Quiero Una Torta...

Quiero una torta con todo por favor. (I want a sandwich with everything, please.) Oh the smells of a taco stand. We have a wonderful taco stand in Guadelupe, the town nearest us. The smells of carne asada cooking on the grill, onions, cilantro, and chilies. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. Our delightful little place, Tacos y Tortas del Valle is quite wonderful. We didn't get a coffee shop in town until last year so when you wanted to get out with a friend where did you go? The taco stand. One of my favorite things to get at the stand is a torta which is a yummy Mexican sandwich that is loaded with carne asada (thinly chopped grilled beef), guacamole, onions, cilantro, salsa and lime juice. So yummy, especially when paired with a Fesca (grape fruit soda,yes I call it soda I grew up in the central valley). Unfortunately all that bleached white flour, hormone filled meat, pesticide loaded veggies and gobs of white sugar aren't good for you. Sure on occasionally they are fun to get but I normally leave feeling nasty. In come a torta that I have been dreaming about for months now and finally decided to make and a  yummy drink to go along with it. They are packed full of soaked whole grains, home and locally grown veggies,  local veggie scrap raised chicken, lacto-fremented veggies and probiotics. The taste you're craving yet can feel good about putting into your body.




Eating tacos, tortas and fresca with a some friends a few years ago, it was NOT a good health or hair year.

Torta de Pollo (Chicken Sandwich)

2 Buns a little bigger than your fist. (Here's the bread recipe I used)
1 chicken breast
1 avocado
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 small scallions or 1 small onion
1 small tomato
Salsa
Cortido
Handful of cilantro
1 cup of cooked pinto or back beans

1. Thinly slice the chicken breast. Cook in a fraying pan (cast iron is great) with butter, garlic and sea salt. Remove and set aside.

2.  Make refried beans.

3. Slice tomato into thin rounds. Dice the scallions (or onion) and cilantro. Slice the avocado or make guacamole. Set aside

4. Cut buns in half. Spread butter on the inside out face down in skillet. Grill until slightly brown, then flip over and grill on the other side.

5. Spread a thin layer of beans across the bottom on the bun, add chicken, cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, avocado slices, salsa and cortido. Place top in bun and enjoy!!

Water Kefir/Kambucha Jamica 

Here's my new way to drink water kefir and kambucha. Once your kefir or kambucha is brewed add jamica flowers and leave for a second brewing for 12 to 24 hours. So yummy and slightly carbonated too. It's a great subbsittue for those who are trying to go off of soda pop. Chill and enjoy. 

This post is part of Hearth and Soul, Twister Tuesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday,