Not So Perfect Circles

As I write this post, I am in bed watching Paranormal Activity 4.  Yes, I have watched the three before this one. Guilty pleasure I guess.  No judge-y

So glad the week is half over, it's been one of those really long, kind of a suck, weeks.  They happen and I just have to giddy up and go!

Tonight I made black bean and chicken tacos in the slow cooker with handmade tortillas and a side of cumin and coriander roasted green beans.  Yum, yum, yum.  The slow cooker is such a life saver!  I dumped everything in this morning and the chicken was ready to shred when I got home.  All I had to do was make the tortillas and roast the green beans.

Making homemade tortillas have always been a little daunting for me, but I really did not feel like stopping by the store on the way home to get the pre-packaged ones.  I figured since I have the ingredients I need in my pantry, why not use what I have and make tortillas from scratch?  I know exactly what goes into them and they're lard free, so to me that makes them more healthy :).  After my batch today, I will never go back to store bought tortillas.  They may not have been shaped like perfect circles, but they turned out soft, chewy, and fresh tasting.  Shazad thought they looked like butterflies.  Absolutely delicious butterfly shaped tortillas.  I'll be using the leftover tortillas tomorrow to whip up breakfast tacos for our morning!

 Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Tacos:

2 whole chicken breasts, frozen are fine
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 small onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1/2 green bell pepper, diced roughly
1 can tomatoes with chilies (spice level, your choice)
1 tbs minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of hot sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper

Throw everything into the slow cooker and give a little stir. Put on low heat for 8-10 hours.  Shred and keep on low so the yummy goodness gets all up in that chicken!

Handmade Tortillas:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup hot water

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Drizzle in oil and mix with your fingers until dough is crumbly.  Add hot water, combine and knead for 5-8 minutes on a floured surface until a nice smooth soft ball forms.  I used my trusty kitchen-aid mixer.  I added a little bit of flour at a time to keep the dough from sticking and making a nice ball.

Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, or keep in the mixer and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Make golf size portions from the dough.  Lightly flour your area, flatten the ball, and roll away!  Don't worry if you don't turn out pretty cirlces.  I think they give the tortillas unique-ness if they're shaped funky

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and throw on your first tortilla.  Once bubbles form, flip.  Let it do it's thing on the other side, and then flip again.  If they char, then you've cooked them properly.  Move on to the next.

Keep on a warm plate or cover with a clean dish cloth to keep tortillas warm.

Roasted Green Beans with Cumin and Coriander:

1/2 lb green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss together green beans with olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt.  Throw them on to a foil lined baking pan and put in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.

Build your tacos on your fresh tortillas with whatever you like!  I whipped up some pico, topped with a little light sour cream and shredded cheese. Enjoy!