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I recently celebrated a rather momentous birthday, and two of my dearest friends gifted me the tools and ingredients to make the best tortillas de maiz (corn tortillas) ever! 

Alicia Delicias, the most talented cookie artist on the planet, and her family gave me a gorgeous personalized oak wood hand-crafted tortilla press.

And Lorraine Dahlinger, a marketing goddess who always connects me to artisan foods, sent me a box of Masienda white corn, red corn, and blue corn masa harina. 

I took this fabulous duo for their maiden voyage a few weeks later. I got very emotional as fond memories of making fresh, delicious corn tortillas with my mama flooded my memory. As I mixed the masa with my hands, formed the dough into balls, and used my stunning tortillas press to create beautiful round tortillas.

I couldn't decide which masa to try first, so I experimented with the three masa harina varieties. And my hubby generously volunteered to taste test the warm tortillas. He critiqued them like fine tequila bottles, explaining each color's texture and taste nuances as he shoveled tortilla after tortilla into his mouth and dripped butter onto his chin in between bites. The taste test resulted in no clear winner and a happy hubby with a mission to never eat store-bought tortillas again.

I also developed a new simple fajita recipe to honor these outrageously yummy tortillas. I marinated the chicken overnight with various spices and cooked them in my cast iron skillet. It's a great recipe with no nitrates or additives and perfect for low-sodium diets.

I served the fajitas with Spanish rice and black beans, topped with sliced avocado, and my hubby said to tell you that both recipes are KEEPERS!

Happy Cooking!

Be well.

Molé Mama

Spicy Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Tools

• Sharp knife

• Measuring cups 

• Large bowl

• Measuring spoons

• Molcajete or garlic press

• Cutting board

• Small bowl

• Cast iron skillet (can substitute frying pan)

• Large colander

• Large spoon

• Citrus squeezer

• Tin foil

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic

• 2 tablespoons California red chili powder

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/8 cup lime juice

• 2 - 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion

• 1 large red or yellow pepper

• Optional toppings

  • Avocado slices

  • Mango slices

  • Diced cilantro

Directions

Step 1 - Prep Chicken & Peppers

• Place chicken breasts on a cutting board

• Slice them into thin pieces (approximately 1" x 2" x1/4")

• Place the slices in a large colander and rinse with cool water until water runs clear

• Place rinsed sliced chicken breasts into a large bowl

Step 2 - Prepare Fajita marinade

• Peel and crush garlic in molcajete or garlic press

• Place crushed garlic into a small bowl

• Squeeze fresh lime juice into a bowl with the garlic

• Add red chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt, vinegar, and olive oil.

• Add sliced chicken breasts to the bowl and mix well.

• Cover bowl with tin foil and marinade for approximately 3 hours. For best results, marinade overnight.

Step 3 - Cook Fajitas

• Place cast-iron skillet on stove burner using medium-high heat.

• Once the skillet is hot, add marinated chicken breasts and all contents of the bowl to the skillet and mix well for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked.

• Add sliced onions and pepper for the last 2 minutes.

• While your fajitas are cooking, prepare optional toppings and make homemade corn tortillas or heat other tortillas.

• Once fajitas are cooked, create a Fajita assembly line with optional toppings and tortillas.

• Fill tortillas with chicken fajitas and optional toppings.

• Store any leftovers in your refrigerator for up 5 days or freeze them for up to a month.

Homemade Corn Tortillas (Tortillas de Maíz)

Tools

• Tortilla Press

• Tortillas Warmer/tin foil

• Kitchen towel

• Comal or skillet

• Large bowl

• Cutting board

• 1-gallon plastic storage bag (can substitute plastic wrap or wax paper)

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

• 1 cup masa harina (any variety, blue, yellow, red, etc.)

• 1 cup warm water

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Step 1 Prepare tortillas press - line the inside with plastic

• Ensure the tortilla press is clean and dry

• If using a plastic storage bag, cut and remove the zip-top from a 1-gallon freezer bag. Cut two opposite sides of the bag, leaving the bottom intact so that the bag can open and close like a book.

• Open the tortilla press and line the inside of the tortilla press.

Step 2 - Prepare tortilla masa(dough)

• Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well with your hands or a large spoon.

• Add water slowly and mix well with your hands until the masa is free from any lumps and all masa forms into a giant ball, and the bowl is free from any masa harina, etc.

• Using your hands, break the masa into pieces and form into small balls approximately 1 1/2" in diameter.

• Place the comal on the stove and begin to warm using medium heat.

Step 3 - Make tortillas.

• Place each ball onto the tortilla press and use the handle to press into round tortillas (approximately 7 inches in diameter)

• Open the tortilla press and gently place the tortilla on your open palm, so it is plastic-side up, and peel the plastic off the second side.

Step 4 - Cook tortillas

• Place a raw tortilla onto the comal and turn it every 30 seconds, and cook until done, approximately 90 seconds.

• Remove the cooked tortilla from the comal, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, and place it inside the tortilla warmer or wrap it in tin foil.

• Serve tortillas warm

Step 5 - Store and reheat leftover tortillas

• Store in the refrigerator in a clean plastic storage bag or tin foil

• Reheat on comal. Heating in the microwave will make the tortillas get hard.

• Leftover tortillas are the perfect ingredient for chilaquiles or homemade corn chips.