Homemade Corn Tortillas

Homemade Corn tortillas, are amazing and simple to make!  Really, don't be afraid...they are worth the little extra time to make.

All you need is three ingredients...yup..that's it.

Corn Tortillas

2 cups Masa Harina  (I've linked to an explanation and picture of the most commonly used masa harina)

1+ cup warm water

1 tsp salt

Dissolve your salt in your warm water and add to masa harina.  Combine by hand until it forms a ball.  You may need to add a little more water to help the dough to form.  The dough will not be sticky.  Let the masa rest for about 30 minutes.

Get out your tortilla press...oh...you don't have one?  That's okay...simply get some wax or parchment paper and a rolling pin and it works just as well.  

Roll your dough into golf-ball size balls and place in between paper.  Even if you are using a tortilla press, you will want to use some type of paper so it doesn't stick.  Simply place the masa ball in between the paper and press down.  If using a rolling pin, place ball between paper and roll with pin.

Once flattened, peel off paper and place on heated pan.  You might be using a cast-iron griddle pan or skillet, whatever you have will work.

That's it!  So simple and easy!  Enjoy

Crockpot Flank Steak Tacos

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it was FABULOUS!  I found the idea on Pinterest but the recipe was under the name of "carnita beef tacos".  Well this will sound incredibly silly but the name bothered me.  Carnitas are pork and as you can see this is beef...therefore I cannot in good conscious call them Carnita Tacos.  They are now Flank Steak Tacos....doesn't sound as fancy but trust me, when you eat them you won't care about the name!  Now that I have given you a little food lesson, we can continue on to the recipe!

Do not be scared that there is no liquid...your meat will not burn, I promise!

Flank Steak Tacos
2 lbs flank steak (or 4lbs if you have hungry teenage boys like I do)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (one works fine if you don't want as much heat and if you want more heat, leave the seeds in!)

Spice Rub

2 tsp chili powder (I like to use New Mexico Red Chili but you can use whatever makes you happy)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt  (sometimes I like using Kosher salt in rubs, just depends on my mood)
1/2 tsp black pepper

*You can really put any combination of spices you like, it's all about the flavors you like!


Directions:
Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak, really you cannot over spice. Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.
Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork (honestly by this point, you really don't even need to shred it, it will just fall apart).

Serve with corn tortillas (make your own, they are super easy!)

Top with whatever makes you happy...here are a few variations from our home.

 I simply put the meat on the tortilla, squeezed some lime juice then added fresh avocado.

 Neil put meat, then lime juice, mashed his avocado, added green salsa that you can't see, lettuce and red salsa.

 Daniel just ate his with meat and avocado.

 Michael was the same..meat, lime, avocado and eventually his rice ended up in the taco too.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

I have been making these for years, they are my boys favorite sloppy joes.  They have eaten Manwich once and decided they would never eat it again.  I got this recipe out of the book that came with my very first crockpot we bought when Kevin and I first got married.  So we have been making these for over 16 years and they are still a hit!

Sloppy Joes
3 pounds ground chuck
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 - 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Brown beef in skillet and drain off fat.  Put in crock-pot; add remaining ingredients.  Stir thoroughly.  Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours. (High 3 to 4 hours).

I am serving these on Homemade Buns with homemade pickles.  DELICIOUS!

Homemade Yellow Mustard

What happens when you run out of mustard in a home where one of your children LOVES mustard and practically eats it with everything?  Well if you're too lazy to run out to the grocery store, you make your own!  This was so ridiculously easy and I happened to have all the ingredients in my house.  My son loves it and claims he will not be sharing it with his brothers!

Homemade Yellow Mustard

(recipe found here)

1 cup ground mustard (regular or hot) - I used regular

1 cup water

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) - I used just a little more

1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients except for the cayenne and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth and then bring to a boil. Regular mustard powder yields a mild mustard.

Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Taste for spiciness.

Pour the mustard into a food processor. Add as much cayenne as you feel you want (if any), and the lemon juice.

Purée for 2 minutes to mix well and smooth the mustard out somewhat.

If the mustard appears a little grainy don’t worry. Sitting in the refrigerator will help smooth it out a little more. It will also thicken when cooled.

Place in jars and refrigerate.

