Bread and I have had a very long and delicious relationship. Back in Mexico we consumed fresh baked bread from the local panadería (bakery) that supplied my parents’ restaurant. We rarely bought packaged bread at the store. When I moved to the States, however, most of my bread came wrapped in plastic and loaded with chemicals and stuff like high fructose corn syrup (eek!), until I conquered yeast and fell in love with bread making. In the last 12 months or so I have made many different kinds of breads. Some have been successful and others not so much, but it’s been fun all the same.
That’s why I never thought that a loaf of store-bought bread would excite me so much. But when I received these two loaves, courtesy of Nature’s Pride and Foodbuzz, everything I believed about bread changed:
I am not going to suddenly stop making bread, but from now on I will always have a 12 grain loaf for sandwiches, toast, French toast or to eat with cajeta, nutella (Jon loved this combination) or for PB&J sandwiches. Yes, I liked it that much. The first thing I made with this bread was chicken and cheese paninis served with this avocado dip.
But I wanted to create something with a Mexican twist so I made mini molletes with guacamole. Even though I have already posted recipes for molletes before I am re-publishing the recipes for chorizo refried beans (a.k.a Ben’s refried beans) and guacamole that I used for this mini molletes because I want to win a trip to the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in San Francisco courtesy of the guys at Nature’s Pride.
Mini molletes
The ingredients:
- 6 slices of 12 Grain Nature’s Pride bread
- 1 cup chorizo refried beans (see below)
- 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese, or any other stringed cheese
- 1/2 cup guacamole
The how-to:
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Cut bread slices in 4 diagonally. Spread a spoonful of refried beans and top with some Oaxaca cheese.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the bread is well toasted.
- Serve with guacamole and enjoy as a side dish, party snacks or even breakfast.
Ben’s refried beans
The ingredients:
- 1/2 lb Mexican chorizo
- 1 small onion
- 4 cups cooked pinto beans drained
- Chicken broth (if needed)
- 2 epazote leaves, finely chopped
- salt (if needed) and pepper
The how-to:
- Peel the chorizo casing (it is the thin skin of the chorizo tubes) and fry it in a hot cast iron skillet or heavy skillet until it browns.
- Add onions and sautee in the chorizo fat until translucent (actually they will turn red).
- You can either smash the beans with a potato smasher or with a blender, food processor or hand blender. Smashing them with any kind of machine will result in smoother refried beans. If you use a potato smasher add the beans to the skillet and smash them. If using a processor, blend them with a little bit of chicken broth before pouring them to the skillet.
- Add epazote and adjust seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes over medium low heat stirring constantly.
Guacamole
The ingredients:
- 2 large avocados
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
The how-to:
- Cut avocados and place in a bowl.
- Smash with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix well until they form a smooth salsa.
Note: You can also use mango guacamole for an even more delicious result.
¡Buen provecho!
28 Replies
Looks great Ben! I have a loaf of bread that's gonna go out of date within the week and maybe I'll give this a try.
I have a feeling it might be a little difficult for me to get my hands on epazote. Is there a suitable substitution?
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Now I regret not signing up to try this bread. Sigh.
Looks really delicious.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
You can use cilantro as a substitute, or it can go without it. Next time I'll try some Mexican oregano to see how it turns out.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by OhioThoughts. OhioThoughts said: Thanks #BenTheCook @twitter.com/benthecook for a great recipe idea. Yea, I have a love affair with bread too! http://bit.ly/OAUoi [...]
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 10:12 am
The molettes look delicious! It's nice to know that someone is selling bread that is worth buying.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Now that kind of bread I can have.. I do not like store bought bread, esp. the sliced type (can do with the rustic loafs & buns).. but turned around this way, they are a treat.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I'll have a look in stores if I can find this bread in Canada. Your mini molettes looks delicious.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Those molettes look delicious.
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I love a good bread and sure there is not a lot that can beat homemade bread, but this looks a very versatile bread for lots of quicky dishes! I love the mini molettes!
Posted on October 6th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Every blog I visited this week has a post about this bread!!!!! I have to try it for sure
That looks delicious Ben as usual.
Posted on October 7th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Hey Ben…the chicken molletes are really cute…great use of the bread!
Posted on October 7th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Its always good to know a tasty store bought bread for those times you just can't bake your own.
Posted on October 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Ben,
As usual, great job.
The paninis are really calling my name.
Cheers
Posted on October 7th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Lovely pics querido! I know what you mean about making your own bread… I'm discovering this world too
. But, as we say here: a caballo "regalao" no le mires el "dentao"… perfect that you get some as a gift and can spread the guacamole on top. Mmmmm que bueno 
Posted on October 7th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Everything you believed in bread changed?! Wow, not that is an endorsement!
Posted on October 8th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
These molletes look fabulous! Glad to know that cilantro is a good substitute.
Posted on October 9th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Chorizo refried beans sound really tasty!
Posted on October 10th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Such an interesting way of using the Nature's Pride bread. I really enjoyed my loaves. That were soft and hearty. Perfect for sandwiches.
Posted on October 11th, 2009 at 2:18 am
I remember as a child eating these. They are very tasty. My grandmother used the mexican bread (birotes) I think thats how you spell it….these are good anytime of the day. Thanks for making these. Im going to have these for breakfast tomorrow.
Posted on October 11th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
What a great snack or lunch!
Posted on October 13th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Your molletes look delicious! Good luck with the contest!
Posted on October 15th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
These look delicious!! Hope to meet you at FoodBuzz in November
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Hi Ben
this looks good for me as for a starter !!
you are very welcome to visit my food blog and the last recipe is in english ! see you then !!
Cheers Pierre From Paris France
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
hey Ben, nice way to use up some bread indeed! hope to see you in SFO!!
btw, I'd also like to invite you to dish out something sweet for the Sweet celebrations event on my blog if you can!:)
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
hey Ben, nice way to use up some bread indeed! hope to see you in SFO!!
btw, I'd also like to invite you to dish out something sweet for the Sweet celebrations event on my blog if you can!:)
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
What a great way to showcase the bread!
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Good luck in the contest Ben…..maybe we will see you there:D
Posted on October 17th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I love bread and enjoy making my own bread! That recipe is great!
Cheers,
Rosa
Posted on October 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
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