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Bread, Recipe

Naan Bread (or How To Make Your Dog Hate You)

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Let me begin this post with a disclaimer: I know nothing about real naan bread.  I’m pretty sure I’ve only had real Indian food once.  That was at a restaurant in London, with a friend standing next to me saying, “Try that, not that” as he steered me away from the really spicy foods (I couldn’t handle those at the time).  I really can’t recall if there was anything there that resembled a bread product.  So, why am I making naan?  My husband.  He bought some at Costco (La Brea Brand) and really loved them.  So, I thought, how hard could they be to make?

Well, they aren’t very difficult to make.  It’s really the cooking that is tricky.  I will explain that in a bit.  First, I tried two different recipes.

The first was this one: How to make the perfect naan bread. She basically took a few recipes apart and put a new one together, with hers calling for water as the liquid and yogurt. She said it’s the perfect one, right? Well, maybe it was the cooking method I used (which I read about on another web page) but I doubt it. I placed two rimmed baking sheets in the oven and turned on the broiler. Once the sheets were hot, I placed the naan on the baking sheets and watched them carefully as they cooked. These had a fantastic flavor but didn’t have … not sure how to describe it, but they weren’t as elastic as they should have been.

These were still warm.
These were still warm.

The second recipe I just finished is this one: How to Make Naan Bread {Step by Step Instructions and Pictures}. She used milk as the liquid with no yogurt. The texture was fantastic! They were elastic and the dough behaved wonderfully BUT there’s little flavor. So, this is where I thought I saw my dog pack a bag to leave me: I cooked these as described in the recipe. I placed those same rimmed baking sheets in the oven and set the temperature to 500 degrees F. Well, when I opened up the oven door, a lovely cloud of smoke engulfed me and spread like a lethal fog throughout the house. My dog, who hates being outside alone, actually went to the back door and would not leave it until I let him outside. Take a look at how these turned out compared to the first batch:

These were still warm also but look at the difference in texture/density.
These were still warm also but look at the difference in texture/density.

So, what is my conclusion? I think the next batch, I will just add 5 Tablespoons of plain yogurt (have a little bit left so I will be making some more) to the second recipe After really looking at both recipes, that won’t work.  So, after looking long and hard, this recipe has everything: milk, yogurt AND butter, so this is the recipe I’ll use: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/onion-naan AND possibly buy a couple of baking stones (or brand new baking sheets). I’m not sure my dog can handle another day like today. 🙂

I just did this recipe (February 27, 2015) and cooked the bread on the charcoal grill. FANTASTIC! The flavor was perfect and the texture was fantastic! We learned the hard way NOT to roll them too thin or immediately put them over the coals (we ended up with a giant burned cracker). Here’s a picture of how we cooked them, followed by the recipe.

CAM00056

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/onion-naan

Onion Naan

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface and hands
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
  • 2 tablespoons melted ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil plus more
Bread, Recipe

Challah

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The first loaf of bread I ever made was challah.  I had to be … maybe 12 years old?  I don’t remember the exact age but do remember where we were living (so that narrows down the time frame a bit).  I also remember that beautiful loaf of bread.  It was gorgeous and HUGE!  I was so proud!  Well, until I cut into that dark golden crust to find raw dough (just about an inch of the dough had cooked … the rest was raw as can be).  That was also the last time I made bread until I was an adult.  I’ve made bread that resembled a chunk of concrete to bread that resembled a dried glob of glue but I was determined.  It’s taken me many years of trial and error to figure out exactly how long to knead and  how much flour/liquid to add to obtain the right consistency.   I’m very happy with my bread making skills (I’ve worked hard for them 🙂 ).

