Homemade Flour Tortillas

Every once in a while, I can get Mr. Heart to contribute to the cooking process by either integrating something he'd be interested in making (usually baking)/eating or by putting on my sad puppy face. With homemade tortillas, however, I didn't have to pout too much. He had been disappointed with store-bought tortillas being too thin and dry and cracking when rolled. This recipe came out pretty well and was very simple. My only complaint was that the tortillas were a little on the thick side--we don't own a tortilla press--so be sure to roll these as thin as you can. They were also quite filling. I found one taco to be plenty sufficient.

Flour Tortillas
Makes five 8-10" tortillas

2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup hot (115º to 130ºF) water

1) Mix all ingredients together by hand or on low speed until dough comes together.
2) Knead by hand or with the dough hook on low - medium speed until smooth, ~4-6 minutes.
3) Divide dough equally into 5 parts (or more for smaller tortillas) and roll into balls. Let rest for 20 minutes.
4) Roll out each ball into 8 - 10" round, as thin as possible (~1/8" thick).
5) Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, slide a tortilla on to the skillet one at a time, cooking until brown spots appear, about 30 seconds on the first side. Flip and cook about 15 seconds on the second side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
6) Cover cooked tortillas while cooking the rest. Serve warm.


We used our tortillas with this taco recipe, but using ground turkey instead of beef. yum!

Tacos

So my attempts at taco meat in the past have been mediocre at best. Tonight I discovered why... I was making things too complicated! Go simple! This came out AMAZING. The boy said it was even better than his mother's and he's not a big fan of tacos! The amounts for the seasonings are estimated because I don't remember exactly. Definitely use salt and pepper, and as much chili powder/red pepper as you like for heat.

Quick, easy, and hardly dirtied any dishes.

Tacos
inspired by "Mexican Taco Salad" from Preventions Ultimate Quick & Healthy Cookbooks
Serves 2
9.5/10

4-6 flour tortillas or hard taco shells
8 oz. ground beef
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 TBS beef broth
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1 TBS ketchup
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2- 1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
salsa

1) In medium skillet, heat oil over med. heat until hot. Crumble in beef, add broth and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until meat is no loner pink. Add tomatoes, onions, and jalapeño and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add ketchup and seasonings to taste and sauté for another 2 minutes or until flavors are mingled.
2) Heat tortillas a/o taco shells according to package directions**. Fill with meat, cheese, and veggies as desired.

**Wait, are those homemade tortillas in that photo? Why yes they are!

Grilled Steak Fajitas

Sorry for the delay in updating, we went away for the 4th of July. My first soloing adventure with the grill took place before the weekend and it was also my first attempt at fajitas. They came out very well if I do say so myself.

Now, likw I said, I've never made fajitas before and I've always felt that steak fajitas had the leg up on chicken fajitas. But I didn't know what cut of meat to use or how to prepare the steak so that it would come out, well, like a fajita. This recipe worked out wonderfully and was very easy! The meat seasoning/flavor was nothing spectacular, but combined with the other ingredients (especially the sour cream!) they tasted fantastic. I would suggest serving this with spanish rice (from a box!), chips, and salsa.

I'm sure that this would re-heat well for lunch the next day. Also, if you don't have a grill, a cast iron skillet or a grill pan would do. I think you could also get away with broiling, but I would check the cooking times.

Grilled Steak Fajitas
from The New Best Recipe
Serves 2
8/10

1/2 - 3/4 lb flank steak (I used the other half of what I used for the beef broccoli!)
1/4 cup lime juice
salt
pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 onion, cut into thick rounds (~ 2)
4 - 6 8" flour tortillas

salsa
sour cream*** (a must!)
shredded cheddar/pepper jack cheese

1) Sprinkle the flank steak with lime juice, salt, and pepper.
2) Over high heat, grill the steak until well seared and dark brown on one side, ~5-7 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak and grill about 2-5 minutes for rare/med-rare, 4-6 minutes for med-well/well, or until the interior of the meat is slightly less done that you want it to be when you eat it. Cooking times depend on the thickness of the steak.
3) Transfer steak to cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest until you are about to serve.
4) When the heat has been lowered to medium, place onion rounds and peppers on the grill, turning them occasionally, until the onions are slightly charred (~6 minutes) and the peppers are streaked (~8 minutes). Remove vegetables to cutting board and slice into thin strips.
5) Place tortillas around the edge of the grill where the heat is low. Heat for about 20 seconds on each side or until warm. Be careful not to let them dry out. Wrap in a towel to keep warm until serving.
6) Slice the steak thinly on the bias across the grain. Serve immediately with vegetables, tortillas, with the condiments on the side!