Meatless Meals for Lent: Homemade Tortilla Recipe for Bean Taquitos

Editor’s Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes is now in Jamaica, but she has not forgotten her Texan roots. Here she shares the recipe for homemade flour tortillas, the building blocks for many meatless Tex-Mex recipes.

South Texas is where I call home and where making flour tortillas from scratch is a tradition. There is nothing better than a ”caliente” tortilla hot off the cast-iron skillet with a gob of melted butter pouring off the sides! In my opinion, my grandma made the absolute best tortillas in all of Texas!

Back then, Grandma (or “Lita” as she was lovingly referred to by her grandkids) would make tortillas almost every day. After making the dough, she’d break off small dough balls and roll each into a perfectly round disc shape before tossing it on the hot skillet. I’d watch as the small bubbles would rise from the dough, indicating that the delectable tortilla was being perfectly prepared.

Cindy’s son, Michael, making tortillas with her mother, Mary

Ingredients for Homemade Tortilla Recipe (as modified by her great-grandson):

3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 c (approx.) hot water
1/3 c oil (if coconut oil, melt first), or butter or lard

Instructions:

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in large bowl. Add oil bit by bit and mix with fingers.

Stir in hot water bit by bit with a wooden spoon.

With hands, form dough into a ball, not too stick and not too dry (no need to knead). Wrap dough in wax paper to prevent drying and let sit for about 10 min.

Break off 2-inch (or so) round balls and roll with rolling pin to form tortillas. Cook on a well-heated skillet (cast iron works best) treated with canola oil.

Tortilla should ‘bubble up’ within the first minute of being on the skillet. Cook about 2 minutes on each side.

Store in a tortilla basket or other container.

Bean Taquitos:

These were one of my favorite meals and simplest to make.

Take one fresh flour tortilla, spread refried beans, fold, and eat. Yum

Cindy’s reflection for Lent

Preparing the perfect tortilla takes a fair amount of patience, time, and perseverance, much like prayer. I didn’t find the time or patience to learn the art of tortilla making, but thankfully, my son, Michael, learned from my mom, who learned it from Grandma.

Memories of grandma’s homemade flour tortillas will always have a special place in my heart and thanks to my son, this wonderful family tradition lives on!