So, while trying to figure out a way to pay back my neighbor for finishing off the front yard that we started whacking on Valentine’s Day, I decided on challah.  I have been wanting to make it so long and this time (yes, this was the first time I had made it since that day too many years ago) it was beautiful (and edible)! I used a recipe I had written down and stuffed in my binder of recipes.  I have no idea when I wrote this down or who it was who originally shared it (may have been a friend who lives in Israel) BUT I discovered (while doing my favorite activity … searching the internet) a woman who pretty much uses the same recipe on You Tube!  The recipe she uses makes 4 huge loaves.  The recipe I have makes 6 standard loaves (so, just cut the dough into 6 pieces instead of 4 and you are good, unless you have a large family or are making this to take somewhere).

So, here is the playlist of her videos, plus a couple more.  The first video is an amazing demonstration of various ways to form/braid rolls and loaves.  I just sat there with my jaw open, in shock that there are so many different ways to manipulate the dough!  The second is a woman demonstrating the various braiding methods for loaves: from 3 strands up to 9 strands.

AND here’s my bread:

I cut the dough into 6 sections and made 4 loaves.
I cut the dough into 6 sections and made 4 loaves.

See that ugly loaf?  That’s what happens when you forget to grease your loaf pans!  Here’s a close-up:

The bottom of the loaf stuck like crazy to the pan.
The bottom of the loaf stuck like crazy to the pan.

So, those took care of four of the dough chunks and this is what I did with the other two.  I cut each of them into 6 sections and made sandwich rolls out of them.  Now, these look beautiful but I cooked them way too long.  That’s what happens when you turn the timer off (because they weren’t quite brown enough) and then proceed to talk to the neighbor about how her grandson is doing.

3 of these large rolls is the equivalent to one loaf.
3 of these large rolls is the equivalent to one loaf.

And here’s the recipe I used:

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Challah (Braided Bread)

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: , ,
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

For Bread:

For Egg Wash:

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl (remember, enough dough for 6 loaves of bread), pour in the warm water (How warm?  I test on my wrist: if it doesn’t make me flinch, it’s good.  For more specifics, check out this web page: Yeast Is Fussy About Temperature) and whisk in the yeast and sugar (I use Saf-Instant.  I don’t bake a lot  so once opened, I store it in the freezer.  I have had the most consistent results from this yeast even when it has expired).  Let sit in a warm spot until it looks like a layer of foam is across the top of the liquid.
  2. In a smaller bowl, break the eggs into it and whisk in the salt and oil.  Once the yeast is ready (proofed), whisk the egg mixture into the yeast until everything is well incorporated and you can’t see chunk of egg.  Now, for the fun part: adding the flour.
  3. Using a large spoon, stir the flour (1 to 2 cups at a time) into the liquid.  Keep doing this until it feels like your arm is going to fall off (I tried making large batches of dough like this when I had a working Kitchen Aid mixer … it wasn’t pretty and is probably what lead to it dying).  Then, on a large surface (counter top, kitchen table, whatever will work as long as it is sturdy) sprinkle about 1/4 cup or so of flour and turn your dough out onto the floured surface.  Time to knead in more flour.
  4. This is where I used to mess up.  When a recipe called for X-amount of flour, I used it all.  The amount of flour you use depends on so many factors from the humidity in your house to the size of the eggs you use to what kind of flour you are using that you need to pay attention to how the dough is behaving to determine how much flour you really use for a certain recipe.  I typically add (to the bowl) all but the last two or so cups, then add more flour while I knead.
  5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  6. When the dough is ready place in an oiled bowl (I don’t have one large enough so I used my stock pot), cover with plastic wrap or a towel (I usually wet a towel with hot water, wring it out, and cover the bowl with it if I’m using a container that doesn’t like plastic wrap) and let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm your house is).  Once it is risen, punch the dough down and place it onto a very lightly floured surface.  Knead just a bit so you can form a nice ball, then separate into sections to make loaves or rolls.
  7. Now, get the egg wash ready.  In a small bowl, beat the egg with the water and vanilla (if you are using it).
  8. Each one of the loaves I did a 6-strand braid and the rolls were two strands each.  You can shape the dough however you want. Once shaped, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using).  Let the loaves rise until nearly doubled (1 or 2 hours).  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown.  Each one of my loaves were baked for 25 to 30 minutes and, because I got distracted, the rolls probably went for about 40 minutes.
Keywords: bread, braid, braided, enriched,
Canning, Dinner, Food Storage, Low Carb, Lunch, Preserving, Pressure, Recipe, Supplies

