Breakfast Tacos

After I make Homemade Corn Tortillas (see recipe below), I can’t think of anything better to do with them than to make Breakfast Tacos!  These little things are addictive, yummy, and a nice break from the norm.  It’s a wonderful breakfast to serve when you have out-of-town guests.  Who would expect Breakfast Tacos??!!  Serve with fresh fruit on the side.

And that my friends, makes for a great way to start your day!!

Makes about 10-12 tacos

Ingredients

1 lb Chorizo sausage

2 tbsp vegetable oil

12 oz diced potatoes (I use the packaged diced Simply Potatoes w/ onions which is sold in the refrigerated section)

Southwest seasoning

2 tbsp butter

8 eggs

Shredded monterey jack cheese

Crema– (depending on where you live, you can probably get this at your local grocery store, it would be located near the sour cream, or by the mexican cheeses.  If it’s not in your grocery store, it would definitely be at your local latin food market.  You can pick it up when you go buy your comal and tortilla press , to make your homemade tortillas!  If you don’t have a latin food market near you, and they don’t sell crema in your local grocery store, then sour cream will do)

Mexican hot sauce

 

Directions

Heat a large skillet to med-high heat and brown the Chorizo sausage, moving the sausage around the pan often.  Once browned, put aside.  Wipe out the pan and add the vegetable oil.  Once the oil has heated up, add the potatoes in a single layer.  Season with the southwest seasoning.  Do not disturb the potatoes and let them brown.  Once browned, turn to brown the other sides.  Try to get them crisp all over.  After browning on all sides, add the Chorizo back into the pan and toss to mix with the potatoes, and keep warm with the setting on medium-low.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  In another skillet, melt the butter (if using), then add the eggs and scramble.  When they are almost set, add the eggs to the skillet with the sausage and potato mixture, and incorporate. 

Take a corn tortilla and top it off with the delicious concoction you just created.  Finish off your taco with a sprinkling of the monterey jack cheese, crema and hot sauce.

print this recipe here

 

Homemade Corn Tortillas

One day I woke up and decided ‘I’m gonna learn how to make breakfast tacos with homemade corn tortillas!’ 

Well, my boyfriend looked at me (once again) like I’d lost my mind.  But what he said was, “That’s a GREAT idea!!”. 

You see, the reason he looked at me like I had 2 heads is because he grew up with his mother, aunt and most the women in his family making tortillas, and though not difficult, they can be a little daunting at first.  The directions on the package for the corn flour is not that accurate.  I’ve found that sometimes I need to add more water than directed, then the next time I make them, it’s less.  It depends on the amount of humidity in the air, I guess.   

The end result is nothing that you will ever experience if you buy those packaged tortillas in your local grocery store.  Once you try homemade, you will never go back.  Ever. 

Now, before you get all excited, you need to do a little shopping.  Get yourself in your car, on your bike, or whatever your mode of transportation and get to your local Latin Food Market.  There you will find a tortilla press, and a comal (or you can buy them online). 

If you choose not to go ‘full latino’, then you can use a rolling-pin and a cast iron skillet.  I’m always out to impress my boyfriend (whose Honduran), so I went all out.

Ingredients

 

2 cups Masa Flour (I use Maseca)

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups warm water

pinch of salt

Directions

 

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt and mix.  Add the water, starting with 1 cup and mix together.  Add however more you need, a little at a time.  The wonderful thing about this mixture is that it’s gluten-free.  That means you can’t overwork it.   

The way this mixture should end up is a little more pliable than play dough.  It should not be wet and sticky.  If you happen to have added too much water, just add more flour.  To make sure it’s not too dry, put about a golf ball sized amount in your hand.  Roll it, then press it down a little.  If the edges crack, then it’s too dry.  Add a bit more water.  It takes a little bit to know by touch how it should feel, but don’t let it intimidate you! 

Once you have reached the correct consistency, you’re ready to make your tortillas! 

Whether using a comal or a cast iron skillet, heat to high heat.

If using a press, open it and put a piece of parchment paper, or plastic (I usually grab a large freezer bag and cut it in half, creating 2 sheets of plastic) on the plate of the press.  Once again, put about a golf ball sized amount of mixture in your hand and roll into a ball.  While forming your tortillas, keep the reserve covered with a damp towel, as it can dry out pretty quickly.

 

Place the ball in the middle of the parchment paper (or plastic), and place another piece over the ball.  Close the press and press down firmly.  Open the press and remove the flattened tortilla while still enclosed in the 2 pieces of parchment paper.  Carefully remove both pieces of paper, and place the tortilla on the hot comal.  Make sure you place it on there completely flat.  The way I do it is, I hold the tortilla half in my hand and half dangling over.  Then I lie it gently on the comal.  Almost as soon as you place the tortilla on the comal, it will bubble up a bit.

That’s what you want it to do!!  After about a minute or so, flip the tortilla. 

Once flipped it should have a brown/black markings.  Cook for another minute or so, then remove. 

Keep your tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer, or in an airtight container with a damp towel.

print this recipe here