Tortilla Tutorial

Thanksgiving

As a member of this group, I'd like to see if we can do a starch based Thanksgiving dinner. Who would be up to do it? Of course, this wouldn't be on Thanksgiving Day, but it would be nice to see our progress, and enjoy each other's cooking together. Who's up for it? Also, please share some recipes.
-Steven C.
(Please no Tofurkey)

Delicious No-fry French Fries

This recipe comes from the site Brand New Vegan. I've made these fries a few times and have loved them every time. It's pretty good. My tip is that you don't keep the potatoes in the boiling water for too long; they become really soft.

Crispy, Oven Baked, Fat Free French Fries

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 3-4 servings

Crispy, oven baked, fat free french fries. You've never had baked french fries this good. The secret is in the shaking - go ahead and shake things up!

Ingredients

• 7-8 Small to Medium Sized Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and papper to taste

Instructions

1. Clean and slice potatoes into fairly thick french fries ¾" to 1" thick
2. Add to pot of cold water (enough to cover) and bring to boil.
3. Boil for 5 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
5. After boiling, drain potatoes and place back into pot.
6. Add all seasonings, cover, and shake to distribute.
7. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Here is the link: http://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/crispy-oven-baked-fat-free-french-fries

-S.C. 

Today's Recipe: Lentils

For today's meal, and some of tomorrow's, I made some lentils. I think this recipe is pretty good, and it's quick.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Lb of lentils
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 yellow onion
about a teaspoon of dried chili peppers (the kind that come with pizza)
Salt (optional)
Cooking and prep time: 20-30 mins.


1. Rinse lentils.
2. Cook lentils. Set the lentils in a pot covering them about an inch above. Put in the half onion and one garlic clove, while it cooks.
3. Crush the other garlic clove with the 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and peppers in a molcajete. 
4. When the lentils become soft, put in the crushed ingredients and add in the tomato sauce. Stir and salt to flavor. Add as much salt as needed.  NOTE: you might need to add more water, if it evaporates. This goes great with tortillas de maiz!

Recipe 2: Black Beans

If one enjoys black beans, but also enjoys putting in little effort, then this recipe is for you! I've made black beans twice with this recipe. The first time was without an orange, and the second time was with one. I didn't care for the orange flavor in mine, but someone else might. Via: www.epicurious.com. 

YIELD 

6 to 8 people 

ACTIVE TIME 

30 minutes

TOTAL TIME 

2 to 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
   • 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
   • 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced in half, with enough of the root end intact that the onion doesn't fall apart
   • 1 juicing orange, rinsed and sliced in half
   • Kosher salt

PREPARATION

1. 1. Procedures 1 Place beans in a large pot and add water until beans are submerged by 3 to 4 inches. Add the garlic and onion, squeeze in orange juice, then add the squeezed orange halves. Cover and place over high heat until water comes to a boil, then uncover pot and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook until beans are completely tender and creamy, 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water if tops of beans become exposed. 2 Remove orange and onion halves. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to a thick, creamy sauce that clings to the beans, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve over rice or as a side with fresh cilantro and a dash or two of hot sauce.

The First Recipe

I must begin this post with the truth: I'm lazy. So, whenever I find a simple and tasty recipe, I use it over and over again. Because of this recipe's simplicity, I cook this about once a week. It's tasty, simple, and most importantly, healthy. I found this on cleangreensimple.com. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (feel free to use 2-3 cloves fresh)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder (feel free to use 1/2 a fresh onion, minced)
• Pinch red pepper flakes (add a few pinches if you like your sauce to have a little heat)
• Pinch black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, up to an hour. 

That's all! Review the whole recipe here! 

-Steven C. 

A New Identity...

From the Babylon Bee:

PALO ALTO, CA—After reviewing a local teenage girl’s Tumblr blog, the American Psychological Association confirmed Tuesday morning that “tater tots” is now a distinct and definable gender, and should be afforded the same protections that the other 43,492 genders currently enjoy.

The findings came as doctors on the board of the APA were alerted to local Tumblr user Katniss Sprinkle, who had made the announcement just one week prior that she no longer identified as a human girl but rather felt her gender most closely aligned with that of the fried, grated potato dish popular at school cafeterias.

“I just don’t feel comfortable calling my biologically female self a female any longer,” the brave young tater tot said in an interview over Snapchat as she applied a goofy filter to make herself look like a bumble bee. “My emotions are the best judge of my reality, and they’re telling me I’m a dish of fried potatoes—so lay off me, binary cishets.”... 

You say potato, I say that's not a gender...