Fresh Flat Bread Corn Tortillas and Tomato Salsa

by Chef Michel Nischan
*These tortillas are gluten free is you use masa or corn meal that's certified gluten free!

I've been wanting these!  Got the ingredients on my shopping list....can hardly wait!  They're soooo good!

Flat Bread Corn Tortillas

Ingredients
2 cups masa flour
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup oil, grape seed or corn
1/2 cup corn kernels, raw
2 teaspoons salt to taste

Directions
Mix water, oil, and masa flour with corn kernels and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix together to make a pliable dough that does not stick to your hand.

Divide dough into balls a little larger than a golf ball and place between two large sheets of plastic wrap. Use a large sauté pan to press the tortilla to the thickness of the corn kernels.

Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Drizzle a small amount of oil onto the tortilla and into the skillet. Spread it with a piece of paper towel to coat the pan evenly. Place the tortilla in the hot skillet oil side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until it begins to form air bubbles or turns lightly browned. Turn the tortilla over and finish cooking. Remove to plate and set aside.

Salsa

Ingredients
4 whole tomatoes of different varieties
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and diced
1 cup snap beans, blanched and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small zucchini squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Slice the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds. Chop into pieces (about 1/2 inch) and place in medium sized bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and toss to together. Serve with flat bread corn tortillas.

This segment appears in show #3204 (The Victory Garden).
Recipe courtesy of Michel Nischan
© 2007 Michel Nischan

Black Bean Vegetable Soup

Baby it's cold outside!!! Let's eat soup!

This recipe from AllRecipes
Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 35 Min Ready In: 50 Min Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable stock
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

Directions

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, corn, and pepper; bring to boil.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 164
Total Fat: 3.4g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 683mg
Total Carbs: 26.9g
Dietary Fiber: 7.8g
Protein: 7.6g

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Recipe from Lifescript:  We like broccoli best in this tofu stir-fry, but any mixture of vegetables you have on hand will work. One way to get great tofu texture without deep-frying is to toss the tofu in cornstarch before stir-frying. Let it cook for several minutes without stirring to help it develop a little crust. Serve with Chinese egg noodles or rice noodles and a glass of Riesling.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes        Level: Easy        Cook Time: 30 minutes        Serves: 4

Ingredients:


1/2 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup dry sherry, (see Note) or rice wine

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste

1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

6 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons water


Preparation:


1.Combine broth, sherry (or rice wine), soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sugar and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

2.Cut tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and pat dry, then sprinkle with salt. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the tofu; toss gently to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu; cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 3 minutes. Gently turn and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

3.Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and water; cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir the reserved broth mixture and add to the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan; toss to combine with the broccoli and sauce.

Tip:

Ingredient Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.