Friday, July 20, 2007

The Wonders of Flour Tortillas

July 20

When I buy one of those roasted chickens at the supermarket the first things that go are the thighs. Because I like dark meat I have no trouble disposing of the drumsticks and wings next. Then of course I'm left with a carcass and a lot of breast meat.

A week or so ago I bought some of those prepackaged flour tortillas. I actually bought the white flour ones even though I'm basically off white flour in any form. But these little pancakes are such a great way to make a lunch out of leftovers that I gave them a try.

Here's what I did with one -- the last one -- for lunch today. I had a fresh tomato which I chopped and warmed in a little olive oil in which I had poached a chopped clove of garlic. I had some leftover cooked spinach from last night and added that. Then I took the tortilla and dropped into a heated frying pan and turned it when it began to bubble up. Onto this I put about an eighth of a cup of shredded cheese and piled the spinach-tomato mixture on top. I added about a half a cup of white meat of chicken. I happened to have some bottled salsa in the refrigerator so I dropped about a tablespoon of that into the mixture and a few capers.

I was about to say the last two ingredients are optional, but actually all the ingredients except the flour tortilla and the chicken are optional. Use the cheese of your choice and the leftovers of whatever you happen to have.

The flour tortillas are a great invention, I don't know of whose. I don't know if they are Mexican, French, or actually American. But they are a wonderful shortcut to a delicious and easy lunch -- or supper or breakfast, for that matter. Try one.

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