Tortillas to the Rescue Cookbook

On the heels of Psychgrad's most recent post introducing our Miss "E", I have to admit that there are many changes happening in our family. Beside the obvious addition of "E" who has brought joy beyond what words can even describe, a dynamic has changed. We're still a mother/daughter blogging team with frequent input from Psychgrad's significant other "R". The change that I'm seeing is in the way we think about food.  Our consciousness about food seems far more thoughtful at both the planning and especially the purchasing stage.   I actually like the evolution as we share information and keep learning from one another

 I recently received a promotional copy of Tortillas to the Rescue

Written by Jessica Harlan, the book offers the whole gamut from Breakfasts to Sweet Endings.  There's nothing complicated about this cookbook, just good common sense and accessible ingredients.  Tortillas are always on my grocery list.  Looking for a quick breakfast like a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Roll, a heartier lunch or dinner like a California Burrito or a unique dessert like a Pineapple Cheesecake with Tortilla crust you'll find them in this book.

We were looking for something balanced and easy to make and found  these Burger Pouches that did the trick for us.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 large (10-12" flour tortillas)
4 slices American or Colby cheese
4 slices globe tomatoes
4 lettuce leaves (iceberg or romaine)

Note:  You can easily add your own special ingredients and achieve a great result.

1.  Place the beef in a bowl and use clean hands to mix the Worcesershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the beef.  Form the beef into 4 patties about 1/2 inch thick,

2.  Heat a grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Grill the burgers until cooked through but still barely pink on the inside, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once.

3.  Place a piece of cheese in the middle of each tortilla.  Place the burger on the cheese, then the tomato and lettuce over the burger.  Beginning with one side of the tortilla, fold the edges of the tortilla gradually over the burger, overlapping the edge of the previous fold to cover the filling completely.  Heat a contact grill or panini grill over high heat.  Place the burger pouches on the grill, folded side down and press the top grill lightly over.

** We didn't have a grill pan so we improvised and instead of a panini press, we used a fry pan and another pan on the top.  Worked like a charm.

My latest obsession in snacking is a really simple Peanut Butter and Banana tortilla wrap; with jam or jelly, without, it really doesn't matter; it's all good and the kids will love it too.  This is a really great way to get young children involved in the kitchen.  There's absolutely no deferred gratification with a filled tortilla; easily mastered in less than a minute.