Let's talk for a moment about homemade tortillas, because they are easier than you think to make. Invest in a tortilla press to make your life easier. I bought one from Amazon.com for $14.95 and have found several other uses for it (crackers, calzones, meat pies, etc.). I hate rolling. Think beyond white flour and yellow corn, too. Whole wheat flour, blue corn, quinoa flour - all make delicious tortillas, as we proved last night. If you can grind fresh, it's best. Soaking your grains is even better than best. Read here about why and how to soak your grains in order to neutralize the phytic acid and release all of the nutrients for your body's enjoyment. The recipes below are just starting points. Think of them more as ratios of dry/liquid/fat and plug in whatever dry or fat you want. Grind some flaxseeds, chia seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and use in place of some of the flour. Bean flours, such as, garbanzo bean flour will add protein. The grain possibilities are endless, too. Barley, buckwheat, spelt, or farro flours are good options. Mix it up. You are no longer limited to dry, horrible tasting tortillas from the grocery store! Once you taste how good tortillas are when they hot from the skillet and happen to be a thousand times better for you, you will never look back.
Beyond tortillas, we made a feast of equally tasty Mexican food, which I do not want to neglect mentioning:
Tortilla Soup from The Real Food Daily Cookbook
(made with the blue corn tortillas)Swordfish Enchiladas with Green Enchilada Sauce (made with quinoa tortillas)
Lima Bean, Corn, and Jicama Salad
Ancho Chili Truffles
All of it was just bursting with freshness and flavor. If I had to judge based on the majority of everyone's comments, the Tortilla Soup was the favorite. That means if you are reading this, you need to make it. Now, if only I had remembered to take some pictures....
Thanks to everyone for a great class last night - enjoy the recipes!
Whole Wheat Tortillas (Soaked)
Using a tortilla press
makes these so much easier than rolling. It's a low-cost investment ($14.95 on Amazon.com) and will probably encourage you to make them more often!3 cups whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cups water minus 3 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (if soaking; otherwise 1 cup water)
3/4 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or melted virgin, unrefined coconut oil
In bowl of mixer, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, turn mixer on and add oil. Add water gradually until mixture cleans sides of bowl and forms ball in center of bowl. Switch to dough hook and let the machine knead the dough for 2 minutes. Remove dough and knead by hand a few times just to bring the dough together. Add more flour or water to get the right consistency. It should feel moist, maybe even a little tacky. It should not stick to your fingers. If following soaked version, place the dough into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest for twelve to twenty-four hours at room temperature and then proceed. Otherwise, divide the dough into 16 parts for small tortillas or 12 parts for large tortillas. Roll each part into a ball and spread on a cookie sheet. Spray with oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the balls rest 1 hour before proceeding.
When you're ready to fry the tortillas, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Roll or press one ball of dough to the desired thickness. Tip: they are easier to handle if you make them smaller (i.e. a little thicker). If you are using a tortilla press
, you want to have plastic wrap on both sides of the press to prevent the dough from sticking. With floured hands, quickly pick the pressed piece of dough, lay it on your dominant hand, and flip it over onto the grill. If it wrinkles at all just use a spatula to straighten it out. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip. Cook another minute or two and remove. Be careful not to overcook it as it will become crisp instead of soft and pliable. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. You can buy a tortilla warmer 
or just place a tea towel in a bowl and stack the tortillas inside the towel.Quinoa Flour Tortillas
You can buy quinoa flour
or grind your own in a grain mill. 3 cups quinoa flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cups water minus 3 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (if soaking; otherwise 1 cup water)
3/4 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or melted virgin, unrefined coconut oil
Follow the same directions above for whole wheat version, but just replace the wheat with quinoa.
Blue Corn Tortillas (with whole wheat)
These directions are for a "non-soaked" version. If you want to soak the tortillas, start the night before, reduce the water by 3 tablespoons and add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Prepare the dough, but do not divide it into balls. Place it in a bowl, cover, and sit at room temperature overnight. Proceed the next day. This addresses the wheat, not the need to soak the blue corn. If you want to soak the blue corn then a lime water solution would be used and the flours would probably be soaked separately.
1 1/2 cups organic blue corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cup boiling water
Mix blue corn and boiling water together in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour at first and proceed to add more flour, as needed. You may need more than 1 cup or you may need less. Start with less. The consistency should be soft, but not strong. It will be sitting for 1 hour and will stiffen up during that time, so do not add too much flour on the front end. Once dough begins to hold together, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute. Divide the dough into small balls (golf ball sized) and place on a baking sheet. Cover and allow it to rest for 1 hour.
