The Great Compromiser
Compromise: something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things
–from the Merriam-Webster dictionary
I am the Great Compromiser. The majority of the time, my role is spent mediating disputes between Gigi and Lulu,
as in the hotly-contested debate over the lacy Victorian-style fan AND the pink feather Vegas showgirl crown. Only one diva is allowed one of the two items at a time, not because the two are completely mismatched in both style and era of origin, but because both models inexplicably covet these accessories.
I also have to compromise many of my long held beliefs,
as in I will die happy if I never have to play another match of the inanely boring game of croquet again. Yet I can’t resist when Lulu comes at me with her plastic golf clubs and a sweet little grin, asking “You want to play ‘crow-pay’ with me, Mommy?”
When Pea Daddy agreed that we were going to transition to vegetarianism as a family, I knew I would have to pick my battles wisely. Don’t get me wrong, I would definitely put my foot down on loading the family up into the Pea wagon and hitting the local KFC for a Double Down Sandwich.
(Oh, it’s as real as a heart attack, kids. Why use buns when you have fried chicken? KFC has a countdown to the Double Bypass Down’s arrival here. I have something similar going on in my bedroom for the return of Glee.)
But when it comes to the finer points of vegetarianism or even just healthy restaurant fare, there is one food that I almost always let slide:
the homemade tortillas from Pea Daddy’s favorite Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda. Lard? What lard? And isn’t lard just an acronym for
Lovingly
Approved by
Registered
Dieticians?
Maybe not. It doesn’t help matters that La Hacienda has an actual “Tortilla Lady” who makes tortillas by hand everyday at the restaurant, complete with a viewing window so you can watch her honing her craft.
This is not our local tortilla maker; ours is even slightly more endearing. Pea Daddy is convinced that if we don’t pick up some tortillas to bring home (so I can fill them with beans, vegetables and organic cheese), la senora will be out of a job and her dreams of a better life for her and her familia will come crashing down in a delicious storm of masa and lard. Not to mention, he has passed his love of authentic, handmade tortillas on to Gigi and Lulu, and every time we stop by the restaurant, he barely has the warm, foil wrapped pillows in his hand before the girls are clamoring to try one on the way home. As much as I know a little of anything Lovingly Approved by a Registered Dietician isn’t going to kill them, I’d really prefer if we tried to avoid rendered animal fat.
Were I not willing to compromise, I’d offer up my favorite sprouted grain Ezekiel wraps.
They don’t exactly melt in your mouth, though, and are not what you’d call “pliable.”
They’re so full of fiber, we’d have to reconsider our diaper budget as well.
Instead, I offered to make tortillas myself, free of lard, but with the compromise of using, at least in part, white flour.
GASP. Hey, that’s what Lindsay was doing…making tortillas!
Homemade Flour Tortillas
makes 6 tortillas
- 1/2 c. all purpose flour
- 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 t. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
- 1/4 c. -1/2 c. water
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
John Glenn made a cameo to add the salt.
Add margarine and work through flour evenly with your hands until fully incorporated.
Pour in water a few tablespoons at a time and work in with your hands until a soft ball forms.
Knead dough on a floured board for a few minutes until dough is no longer sticky.
With the added pressure of an audience, I now know what it feels like to be the tortilla lady.
Divide the dough into six balls and set aside to rest while you get the rest of your burrito fixings prepared (approximately twenty minutes).
Roll the dough flat on a floured board, as thin as possible.
Place the tortilla in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat, cooking until slightly golden and puffed on each side (about 1-2 minutes per side). Store the finished tortillas in the oven on the lowest setting, covered with clean damp tea towels until ready to use.
They were tender, soft and pliable,
and when filled with black beans, tomatoes, pico de gallo, olives and organic cheese and sour cream,
Pea Daddy said they were “on par” with La Hacienda’s. I’ll take it.
If only every compromise was this easy.