Homemade Corned Beef

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I can’t believe I didn’t post about this!  I made homemade corned beef last year, leaving out the sugar and the pink salt, and it was fantastic!  I thought, well, I could make this, then can it so I know exactly where it came from and what was in it.  I haven’t gotten around to canning this because it usually doesn’t last that long!

Anyway, if you are interested (I wanted to see if I could and I did), here is how I did it:

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Homemade Corned Beef

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 12

Description

It’s so much easier than I thought!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. To Cure:

    Mix all of the other ingredients, ensuring the salts dissolve.

    Remove as much fat as you want, leaving a minimum of roughly 1/4 to 1/8 inch.

    Place your meat and the brine in a container that will allow the meat to remain submerged. Submerging the meat is key to proper curing. Exposure to air introduces bacteria. I prefer plastic freezer bags. This allows me to actually remove all of the air and turn the meat with less mess.

    Place the container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5 days, with 7 being preferred. Turn once per day. Now, it’s ready to cook or freeze.

     

  1. To Cook:

    Place the meat in a large pot along with enough hot water to cover it by at least 1″ and put the lid on. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a low simmer and keep it simmering for 30 minutes. If you boil it, it will get tough and shrink. Beware that the meat is cold, so when it warms the water will slowly move from simmer to boil. Keep an eye on it and try not to let it boil.

    After 30 minutes, dump out the water and cover 1″ over the meat with fresh hot water. Bring to a low simmer again, this time for 3 hours or until it is fork tender. Keep the meat submerged with a small plate.

    For Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, remove the meat and let it rest. Now add sliced carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the cooking liquid. Simmer until the carrots are tender.  

    Slice the meat across the grain and serve.

Keywords: corned, beef, brisket, pastrami, home, made

And here is how to can it (ever since I canned that chicken, I prefer raw canning meats):

http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/2011/05/canning-corned-beef-brisket.html

There you go!  Give it a shot (even if you only do one).  It really wasn’t as difficult as my brain said it would be!

Bread, Recipe

Plain-Old White Bread (with variations)

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I adapted this recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated American Cookbook but you can basically take any recipe for white bread and substitute water for the milk.  You end up with something closer to white bread from the store (without all the extra garbage).  This recipe makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons sugar (any sugar will do as long as it IS sugar and not a sugar substitute)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 package dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute up to half the flour with any other kind of flour and still end up with a good tasting bread)
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 3 Tablespoons butter

Put the yeast into a bowl and mix in about 1/2 cup of the warm water (for specifics on temperature, go here http://www.cookistry.com/2011/01/technique-water-temperature-for-yeast.html. I turn on my hot water, which gets very hot, then turn it down just until I can stand it.).  I then place this on top (above the vent) of my still on drip coffee maker.  No matter what I’ve tried, this seems to get the yeast going faster than anything else I’ve tried.  If you don’t have a warm place like this, it just takes a little longer (maybe placing a towel over it to hold in the warmth will help it move along faster).  Leave it there until it is bubbling.  Now, before it actually ever really did anything I had no idea what people were talking about when they said to proof the yeast.

This is what I thought it was supposed to look like:

But this is what is is supposed to look like:

This was my first breakthrough.  The second was the warm required for all processes of rising.

While the yeast is proofing, heat the rest of the water with the butter, just until the butter is melted (can be done in the microwave or on the stove top).

