A Few of My Favorite Things
Tempting Tortilla
February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day! Tortilla chips are defined as pieces of corn tortillas fried or baked to a crisp. Often eaten as a snack, it goes well with dips like salsa and guacamole. In our home, we often eat it as a side to accompany our Tex-Mex meals as well. I like to have that crunch when I eat something Tex-Mex!
February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day! Tortilla chips are defined as pieces of corn tortillas fried or baked to a crisp. Often eaten as a snack, it goes well with dips like salsa and guacamole. In our home, we often eat it as a side to accompany our Tex-Mex meals as well. I like to have that crunch when I eat something Tex-Mex!
The invention of the tortilla chip is widely accredited to Rebecca Carranza. She had misshapen tortillas she wasn’t going to serve and cut them into pieces. She then fried them and served them as a snack at her party. Soon after, her and her husband were bagging and selling dime bags of chips to family, friends and neighbors.
Since then, tortilla chips have only grown in popularity. Today, they are sold in over 100 countries. They are a staple in Tex-Mex and Mexican food alike and have become one of Mexico’s biggest exports. There are many brands to choose from and flavors as well. You can even get a blue corn tortilla chip.
The nacho is probably the most popular way to eat tortilla chips. Nachos came about from restaurateur Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. He had to improvise a meal for U.S. military wives with very limited ingredients. He fried corn tortillas, added melted cheese and jalapenos and made food history. When asked by one of the wives what the dish was called, he named it after himself and called it the Nacho Special. Today, Mexicans eat an average of over 100 nachos per year per person! And that’s just Mexicans! That’s a lot of nachos worldwide!
I so enjoy making things like these at home as it allows me to control the salt that goes into what I am eating. It didn’t really take that long either. A couple of things to note. I found the air fryer crisped them up nicer than the oven, but I had to make them in smaller batches so it took longer. Also, if you want the chips flavored on both sides, do the oil treatment and seasonings on both sides. I didn’t do this as seasoning the one side was enough for me. One last thing, you can easily use corn or flour tortillas for any of these recipes. I used mainly corn to keep it more traditional. This weekend, check your ingredients and make your grocery list, picking up extra tortillas. Then, meet me in the kitchen for this easy snack!
