Homemade Tortillas

 

Anyone love Groupon? I sure do! We have had several chances to take advantage of Groupons, such as spa trips, movies, shopping, and finding out about local attractions.

 

Such as El Rancho de las Golondrinas. It's a living history museum in Santa Fe. We attended the Harvest Festival and had a blast! We learned to make corn husk dolls, how to metal stamp, practice archery, and tortilla making, to name a few things.

 

 

Here we are frying up our tortillas on a large cast iron slab. We also had the option to grill some green chilis (a New Mexico thing) but the tortillas were delicious! We got to roll our own tortillas, fry them up, and top with butter and jam. We may or may not have made more than one!

 

 

My kids LOVED the tortillas.

 

Tortillas are really quite simple to make on your own, too. A little more time consuming then, say, opening up a bag of pre-made tortillas, but once you've had homemade tortillas it's hard to go back to the packaged kind. Trust me.

 

 

You want to roll each tortilla out pretty thin. The dough is pretty sturdy, it can handle being rolled thin without breaking. If you make your tortillas too thick they won't roll well (but would be great for quesadillas or Mexican pizzas!).

 

It's best to fry them up with a cast iron pan, but any pan will do. You'll want the pan to be relatively hot. I preheated mine on medium-high heat. You're ready to flip over your tortilla when you see it start to bubble.

 

Flip it over and let cook for another 30 seconds or so.

 

 

One serving suggestion is fish tacos. I grilled some tilapia that had been marinated in lime juice and rubbed with taco seasoning. That is combined with pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, sour cream, and a dash of fresh lime juice. And yes, as delicious as it looks.

 

 

Homemade Tortillas

by Girls in Aprons

4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Mix flour and salt together then cut in Crisco. (At this point I added the mixture to my Kitchenaid). Add water (with dough hook). Knead until it is smooth and fully combined, about 50 times (or until dough cleans the bowl). Break into 16 identical pieces. Roll into balls and put in a covered bowl for about an hour. Roll into desired thickness. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. Cook in a skillet until bubbles form, about 30 seconds, then flip. If bubbles don't form, let your dough rest a little longer. Place tortillas in a pan with a lid to keep warm and soft.

 

If you are going to refrigerate or freeze them, put them in a plastic bag and leave open until they are cooled completely or the condensation will make them mushy

Creamy Burrito Casserole

I like to try and do a "theme" night each week. Not because I'm trying to start any traditions or anything, it's mostly because on Sunday night, when I'm planning my meals for the week, I need some inspiration. We typically have "Taco Tuesdays" (although it's sometimes on a Wednesday... or Friday), and I usually have a "Meatless Monday", and so on. Anyway, Taco Tuesdays are my kids favorite. They absolutely love crunchy tacos, and the fact that Mexican style food is easily tailored to fit their own likes and dislikes is a plus.

This time, though, I wanted something different. We usually go for enchiladas or chimichangas (using leftover roast from Sunday... so good!), or the usual tacos, so I found this recipe. It looked killer good. Creamy Burrito Casserole was also super easy to throw together and tasted like the title intends it to taste. It was definitely creamy and my kids ate it up. It was like a super creamy enchilada, but without all the tortilla rolling.

Creamy layers. This was so easy to throw together and will definitely fill everyone up! The leftovers the next day were just as good!

Start by browning your meat and onion.

Add seasoning and refried beans.

Your sauce- sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. Easy peasy. Normally I'm not a cream-of-anything soup person, but every once in a while you just have to do it. And you won't be disappointed!

Layers! Spread your bean layer on top of the tortilla layer.

Sour cream layer on top of the cheese. See? Easy :)

I'm hungry and this looks great. This is definitely my kind of comfort food and is in our rotation for dinner ideas. And I usually have most (if not all) of the ingredients on hand for last minute ideas!

Creamy Burrito Casserole

1 lb ground beef 

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning (I just sprinkled some from my huge Costco container)

6 large flour tortillas

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

2 -3 cups shredded cheese

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans. Set aside.

Mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in a separate bowl. Spread half of the sour cream mixture on the borrom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Tear up three tortillas and spread over sour cream mixture (I cut mine in half). Put half of the meat/bean mixture over the tortillas and add a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers (sour cream mix, tortillas, meat mix and cheese). Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Recipe from food.com

7-layer tostadas

Last Thursday was supposed to be taco night. We love taco night at our house. We even invited some friends over for dinner and games and to share our taco night with us.

I was planning on showing off to everyone and making my own taco shells out of corn tortillas. I've done it before...heat up oil and put the tortilla in partially folded over and let the heat do the rest. But for some reason my tortillas kept breaking. So I went for what I thought was the next best thing and made tostadas.

