Arepas with a Twist

An arepa looks like a pita bread, it’s made out of fine pre-cooked cornmeal, water and salt. One of the biggest brands is called Harina PAN. You can get it in Amazon, Latin Markets and in some Targets, Walgreens and Safeways, depending on the state where you are at. It’s not the same as Masa Harina used to make tortillas or pupusas. A traditional arepa flavor is plain and you choose any kind of filling to pair it with. Arepas can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In this post I’ll show you the traditional arepa and two other ways to give it a twist. I was looking for a quick way to add all kinds of nutrients and give a delicious flavor and a fun color. I prefer making my arepas smaller and thinner than the traditional ones, so I can eat a few with different fillings instead of eating just one big arepa of the same flavor.

I grew up eating arepas and I like how with the years you continue to enjoy this delicious dish, but with different fillings. When you are a kid you like it with just butter and cheese, and sometimes ham. As the years go by and your tastes change you can continue eating your favorite food (the arepa), but with different fillings like shredded beef, tuna salad, chicken, caprese salad and no matter if it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Traditional Arepa

Ingredients:

1 cup Harina pan

1 ¼ cup water (lukewarm or room temp)

½ teaspoon of salt

Beet Arepa

Ingredients:

1 cup cold pressed juice

1 ¼ cups Harina PAN

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

½ teaspoon salt

Carrot Cheese Arepa

Ingredients:

1 cup harina pan

1 ¼ cups water

½ tsp salt

½ cup shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese

1 small to medium shredded carrot

Directions, repeat this procedure with each type of arepa:

1. Add the water and salt into a mixing bowl, mix to dissolve the salt

2. Incorporate the Harina PAN

3. Stri well until combine making sure that there are not any dry lumps

4. Knead and let it rest for few minutes

5. Using your hands form 5 balls and flatten the dough with the palm of your hands

6. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Non-stick or any sauce pan works well too

7. Brush the pan with oil

8. Sear the arepas in both sides until you get a nice golden brown color, around 5 minutes each side

9. If you need to reheat an arepa just bake at 350 for about 8 minutes

Recommended fillings:

Cheese

Ham

Chicken salad

Caprese salad

Beans

Tuna salad

Avocado mash

Cheese and sweet plantain