cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving
Notes
The covering and chilling is actual pretty vital to this recipe, although it’s tempting to skip the step. If you eat it right away, the flavors will feel off and disjointed, maybe too sweet or too tart. But once it’s had a chance to meld together in the fridge, everything becomes much more cohesive.
wash mint, leaving the leaves on the stem for easy removal at the end; snap off any excess stem length
add all the ingredients to the shallowest pot you have or a straight-sided frying pan
cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved, then reduce to a simmer and cook down the mixture for ~45 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning/scalding
remove mint in the last 15 minutes or so of cooking, or whenever you feel they’ve given up their flavor; better to do this before the mixture really thickens up in the end, so you lose minimal product
nutrition
whole recipe (535g): 1,873 per 100g: 350 calories
notes
a wide, shallow vessel will allow for more surface area and quicker evaporation
mixture may look like it’s hardly thickening for the first half hour or so, just keep to the instructions, and it will begin to come together in the end
heat tortilla according to preference (see notes below)
if using cheese, lay cheese on top of hot tortilla and add hot chicken tender on top so the cheese melts easily
layer the rest of the ingredients on top, ending with the lettuce so that you can more easily hold things down to roll without getting your hands dirty
roll up tortilla; it’s not necessary for complete overlap if you’re careful with holding it properly while eating
notes
naturally, all amounts are to-taste so do and use whatever you like
tortilla can be heated any way you prefer:
stovetop: on a griddle, tawa, comal, or dry frying pan, turning to get nice brown spots and taking it off the heat once desired doneness is reached; do not heat too long or it will become crunchy and not foldable
microwave: lay tortilla on microwave -safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel, heat until just warmed through; this will yield a soft, pliable tortilla that’s not crunchy at all
airfryer / toaster oven / oven: heat for a few minutes until warmed through; avoid getting brown spots as it will turn into a giant tortilla chip pretty quickly, especially in a toaster oven or air fryer which works faster than a standard oven
any chicken tender will work, I use a spicy breaded variety and pop it in the airfryer for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through
I use Frank’s hot sauce and find the simplicity of it plays nicely with both the mayo and pickles
for the greens, use whatever you have on hand: iceberg, spring mix, spinach, arugula, celery tops, romaine, etc.
slice the onion very thinly, lengthwise (from pole to pole)
slice jalapeño very thinly into coins
add salt to taste—not enough to make it salty, just enough to play up the other flavors
add lemon juice and massage into the vegetables so that all the onions break up from their nested sections and the lemon juice nicely coats everything
rest ~10 minutes until the vegetables lose some of their raw bite
Notes
can use white onions, but the flavor is better with red, as they tend to be sweeter and better for consuming raw
I cut my vegetables very thinly; you could make thicker slices if that’s what you prefer and those may hold up better to storing (untested)
other acids can be used as well, such as vinegars, or lime juice; I find the lemon juice adds the best burst of bright citrus flavor and tang
These pickles are best made and enjoyed fresh, but can be stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. They will lose some of their snap as the acids continue to work on the vegetables, but will still be tasty.
rough quarter potatoes, add to pressure cooker along with garlic
add water just over covered; salt generously
Pressure: high Time: 8 minutes Release: quick
drain water, switch to low saute and insure all water has evaporated, if needed
add all ingredients, mash to desired consistency
notes
I leave the skin on the potatoes, they add a lovely flavor and texture (plus it’s easier, so why wouldn’t you?); I just cut out any egregious potato eyes or suspicious bits and scrub the under water
I often forget to salt the water upfront, it’s not a big deal.
I use jarred, pre-minced garlic for convenience and most of it drains out with the water. You can add more during the mashing stage if you like. If using whole cloves of fresh garlic, the garlic flavor will be much more intense since it will stay in the final dish and get mashed up with the potatoes
all measurements are essentially to taste, I go very liberal with the fresh herbs and black pepper
it takes more salt than you think
mixing too enthusiastically makes gluey potatoes so try not to overmix
Herbs
You can switch up the herbs used to whatever you have on hand. I’ve tried a variety of combinations including:
fresh parsley + dill (as written)
fresh dill only
dried basil + dried parsley (the basil was very good, and I’m interested in trying fresh)
If you have leftover herbs, you can portion them out and mix them into the 60g of heavy cream and freeze them. Then, the next time you make these, just drop the whole block of heavy cream + herbs into the potatoes in step 4.
See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.
