Home Made Tortillas

Jeffrey called during his lunch today.  I love when he does that!  We chatted for a bit, and then he asked what I was making for dinner.  I told him I was planning on Cafe Rio for dinner, and he said "Oh, are you tired today?  Do you not feel like cooking?"  I had to laugh, because I meant the homemade Cafe Rio.  He was glad, because he likes homemade food.  There is more of a chance for leftovers that way, and he has more interesting lunches than just his typical frozen burritos.

As I was getting ready to make dinner, a recipe caught my eye.  It was for home made tortillas.  They are good and a lot healthier than the recipe I know.  My friend from Mexico taught me to make tortillas.  She said you just grab a few handfuls of flour, add a little salt, and then shortening.  Add some warm water and mix it with your hands, form little balls, and roll them out.  So yummy, but so hard to replicate them.  At least for me.  When I saw this recipe, I was very excited as it is a lot healthier, and lets be honest, I do better with more direction than "a handful, a bit, some, etc."

This recipe came from Petitelephant.com and has enough guidance to make it helpful, but enough leway for me to make it my own.

This is how I made them:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup hot water

Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.  In a separate container, mix the oil and water.  Gradually add the water to the dry ingredients and mix.  Little by little add the water and mix after each little addition.  I just put everything in my Bosch and let it mix itself while slowly pouring the water in.  Let the dough knead (or do it by hand if you are ambitious) until it is smooth.  When it feels ready, separate into little balls.  This recipe makes about 9 or 10.  Cover with a damp cloth and leave somewhere warm for about 20 minutes.  

When the 20 minutes are up, knead each ball, (I just squoze them in my hands for a bit) and return them to the plate, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Oil your counter and hands.  Roll each ball out until it is paper thin.  The thinner the better.  Heat up a frying pan, add a bit of oil, and toss the dough on one at a time.  When it begins to bubble it is ready to flip.  Cook until they are just golden in the center.

These are perfect with the Cafe Rio meal (did I already mention that?), and would probably make incredible tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Kale Chips

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It is that time of year again, or very nearly so. The time of year when candy gets all up in yo grill, and there is no escaping it.  The time of year for football barbecues and parties.  The beginning of the time when food gets the centerpiece in all of our celebrations.

Never fear, fond friends.  I have found a delectable delight that will send your mouth all a quiver with joy.  Ignore those pesky bags of chips.  Put away the Doritos that seem to be mocking you with that haunting beckon.  Push it all aside and make room for kale chips!

A few years ago I bought some kale.  I put it in my pasta.  It was bitter.  I hated it.  A little while after that, I decided to try it in salad.  Again, it was bitter and it ruined my salad.  I didn't want to eat any more of it.  So, when I stumbled upon the recipe for kale chips, I was skeptical at best.  How on earth could kale be made in a way that didn't make you cringe?  That didn't send your taste buds running for cover?

I decided to suck it up and try it anyway.

Goodbye forever potato chips.  Sayonara corn chips and dip.  And you, the ever beckoning giant of temptation; fritos, to you I bid adieu.

The best part of all is the simplicity of these chips.

What you need:

a bunch or two or five of kale.

olive oil

kosher salt 

foil

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350*  Line baking sheet(s) with tinfoil or parchment paper.  Wash the kale thoroughly.  Place in salad spinner and spin, or pat dry with towels.  Make sure it is completely dry.  Next, put olive oil on your hands.  Gently rub the kale to coat with olive oil and place it on foiled baking sheet.  When baking sheet is full, sprinkle on some salt.  Put in oven and bake 10-12 minutes.  It is ready to come out when the leaves are slightly brown on the edges.  Be careful not to burn.  Repeat.  

Over and over again, repeat.  Your body will thank you for feeding it such delicious and healthy vegetables.  Your mouth will thank you for indulging in something it thinks is equivalent to fat filled chips.  You will be thrilled with the fact that you have once again fooled your body into loving something oh so good for it.  It is a win win for all involved.

For more info on the health benefits of kale, go here.

Daring Bakers Challange!

Lavash Crackers~

So the DB challange was delicious this month.  I loved them!  We made some Lavash Crackers, and I am in love with them.  So, just to give you all a little idea of a quick and healthy movie snack... it is a vegan and gluten free recipe.

The key to a crisp lavash,...is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2.  Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.


3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors. 

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) {I used some Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and seseame seeds.  I also c\hopped up some sun-dried tomato and  sprinkled everything on the top.  I would recommend spraying the top with cooking spray to help the seasonings stick better.} Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first. 

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

For diping, I didn't have much in the house, so I chopped up two tomatoes, and about a handfull of parsley.  I added the same garlic seasoning that I sprinkled to the top of my crackers... except the lid feel off, and about 1 tbsp fell into the bowl.  I mixed it all together, and it was surprisingly delicious!  Yumm.  I love these, and since they are so simple to make, i am going to have to make them about once a week or so!