My awesome boyfriend Michael knows me pretty well. I know that because I found this beauty when I went to check the mail today.
A brand spankin’ new corn tortilla press! It’s a nice heavy cast-iron beauty (far superior to the lighter aluminum version).
Ain’t she pretty paw?
So shiny and new. I think it is time to get her messy! Let’s make some corn tortillas!
Ingredients: masa de harina mix (1 cup), water (2/3 cup) , and salt (1/8 tsp). Yields 8 small tortillas.
Put masa in a large bowl.
Add the water.
Put your pretty paws in there and mix.
Mix until dough comes together in a ball.
Divide the dough into equal balls. I made enough dough for 8 tortillas, because if we made any more than that Michael and I would make ourselves sick. We tend to eat them straight off the comal as fast as we can!
Now for the really fun part. Place a piece of plastic wrap on each side of the press.
Place one dough ball in the center.
Now PRESS! I like a thicker more dense corn tortilla so I keep mine just a smidge thicker than what you are probably used to seeing in the grocery store.
Seriously, how easy is that? I felt guilty that is wasn’t hard and more laborious.
My trusty comal. I use it all the time! Daily even. Love this skillet. Crank the heat to high heat.
Drop tortillas on the comal. No overlapping.
Cook for 30 seconds to a minutes per side. You are looking for the little brown spots of deliciousness to appear. Remove from comal. Cover with cloth napkin to keep soft and warm.
I am a very happy woman!
Now let’s turn these small disks of yumminess into a full blown snack!
So this is what I did. First cook the tomatoes:
Slice cherry tomatoes in half (I used a whole pint) and mince the garlic (2 cloves). Heat olive oil in a sauté pan (about 2 tablespoons). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add some quality balsamic vinegar to the garlic (about 1/4 cup). Add the tomatoes and mix to coat. Let them cook away. The balsamic vinegar will reduce and become syrupy and the tomatoes will start to release their juices. You will suddenly have way more juice than you started with and that is all good. Just let it reduce down. You don’t want the end result to be soupy. You are looking for a thicker sauce.
Refer to this blog post for step by step photos on preparing the tomatoes.
Melt cheese (I used Monterrey Jack, but go with whatever makes you a happy camper) on a cooked tortilla and put it in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted. Top with some of the sexy tomatoes, jalapenos, and your favorite hot sauce. Easy, tasty, and a lot of fun to make.
