Ingredients:
Pico de Gallo:
- 1 Jalapeño
- ½ cup Cilantro
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1 Lime
- Half a White onion
Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos):
- Corn tortillas
- Potatoes
- Garlic
- Vegetable Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Cooking instructions:
Starting with boiling your potatoes. Rinse 4-5 potatoes and put them in a pot. Add water to the pot so that there is about one(1) inch of space between the potatoes and the top of the water. Add 2-3 whole cloves of garlic to the pot. Bring the water to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes. This may or may not be enough time so routinely check the potatoes to see if they have cooked through. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the Pico de Gallo.
Take a white onion and slice it in half. Dice the onion into small pieces. Once you have finished cutting the onion, add it to a large bowl.
Next, we will prepare the jalapeño. Remove the stem and cut it in half the long way. Once it is open, remove the center and the seeds. Next, dice the jalapeño into fine pieces. Once that is done, add it to the bowl with onion. If you want your Pico de Gallo to be spicier, feel free to add some of the jalapeño seeds.
Take a lime and squeeze both halves of the lime into the bowl. Make sure to get all of the juice out of the limes.
Take a tomato and cut it in half straight down the stem. Remove the inside of the tomato so we only have the tomato flesh. Dice the tomato into fine pieces. Repeat with the other half and then repeat with the other 2 tomatoes. Then add the diced tomatoes into the Pico de Gallo bowl.
Grab a hand sized bushel of cilantro and break it down by first removing the stems. Break this down by finely chopping the cilantro. Add it to the Pico de Gallo bowl. Now that all of the ingredients have been added, mix the Pico de Gallo thoroughly in the bowl. Congrats, you just made Pico de Gallo!
Time to check on the potatoes. I usually check if they’re cooked by sticking a fork into each potato. If the fork passes through the potato cleanly, then the potato is cooked.
Once your potatoes are cooked you will want to remove them from the pot along with the garlic cloves into a bowl for mashing. I would advise using tongs to remove and place the ingredients into a bowl. Once you have placed your potatoes and garlic into the bowl, start mashing and mixing the ingredients together. I like to mix with my hands, but the potatoes will be hot so either let them sit for 5-10 minutes or use a spoon or other tool to help mixing. While mixing, add salt and/or pepper to taste. Once you feel that you have thoroughly mashed the potatoes, give them a final taste to adjust your seasonings as need be. Now that that is done, we are ready to fry some tacos!
Warm a pan and add cooking oil. Take a warm tortilla and put a spoonful of mashed potatoes in the middle. Fold and press the tortilla flat, then fry both sides until crispy. Plate the tacos, and unfold to add the pico de gallo. Enjoy a tasty meal!
This Beaver Bag is brought to you through collaboration with the Basic Needs Center and the Centro Cultural Cézar Chávez. Visit them at 691 SW 26th St, Corvallis, OR 97331, https://dce.oregonstate.edu/cccc
