Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Texican Grilled Cheese

We had these for breakfast today but they would make a great breakfast, lunch, snack or even dinner.

1. Make your bean dip (AKA smashed black beans).  If done ahead instead of postponing until you need it you will save time and energy during this recipe.  [I learned that if fatigue slams you when the beans are done in the crockpot they can cook on low another 6 hours (overnight) and still be fine.]  I adjusted a recipe for the black beans. Put the following into a food processor:  1 clove fresh garlic (I pulsed that first so it would get well chopped); 1/4 C sauteed chopped onions; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I alternate between Braggs and Spectrum - whichever I find or is on sale); and one pound dried black beans cooked until soft (I think that roughly translated to 8 Cups of cooked beans).  If you use canned refried beans then you are already done with this step.  If you only have a mini-chopper instead of a regular food processor it will take a bit longer... ask me how I know!  I think it took about 5 batches or so for me to get through all of the beans.  I froze 2 portions for other meals as well.


2. Pry apart the frozen corn tortillas that you *thought* would surely be thawed by then.  It's actually easier when they are completely frozen than when they are partially frozen... ask me how I know!  A knife inserted between frozen tortillas will pop them apart with a little twist.  I use Bread for Life sprouted corn tortillas.



3. Generously spread the bean mixture, avoiding the very edges so it doesn't goo out when cooking (again... ask me how I know what it's like to have it goo out in the pan and get sticky).



4. Sprinkle some freshly grated cheese.  I like sharp cheddar for grated cheese.  Be sure to get a block if you can that does NOT have the mold inhibitor.  The Kroger and Wal-Mart *block* cheeses do not yet have the inhibitor and use annato for coloring instead of unnatural coloring.  Raw cheddar would, of course, be better - but not possible for me.



5. Cover with another tortilla.  If you think you see ice crystals it's because you do :).  Don't worry about the tortillas still being frozen - they do fine.



6. Repeat step #2 of prying apart frozen tortillas from another pack when you realize that you need 2 more because you made an extra so you could have one too.  Be thankful that you got 2 packs when you went shopping instead of just one.

7. Heat butter in skillet.  I used a combo of coconut oil and butter.  The butter for flavor and the CO to get some in the dc.  I used refined CO because I didn't think the coconut flavor of virgin CO would go well.  Grill the stacked tortillas in the oil, flipping frequently with a spatula until done to your desired crispness.  I like to flip the first side over quickly so both sides get a generous soaking of the fats/oils.



8. Optional:  Slice into 4 wedges.  Serve with Mexican cream.  I actually prefer Salvadoran Style Cream but the store I used only had Mexican style.  Delicious.


This is part of Kelly's Real Food Wednesday posted here:
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/10/real-food-wednesday-102710.html

2 comments:

  1. Those sound tasty. Thanks for sharing. Have a good week,
    Colleen

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  2. Hi Colleen!
    Thanks for your comment. The dc gobbled them up as fast as I could make them.

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