Mexican Fiesta!

Mmmmmmmm...

This is all I feel like posting for now, but I will elaborate! We made tacos tonight and it was the perfect Mexican fix I have been craving for a while (I know...crazy, huh?)! Not only did I use my McCormick's taco seasoning from the American store but we made homemade tortillas! They were about as close to perfect as you can get, without being made by a Mexican granny :) I'll post the recipe I got from my mother-in-love below :)

Flour Tortillas:

Ingredients:

-3 cups all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-4 to 6 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening (I didn't say they were healthy :)
-1 1/4 cup warm water (approx.)

In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt together. With a pastry cutter/blender (or hands) cut in the lard or shortening. You want these ingredients to cling together slightly and hold a form when squeezed in your hands. If the mixture crumbles, you do not have the shortening mixed in well or have too little (if it makes a hard clump them you need more flour and less shortening).

Add the water all at once and mix the dough quickly with a fork or by hand until the dough forms a mass. Work it in the bowl, moving it around the sides to pick up any flour remaining in the bowl. Knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. It should take about a dozen folds to form soft dough that is no longer sticky.


Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap to let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. Allowing the dough to rest lets any of the liquid absorb into the flour, which will give you a softer tortilla after cooking.

Take your ball of dough and begin pinching off 2-inch diameter balls. Knead each of these into a tight ball by folding them over with your fingers, turning and repeating until it is shaped like a fat disk. Place it to one side of the mixing bowl and continue to do this until you have used all of the dough. (I made discs and Ben made balls...both worked fine so it's up to you.)

VERY IMPORTANT: Before rolling out the tortillas, allow the dough balls to rest at least 10 minutes. This will permit the gluten to relax and make them much easier to shape and roll.

On a lightly floured surface take one of the dough balls and begin to roll it out. To keep a somewhat round shape, roll one directions, make a 1/4 turn and roll again, make another 1/4 turn and roll. Continue to roll and turn until you the dough is about 1/8-inch thick (I like a little thicker) and 8 to 10 inches in diameter.

Heat a cast-iron griddle, or small skillet to about 450 degrees F. over medium to medium-high heat until water droplets "dance" when dropped on the surface.  You might have to increase or decrease the heat after you cook your first tortilla, but you should be able to tell if the tortilla is cooking too fast on the outside and still raw on the inside, or increase it if your tortilla is taking more than 30 seconds to begin to "puff" when placed on the skillet.

Place the raw tortilla on the preheated skillet and allow it to cook until it begins to puff up with air pockets. Each side should cook about 30 seconds, leaving the tortilla puffy. Press on a center part of the tortilla slightly to be certain the inside is cooked.

Place these little babies a tortilla warmer or on a plate (I put my plate next to where I was cooking so it would be warm)! Or just eat them as they come off the skillet :)

And, here is my delicious, yummy tacos! I ate almost all of my first one before I remembered to take a picture! They were that good...the only thing missing was Pappasito's garlic butter sauce...YUM!

They weren't as hard to make as I thought they would be and they are SOOO much better than store bought (at least store bought in NZ)! And, we have a ton leftover...I know what's for dinner tomorrow!! :) Until next time...