Hibiscus Tacos

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of dry hibiscus flowers (you can get them at any Mexican or Arab market)
• 1/2 pound of queso fresco (or mozzarella cheese; anything that melts is good)
• 1 package cream cheese
• fresh tortillas (buy the good stuff at the same place where you get the hibiscus flowers)
• 2 tablespoons of canola or peanut oil

For the green salsa

• 1 pound of tomatillos, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Put the dry hibiscus flowers in a bowl of water and let them hydrate for 30 minutes.
2. While the hibiscus hydrates, prepare the salsa. Throw everything in a food processor, and pulse for a couple of minutes until thoroughly chopped. If the sauce is too thick, put in a tiny bit of water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut the cream cheese into little squares, and throw it in a small saucepan. Simmer it on medium heat until it softens. It’ll take 5 minutes or so. Throw in the queso fresco, and keep it on low heat while you finish. You want to keep it there until you serve it.
4. Take the hibiscus flowers out of the water, and dry them well with a couple of paper towels.
5. In a frying pan, heat two tablespoons of canola oil. Once it starts smoking, throw in the hibiscus flowers until they get crunchy. It’ll take a minute or two, so watch out!
6. Heat the tortillas.
7. When you’re ready to serve, bring the tortillas, the cheesy mixture, the hibiscus flowers and the green salsa to the table.
8. To serve, grab a tortilla. Spread a good portion of the cheesy mixture into it, and top it with the hibiscus flowers and the green salsa.