Ingredients

turnover dough:

-1 lb fresh masa, OR 1 3/4 cups masa harina mixed with 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons hot tap water, let stand for 20 to 30 minutes, covered.

-2 tablespoons butter

-1/4 cup flour OR 1/3 cup if using masa harina

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon baking powder

turnover filling:

-10 ounces queso fresco

-12 epazote leaves

tomatillo sauce:

-8 ounces fresh tomatillos, husked and washed

-1 chile jalapeno, stemmed

-6 sprigs fresh coriander, roughly chopped

-1/2 an onion, chopped

-salt to taste

red-chili sauce:

-4 medium dried chiles guajillos, stemmed, seeded and deveined

-2 cloves garlic

-1 ripe large tomato, roasted peeled and chopped.

-1/2 of a canned chile chipotle, seeded

-salt to taste

Preparation

make the sauces: -tomatillo sauce- 1.Boil the fresh tomatillos until tender in salted water and a covered pot. 2. Put tomatillos, jalapeno (seeded if you want a milder sauce), coriander, onion. Blend to a coarse puree, and transfer to a bowl, season with salt and let stand for 1/2 hour to let flavors blend. -red-chili sauce-

  1. Toast the guajillos and garlic in a heavy skillet until the chilis smell smokey, but not burned and until the garlic is soft blackened in places.
  2. Pulverize the chiles in a dry blender. Then add garlic, tomato, chipotle and 1/4 cup of water, and blend until very smooth.
  3. Push sauce through a medium sieve, pushing with your hands to get is all through. add more water if it is not a pourable consistancy. Season with salt and let stand for 1/2 an hour.

make the turnovers: -dough-

  1. Mix the masa with the butter, flour, salt and baking powder. Adjust the consistancy with water if it is not slightly softer than play dough. Divide into 12 balls. -forming the turnovers-
  2. Dived filling (cheese) into 12 portions. Flaten a ball of dough between sheets of thick plastic (think freezer bag) on a tortilla press or two small frying pans until about 5 inches in diameter. Remove one sheet of plastic and place one portion of cheese in the middle of the tortilla leaving 1/2 in around the outisde, and place epazote atop. Fold the tortilla over the filling and press the edges together to seal. remove all plastic and place on a tray and cover with plastic. Continue for all 12 turnovers
  3. Heat 1-inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees and fry turnover 2-3 at a time until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in over until ready to serve.

-serve warm with sauces.