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Monday, August 24, 2015

Mmmm Homemade Tortillas




Have you ever not done something because either you thought it was too much work or it wasn't really possible to do?



I love learning how to do things. Even if it may have been a cheap alternative to just go to the store and pick up something, I often find out that the homemade item is generally so much fresher and tastier than the store bought equivalent.




Besides, you never appreciate something more than when you know how to make it.

Last week was one of those weeks that fell when neither of us got paid due to when our pay schedules fell so it was time to get really creative in the kitchen to feed ourselves.

One of the items that we have constantly is tacos or burritos. We had no burritos/taco wraps however. Being broke, going to the store was out of the question.. so it was time to roll up my sleeves and take the plunge.

And I'm glad I did.

These are SO much better than store bought. A word of caution though, they do take a bit of time and will get your space messy,  so if you are going to make them, make a lot all at once. I quadrupled the recipe and froze them for future use. We used them last night and even after thawing, the quality is was far superior to what you buy in the store-probably because there wasn't any preservatives.


Mmmmm Homemade Tortillas!




The recipe I took from a book I bought from the library discard sale, The Home-Cooking Cookbook by Natalie Sylvester. This book appears to have been written in 1972 and the book is  the author's attempt to document her family's recipes. Honestly, the majority of it was desserts but this little recipe was a gem.











FLOUR TORTILLAS

3 heaping Tbsp of shortening
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 to 2 cups water

Mix together and until dough forms a ball.
 
 




Divide into about 9 balls. Roll out to a tortilla shape, if not perfect, that's perfectly fine. It'll taste perfect!












Heat up a skillet big enough to handle to tortilla.

No grease in the skillet, no oil, we are after a dry heat.

Drop your rolled out tortilla on the dry skillet. When it appears to be drying out, flip it.


Once you can move it around in the skillet, you are all set.

Remove it, let it cool then use for tortillas, enchaladas, breakfast burittos, flautas, etc.

I found that this was no more difficult than making cookies and when you make a bunch and freeze them they are not only economical but so much better tasting than store bought! They taste very fresh even after thawing from being in the freezer. They also are a lot "lighter" tasting than the ones you buy in the store.

Overall, a win/win!








 

3 comments:

  1. It's been a while since I made tortillas. They are definitely worth the effort! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  2. I have never tried to make tortillas from scratch. Your recipes looks good. We have learned to stretch the budget. I often cook one meal which can be stretched into two. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday with us.

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  3. looks great. Am going to give this a try as we are going back to basics and making everything with organic flours and such. Never thought about making my own tortillas, but you do make it look easy.

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