As I basked in the sun on my front porch last week I suddenly realized that it had been a while, a LONG while, since I had spent time in the kitchen. I had put granola and yogurt in a bowl, brown rice in a pot of boiling water, and fried a few eggs here and there, but I hadn’t spent more than 30 minutes making anything. And so, I vowed to make dinner…a big, elaborate dinner.
I went to the “to make” folder on my computer and came across Alexandra’s recipe for homemade tortillas. Yes, the recipe is a little bit tedious, but I was sure it would be worth the effort. Oh boy, was I right!
Homemade tortillas are fantastic: soft, yet chewy, with far more flavor than their store-bought cousins. I topped the misshapen beauties with spiced, shredded chicken thighs, citrus-jicama slaw, corn salsa, and queso fresco. Served with spicy black beans, and chips and salsa, the meal was a hit.
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Homemade Flour Tortillas (recipe from Alexandra’s Kitchen) Makes about 10 small tortillas or 6 large (burrito size) tortillas. - 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour1 tsp. table salt (not kosher) I used sea salt, fine
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. unsalted butter 2/3 cup warm water - Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. - Stir in warm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. - Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes until smooth, soft, and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary. - Cut the dough into 2-oz. pieces for taco-sized tortillas or 3-oz pieces for burrito-sized tortillas. Shape pieces into a ball. Cover with a very light kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Be careful that your room isn’t too hot. Let the dough rest 30 minutes and up to two hours. - On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball to about 9 to 10 inches (taco) or 11 to 12 inches (burrito) in diameter, or until you can see the counter start to come through. - Heat a 12 inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (do not add any oil) on medium-high. Lay the tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs and little brown spots on the underside appear. Turn with tongs and cook. Each tortilla takes about 45 seconds. - Enjoy.
