The Topic: Flat-Out Fab FoodThe Dish: Besides biscuits, there's one other recipe I rely on regularly when I'm in need of cheap food and/or the illusion of a fancy (read: homemade) meal: motherflippin' tortillas. And by that, I mean my Mother taught me how to flip them—her recipe and tortilla expertise has guided me to where I am today.
Using dirt-cheap ingredients, similar to their quick-bread counterpart, these tortillas are easy peasy and turn taco night into a high-class affair. If you're not in the mood for a rice-and-beans burrito, that's okay—Mom has a ton of delicious suggestions for this flat-bread base, including cheesy garlic, sweet saffron, and even chocolate dessert variations. For now, I'll share two secret recipes with you: The Original, and Classic PB&J.
"The Original" Tortilla
What You Need:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
What You Do:
1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Form dough into a ball, then place onto lightly floured countertop. Divide into 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a round, and, with a rolling pin, roll out lightly on one side.
3. Over high heat, place cast-iron skillet. Cook tortillas in ungreased skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook other side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Classic PB&J
What You Need:
1 cup flour
Dash sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon agave syrup
What You Do:
Same as The Original! Except when these are finished, smother with your favorite jam, maybe some more peanut butter, and devour the best PB&J ever.
A few tips from Mom aka the Tortilla Queen:
- When rolling out tortillas, only roll on one side—no flipping!
- Don't be afraid to sprinkle the PB 'tillas with a little more flour when rolling. These will have a slightly different texture than The Original.
- You'll probably just want to make a double batch, because these will be gone in no time.
The Final Word: Sure, you could just buy a pack of tortillas at the store, but that isn't fun, and it's more expensive (unless you're buying those mega-packs of corn tortillas for like 50 cents or something insane, but do those have peanut butter in them?). Don't be afraid to experiment with add-ins—these are really hard to screw up. And if you try out a really awesome (or awful, god forbid) let me know!