***BFL Week 2 Results (based on measurements) are posted!
that kfc sandwich shocked me. really? really? and i know my pilot will probably eat it. haha. he’s known to go through the kfc drive through and ask for the “captain’s fun bowl” (which has a totally different name and has mashed potatoes, fried chicken and corn all in the same bowl…)
the tortillas look wonderful but i do have to say my nana’s probably win, lard and all
xoxo
There is this restaurant in Utah that I used to eat at a LOT, mostly because of their tortillas. Since I’m far far away (and better educated about my food choices) now, I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement with no luck. I’m SO excited to try these! I tried making homemade tortillas once and they were a complete disaster. Hopefully these go better.
Good luck with your dueling divas.
That KFC sandwich is SICK!!! How gross can they get?! Your tortillas look awesome. I’ve wanted to make my own forever now!
Mmmm, those look great! There is really nothing like a warm, chewy tortilla. And no, unfortunately, those Ezekial tortillas (love them though I do) are just not the same!
The double down sends shivers (and not happy ones) down my back. Ugh.
Ah, I laughed out loud at the Lindsay Lohan part. :p
Those look awesome! And homemade! Those girls are so lucky.
I love homemade tortillas! My husband used to make them for us all the time. The KFC sandwich is crazy! Seriously, why do that to your body??? Do these people not love their family members or want to stick around for a while??? UGH, that is just nasty!
Mmmm…I’m not a vegetarian, so my tacos usually have ground beef or chicken in them, but I swear, I could eat them every night for dinner…yummmm….
what the.. is KFC for real?
anyway, your tortillas look great. and it makes me a little queasy to know that there is lard in restaurant tortillas.. i mean, i knew that it was in the beans.. but the tortillas, too? there goes the neighborhood.
i love the way you met in the middle on this one. but i do love those ezekiel tortillas! yum.
oh.. and in reference to teri’s comment.. hey! i am in utah! what tortillas do i need to be eating a lot of?!
I made tortillas once and they were a total disaster. Hard as a rock and about as appetizing!
That KFC sandwich is totally making me nauseous! As if KFC didn’t make me nauseous enough already.
That KFC sandwich just made me throw up in my mouth a little. Or a lot. I think that may be worse than the bacon double cheeseburger served between two Krispy Kreme donuts. (Isn’t that called “The Luther Burger” after Mr. Vandross and didn’t he die from heart disease)
Anyways, the tortillas look wonderful and are actually making my mouth water a little. Or a lot.
oooh I have never made my own tortillas – but will have to give them a try for sure!!
I’m so impressed Mama Pea!! I tried making corn tortillas once and they didn’t exactly work… your flour ones look remarkable!
i’ve never thought to make my own tortillas, but yours look great and so easy!
i almost want to get that sandwich just to say i’ve had it. ALMOST!
I love making my own tortillas. I learned from a fellow spanish teacher. I don’t always find the time though.
Your tortillas look great! Tortillas are everywhere in New Mexico.. but you can bet they are full of lard!
That’s it? A little Pea lovin & some white flour and you get delicious, compromise inducing tortillas?! SIGN ME UP sista!
Que delicioso, senora pea! I hope you’re not planning on hitting up La Hacienda’s senora’s job… I have a mental image of her. And she’s adorable.
Homemade tortillas!! You are my hero.
mm those tortillas look great!!! You’re so talented
I don’t think I could ever pull those off…
UGH and that KFC atrocity…blech! Apparently there’s a “vegan version” of it floating around the internet, but who would even WANT to veganize that mess?!
I can honestly say that as much as I love to cook, I don’t foresee myself EVER having the patience to make homemade tortillas. Which is pathetic because you have two (beautiful) kids and still manage to be more dedicated than I am! But my mom has always wanted to make homemade tortillas so I think I’ll be passing this recipe along to her
oh, i love making homemade tortillas! it’s been a while, but they’re so good!
mmm i have such a soft spot for mexican food. Always a great feeling to be “on par” with a lady who has been making them for (probably) decades
have you seen the veganized double down? http://vegansaurus.com/post/498511783/vegan-double-down
still fried though. but no animals harmed.
trader joe’s corn tortillas are pretty good as far as softness. no lard either.
