Posted by T.W. Anderson on May.18, 2009

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There are few things more satisfying than a good Mexican dish. And contrary to popular belief, foods from the Latin American region are quite healthy, when prepared with fresh, natural ingredients. Everyone loves a good burrito, a chicken enchilada, a Mexican casserole, or a taco salad. But what is it about these recipes that makes them so delicious?

A tender hand in the kitchen, a sprinkling of the right kinds of spices and seasonings, and most importantly, our old friend the bean.

At the heart of many Latin American dishes that have become so popular in America and other countries around the world and affectionately dubbed “Mexican Food”, is one of the most basic and simple ingredients in the world: the bean. Cooked in a special way to create what is commonly known as refried beans, you can transform many dishes from plain and ordinary into rich, vibrant meals that come alive in your mouth with a burst of flavor, as well as providing your body with some of the healthiest protein available.

But many Mexican dishes just wouldn’t be the same without their partner in crime, the flour or corn tortilla. Each having a distinctly different flavor, these tortillas are a necessary component in many of the favorite Mexican recipes. They are quite healthy, and easy to make, and nothing is quite like your house smelling of warm, freshly made tortillas.

The recipe for flour and corn tortillas is quite basic and simple, and you can use the same recipe to make both, with a couple of small changes. In addition, the size your tortillas will vary depending on personal preference. One thing is key to remember: if you want perfect, rounded tortillas like you buy in the store, you will want to purchase a tortilla press. Otherwise, you can simply roll the tortillas out with a rolling pin, in which case you won’t have perfect circles. However, the presses are extremely inexpensive and they make a handy addition to your kitchen if you plan on making tortillas with any regularity.

For flour tortillas you will need:

• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup of luke-warm/hot water
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Some good old fashioned elbow grease!

Take two cups of flour, add a pinch of salt and the baking powder and dry-mix. Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your warmed up water and mix. (you can substitute milk for water if you want a fluffier, thicker tortilla shell more commonly associated with things like gorditas). Mix into your flour and, using a floured surface, knead for 2-3 minutes until you have a nice, pliable mixture. Set aside and let sit for 15 minutes or so, then separate into 6-8 balls of dough (8 balls will give you roughly 8″ tortillas, whereas 6 will give you 10-11″ tortillas). Set them in a bowl and cover with a warm, damp towel for 30-45 minutes.

Pre-heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet, 10″ or larger, on medium heat for about 10 min to get the surface nice and hot. Then, using either a rolling pin and a floured surface, or a tortilla press, flatten the balls into the desired thickness. Put onto the griddle/skillet. Let cook for about 30 seconds. You will see heat bubbles rise up. Then flip it and do another 30 seconds on the other side, and remove from the skillet. Repeat.

The first few times you do this recipe you will have a couple of trial and errors, but with practice you should be able to reliably roll a tortilla shell out while the first one is cooking, and alternate between flipping and rolling them out/pressing them. It takes about 8-10 minutes to cook them. They are best served hot, but can be preserved in a Ziploc bag for a few days, and re-heated.

The process for corn tortillas is similar. You will need:

• 2 cups Corn flour (called masa harina)
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 and 1/2 cup of warm water (the hotter the better, to make the dough pliable)
• some extra virgin olive oil

Follow the same process as for the flour tortillas. As traditionally corn tortillas are much smaller (like 6 inches in diameter) you can get 16-18 rolls out of a batch this size.*A tip! If you use a tortilla press, wax paper can help considerably in the “mess” factor, used on either side of the dough to keep it from sticking to the press in case you have the dough a little too sticky.*

Now, no Mexican recipe is complete without the addition of refried beans, the staple ingredient of many Latin American dishes. They are extremely simple to make, and depending on the flavor you are aiming for, you can adjust the recipe in a variety of ways. You will need:

• 1 pound of beans. The best to use are pinto beans or black beans, depending on your personal choice in flavor.
• 1 medium sized red onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• salt and pepper
• lard, bacon grease, or extra virgin oil, depending on personal taste

Soak your beans overnight. Then, rinse them a couple of times and cover with 2-3 inches of water and bring to a high, roiling boil. Spend 10-15 minutes skimming the foam from the surface, then reduce to low heat and cover, leaving to simmer for 2-3 hours, or until they are soft. Drain them, but save the juices. Put the beans aside for now, and put the pan back on the oven, leaving it to heat on medium to high heat.

Dice your onion, and mince your garlic cloves. Put a few tablespoons of either lard, bacon grease, or extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they begin to turn golden. Add your beans, and about 1 cup of of the juice mixture, and using a potato masher, mash the mixture, while cooking it on medium heat. It doesn’t have to be a perfect paste…partial chunks of beans are absolutely acceptable. Then add salt and pepper, cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. If you want some spice to the mixture, you can either add some your favorite hot sauce at this point or you can add your favorite kind of peppers when you are sauteing the garlic and onions.

Stay tuned for Mexican Medley, Part II, in which we bring you a variety of recipes that will incorporate the tortillas and refried beans you have now learned to make!

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Salads and Sides.