The night ended up being very fun, with friendly people, and plenty of good food besides my chips and the mango salsa and guacamole I whipped up to go along with it all. I like to think that I earned entry into the social atmosphere by making those chips, but I think the reality is that having a dish I knew I'd made from scratch and that tasted great probably just made me feel more comfortable, like a puppy showing off his tricks to impress a stranger. So here's some recipes for everyone who uses cooking for anything other than just food. I think you'll enjoy the tortilla chip experience.
Tortillas came into my diet when my older sister Jessie started dating Eric who is originally from Costa Rica. Homemade corn tortillas are so simple and so much better than tortillas from a bag you won't believe it. Serve them with a breakfast of eggs or a dinner of rice and beans, or go ahead...make some nachos!
Homemade Corn Tortillas
(recipe makes about 12 tortillas)
2 cups Maseca or other corn flour (can be found at any Mexican grocery and most supermarkets)
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix with your hands (I promise it's easier this way). Heat up an ungreased frying pan to high heat. Now take a plastic grocery bad or a piece of plastic wrap about that size and place a ball of dough about half the size of your fist inside the bag on a flat surface. Now's the fun part! Each tortilla can either be patted down by hand or rolled with a rolling pin. I recommend using my tool of choice which is just a glass jar like a pickle jar or wine bottle, but that's mostly because I don't own a rolling pin. Remove the flattened tortilla gingerly from inside the plastic bag and place it in the now heated pan. You should cook each tortilla for about 15-30 seconds on each side.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
12 homemade tortillas (see recipe above)
1 cup olive oil for frying
Leave that tortilla pan on and add a cup of olive oil. Slice your tortillas up into chips and place them in the pan. Do not crowd them; you might have to do them in batches depending on your pan size. Use a pair of tongs to flip them once they are lightly browned on one side. Once cooked on both sides, transfer them to a plate covered in newspaper or paper towels to soak up any dripping oil. Eat hot, or let cool before you enjoy them.
Mango Salsa
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 ripe mango
4 med tomatoes, or 1-15 ounce can of tomatoes (I like to use the ones with green chiles in them for some spice)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lime (optional)
Finely mince all veggies and then sprinkle with sugar, salt, olive oil, and lime juice. Serve with chips!
Essence of Avocado Guacomole
(I love avocados. I mean LOVE. Which is why I often find guacamole to be too much spice, not enough avocado flavor. Here's how I make guac instead)
2-3 ripe avocados
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (pref. sea salt)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and then savor that quality avocado flavor. Ain't nothing better!
This is one of my favorites!!!
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