SRC Reveal: Homemade Tortilla's and Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

Well, it's that time of the Month again, and this month I am ahead of the game. Yay me!! The Secret Recipe Club has been just a joy for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. Each month we are assigned a blog and then have about 3 weeks to pick a recipe, make it and then blog about it. It's a great adventure.

This month I was assigned the blog, Fearless Homemaker. Amy sounds like a really sweet gal. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee and got married in a surprise wedding. How fun is that!  Go to her About Me page and check out more about her. You'll like what you see. 

It didn't take me long to decide what I was going to make. It's High School soccer season and crock pot meals are perfect. I've always wanted to make homemade tortillas and so as soon as I saw her recipe for Homemade Tortillas and Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken I knew exactly what I was making. I have made a similar chicken dish in the crockpot but wanted to try hers. I know many people stray from the original recipe, but I really try to stick with the recipe I choose, unless it's just not possible (and then I'll usually find another recipe that works)...I kind of figure that's part of the point, find someone's recipe and make it and to me it means making it the way it's written. These were both a HUGE success. Maybe sometime I'll experiment and try to make a GF tortilla. 

The tortillas took no time at all to make, which was pleasantly surprising, and they only have 3 ingredients..much better than store bought ones. I rolled them out really thin to ensure they'd cook well and stay pliable especially because I knew we weren't going to eat them till later and yet I couldn't wait till "later" to make them. When we came home from the soccer game I pulled them out of the ziploc back and in to my nifty tortilla warmer that my friends mom made and popped them in the microwave. They stayed nice and soft even though I had made them a few hours earlier. 

On to the awesome recipes!!

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts cubed (I just threw them in whole and shredded them later)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1-16 oz. jar salsa
1-14 oz. jar diced tomatoes with green chilies
1-4 oz. can diced chilies (I left these out)
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-8 oz. frozen corn
1 jalapeno, stem removed and pierced several times with a fork (uh, I think I missed this part...I do not remember reading that...haha...oh well)
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

I didn't cut up my chicken like Amy suggested. I just placed it in the crockpot, added the seasonings and then just threw in all the other ingredients. Turn it on low for 4-5 hours. Check for doneness after about 4 hours.

I was going to make some rice as well, but didn't have time. 


Homemade Tortillas

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. shortening
2 tsp. salt
1 c. lukewarm water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl (I used my mixer) blend flour and shortening until it resembles a fine meal. I find that using my whisk attachment works great.

2. In a small bowl combine salt and water until salt is dissolved. Using the dough hook of the stand mixer, add water to the flour mixture until the liquid is incorporated. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. If you don't have a stand mixture, mix with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand till smooth.

3. Divide the dough in to 12 equally sized pieces and roll each in to a ball.

4. Roll each ball in to a thin 8" round. Roll as thin as possible to keep them soft and pliable. I used a round plate to lay on top and used my pastry cutter to make a perfect circle.

5. Cook each round in a heavy non-stick skillet over med-high heat (watch carefully), flipping once, until puffed and golden on each side. About 3-5 minutes per side.

I used a cloth tortilla warmer to re-heat tortillas, but you could place on a plate with a damp paper towel covering them. 

In our case we filled them with the mexican chicken and they were thoroughly enjoyable!!

With Joy UNquenchable,