Mix 2 cups of flour with the salt, sugar, water/butter and yeast mixture.  Mix until there is no sign of flour or lumps (this was my second breakthrough and helps IMMENSELY when NOT using a Kitchen Aide mixer, since mine died about a year ago).  It’s almost like this gives you a head start on kneading the dough (which helps your hands, later on).  Continue mixing, adding one cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to your finger when you touch it (if using a Kitchen Aide) or if mixing by hand, it’s much easier to incorporate the rest of the flour while kneading on a table or counter top.  If you haven’t done so already, generously flour your table or counter top with flour and turn out your dough.  I have always found it helpful to have a flat scraper (like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BenchScraper.JPG) to scrape up any dough that sticks to your work surface so you don’t waste anything.

Now, about kneading your dough.  If you use a Kitchen Aide (or even a bread machine), you REALLY don’t have to worry about this.  The machine does it all for you.  All you need to do is just make sure there are no overly wet spots left.

If you are hand kneading (which I struggled with for years), there’s a bit of a technique to it so you don’t end up with a rock for a loaf of bread.  I used to manhandle it, squishing the hell out of it until there was pretty much no life left to it (it would be ugly and look torn by the time I was done).  I now only knead with one hand.  You place the dough on the table, sprinkle it with flour, then fold it in half toward me, then push down with the heel of my hand.  I then turn the dough counter clockwise (doesn’t matter which way but it’s just a quarter turn) and repeat until I’m done and the dough no longer sticks to my hands.  The only way I can describe how it feels when it done is to ask a question: When you were a kid, did you play with Play-Doh?  Remember how it felt when it was warm (just without the slightly greasy feeling)?  That’s how the dough should feel when you are done.  The closest video I could find it this one (wish I had a video camera) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGawHsRAAk.  It IS more difficult to knead if you add other flours (whole wheat, spelt, etc.) so you will have to use a little more muscle.  Place in a large bowl that has been oiled (I put some oil on a paper towel and rub all but the upper edge of the bowl).  Cover with plastic wrap that has also been rubbed with oil (if the dough rises that high, it WILL stick to plastic wrap, which is quite annoying).  If you don’t have/use plastic wrap, you could cover with a damp towel.  The only problem I have with that is the towel gets cold, which makes the dough take longer to rise.

Now, find the warmest spot in your house to let the dough rise.  This has to be figured out ahead of time so you can prepare the area.  If it’s the dead of winter, who wants to spend all that money cranking up the heat in your house so you can “save money” by making your own bread?  What kind of a heater do you have?  Is there a spot where it enters your house that is warmer than others?  What about where your hot water heater is?  Is it in an enclosed closet?  If you use a wood stove, figure out how close you can get the dough without actually cooking it (it may take some trial and error but it will be well worth it).  If none of those work, how about where you have your electronics?  Behind your refrigerator?  Cover with a whole bunch of blankets just to keep the dough’s warmth in?  OH!  A sub-zero sleeping bag would work!  You just need to keep your dough draft and dust free.

Once it it doubled in size (if you don’t remember, make some indentations in the dough with your fingers.  If they do not spring back, your dough is ready), turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it just a few times.  Form it into a ball and cut it into two equal pieces.  Set one aside and roll one piece into a rectangle about 12″ by 8″ (or as wide as your dough pan).  If you want to play with your bread, now is the time to do it and it’s all by your tastes and what you prefer:

  • For cinnamon bread, sprinkle (leaving about 1/2″ of the edges free) with brown sugar and cinnamon (for us, I use so much of these two ingredients I can’t see any dough but the edges).  If you want nuts and/or raisins, sprinkle those on.
  • For jalapeno cheese bread, sprinkle grated sharp cheddar and jalapenos on the dough (not too much cheese, though.  This is one of the few times when too much cheese makes something taste nasty).
  • For garlic bread, sprinkle with some minced garlic and grated Parmesan cheese … I think butter would keep the loaf in separate layers, so save that for the top of the loaf when it’s done baking.

