Sunday, December 16, 2007

Breakfast Burritos with Homemade Tortillas

I was perusing the What do Vegans Eat blog and saw this post for breakfast tacos. It instilled a deep desire to make my own tortillas and fill them with a host of good things. First, I made scrambled tofu, and added in a half cup of salsa at the end. Then, I made fried potatoes and spiced them Mexican-style (microwave 6-8 small potatoes for about 5 mins, until softish. Cut into small cubes and fry in 2 tbsp of oil over med-hi heat for 10 mins, stirring often. Season with 1/2 tsp each cinnamon, chili power, salt.) Put tofu, potatoes, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, lettuce, tofu sour cream, and salsa (or whatever else suits your fancy) in tortilla, roll, and eat.

What really makes the meal awesome is the home-made tortillas. This recipe makes 5 large, 0r about 10 small, tortillas.

INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 oz vegetable shortening
- 5-6 fluid oz warm water (about 2/3 cup)

METHOD
1. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Rub in shortening with your fingers until mixture look like bread crumbs. Add in enough water to make a soft dough.
2. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 mins, until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for at least 15 mins.
3. Heat a cast iron pan on med to med-hi heat. Pinch off a piece of dough, and roll as thin as possible on a floured surface. Plan on pan and cook for 20-30 seconds on each side. The trick is to adjust the heat so the tortillas get a nice speckled brown look, but do not burn. Do not overcook.
4. After each tortilla is cooked, place in a stack wrapped in a kitchen towel. Keep the tortillas wrapped up until ready to use, otherwise they will harden.