Entomatadas

Entomatadas, corn tortillas that are folded or rolled, stuffed with cheese, and covered in a tomato sauce. were one of Martinez's mother's favorite quick and easy dishes to make for lunch. (Courtesy of Mely Martínez)

Entomatadas

This is a recipe from my mom, a woman who always offered something to eat to visitors. Entomatadas were one of her favorite dishes to make for her kids, since they’re so easy to make. The process is similar to making enchiladas. Entomatadas are corn tortillas that are folded (or rolled), stuffed with cheese, and covered in a tomato sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes
• 1 serrano pepper
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion, divided
• 8 ounces queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• Salt, to taste
• 12 corn tortillas

Place the tomatoes, pepper, and garlic in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the ingredients are soft.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the onion with the crumbled cheese and set aside.

Place the cooked tomatoes, pepper, and garlic in a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 cup onion and cook until transparent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce to the skillet and cook for about 2 more minutes. Season with salt, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.

In a separate large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat and briefly fry the tortillas, one by one, about 30 seconds each, and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.

Dip a fried tortilla into the warm tomato sauce in the other skillet. Flip over the tortilla to cover both sides with the tomato sauce. Place the tortilla on a large plate and spoon some of the onion and cheese mixture onto it. Fold the tortilla in half to form the entomatada. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and filling.

To serve, spoon some of the leftover sauce over the entomatadas and top with more of the onion and cheese mixture.

Notas

I add a serrano pepper to the sauce because this is the way my mom made it. You can skip the pepper if you like.

You can warm the tortillas in a skillet instead of frying them. This is how my mom does it.

Recipe reprinted with permission from “The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico” by Mely Martínez. Text and photography copyright 2020 by Mely Martínez. First published in 2020 by Rock Point, an imprint of The Quarto Group.