Hehe…when I saw the title of this post I thought of Bill Clinton. Wasn’t that always his nickname? Maybe I’m making that up…
Anyway, I think your compromise is the best of both worlds. That what a compromise should be
When I was little, my mom taught me what a “compromise” was when she always wanted to curl my hair for special occasions, and I always wanted it straight. So she would say, “Ok, we’re going to COMPROMISE. I’m just going to curl it a LITTLE BIT.” Uh huh. How do you curl hair a little bit?! Too funny.
I’m lovin’ your BFL page! (Hehe, every time I write “lovin’” in your comments section, I think I’m being so clever).
I can’t believe you made tortillas! That’s amazing! Now, if you could just figure out how to make my favorite Cocoa Krispies!!!
(You knew I had to say it.)
XOXO,
Erin
beyond impressed that in all your “spare time” you’re making bread (tortillas). wow. You go girl!!!!
I love that you can make just about anything yourself, that is really inspiring to me! Great job on the tortillas
crow-pay – that is too cute
the tortillas look great! I made authentic ones in Honduras this summer and I’ve NEVER seen so much lard. It was gross.
im totally impressed with your lard free tortillas! wow. and as for that kfc thing – i nearly threw up in my mouth. is that seriously for real??
I was wondering how long it would take you to talk about the new Double Down. While I’m not a veggie, that thing popping up on msn a few days ago made me gag. Seriously people? Using two massive pieces of fried chicken with globbery cheese and fatty sauce in the middle? How about Double YUCK??
So excited to see you and the fam tomorrow! I hope the girls are feeling better so you can come! Heart you!!
i love it. i had no idea you could actually make tortillas. that’s my 5-year-old brain working there, as in only the tortilla lady can make tortillas. does this comment even make sense? i have no idea. all i know that is about the darn cutest pic of gigi ever.
I’m excited to try your tortilla recipe. I buy the 100% whole wheat ones but they pretty much taste like saw dust:) Occasionally for a treat though we will by the ones at costco that are uncooked. They remind me of the La Hacienda ones. Very good. Thanks for the recipe have a great day.
that kfc sandwich should be on http://www.thisiswhyourefat.com NARSTY.
also, when i’m a mom, which is not going to be for 8973059783450 years, i would love to be able to make things for my family like you do. it’s much admired!
I’m excited to try your tortillas. I currently have packages of my favorite tortilla brand shipped in from a friend in the Chicago area – I can’t find them in Omaha.
That KFC artery clogger was test marketed here in Nebraska. I know there were other areas of the country that tested it out, too, but I cannot recall where. It got mixed reviews around here, the local news stations interviewed people who tried it…I found it pathetic and turned the TV off. It looks absolutely disgusting!
I saw that KFC on another site and was hoping it’d be fake. Darn.
Great post; thanks for sharing! Your thoughts + kitchen use is great
Katherine
Ah, i have many strong opinions regarding that ridiculous “sandwich”… That is so cool that your family has traditions like that! Some of the brightest memories of my childhood involve going to our favorite restaurant and a movie every other weekend! Gigi and Lulu will remember stuff like that someday for sure!
oh my, i saw that double bypass thing and laughed at the countdown but sort of cried at the entire concept.
oh, it’s just soooo real.
hope it flops.
Hi,
Tortillas are a staple in Indian diets as well.
Did you know that you can get soft, fluffy tortillas with
plain old whole wheat flour?
Add a little yogurt and some olive oil (or any oil
of your choice) while kneading. After kneading, brush the dough with oil
and keep covered for about an hour at the very least.
This makes the rolling easier and gives you soft tortillas!
No all-purpose flour required
You can make it more interesting by adding chopped spinach
or dill or fenugreek leaves into the dough, along with some spices.
Regards,
Sasha
Sounds awesome, Sasha. Thanks for the tips!
I made these last night after your book (finally) was delivered! They were SO easy and SO yummy! I’m making the enchiladas with them tonight! I’m excited!!
Oooh! Enjoy!