Sopes topped with Tomato-Avocado Salad

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Crumble the queso fresco. Peel, pit, and small dice the avocado. Squeeze a little lime juice over the avocado to prevent browning. Roughly chop the cilantro. Peel and mince the garlic, smashing until it resembles a paste. Slice the jalapeño. (Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the jalapeño.) Small dice the poblano. Peel and slice the shallot. Cut the tomatoes into quarters.

In a large pan, heat some olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the poblano and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a large bowl, along with the masa harina, quinoa, 1 cup of water, and some salt and peppers. Stir just until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a work surface and briefly knead it to combine. Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces. Shape them into 4-inch patties, or sopes. With your fingers, press a divot or well into the center of each sope.

In a small pot, combine the white wine vinegar,  ½ cup of water, and a big pinch of salt. Heat to boiling on high stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve, then remove from the heat. Pour the liquid over the jalapeño and shallot in a heatproof bowl or jar and let stand.

In the pan used for the poblano, heat some olive oil on medium-low until hot. Add the sopes to the pan and cook 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer the sopes to an oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sopes are cooked through in the center.

In a medium bowl, combine the juice of half the lime,thegarlic paste, and some salt and pepper. Whisk in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to make a dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine the arugula, half the queso fresco, half the avocado, half the cilantro, half the pickled jalapeño and shallot, and the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle a little dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 sopes on each of 2 plates. Top each sope with some of the arugula-tomato salad. Garnish the plates with the remaining queso fresco, cilantro, avocado, and pickled jalapeño and shallot. Enjoy!