Homemade Tacos
The Recipe Redux – February, 2017: Taco Tuesday

Tacos are a favorite dish in many households, including mine. They are almost as much fun to assemble as they are to eat.

But most people rely on processed tortillas as the base for their tacos. I am here to tell you – STOP!

Make your own tortillas from scratch instead.

Making tortillas from scratch is so easy, and so incredibly inexpensive too. For one large bag of Masa Harina (corn flour) you pay about 4-5 dollars, and could make over a hundred corn tortillas. That is cheaper than one package of store-bought processed tortillas, and each one will be tastier too. So good, you may decide to make tacos the meal of choice for more than just on Tuesdays!

When making the tortilla dough, it is important to kneed it well. Because corn flour has no gluten you can’t overwork it, so squeeze away with no worries. For a little added romance, kneed with a friend!

The taco seasoning works really well with chicken breast, pork tenderloin, any white fish, extra-firm tofu or tempeh. For tofu, it is a good idea to freeze then thaw the tofu before using. The freezing process changes the tofu texture so it has a more meaty consistency.

You will notice in the recipe Ingredients section I have a couple of options for salsa and guacamole listed. I especially love the Pineapple Mango Salsa with fish, and the Fruity Guacamole is killer with pork. Go ahead and mix and max whichever way your heart desires.

Happy Taco Tuesday! Which flavor combo will you try?

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Masa Harina
3/4 cup Water, plus extra if needed
pinch of Salt
1 pound Chicken, Fish, Pork OR Extra-firm tofu, cut into thin strips
1.5 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
1 cup Fresh Tomato Salsa OR Pineapple Mango Salsa
1 cup Guacamole OR Fruity Guacamole
1 cup Lettuce, shredded
1 cup Black beans, cooked

PREPARATION
To a large plastic ziploc bag, add your cut protein of choice and taco seasoning. gently toss ingredients to coat protein. Seal bag and store in refrigerator until ready to cook.

To a medium mixing bowl, add the Mesa, water and a pinch of salt. Mix together by squeezing ingredients together with your hands until a dough forms. If too dry, add another teaspoon or two of water. Divide batter into 10 even pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball.

Heat a long skillet to medium and lightly spray with oil. Wrap a piece of plastic wrap around the top and bottom plates of a tortilla press. Place one of the balls in the center of the press bottom. Gently press the press cover onto the ball, so to flatten it out and form a tortilla. Slowly lift press cover.

Peel tortilla from plastic wrap and place on heated skillet. Cook 30 seconds and flip. Cook 30 seconds and flip again. Cook another 30 seconds then place cooked tortilla into a tortilla holder to keep warm. Repeat process with remaining dough. If skillet is big enough, cook more than one tortilla at a time.

Raise skillet temperature to medium-high. Remove protein from fridge. Cook on preheated skillet, turning occasionally, until protein of choice is fully cooked through. Add protein to serving bowl and allow to rest a few minutes before serving.

To assemble Taco: On to 1 tortilla spread 1.5 tablespoons guacamole. Then layer 1.5 tablespoons each lettuce and black beans. Add 1-2 strips of protein, then top with 1.5 tablespoons of salsa.

Serves 4.