eating cheap

I went to California for New Year's Eve and more importantly, the Rose Bowl (GO FROGS!). While the trip was incredible and worth every penny, I feel really poor now. So I've resorted to eating all the leftover soups, and random things I keep finding in my freezer and pantry. It's pretty amazing how much they can hold. I'm also amazed at the weird and random stuff I sometimes buy... gelatin, large amounts of nori, 3 bags of frozen pearl onions. Guess I should start checking BEFORE I go to the grocery.

After scrounging around the kitchen I finally found enough ingredients to make some chicken tacos. When I'm looking for easy tacos, I'll chop up a chicken breast and season it with salt, pepper, cumin and lots of chili powder, so I did. Well... I thought I did.

I heated up my pan, tossed the chicken in and started smelling cinnamon. I had made coffee cake a couple days before, but surely that wasn't it. Nope, it wasn't. I had accidentally seasoned my chicken with cinnamon, not cumin. Seriously?? Since when do I not read labels or pay attention while cooking?! I looked at my friend Amy who I'd invited for dinner said something like "This could either be fine or incredibly disgusting," — just what every guest wants to hear!


To make up for the mystery tacos, I also made homemade corn tortillas. Not just because I thought it'd be fun, because I was too cheap to go buy tortillas and already had masa in the pantry. But it was fun, and EASY! Not to mention these are probably the best corn tortillas I've ever eaten. They're a little thicker and more pliable. If the chicken was bad I figured at least we'd have lots of yummy tortillas and salsa to munch on.
Miraculously, the chicken was just fine, actually better than fine! The combination of chili powder and cinnamon was more complex than the original recipe and quite tasty.
Lesson learned? Accidents aren't always bad!

Chicken Tacos, measurements are approximate

• 1 chicken breast, diced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil

Mix chicken with all the spices, except oil, until evenly coated. Heat a skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil. Once shimmering, add chicken and stir every 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from heat and make tacos with all the toppings you want.

Homemade Corn Tortillas, makes 10-12

• 2 cups masa (I used Maseca)
• 1 1/2-2 cups warm water
• 1 tsp salt

Mix the masa with water until a dough forms. You don't want it too dry or it will crack. I probably used 1 3/4 cups water. Knead the dough for several minutes until it reaches a uniform consistency. Roll into 10-12 equal sized balls. Lay one piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a tortilla press (if you have one) or on the counter, place a dough ball in the middle, place another sheet of paper on top and press or roll with a rolling pin. I did the latter and some were oddly shaped, but equally as delicious. In a dry skillet over medium high heat, cook the tortillas for 4-5 minutes per side. Keep warm in a towel while you cook them. *When they come off the skillet they seem like they're going to be crunchy, but after placing them in the towel they become soft and pliable. If you need to reheat them in the microwave, keep them in the towel and heat for about 30 seconds.