Everyday Systems

OK: Newbie question. How do you deal with stackable foods? For example: I like eating small tortillas with my dinner. If you put 2 side by side, they take up a disproportionate amount of the plate. OK to stack? (I guess toast would be a similar issue, or pancakes if they weren't an S food). If so, do you decide on a "serving size"? (i.e. I can only stack 2 tortillas; any more need to take up more horizontal plate space)? Or is it enough to just commit at the beginning of the meal to how many you're going to have? (Since really, how many are you going to consciously stack?)

it all depends on how hungry you are! seriously, the reason for "one plate" is to set all the food you plan to eat out in front of you so you can see it: only you can say how much to put on that one plate. There is no magic "calorie amount" to the one plate, it is just a way of seeing what you are eating. Put the right amount of food so that you are hungry (not starving or stuffed) at your next meal. It may take a while to figure this out. In the meantime, if you overeat at lunch one day, you can scale back at dinner......I hope this helps. Have fun stacking your tortillas (or not stacking them - it is up to you)!

Mistress M, (love your name!)

You might see what the tortilla package (unless you're lucky enough to have homemade tortillas) says is the equivalent of "one serving," then perhaps fold them in half or in quarters or perhaps roll the tortillas . . one of our favorite quick suppers at our house is a meal we call migas. I'm not sure if that is the right translation for it, but that's what an old family friend called it. It's d quick, tasty and quite attractive--and it fits nicely on a smaller dinner plate.

Migas (Sort of a Tex-Mex version of scrambled eggs) This version is a variation on the recipes I found when I googled it. We do it the easy way!

Cut one tortilla into small little strips and pan fry them in just a little pat of real butter. Once crispy, remove from pan and scramble eggs in the pan, adding a little shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese and the fried strips back in when the eggs are nearly done.

Serve with some black beans mixed with some pico de gallo, and a couple of slices of avocado. (I buy it at the salad bar in our local supermarket in a little container meant for salad dressing.) My spouse is the "chef" most of the time; he always serves it with a couple of warm quarter folded corn tortillas.

It's easily a one plate meal, filling and delicious. It works for an easy evening meal or special breakfast treat--it really impresses guests!

Now that's a long answer to a short question about tortillas. . . but I'm guessing it might matter what the rest of the plate has on it if you're feeling the need to stack!

laloser

I don't really adhere to slavishly to the one plate rule; I decide how much to eat and eat it. If that's a problem, consider how much space they take up when they're rolled up into edible form rather than flat on the plate. I generally lay one on the plate to catch whatever falls out of the one I'm eating, anyway (I tend to overfill).