Everyone LOVED them! They were so fun to eat and our kids (we have 7 between the two) kept asking for more and more.

I randomly pulled out 7 toppings and therefore a 7-layer tostada, but you really can do whatever you want. Add more or less toppings. Suggestions are listed in the recipe. We made tostadas again tonight and I used refried black beans and green onions instead of lettuce and it was still absolutely delicious.

Except for the guacamole, which I don't care for, but that's another story.

Heat the tortillas in a deep skillet until lightly golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. They will harden as they cool.

7-Layer Tostadas

by Girls in Aprons

(makes 12 tostadas)

12 small corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

1 lb ground beef

2 Tbsp taco seasoning (or to taste)

1 can refried beans

12 oz prepared guacamole (I use 3 ripe avocados and a Concord guacamole mix)

2 cups shredded lettuce

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 can olives, quartered

In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat until 325 degrees. You should be able to drop a small pinch of tortilla and have the piece rise to the top and bubble. Cook tortillas, one at a time, in oil for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

Brown hamburger in a large skillet. Once browned and drained, add 1/3 cup water and taco seasoning, stir and let simmer for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.

Heat refried beans in a small saucepan with 1/3 cup water. This helps the beans be easier to spread.

Layer tostada and serve. I prefer to layer the sauces and spreads first, such as beans, sour cream, and guacamole. Then add the hamburger, cheese, lettuce, and olives.

Other options for the tostada include ground chicken, refried black beans, regular black or pinto beans, jalapenos, caramelized onion, salsa, and green onions.

You can easily made this vegetarian by omitting the hamburger and adding the taco seasoning to the sour cream or beans.

Fajita Burgers

My husband and I are burger fans. My kids, not so much. I don't know what it is, too much meat? I know sometimes they can be a little hard to eat, have you ever tried to eat a burger at Red Robin without squishing it down just to fit?? So needless to say, whenever I have a hankering for burgers, it's usually cereal and milk for the kiddos. Seriously, whose kids are these?

I've made Rachael Ray's taco burgers before, similar idea. Taco-seasoned burger with taco fillings inside a tortilla. But my husband, spoiled as he is, is much more of a fajita fan. So why can't we have a fajita burger?! The peppers and onions really make this burger. The burger is huge and messy and so delicious. Best part? My kids ate. it. up. And asked for more. My little daughter made a huge mess, but she didn't care.

Look at that color! Our family loves bell peppers!

An easy way to ensure equal-sized burgers is to level the mixture in the bowl and, using a spoon or your hands, separate into four portions.

Grill the burgers until browned on the outside and cooked through on the inside. I love my grill pan. Got it for $15 at Costco a few years ago. I just wish it fit in my dishwasher. I'm not a huge fan of hand-washing my dishes :)

This might seem backwards, but place your toppings on the burger first. I love refried black beans, cheese, sour cream, peppers, and onions. If you're everyone else, you can probably add guacamole too.

Add the burger on top. You'll flip it over to eat it and everything will be ok.

Wrap it all up like a birthday gift and....

....flip over. See! Everything's okay now.

I love it. The more toppings the messier it is and it's so good!

 

Fajita Burgers

by Girls in Aprons

Makes 4 burgers

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly slices

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

Pinch red pepper flakes or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

Extra large tortillas

Toppings such as refried black beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, olives

 

Combine butter and olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low until butter is melted. Add bell peppers and onion and cook 15-17 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soften and onions are starting to carmelize.

Mix together the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes (or cayenne), garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and salt. Divide mixture into four large patties.

Preheat large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush pan with olive oil and place patties on the pan. Cook patties until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.

Place a tortilla on a plate and add toppings of choice, including onions and peppers. Lastly, add the burger patty and wrap in the tortilla. Flip over and serve.

Tres Leches Cake

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! My favorite (okay, one of my favorite) Mexican desserts! I mean, really, can one person narrow down their favorite?? Churros and sopapillas and cake...I can't choose!

I first had Tres Leches Cake at Cafe Rio in Provo, UT. My brother had a coupon for a free one, and I can't refuse cake or free, so I ate at least half of it. It was so stinking delicious! Ever since then I've wanted to make my own, mostly because (and this part is sad) there is no Cafe Rio remotely close to where I live. Depressing. This version is super easy! It's a simple homemade cake, cooked, cooled, and topped with three different milks (hence the tres leches). Those milks soak into the cake overnight. And then it's topped with homemade whipped cream.

Shut the front door...it's so good. And so rich, so invite over your neighbors and friends and such so you can share! Because that is what baking is all about - making and sharing with those you love!!

