Homemade Tortillas

I have to admit...homemade tortillas remind me of Africa. Yep. When I studied in South Africa when I was abroad they had many foods we were familiar with including KFC and McDonalds. Mexican food though was hard to find or expensive. One favorite memory is how they pronounce jalapeno...exactly as it looks...ja-lap-a-no.


Anyway, my peers would make their own tortillas to save themselves some money. Now although Zach and I do follow a budget, we did not make homemade tortillas because we were trying to save money. We made them for the fun of it. Yes, it's true. We think making tedious food is fun. However, they were really yummy! If they are well wrapped they can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Pull them out the night before and reheat before using.

Following with my own recommendations to my patients, I try to eat half of my grains or more as whole grains. In this recipe, I mixed half whole wheat flour and half white flour, but you can do whatever pleases you. :) Zach and I actually used them to make enchiladas, but they can be used for whatever Mexican entree you desire!

From Taste of Home magazine June/July 2010
Yield: 8 tortillas


Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbsp olive oil


Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil.
2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 6 times.
3. Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7 inch circle.
4. In a large nonstick skillet coating with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm.

Naan

I've never been much for Indian food, but slowly I'm finding I enjoy it. Zach and I were invited over to his professor's house one night and she served this. It was fantastic! I didn't think I could possibly recreate it, but this tastes pretty dang good! It's soft, doughy and goes with just about anything. We love to have it for dinner with kabobs in the summer and it usually gets finished off at breakfast the next morning.

To make this recipe I combined two different ones I found here and here. 

Yield: 10-12 servings...that is, if you eat only one. 

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough and knead in garlic, if desired. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. After second rising, roll one ball of dough into a thin circle. Place on hot griddle or pan over high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it is puffed up with some brown/black spots on the bottom.

5. Flip naan and repeat the process for the other side. 

6. Slide spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly on the rack, or I place mine on my stoneware. Cook for a minute or two until it finishes puffing up into a balloon. 

7. Remove naan from the oven and brush lightly with butter, if you like. Serve warm!