Anyway, you get the picture.  You can pretty much do whatever you want so you don’t end up with plain white bread for the rest of your life.  🙂  Now, starting with the short side, roll the dough up (imagine making cinnamon rolls) tight.  Pinch the seam together along the bottom of the roll.  Pinch the ends of the roll together and tuck them under (toward the seam) then place this into the loaf pan.  Repeat for the other half of the dough.  Cover your dough with oiled plastic wrap (treat it the same as the dough in the bowl) and let rise until doubled (about an hour).

When your dough is almost done rising, heat your oven to 400 degrees F.  If you want, brush your risen dough with butter (I usually do this just after pulling the bread out of the oven).  Bake 25 to 30 minutes (the bread will be golden brown and sound hollow when you lightly tap it with something hard, like your knuckle or a spoon).  Let cool just a bit on a raised surface (cooling rack or trivet) then turn the bread out onto a rack and let it cool completely (hard to do the first few times but it’s well worth the wait).

If any of this is unclear, let me know.  I’m typing this as I remember doing it (it’s been a couple of months since I’ve made bread).

Bread, Cake, Recipe

Blueberry Muffins

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O.k.  I was on a mission to find the closest replacement for Costco’s Blueberry Muffins.  I tried 4 or 5 different recipes, with only one being a true bust (I messed with the recipe so much that I threw the whole batch out … the muffins were gummy and I had to scrape them off the muffin liners).  This, right here, is the closest I will ever get because I’m not taking the chance of wasting any more of these delicious blueberries!  This recipe was adapted from here.  Take a look at the picture of the muffins on that page … that’s what these looked like!  Yum!  This recipe would be wonderful baked in loaf pans (maybe to standard-sized) … for about an hour or so.  The texture would be firm enough to slice and make French toast with it (if you are that kind of a person *grin*).

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Blueberry Muffins

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in middle of the oven.

     

    In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

     

    In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, until fluffy (easiest and best consistency if using an electric hand mixer or Kitchenaid).  Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating well after each one (at this point, it should look like fluffy frosting).  Now, add the vanilla and mix in well.

     

    Add one third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and beat until just incorporated.  Mix in one third of the yogurt.  Repeat until all the flour and yogurt are mixed in.  Do not over mix (though, for this entire process I used my electric hand mixer and the batter remained light and fluffy, unlike the rocks I ended up with the first time, where I gently mixed in all the ingredients by hand)!

     

    Gently fold the blueberries into the mixture (I found it easiest to sprinkle the frozen berries over the entire surface of the batter, instead of in a giant pile in the center).

     

    Place a muffin liner in each well of the muffin tin, or if you don’t have muffin liners, coat the inside of the muffin tin wells with vegetable oil or butter with a pastry brush or with cooking spray.  Distribute the dough equally among the cups (I use a standard ice cream scoop).  Don’t be afraid to fill them high.

     

    Place in the oven and bake until the muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a tooth pick to make sure the centers of the muffins are done.  Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then remove them from the tin and let sit on a wire rack for 10 more minutes.  Serve slightly warm.  If you have any left once they are cool, store in a sealed container so they don’t dry out.

Keywords: blueberry, muffin, breakfast, snack, sweet
Bread, Recipe

Tortillas (Corn or Flour)

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I found a web page with instructions for “30 second bread,” which was really just tortillas, although they didn’t call it that.

Tortillas… despite being genetically the whitest person you may know, I grew up eating fresh flour tortillas. No one around ever made corn tortillas at home, and I can understand why. They call for a special corn flour that isn’t readily available in some areas but you can find all-purpose flour everywhere! However, as much as I love fresh flour tortillas, nothing beats fresh corn tortillas! I am lucky enough to live near some Mexican markets that make them fresh every day and I can be seen wandering around the market eating warm tortillas right out of the bag.

