Whole Wheat Tortillas

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• all-purpose flour for rolling

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.
2. Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
3. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

FOOTNOTE

For white Mexican Flour Tortillas, use the same amounts of flour, but using white flour only. Another variation is to use 3/4, 1 cup, or 1 1/4 of vegetable shortening or lard. All these amounts work; I have tried them, but I like to keep things light. I must say the best tasting recipe is the one with all white flour, and 1 1/4 cup lard...of course

Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
--1 pound chicken (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
--1 cup dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
--4 cups chicken broth
--1 cup sliced mushrooms
--1 cup frozen corn
--1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
--1 1/2 tsp cumin
--1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end)
--shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)


Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and mushrooms, and add the cumin. Stir, but don't disturb the beans---let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.

Cover and cook on high for 9 hours. Yup. High. For 9 hours. It took a crazy long time for the beans to soften, but they did.

If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5--similar to normal soup-cooking time.

If you'd like to thicken the broth (I did this), you can use your immersible blender (I love that thing) to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditonal blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.

Southwestern Dressing

Equal parts Honey BBQ and Ranch dressing with 1 Tbs of water

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 T Honey

5 T Lime Juice

1 T Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 lb. cooked, Shredded Chicken

8-10 Wheat Flour Tortillas

1 1/2 c Shredded Cheese

16 oz. Green Enchilada Sauce

1 c fat-free Sour Cream

• Mix the first 4 ingredients together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.
• Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with marinated chicken and cheese. (reserve about 3/4 cup cheese for top)
• Mix the leftover marinade, remaining enchilada sauce, and sour cream together. Pour sauce over the top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.
  
• Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Broil last few minutes to brown the cheese.

Supreme Chalupa

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef
1/4 c Flour
1 T Chili Powder
1 t Paprika
1 t Salt
1 T Minced Onion
1/2 c Water
Flat Bread, Pita, or Homemade Tortillas

Combine ground beef, flour, chili powder, paprika, and salt. Mix well. Add onions and water. Mix again.
In a skillet, cook beef mixture until browned. Stir often so no large chunks form; it should be more like a paste.
In a skillet, deep fry the bread for 30 seconds. Let drain on absorbent towels.

Serve with...

sour cream
lettuce
cheese
tomatoes
salsa

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef / Turkey
1 White Onion - Chopped
2 cans Stewed Tomatoes - Mexican style
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 can Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
1 c Water
1 can Chili
1 T Taco Seasoning
1 can Corn - Drained
1 can Green Chilies

Put everything into a p and cook until warm. Serve with ....

Corn Chips
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped Green Onions

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Ingredients

3 c Whole Wheat Flour
1 c White Flour
1 t Salt
1 1/2 - 2 c Warm Water
1/4 t Baking Powder
1/4 c Oil

Mix ingredients, knead for 5 minutes. Separate into balls and let rise for 10 minutes. Roll out, flipping often for round shape. Cook in skillet until each side is warm.