Spicy Potato Tortillas

It’s now Lent, so here’s a meatless lunch or dinner tortilla to make your tastebuds sing. Golden, spicy potatoes atop a chewy corn tortilla, cooled down with creamy avocado and a drizzle of sour cream, lalalaaaaaa! These are a snap to make, and snappy to boot, not to mention pleasantly filling without being heavy.

To make the corn tortilla chewy (somewhere between soft and crunchy), I heat a fresh tortilla with a spritz of nonstick spray (or light coat of oil in the pan or rubbed onto the tortilla) in a hot pan until starting to brown a bit, but not outright fry. The chewiness is a nice contrast with – and delivery vehicle for – the crisp-soft potatoes.

Life, language, tortillas…I like them all spicy, so when the potatoes start to brown up, I sprinkle them with adobo chili powder and cumin, and toss in a minced clove of garlic and a roughly chopped jalapeño. Diced raw onion to finish adds another layer of crunch and flavor. But feel free to make this your own – olives, cheddar, bell peppers, all good. Curse loudly (the language part) when you take a bite because they’re that good.

(Looks decent, huh? Not perfect, I know, but still – a HUGE thank you to Cory Shubert for endlessly helping me learn to take better pictures. It’s a process, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it. Dude, you rock!)

Spicy Potato Tortillas
Makes 2 tortillas

2 small russet potatoes, peeled, diced small
2 Tbsp. oil
ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño, minced
2 6-inch fresh corn tortillas, spritzed lightly on both sides with nonstick spray

Garnishes:
diced red onion
avocado slices
sour cream (thinned with a little cream, nice for drizzling)
queso fresco or feta cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in saute pan. Stir in potatoes and give them a little sprinkle of salt. Cover the potatoes, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes to soften the potatoes. Remove cover, turn heat back up to medium, and stir potatoes around a few times until they’re tender and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeños, and a sprinkle of chili powder and cumin to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper, then scrape potatoes into a small bowl. Return the pan to heat and add one corn tortilla. Cook the tortilla for a few minutes on each side, until brown spots appear. Transfer tortilla to a serving plate, repeat with the other tortilla. Top tortillas with potatoes, finish with garnishes, and serve immediately.