Mixtas!

I live in the United States but inside my home the culture is Guatemalan.  And one of my greatest joys is making and eating Guatemalan food such as my childhood favorite: mixtas!  What are mixtas?  

They are similar to the American hotdog in a hotdog bun.  Mixtas at their very basic form are hotdogs in home-made tortillas with guacamole, and onion.  But you can put a whole host of goodies on top too!

For this post I decided to share how I make mixtas.

For the tortillas you will need:

Goya Masarica Instant Corn Masa Flour 

Goya White (or yellow) Corn Meal Masarepa 

Water

For the Guacamole you will need:

three to four ripe Avocados

one Onion

Salt

Lime Juice 

Everything Else:

One pack of Hotdogs

Sauerkraut (optional)

Mustard (optional)

Step 1.  Make the tortillas.

To do this you will need a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or other mixing utensil. The following is for about four to five hungry, hungry people. :)

> Pour in about one and half cups of Masarepa.  

> Next pour in about four cups of Masarica.  

> Finally add three cups of water.  

> Mix.

Now you will have to decide for yourself exactly how much flour and water to use because if you have a large group to feed you might need more.  And if you have a smaller group to feed you will need less than what I suggest.

> Continue to stir and add more water or flour as needed until you have a soft, malleable dough to work with. 

Now comes the fun part.

> Scoop up enough mixture to create a medium sized ball between your hands.

> Once the ball is formed you then begin to flatten it between your hands in a flip-flop motion.

OR

If you really don't think you can make tortillas this way simply grab some plastic wrap.

> Lay it on a flat surface.

> Lay the ball of dough down on top. 

> Fold the remaining plastic wrap over the ball.

> Using the bottom of a cereal or soup bowl, press down until the ball is the desired flatness.

> Next you place the flattened dough onto a heated frying pan.

> Flip the tortilla over only when you begin to see the color become darker.  It is even better if you see a few dark spots on the face-down side.

> Once the tortilla is done it is ready to be placed in a basket covered with a towel or set on a plate to serve.

Step 2. The guacamole is fast and easy. Do be careful to wear an apron or clothes you don't mind messing up. Avocados stain permanently.

> Cut the Avocados in half, from the tip where the stem would be to the other end and back around. 

> Scoop out all the yummy green, discard the large seed.

> Place the Avocado parts into a bowl.

> Start mashing.

> Add salt and mix.

> Add Lime juice and mix.

Step 3. Everything else is very easy.

> Cook the hotdogs.

You are ready to eat!

> Take a tortilla and smear a generous amount of Guacamole.

> Put some sauerkraut on top.

> Take a hotdog, and if you want you can slice it in half lengthwise, and place it on top.

> Add Mustard.

> Fold the tortilla in half.

> Eat and enjoy!