Cream butter and sugar. Add your eggs and vanilla until mixed well and then add your baking powder (NOT baking soda, not that I've ever mixed those two up...) and flour.

Bake for 30-ish minutes and let cool. Then pierce with a fork. Like stab the cake to death. Or let your kids do it - they think it's fun!

Mix your whole mix, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk together well. Pour over cake.

This is what mine looked like. You can see how uneven my cake was. Hopefully yours is more even!

Over night in the fridge - see most of my milk is soaked up? I did pour out the excess, but it's really up to you.

Whip together your whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Whip whip whip...but not too long. You don't want butter!

Spread the whipped cream on your cake. And lick the bowl to clean it. It is sooo good.

Serve with fresh strawberries, drizzle with caramel or chocolate, or eat plain. Refrigerate leftovers!

Tres Leches Cake
by Girls in Aprons, adapted from allrecipes

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The three milks and whipped topping:

2 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.               

Mix flour and baking powder together and set aside.               

Cream butter and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (I baked mine for only like 26 minutes - just watch it). When cooled pierce cake several times with a fork.

Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake. Put in fridge and let sit 6-8 hours or overnight, letting the milks soak into the cake.

Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick, about ten minutes or so. (Don't over mix or you'll make butter!) Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated.

**NOTE: If you think there is too much milk still in the pan after it has soaked into the cake you can pour out the excess or keep it in. It's a preference thing and completely up to you!

Chicken Empenadas

New Mexico has its own little food culture, mostly involving green chilies. Not the canned kind, either, although to be honest that's what I use. Fresh roasted green chiliesare used in several restaurants around here, giving even the McDonalds cheeseburger a New Mexico flair.

We all know that I'm not a fan of spicy food. Even mild salsa is killer for me. I think my loathing of spicy things started when I was little, when my parents used to give me hot sauce when I lied. While my sisters only pretended that they hated the stuff (cheaters, right?) I actually hated the stuff. One time, my sisters broke the lamp in the living room and decided to say that I did it. I didn't get in trouble for breaking the lamp, I got in trouble for apparently lying about it. Traumatic right? Now do you see why I don't like spicy things?! :)

But I've gotten used to green chilies, and love throwing them into most of my Mexican meals. I came up with this recipe a few months ago but just kind of threw it together. Please tell me that I'm not the only one that does that. I had to make this recipe again just to make sure I had it down right!

Using a 3-4" cookie cutter (or a large glass), make circles from the pie dough. Place about 1 tsp or so into the center and add a pinch of cheese. And yes, I use Uncle Ben's rice in this recipe. The extra herbs and spices give this recipe a unique flavor, but any rice will do!

Dipping your finger in water, moisten the edges of the circle of dough, and fold the dough over. Using a fork, crimp the edges.

Brush the empenadas with vegetable oil to help them crisp up.

Chicken Empenadas

by Girls in Aprons

1 package pie crust (for 2 9-inch pies)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or 2 cups rotissiere chicken

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 package Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe (or 1 cup rice)

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, cored and diced

1 2-3 oz can diced green chilies

1 cup cheese

Vegetable oil, for brushing pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken, taco seasoning, and water and bring to a simmer. Cook Uncle Ben's rice according to package directions. Add one cup of prepared rice to the chicken mixture. Add black beans, red bell pepper, and chilies to the mixture. Stir until heated through.

Roll out pie dough a little. For the empenadas you don't want thick dough. Using a cookie cutter or large cup, cut circles 3-4" thick, re-rolling the dough as needed. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture into the center of each circle and add a pinch of cheese. Dipping your finger in water, moisten the edges of the circle with the water and fold the pie dough in half. Using a fork, crimp the edges and place on a cookie sheet. Brush the top of each empenada with vegetable oil.

Place in oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for dipping.

Easy Bean Dip

I don't really watch NCAA basketball (or any sport on TV to be honest). Sure I like to catch a baseball game now and then and college football can have a decent game or two that I'll watch, but for the most part I'd rather be doing something else with my precious time.

But each year my husband's family does a bracket tournament for March Madness. Almost everyone participates and gets in on the fun. I always fill out a bracket (and shockingly have never won the tournament) but I always have fun seeing who won a game and then checking my bracket standings. My husband and I will sit down for the championship game together, and of course I need some food to eat to keep me company while we watch the game!

This bean dip is super easy to put together, and can easily be changed up to your liking. Add different cheese to the top, chop up some jarred jalapenos and add them to the beans, substitute one of the cans of refried beans for drained black beans (or pinto beans), or dash some hot sauce into the mix. I like the recipe the way it is, but change is always good! I made this dip for a game night with my sister and her husband, but it would be great to munch on during a movie or to bring for a potluck.