I’ll be honest. I have the recipe for making corn tortillas. I tried it once, but they tasted like fried mush. They were nothing like store-bought tortillas. I used the wrong masa (yellow corn meal instead of yellow corn flour). I realized today that the method for making corn tortillas can also work with any grain flour since it doesn’t rely on gluten at all.

Here are the recipes for both flour and corn tortillas. Play around with them. In the picture, those tortillas were made with about 1/3 sprouted grain flour (red and white wheat, with a little barley).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Flour Tortillas

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: , ,
Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Stir together the flour and salt in a large bowl.  With your fingertips, mix in the shortening (LARD *grin*).  Add the water, working the liquid into the dough until a sticky ball forms (Kitchenaid with a dough hook works wonders).

     

    Dust a counter with flour and knead the dough vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes.  The mixture should be soft but no longer sticky.  Let the dough rest, covered with a damp cloth, for about 15 minutes.  Divide the dough into about 25 balls, coat in shortening, cover them again with the damp cloth, and let them rest for at least 45 minutes longer (this is to allow the gluten to form … if you don’t have the time, it won’t hurt them too much).  **If not for use immediately, the dough can be greased lightly and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.  Bring the dough back to room temperature before proceeding.

     

    Lightly flour your counter.  Flatten a ball with your hand, then roll the dough from the center outward, turn the tortilla a few inches and roll again, attempting to keep the growing circle even.  Roll out the dough into a circle as thin as possible, preferably 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick.  They don’t have to be perfectly round … just make sure you do not have any folds. OR you can use a tortilla press with plastic wrap or oiled parchment paper. These will result in a less-chewy tortilla.

     

    Heat a dry griddle or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook each tortilla 10 seconds on each side, then continue flipping (about 10 seconds on each side) until the dough looks slightly dry and wrinkled with a few brown speckles on the surface.  It helps to use a cloth or paper towel to pop any air bubbles that form but be careful … that steam is HOT!

     

    Place cooked tortillas between on a flat surface, ensuring they do not touch. This will prevent them from sticking together.  Once cool, you can put them into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and place in the fridge (if you do this while they are still warm, the steam will cause them to become mushy, and nothing’s worse than a mushy tortilla). 

     

    I don’t know how long these will last … they are so good, they are gone in no time!

Keywords: Mexican, flour, tortilla, flat, bread, quick

To see how it’s done (none of the videos I found are the same recipe), here’s a great video:


Flour Tortillas (For Tacos and Burritos)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Corn Tortillas

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. There are two types available in the stores.  One is for tamales, the other is for tortillas.  The difference is the grind.  The masa harina for tortillas is a fine flour, the tamale one is courser but not as course as corn meal.  For authentic tortillas, you cannot use corn flour.  Masa harina is made by taking the dried corn and soaking it in a water/lime solution (to read more about this, go here: What is Masa Harina?).  For any other grain, just grind to a fine flour.

     

    Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

     

    In a large bowl, mix the ingredients with a sturdy spoon or your hands until the dough is smooth and forms a ball.  The dough should be quite moist but hold its shape.  Add a little more water or masa harina, if needed, to achieve the proper consistency.

     

    Form the dough into 12 balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Cover the balls with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.  If any of the balls do dry out before cooking, knead more water into them.  Unlike the dough for flour tortillas, this dough can be reworked.

     

    Place one ball of dough in a tortilla press between the two sheets of plastic that are sometimes sold with the tortillas press or two a 1 gallon freezer bag, cut into two sections.  If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can either roll each ball between two sheets of waxed paper or press between two sheets of waxed paper with a heavy, flat bottomed pot (my pressure canner worked great for this). Flatten to about 1/8 inch thick.  Carefully pull the plastic from the tortilla and lay on the hot griddle or skillet.

     

    Cook for 30 seconds, flip over and cook about another minute, flip and cook the first side an additional 30 seconds.  Place the cooked tortillas between two cloth towels until all tortillas are cooked.  Store as above (once cooled, place in a gallon Ziploc bag and store in fridge).

