Fresh Strawberry Breakfast Tacos

Spring break planning. We're taking the kids to Las Cruces in late March — a full week, staying at my parents' house. It'll be the first extended stay since Ruben died, which means the house will hold that absence in a specific way. But I want the kids to have Hector and Marisol while Hector is still Hector. The man I saw at Thanksgiving was thinner than he should be. I want more time with that version of my father, whatever time is left.

Sofia has been running consistently — she's up to eight miles a week, which for a ten-year-old is impressive and slightly alarming. I've been monitoring for signs that it's compulsive rather than joyful, and so far it seems like joy. She comes home from a run the way I came home from a game — lit up, talking fast, replaying what happened. That's the right relationship with the activity. I'll keep watching.

The twins started a phase where they want to help me cook every night. This sounds charming in theory. In practice it means the kitchen takes twice as long and the counter is flour or something else. But I've decided to lean into it rather than manage around it. They're six now. This is the age when you can start teaching the real techniques — knife safety, heat management, how to smell something and know when it's right. They pay better attention than I expected. Marco in particular. He has patience in the kitchen he doesn't have anywhere else.

Made flour tortillas with Marco on Saturday — the whole process, from the lard-and-flour mix through the rolling to the comal. He rolled his first tortilla into a shape that was not quite round but was entirely his. We ate it warm with butter. He said it was the best thing he'd ever made. He's six. Everything he makes is the best thing he's ever made. But I meant it when I told him he was right.

The Saturday we made tortillas, Marco didn’t want to stop — he kept asking what else we could put inside them. The next morning I had strawberries going soft on the counter and cream cheese in the fridge, and that was answer enough. These breakfast tacos became our follow-up act: same warm tortillas, same comal, same kid standing on his step stool with flour on his shirt, but this time a little sweetness to go with it. When you’ve just taught someone that bread can come from their own hands, you want to show them all the places it can go.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4 (2 tacos each)

Ingredients

8 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons honey, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (optional)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Macerate the strawberries. Combine sliced strawberries with 1 tablespoon honey and the lime juice. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes while you prepare everything else. The berries will release their juice and soften slightly.
Make the cream cheese spread. Beat softened cream cheese with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth and spreadable. If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of milk and stir again.
Warm the tortillas. Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium heat. Warm each tortilla for about 30 seconds per side until soft and just beginning to show a few light spots. Stack them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Assemble the tacos. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture across the center of each warm tortilla. Spoon the macerated strawberries over the top, including some of the pooled juice.
Finish and serve. Scatter fresh mint over the tacos if using. Fold and serve immediately — these are best eaten warm, straight off the comal.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fresh Strawberry Breakfast Tacos — The Morning After Marco’s First Tortilla