry remaining sopesitos. Scoop 1 1/2 teaspoons poblano-walnut cream sauce into fried sopesitos, top with 1 tablespoon vegetable mixture and garnish with 1/4 teaspoon pickled jalapeño.