Keywords: Mexican, corn, tortilla, flat, bread, gluten, free

Here’s a video for making corn tortillas (these videos are to show the techniques):
Making Tortillas in Puebla, Mexico

Recipe

Ma’s Pepper Steak

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I’ve been posting recipes left and right, forgetting to add them to my blog (as you can tell). I’m trying to catch up!

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Mas Pepper Steak

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: $ 1

Description

Easy customizable steak and pepper recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Mix beef with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, cornstarch and pepper.

  2. Seed bell peppers and cut into julienne strips. Slice green onions. Fry both in 3 tablespoons oil. Remove from pan.

  3. Add remaining oil and fry beef until redness disappears. Add peppers, onions, and remaining soy sauce.

  4. Serve with steamed rice.

Note

It’s easier to cut up the meat when it is still partially frozen. I have, in the past, added mushrooms and hot peppers. Also, there’s less indigestion for us if we use red and/or yellow peppers with green bell peppers. 

Keywords: beef, dinner, Chinese, pepper, rice, steak, easy
Gravy, Recipe

Easy Country Gravy Recipe

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And this is my favorite Country Gravy recipe! This is what I make when I want Biscuits and Gravy. Of course, I prefer hot bulk sausage!

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Easy Country Gravy Recipe

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place a large skillet on medium heat. Fry your sausage until brown.

    Add the flour to sausage and mix together. Once the flour is lightly browned, whisk in the milk. Continue to whisk until you have scraped up all of the flour from the bottom of the pan and your gravy is beginning to thicken.

    Add salt, and pepper and continue whisking until your gravy is at your desired thickness. If it is too thick, add 1/4 cup more of milk. Reduce heat after bringing to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

    This is excellent served over chicken fried steak, biscuits, or potatoes.

Bread, Hamburger, Meatloaf, Pork, Recipe

Oat Bread and New Mexico Chile Verde

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I have been so busy with playing Call of Duty Black Ops that I keep forgetting to post some of my latest concoctions! 🙂

While I love specialty breads (I still haven’t found a good-enough-for-me recipe for jalapeño cheese bread) I have been wanting to find a good every day bread and I think I found it! Why do I like this recipe so much? Well, this is the first one I found without brown sugar, honey, or molasses. Also, it’s not too dense but heavy enough to not break apart when spreading natural peanut butter on it. This makes fantastic sandwiches, toast, french toast, etc.

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Oat Bread

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine 3 cups flour, oats, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and mix well.

    In a small saucepan, heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (just until butter is melted). Add to flour mixture and blend on low speed of mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the medium speed and beat for 3 minutes (I did this by hand and it was not fun).

    By hand, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead in the rest of the flour for about 5 to 8 minutes.

    Shape into ball, cover with bowl (or in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap) and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

    Divide dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (recipe said 15 minutes but I let it go for 30).

    Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Remove from pans and let cool before slicing (which I can never do!).

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Last (but not least) was dinner last night. I found a recipe in another cookbook (The Border Cookbook) that was similar to this one but I did it the lazy way. I just added a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 28 ounce can of diced Ortega chiles. I also let it cook for 6 hours. Served with rice and heated flour tortillas, this was a fantastic meal!

http://www.simply-best-recipes.com/recipes-beef-pork-dishes.html

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Chile Verde (Green Chile and Pork Stew)

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Toast chiles in a cast-iron skillet (griddle, or over an open flame) until blackened. Wrap in damp paper towel and place in plastic bag for about 20 minutes to steam. Peel off blackened skin (with a spoon or the flat side of a knife) and remove stems and seeds. Chop all chiles. 

    If using pork shoulder, remove fat from shoulder and chop into small pieces. Render fat in large pot and then remove fat pieces. If you don’t use the pork fat, use 2 tablespoons oil or lard. Heat over medium-high heat and brown pork pieces well. Don’t crowd pot; brown in batches, if needed.

