Masa Harina - Que?

Tonight's dinner was chicken tortilla soup w/ a side of that sweet corn cake served at Mexican restaurants (a la Chevy's)... The soup was good... The corn cake was AMAZING.  I love that stuff though.. and this turned out EXACTLY the way I'd hoped :)

Let's start out with the soup.  

• 1 T veg oil (I almost always use EVOO in my cooking though)
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes (I cheated tonight and used the already cooked/cubed frozen chicken)
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can chicken broth (approx 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup masa harina (or instant masa mix)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup enchilada sauce
• 6 oz Velveeta (I know, I know)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• juice of 1-2 large limes (I used one, but I think I could have added more -- I just HATE juicing limes/lemons)
• Garnish: shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever you want!), crumbled tortilla chips, diced tomato, green onion, avocado, sour cream

Here's a picture of the instant masa mix so you know what to look for.  It was in the "ethnic foods" aisle @ Fred Meyer on the bottom shelf -

 

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat.
Add chicken breasts, onions and garlic to pot and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes to brown the chicken (or to warm the chicken if you're using the pre-cooked frozen stuff like I did!) Add the chicken broth.
Combine masa harina with 1 cup of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. The mixture will be thick.
Add the masa mixture to the pot with chicken mixture.
Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly - the masa harina will settle at the bottom and burn easily.
Reduce heat, add beans and corn and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes until thick.
Add lime juice to taste.
Serve soup in cups or bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and sour cream (or with whatever your heart desires).

** We ate dinner before I had a chance to get a picture of it served/garnished.. The baby was sleeping, so we had to hoover it down before he woke up!  But here's the cheesy goodness in the pot on the stove -

Now for the sweet corn cake!

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup masa harina (and you thought you'd never get to use it again!)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. 
Using a food processor or blender (I used my immersion blender), blend corn and water until creamier texture (but make sure to still leave some chunks!) Stir into the butter mixture, along with masa harina. 
In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. 
Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

** Again, I didn't get a picture before we had already dug in... We're lucky I got a picture at all -- this stuff was gone in no time!

Happy eating!