Whenever I decide to do the "Eat Local Challenge", I quickly become intimidated by the resources online that suggest recipes like "Herbaceous Goat Cheese and Peaches". I mean, it sounds wonderful, but I just don't live like that.
I live in a world where I am grabbing a PBJ after work before I quickly run out the door to go for a hike or mountain bike ride. Or inhale some chips and salsa as I am throwing some beers in my bag for an evening chilling with some friends.
In other words, I don't cook. Or really sit down to eat. I'm sorry, but that is just how I am.
So, in the past, I have failed at the eat local challenge, because I make it one day and then break down and buy some chips.
Knowing this about myself, I decided to (try) set myself up for success with some up front preparation. I made myself a bunch of tortillas and wheat thins. I cooked up some local chicken and steak and cut them into strips and threw them in the fridge. I made some pesto with walnuts but without cheese (I did use olive oil). I hard boiled some eggs.
Now, when I get home, I can throw a wrap together (tortilla, veggie, meat (or eggs), pesto), or just eat a handful of wheat thins dipped in pesto or topped with veggies (or dipped in honey & butter, if I need a sweet treat). I'm sure I'll cook at some point this week, but it is nice to know that I don't HAVE to cook.
I spent about an hour an a half in the kitchen on Sunday (making tortillas & crackers & pesto & grilling up meat). It is longer than I usually spend in the kitchen, but seems very worth it for the amount of food I got out if it.
Here are some of the recipes I used....
Wheat Thins: super easy!
1 1/4 cup four
1 1/2 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cold cold water
Mix dry ingredients. cut in butter till crumbly. mix in water. roll dough out really really really thin. cut into squares. put on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. bake 5 - 7 minutes at 400.
Some notes, I roll the dough out in small amounts on a wooden cutting board, so that i am not cutting dough on my countertop. plus, it is a pain in the ass to pick up little dough squares and put them on a baking sheet, but if they are on a cutting board, you can just slide them onto the baking sheet and spread them out.
I usually make a double batch, because I eat them so fast, and it is so worth it! a single batch makes like.... 2-3 cups of thins.
Oh yeah, last note, if you cool & store them in paper bags, they stay crispy. if you put them into plastic baggies they get kinda soft.
Tortillas:
About 3 cups flour
1 cup water
2/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients but the four. Add handfuls of flour until you have a soft dough. Flour your work surface and roll out tortillas (you'll end up incorporating a lot of flour in this step, so I like my initial dough to be pretty soft). Toss into a preheated cast iron pan (medium heat) and let cook about 30 seconds on each side.
This process is so simple that I make tortillas almost every day. The ratio stays the same no matter how large or small you make it. I've never made them with butter, but would be interested to know how that goes if someone tries it (if they aren't doing oil with their challenge).
-Liz the Lazy Locavore
