a peek inside the fishbowl

I’d felt the need to bake something fresh and bread-like but sadly didn’t have enough yeast to pull off an actual loaf. While flipping through my worn copy of Joy of Cooking I found upon a recipe for flour tortillas. It looked easy, didn’t require a lot of mixing/rising time and best of all, no yeast required.

I’ve made these three or four times now and they’ve turned out really well every time.

Part of the fun is the poofing up that happens during the baking process. Emma bit into an air bubble the other day and exclaimed: “it looks like a cave in here!”

I’ve taken to calling these things “tortilla pitas” because although the recipe is officially described as a flour tortilla recipe these things seem rather pita-like to me. If you cover them with a clean dishtowel to keep warm they’ll become more pliable … i.e. better for folding and making a sandwich. 

The last time I made these I filled mine with salsa, tomatoes and lettuce. They are perfect for dipping in soup or mopping up some sauce. Or maybe as a base for mini pizzas. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe is vegan/vegetarian friendly too (unless you’re like Sarah who spread hers with butter and ate it with a sprinkle of cheese). It makes eight small tortilla pitas.

Easy pita bread type recipe

You will need,

• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)

Place a baking stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°F. (I use a baking stone. It is wonderful.)

Mix all ingredients by hand or on low speed in a mixer until the dough comes together. Continue to knead until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Divide the dough equally into 8 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Roll out each ball of dough into a 6-8″ circle, about 1/8 inch thick. (Do not panic if you can’t achieve a perfect circle. I prefer ovals anyway!) Place as many as will fit onto the baking stone and bake for three minutes on one side only. The tortilla will puff up during baking. (Hang around and watch the excitement!) Use tongs to remove the tortillas to a rack to cool. For crisper tortillas, flip them over and bake on the other side as well.

Let me know if you try this recipe. I’d love to hear how yours turned out!

* Vegan Before Six

A few months ago I read a book called Food Matters in which author Mark Bittman wrote about his decision to become a part-time vegan, that is, turning two out of three daily meals (i.e. breakfast and lunch) into vegan meals. It made sense to me. I wanted to reduce the amount of meat/dairy/eggs I ate too, not just for health reasons, but for environmental ones as well. I first wrote about it here.

I’m proud to say I’ve been pretty good keeping it up ever since. There have been times when I wasn’t able to do it (like while we were camping) or when I’m in someone’s company outside the home and can’t easily find a vegan option to eat – in which case I do my best to choose vegetarian because I don’t want to be a hassle to other people. This is my own thing and I don’t want to make others feel uncomfortable.

I’m well aware of the eyeball rolling that may be happening out there right now – not long ago I would have been rolling my own – but I’m excited about how easy it’s been so far and how good it makes me feel. Not to mention that I’m back to being my best 139 lbs. Love it! And I’m going to be sticking with it.

The VB6 movement (also called flexitarianism) is gathering more steam. There was an article in the Globe & Mail about it awhile ago which described it fairly well.

A few things have made this a lot easier for me:

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I walk along quietly, looking off into the distance and shrouded in my own thoughts. Suddenly, unexpectedly, a small hand slides into mine.

I am always amazed at how nicely it fits.

I feel aglow. My shroud dissolves into the air like a fluttering ember that’s escaped from a fire.

The tender warmth and softness of that little hand brings me back to the moment, reminding me of who I am and how terribly lucky we are.