When you're ready to fry the tortillas, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Roll or press one ball of dough to the desired thickness. Tip: they are easier to handle if you make them smaller (i.e. a little thicker). If you are using a tortilla press, you want to have plastic wrap on both sides of the press to prevent the dough from sticking. With floured hands, quickly pick the pressed piece of dough, lay it on your dominant hand, and flip it over onto the grill. If it wrinkles at all just use a spatula to straighten it out. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip. Cook another minute or two and remove. Be careful not to overcook it as it will become crisp instead of soft and pliable. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. You can buy a tortilla warmer or just place a tea towel in a bowl and stack the tortillas inside the towel.
Tortilla Soup
This recipe is only slightly adapted from The Real Food Daily
cookbook by Ann Gentry. It is so affordable and easy to make. You can add shredded chicken for more protein.1 tablespoon grapeseed or coconut oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoon tamari
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
8 organic corn tortillas, coarsely chopped (we used homemade blue corn)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Optional (but yummy) Toppings:
1/2 cup Crispy Tortilla Strips (strips of tortillas lightly fried)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Sour Cream (dairy or tofu)
Monterey Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the jalapeno chile, tamari, cumin, salt, oregano, and pepper, and continue to saute until the jalapeno begins to soften and the mixture is very aromatic.
Add the stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the tortillas and simmer 10 minutes longer, or until the tortillas are falling apart. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth. Stir in the cilantro.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the tortilla strips, avocado, and tofu sour cream, and serve.
Corn, Lima Bean, and Jicama Salad
This salad could not be any easier and the taste and presentation scream "SUMMER!!!". Fresh corn and lima beans are always best, but frozen is just as good.
1 bag of frozen organic white corn, thawed
1 bag frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1 cup jicama, sliced into matchsticks (a mandolin makes this a snap)
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced (thinly) green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 tsp ground cumin
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
In a large bowl, add corn, lima beans, jicama, red pepper, green onions, cilantro and basil. Whisk lime juice, orange juice, lime peel, cumin and olive oil in small bowl. Mix dressing into bean salad. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.
Swordfish Enchiladas
This recipe is from Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon. You can use any fish in place of the swordfish. Tuna is offered in the cookbook as a variation.1 lb. swordfish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions
4 cups green enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
12 corn tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
chopped cilantro for garnish
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high. Brush the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sear the fish for 7 minutes each side or until it flakes with a fork. Be careful not to overcook. Mix 1 cup of the green sauce with the flaked swordfish and the green onions. Heat the tortillas to make them soft and pliable by frying lightly in oil. Pat the tortillas dry before proceeding. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture onto each tortilla and roll tightly. Line each enchilada up in a greased pyrex dish. Top with some of the remaining green sauce, cover with foil, and bake until steaming.
Serve with cheese, cilantro, and more sauce on the side.
Green Enchilada Sauce:
2 onions, chopped
8 fresh tomatillos, husked and finely chopped
3 anaheim chilies, seeded and diced
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 3/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
sea salt
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Saute onions in the oil until soft. Add chilies and tomatillas and continue to saute. Add the stock, garlic, and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Using a food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender, puree the sauce until smooth.
Ancho Chocolate Truffles
There are so many ways to do these and they couldn't be easier. At the end of the recipe I will suggest some variations. Because the main ingredient of these is chocolate, use good, organic dark chocolate! Dagoba
or Green & Black's are both great. 2 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cups coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably fresh ground)
1 cup dark bittersweet chocolate pieces (at least 65%)
1 teaspoon Ancho powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup organic cocao powder (we used raw
Optional:
1/4 cup goji berries
1/4 cup cocao nibs
Stem and seed the chiles, then toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until small whiffs of smoke waft from the chile. Remove from heat. In a small saucepan mix coconut milk and honey. Add one of the chilies and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, remove from heat, and steep for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, dump the chocolate pieces into a medium sized bowl. Place the second chili into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Measure out 1 teaspoon and add to the chocolate. Grind the cinnamon (this will only take a small piece of a stick), measure out 1/4 teaspoon and add to the chocolate. Lastly, add the salt. Once the coconut milk mixture has finished steeping, hold a fine meshed strainer over the bowl of chocolate and pour the hot coconut milk into it (straining the chili and remaining seeds). Whisk the chocolate until smooth. If the chocolate is not melting completely, microwave for 10-15 seconds and then stir. Now whisk in the coconut oil. Switch to an immersion blender and blend for about 1 minute for a lovely satiny texture. Stir in the cocao nibs, goji berries, and vanilla. Cover the surface of the chocolate with plastic wrap; set aside in a cool spot until slightly firm, about 1 hour.
Spoon or scoop about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate at a time and roll into balls. Roll in cocoa powder and place on a parchment lined sheet. I like to use a small cookie scooper
so they are all the exact same size.Variations:
- Change the spices to anything - cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, etc.
- Add orange zest
- In place of vanilla use a different extract, such as, almond
- Add a tablespoon or two of liquor - rum, whiskey, chambord, grand marnier (particularly good with orange zest), amaretto
- Add some ground nuts or roll the truffles in ground nuts
- Top with a course sugar (or salt)
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