Black Bean Fajitas

Soaked one pound of black beans over night and put in my very ancient crockpot (that used to be my mom's when we were growing up) with 8 cups of water on high and covered with a thick dish cloth to conserve heat (there is a small chip in the lid). Put in about an inch or two size of kombu (a type of seaweed) after a few hours-it helps cut down on the flatulence factor of beans. A few hours before the beans are done, I put in some dried onion and garlic.

Sautee some fresh onion, garlic, green pepper and mushrooms in some olive oil. When done add drained black beans, "Lawry's" fajita seasoning, some water (about half cup more or less-not too dry, not too runny) and jalapenos if desired. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low for about 5-10 minutes and add fresh tomatoes. Serve on freshly made whole wheat tortillas. That's my 11 year old daughter's hands showing off her handy work-she helped with rolling some of the tortillas.

Serve with your favorite toppings-sour cream, hot sauce, salsa, green onion, cheese, avocado,etc.

For the vegan boy, I made his tortillas with rice milk (the dough tends to be a little stickier, so need a little extra flour when rolling them out). He put on some vegan cream cheese instead of sour cream and some vegan soy cheese.

Chewy Flour Tortillas Recipe

· 2 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

· 3/4 cup lukewarm milk (2% is fine)

Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough. It will be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest).

Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.

Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it in a napkin-lined basket and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. (I just wrap in a tea towel).

If you like, you can substitute one cup of whole wheat for the all-purpose.

Also, hard to get perfectly round, since the dough tries to draw up on itself.