Tortilla Crust Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Oil a large 4-sided sheet pan.
• Pulse chips, 2 teaspoons chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until coarsely ground, then transfer to a shallow dish.
• Whisk egg and remaining 2 teaspoon chili powder in a bowl.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dip drumsticks in egg, letting excess drip off, then coat with crumbs, pressing to help them adhere. Transfer to sheet pan.
• Bake, without turning, until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray bottom of first tortilla with non-stick cooking spray.
• This will help tortilla to crisp on bottom.
• Lay sprayed side down on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of tortilla, just enough to help tortillas stick when cooking.
• Top with another tortilla,sprinkle with cheese,top with tortilla.
• Layer as many as you wish, I generally only use 3 to 4.
• Top last tortilla with pizza sauce and toppings of your liking.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cut with pizza wheel into wedges.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Sprinkle lime juice on both sides of fish, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Stir together tortilla chips and cayenne on a plate. Beat egg in a bowl. Dip each fillet in egg, then roll in chips. Place each coated fillet on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until fish flakes.
• While fish is baking, make tartar sauce: Mix together mayonnaise, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve with cooked fish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan (use the removable bottom of the pan as a guide). Assemble pan with the bottom upside down; lightly oil bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, cumin, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and garlic. Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add corn and spinach; stir until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Place one tortilla in the prepared pan. Spreading evenly, top with 1 1/2 packed cups beef mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat with two more layers. Top with last tortilla, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake pie until top is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan; remove sides. Using two wide metal spatulas, lift pie from bottom of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into wedges. If desired, serve with cilantro and sour cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place tortilla on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil; sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tortilla from the oven and spread tomato sauce on top. Arrange chicken breast, green bell pepper, and green onions over tomato sauce; cover with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle oregano over cheese. Slice pizza into wedges using a pizza cutter.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.
• With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so.
• Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness.
• Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Place tortilla pieces, pepper, lime juice, cilantro and spices in blender. Pulse until the mixture is uniform small crumbs. Spread on plate.
• Beat egg in shallow dish.
• Dip each fillet in egg, then in crumbs, patting crumbs to adhere. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake until fish flakes, about 15 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix crushed chips and melted butter.
• Pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
• If using for quiche or anything with a very wet filling, pre-bake at 375 for 5 minutes and allow to cool before filling.

Steps:

• Sift the masa harina, flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
• Add water and oil and stir until a soft dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a well floured board, pat into a round and gently roll to about 1/4 inch thickness.
• Carefully ease the crust into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate and prick the bottom.
• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, fill with taco/chili filling and continue to bake for 45 minutes or until pie is done.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with aluminum foil. Whisk the oil, oregano, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until warm. Set aside for 15 minutes. Brush the oil mixture over both sides of the tortillas. Stack the tortillas and cut them into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide strips. Arrange the strips in a single layer over the baking sheets. Sprinkle the cheese and salt over the strips. Bake until the strips are golden brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Do-Ahead Tip: The tortilla strips can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in airtight containers and keep at room temperature.
• RECOMMENDED WINE #1: Coltibuono Chianti Classico "RS" 2001 REGION/ORIGIN: Chianti Classico, Tuscany GRAPE/VARIETAL: Sangiovese RECOMMENDED WINE #2: Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco 2003 REGION/ORIGIN: Alto Adige GRAPE/VARIETAL: Pinot Bianco

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except for the tortillas.
• Spread each tortilla with a thick layer of the spread.
• It will seem like a lot of topping, but it is just right.
• Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.
• Put on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are crisp and brown.
• Serve hot or cold.

Steps:

• Set a comal, a flat griddle, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn't hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.)
• Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store; do not use plastic wrap.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt, and water and then knead in a circular motion until the dough feels smooth and without lumps. It shouldn't be wet or sticky but nice and moist. If it feels coarse when you gather the dough together, add a bit more water. Masa dries out fast, so keep it covered while you make the tortillas.
• Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down the press to make a flat disk, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). It should be about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Alternatively, you can place a ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin.
• Open the press, check the tortilla for dryness (see Cook's Trick), and add water to the dough if needed. Remove the plastic on top of the tortilla, then lift up the bottom piece of plastic and the tortilla with one hand and peel the tortilla away from the plastic with the other hand. Keep at least half of the tortilla off your hand to make it easier to transfer it swiftly to the hot pan.
• Place the tortilla on the hot surface and don't touch it for 30 seconds-even if it doesn't lie completely flat, resist the temptation to fiddle with it! Cook until you can easily lift it with a spatula, 40 seconds to 1 minute; it should be opaque on the cooked side. Flip and cook for about a minute longer, until it has begun to get brown freckles. Flip once more. After 10 to 15 seconds, the tortilla should puff like pita bread, if not all over, at least in one area. If it is not puffing, gently tease it along by poking it in the center with the tip of your finger. Once it puffs, let the tortilla continue cooking for another 15 to 20 seconds, so that it cooks all the way through. That extra cooking is what makes the difference between stiff tortillas and those that are toothy, tender, and pliable.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel or a cloth-lined tortillero (a tortilla basket, which looks just like a bread basket) and cover to keep warm while you make the rest of the tortillas.
• Cook's Trick
• The masa has to be as soft and smooth as Play-Doh. This has less to do with the kneading-which takes under a minute-than with the amount of water. The measurement given on most bags for masa harina is too low. Here I give you the measurement that works for me. Things will vary, however, according to climate and ingredients. One way to tell if your masa needs more water is to take a look at the first tortilla after you have pressed it out. If the edges seem cracked and rough, you need more water. The tortilla should be smooth and even along the edges, not at all ridged.