Tip: Oven Roasting Corn

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse corn with husks still on.  Place corn husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft. Peel down the husks and use as a handle when eating.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

20-25 tomatoes
8-10 peppers (we used about 4 small Bell peppers, 2-3 Anaheim, and 2-3 Jalapenos)
2 onions
1/2 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons cumin
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
2-3 teaspoons red pepper
3 cups corn (cooked and cut off the husks) (Click here for a tip on how to roast your corn easily)
1 can black beans drained
salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Cut the tomatoes, peppers and onions in half, and roast them on the grill.

1. When the vegetables are fully grilled, and lightly blackened, pull the vegetables from the grill.  Place the tomatoes in their own separate bowl to let the juices drain.

1. When the vegetables from the grill have cooled, in batches, food process the drained tomatoes and grilled vegetables, along with the olive oil. Set aside.

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.  About 1 minute.
2. Add the chili powder, red pepper and cumin and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
3. Add the corn, drained black beans, and the food processed garden vegetable mixture from before.  Stir well.  Add the sugar and salt, and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

The salsa is now finished.  From here you can eat it fresh, can it, store it in the fridge, freeze it, or use it in your favorite Mexican recipe. 
When canning I use the boiling-water method.  Basically you ladle the hot salsa into hot jars, leaving about 1/4 inch head space.  Put on the two-piece caps and boil for 15 minutes in a pot of boiling water, the jars should be totally immersed in water.

Preheat oven to 350°F 2 Rinse ears. 3 Place corn cobs in middle rack in oven. 4 Bake for 30 minutes. 5 Remove corn cobs. Pull back husks and enjoy!

 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

20-25 tomatoes
8-10 peppers (we used about 4 small Bell peppers, 2-3 Anaheim, and 2-3 Jalapenos)
2 onions
1/2 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons cumin
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
2-3 teaspoons red pepper
3 cups corn (cooked and cut off the husks) (Click here for a tip on how to roast your corn easily)
1 can black beans drained
salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Cut the tomatoes, peppers and onions in half, and roast them on the grill.
2. When the vegetables are fully grilled, and lightly blackened, pull the vegetables from the grill.  Place the tomatoes in their own separate bowl to let the juices drain.
3. When the vegetables from the grill have cooled, in batches, food process the drained tomatoes and grilled vegetables, along with the olive oil. Set aside.
4. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.  About 1 minute.
5. Add the chili powder, red pepper and cumin and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
6. Add the corn, drained black beans, and the food processed garden vegetable mixture from before.  Stir well.  Add the sugar and salt, and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

The salsa is now finished.  From here you can eat it fresh, can it, store it in the fridge, freeze it, or use it in your favorite Mexican recipe.  .
When canning I use the boiling-water method.  Basically you ladle the hot salsa into hot jars, leaving about 1/4 inch head space.  Put on the two-piece caps and boil for 15 minutes in a pot of boiling water, the jars should be totally immersed in water.

Easy Jalapeno Jam

 A few weeks ago I had a fairly large amount of jalepenos that were quickly turning from green to red and needed to do something quick with them.  I had made jalepeno jam in the past but thought the process was too long and I have little patience for jams.  As I was venturing through Pinterest, I came across this recipe and saw how simple it was and decided to try again.  Not only was it so easy to do, but the jam is AMAZING!

*CAUTION* working with jalapenos can be dangerous.  Make sure you use rubber gloves when chopping.  I had so many jalapenos it was almost like I created my own gas chamber in my kitchen so make sure you are in a well-ventilated area.

Easy Jalapeno Jam

12 ounces jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Blend together in blender or food processor until pureed.

Pour puree into a deep, stainless steel saucepan, and add...

1 cup apple cider vinegar

6 cups granulated sugar

Bring to a boil over high heat, boil 10 minutes.

Stir in 2 (3 oz.) pouches liquid pectin

Boil hard (full, rolling boil) for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, add a few drops of green food coloring (if desired, I did not and my jam is still beautiful!), quickly skim any foam off the top.

Ladle hot jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a half inch headspace. Tighten lids on to fingertip tightness and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to cool and seal.

My favorite way to eat jalapeno jam!  With cream cheese on a Triscuit!