    Add the onions and garlic and stir well, cooking until onions are soft. Add the chopped chiles, spices (if using) and crushed tomatoes. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes until well-blended. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 1-½ to 2 hours until pork is very tender. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

    Serve with rice and beans, and warm soft tortillas.

Bread, Dip, French, Recipe, Roast Beef, Rolls

Bread Frenzy

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Well, it all started when one person (Tracy) posted some links. That’s all it took. Now, I am on a bread making binge!

Our all around favorite is Bretzel Rolls (made two batches just today). There is no corned beef or pastrami sandwich better than one on these rolls!

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Bretzel Rolls

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Note

  • http://theteacherlearnstocook.blogspot.com/2008/06/bretzel-rolls.html
  • (For step-by-step pictures, go to her page)
  • Bretzel Rolls (adapted from Recipezaar.com)
    2 hours start to finish – Makes 8 sandwich size rolls

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour

    • 2 teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast which will need proofing)

    • 1 1/3 cups warm water

    • 2 tablespoons warm milk

    • 2 tablespoons melted butter

    • 1/3 cup light brown sugar

    • 2 quarts of water

    • 1/2 cup baking soda

    • kosher salt

    • spray oil (I really like this stuff, the high heat canola is great)

    1. Mix the flour and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl)
    2. Melt the butter and warm the milk
    3. Combine the butter, milk, water, and brown sugar in a separate bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved
    4. Add the butter mixture to the flour and stir until all the flour is hydrated and you have a firm, pliable dough ball
    5. Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 2 minutes, or if you’re kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes
    6. Round the dough into a ball and cut it in half with a bench scraper or chef knife
    7. Continue rounding and cutting 2 more times until you have 8 even dough balls
    8. Arrange the balls on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp cloth, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes
    9. Pat the dough balls into rolls by slightly flattening them (you should have a semi-flat disc about3 to 4 inches in diameter)
    10. Arrange the rolls on a lightly floured surface about 1 inch apart, cover them with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and allow them to rest for 30 minutes
    11. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, line one large 3/4 sheet pan, or two 1/2 sheets with parchment paper, spray the paper lightly with oil
    12. In a large stockpot, bring the water to a rolling boil and add the baking soda (make sure the pot is deep enough that it doesn’t boil over when you add the baking soda, you may also want to add the baking soda slowly to lessen the chance of boil over)
    13. Drop 2 rolls into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds, turning once
    14. Remove the rolls from the water with a slotted spoon, drain them, place them on the prepared sheet pans, and sprinkle lightly with salt
    15. Once all the rolls have been boiled, bake on the upper and middle rack of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the rolls are nicely browned all over, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking
    16. Remove the rolls and transfer them to a wire rack
    17. Serve warm or at room temperature
Keywords: bretzel, pretzel, roll, dinner, bread,

These I am making now because my husband came home from work wanting a French Dip sandwich and we did not think the Pretzel Rolls would be the same:

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French Bread Rolls to Die For

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 16

Description

“Simply delicious French bread rolls with a crisp crust and chewy texture.”

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

    To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

    Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

    Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

     

    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/2/2008
Keywords: bread, French, roll, rolls

With this Quick Au Jus:

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Quick Au Jus

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, bouillon, pepper, garlic salt, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes.

Keywords: beef, au, jus, dip, broth

Though next time I will try making some from scratch.

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HOMEMADE AU JUS

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Season the stew meat with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and brown well on all sides. When the meat is well-browned, add the onion, reduce heat to low and cook until the onions are tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 10 minutes.

    Add the garlic clove and tomato paste and continue cooking for 5 minutes more. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire and bay leaf, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to medium and simmer for another 25 minutes or until reduced to 3 cups.

    Taste broth and add as much of the remaining salt as is necessary to give a deep salty-beefy flavor. Remove bay leaf and meat, and pour into cups. Serve with French Dip Sandwiches.

Keywords: beef, au, jus, sauce, dip