Easy Bean Dip



by Girls in Aprons, adapted from www.allrecipes.com

1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 cans (16 oz. each) refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
4 cups cheese, Mexican blend

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Mix in refried beans until combined. Stir in taco seasoning.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Spread bean mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with green onions and then the cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Soup

This is one of my "go-to" meals - I always have the ingredients on hand, it's really filling, and perfect for these long, cold winter days that just won't go away! Seriously, nothing makes me happier than walking in the house from a freezing cold day than a nice hot bowl of yummy soup!

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, who taught me to make gravy (something I am eternally grateful for!) and to this day I can't make a roast like she can! The best part about this recipe is how easy it is. It's so easy that I didn't even bore you with pictures on how to make it. Really, it would've been an insult to your intelligence! You brown meat, dump cans, serve. Ta-dah! Like instant dinner! And feel free to have seconds (or thirds if you can fit it in your tummy) because it's a healthy dinner too! Lots of protein and veggies!  And have I mentioned it's yummy?

We usually serve it to my kids topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips. But my hubby and I really like it with sliced, fresh avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and freshly chopped cilantro. (Remember the part where I said it was a healthy soup? That's pre-toppings!!) But top it any way you like! Add sliced jalapenos, green onions, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, or queso fresco. It's all about how you like your soup!

Taco Soup
by Girls in Aprons

1 lb. hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 onion (depending on how much you like onion!), diced
1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 10.75 can tomato soup
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
2 cups frozen corn
Toppings (optional): sour cream, green onions, crushed tortillas chips, shredded cheese, avocado, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, hot sauce, jalapenos

Brown hamburger. When it's about half way cooked through, add chopped onion. Cook until browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain any fat and add taco seasoning, tomatoes, tomato soup, and beans. Stir to combine and simmer about 10 minutes. Add corn and stir until corn is warmed through. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna

I'm a pretty cool person (ask anybody, they'll tell you!) but I do have one minor flaw. I'm not the most creative person. I can be creative, but it takes a lot of thinking and planning and re-thinking and sometimes some tears and lots of chocolate. But eventually I produce something creative. Often I find myself reading a good book or looking at an awesome party someone planned and just shaking my head, wishing I was that creative!!

So when Carissa told me about the LDS Living Magazine's casserole contest my creative process began to flow - the old-fashioned way. I started thinking about all the recipes I love and how I could create one of my own. I planned several dishes by throwing around ideas with my sisters and late at night (much to my husband's chagrin) when I was supposed to be sleeping. Then I'd scrap those ideas and think again. Now to my credit there were no tears involved in this process (food doesn't make me cry usually - unless it's super yummy and then they are tears of joy) but I did eat lots of chocolate while brainstorming and planning.

And then - like that - it hit me. I had an idea! A couple months ago I posted a recipe called Mexican Lasagna, and at the time I mentioned that I really wanted to try to make a chicken version of the recipe. Well...I did. Carissa came over one day and we played with different amounts of the ingredients until we had a recipe that we liked. And it's awesome and super easy and kid friendly (always a plus in my house). We entered it in the LDS Living Magazine's casserole contest so we'll see how we do!

Mix together the chicken, black beans, sour cream, green salsa, corn, cilantro and spices. Now would be the time to taste your mix and add any additional spices you want! Want more salsa? Go for it! Add some hot sauce? Sure (just none for me!!)!

In your 9x13 pan layer 1/3 of your meat mixture, then cut up the tortillas to fit, making a single layer, then sprinkle on 1/3 of your cheese.

I layer my tortillas like this and then cut up a couple more to fit the middle. It's kinda fun - like a puzzle!

In the end you should have three complete layers (chicken, tortillas, and cheese). Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is warmed through and bubbly and gooey and yummy.

Verde Chicken Mexican Lasagna
submitted by Celeste Pearson, Girls in Aprons

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups green salsa
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (plus additional for garnishing)

12 soft taco size flour tortillas

1 package (8 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix chicken, sour cream, black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and spices in a large bowl. Taste and adjust for seasonings to your preference. Cut tortillas in half with kitchen shears.

In a 9x13 dish, scoop 1/3 of the chicken mixture into bottom of pan. Spread evenly. Place one layer of cut tortillas (about 4 tortillas) on chicken mixture to cover. Top with 1/3 of the amount of shredded cheese. Repeat with chicken mixture, tortillas, shredded cheese two more times. (You should have three layers total).

Bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is warmed through. Serve with sour cream and additional chopped cilantro.