Homemade Tortillas

When I have the time I like to make our tortillas from scratch.  They don't really take a lot of time, but sometimes it's just easier to open the taco box.

Tortillas -makes 8 small

2 c flour                         3/4c water

3T oil                              1/2t salt

Mix everything in a bowl, adding enough water.  Knead until smooth and let rest for 30 minutes.

 Divide into 8 and roll out into circles (about 8 inches).  

Dry fry over medium heat for about 45 seconds per side.  Stack and cover with a tea towel to keep them soft.

See, they are that easy.  I really should make them more often  :)

The other day I used these tortillas to make quesadillas.  A good way to use up leftover roast beef.  AND it's something Ella will gobble up.

More Recipes

I forgot to share my meatball recipe yesterday.  Well the sauce is my Auntie Edna's recipe but she used store-bought meatballs.  I make my own and just add them straight to the sauce (no pre-browning).

BBQ Meatballs
1lb ground beef                              1 sm. onion, chopped fine
1/2 c bread crumbs                      1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c milk                                         salt & pepper

Saute onions and add to other ingredients.
Sauce:
1 1/2 c ketchup                             3/4 c brown sugar
3T mustard                                       3 T vinegar

Mix up sauce in casserole dish.  Form meat into small balls and drop directly into sauce.  Cover and bake 350F for about 1 hour.

Grandma always likes when I make mashed potatoes to go along with BBQ meatballs.  Personally, since the oven is on for an hour, it's the perfect time to make baked potatoes or scalloped potatoes.

If you have the time, make these to go with the meatballs:

Garlic Parmesan Bread Sticks -makes 2 1/2 doz.

Dough:
1 T yeast                                   1 1/2 c warm water
4 T butter                                1 T sugar
pinch salt                                4 c flour
Topping:
1/2 c butter, melted
4T Parmesan                        2 T dried parsley
1 1/2 T garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Mix the dough ingredients to make a soft dough.  Let rest 10 minutes.
Combine the topping ingredients.

Roll out dough about 15x15 inches.  Carefully transfer to a lined baking sheet.  Cut in half, then cut into 1 inch strips.  Spread with topping mixture.
Bake 350F for 18-20 minutes.
                         

Potato Bread Recipe

We have a new favourite bread recipe, actually it’s an old recipe.  Colin loves when I use this recipe for pizza too.  It also makes great buns/rolls.  The potato keeps everything moist and the eggs make it fluffy too.  I’m not sure how many loaves of actual bread it makes because I never seem to make just bread    This would also be a great bread for my perishky or ranch buns.

Potato Bread/Rolls/Pizza

start by cooking one large potato (peeled).  Rice/mash the potato and potato water, add more water if needed to make 2 cups

3/4 c milk, lukewarm                            1/8 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted                               2 t salt
5 eggs, beaten                                          8 c flour, or so
2 T yeast, I use instant yeast from Bulk Barn

Mix all the wet ingredients together.  If you use old-fashioned yeast, you need to dissolve it in some of the milk before it can be added.  Instant yeast is added directly with the flour.

Stir the dry ingredients together (save out a cup of flour).  Then add to the wet ingredients.  Stir and knead until smooth and elastic.  Do NOT add too much flour.  It is better to have a soft dough.  I often knead my bread dough on a greased counter -not flour, that way the dough doesn’t get tough.  You may or may not need the last cup of flour.  It depends on the humidity.

Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise.  I put mine in a warm oven (turned off).  Should take about 45-60 minutes.  Gently deflate the dough and form into whatever you want to bake.  Always use greased pans!  Let the dough rise again after shaping -usually about 30 minutes.

Bake:  bread -350F for 30 minutes
rolls -375F for 20 minutes
pizza -400F for 25 minutes -I don’t usually bother letting the dough rise for pizza, I just top and bake after the first time

When the bread (or others) is finished, tip it out of the pan and tap on the bottom.  The loaf should sound hollow.  If it has more of a dull thud, pop it back in the pan and back in the oven for 5 minutes, then test again.

Ella’s been acting crazy the whole time I’ve been typing this, so please let me know if something doesn’t make sense 

Recipes

A friend of mine was asking for an easy sourdough recipe, so I thought I'd share it for everyone.

Starter
Put the following in a non-metal container:
1 c milk, 1 c flour and 1 T yeast
Let stand (I cover with tea towel) for 48 hours, until it bubbles and becomes sour.  Put into a cover container with expansion room and store in the fridge.  You should use it every week.  Every time you use it, feed the starter equal quantities of flour and milk.  Then let stand in a warm place for 24 hours.
Of course, you can just multiply the starter amounts if you think this won't be enough.
Easy peasy.  You can also through your starter in the freezer if you are going to be away for a while.  Just thaw and let stand in a warm place for 24 hours.

Now what?

Sourdough Pancakes
1/2c starter                                 2 c milk
2 c flour                                         2 eggs
2 T sugar                                        1 t salt
1 t baking soda
Blend starter, milk and flour and let sit on counter overnight.  Then add everything else in the morning.  Mix well, but don't beat.

Sourdough Biscuits
1 1/2 c flour                            2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda                  1/2 t salt
1/4 c butter                             1 c starter
Cut butter into dry ingredients.  Mix in starter.  Mix well and knead till smooth.  Roll out 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out with a 3 inch round cutter.  Place on greased 9-inch square pan.  Brush with melted butter.  Let rise 1 hour.
Bake 425F for 20 minutes

Sourdough Bread
makes 1 loaf
1/2 c water                                     2 T sugar
1 T yeast                                          1 c starter
1 egg                                                 1 t salt
1 T oil                                                2 3/4 c flour
You'll notice this recipe uses a bit of yeast on top of the sourdough starter, this is to keep the rising time short.  If you have lots of time, leave out the yeast and let the bread rise in its own good time.  The flavour will be amazing.
If making the recipe as written, let the dough rise 1 1/2 -2 hours.  Then shape and put into greased bread pan.  Let rise again 1 1/2 hours till double.
Bake 350F for 30 minutes.

and now for ultimate sourdough yumminess

Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
1/3 c butter                                                1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon                                     1 1/2 c flour
2 t sugar                                                       2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda                                      1 1/2 c starter
1/3 c oil
Mix the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together and set aside.
This recipe doesn't need the first rise.  So after making the dough, roll it out about 12 x 9.  The thinner you make it the more rounds your buns will have.  Spread the dough with the butter mixture.  Roll up from wide end.  Slice into 1-inch pieces.  Place in a greased baking pan.
Bake 400F for 20 minutes.  Invert on serving plate carefully, sugar will be molten.   Makes 12.


Now that the nice weather is back (i.e., cool) it's time to start making cozy food.  Today I made some French onion soup and macaroni and cheese.  Both are easy and I thought I'd share the recipes.


French Onion Soup
5 cups thinly sliced onions                  1t salt
3T butter                                                      1/4 t sugar
1T oil                                                             3T corn starch
2qt chicken broth, I make my own in the crockpot after roasting a chicken -easy
Cook onions slowly with butter and oil.  Cover for 15 minutes on low.  Remove lid and turn up to medium.  Add sugar and salt.  Cook and stir until onions are golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.  Time spent here will improve the flavour.  Sprinkle on cornstarch and cook a couple of minutes.  Add onions to hot stock.  Simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes.
In oven-proof bowl, add some croutons or toast and pour in soup.  Top with nice layer of mozzarella or Parmesan or Swiss.  Broil until cheese is melted.

I usually baggie up the leftover soup (minus croutons and cheese) and keep it in the freezer, it reheats well.


Macaroni and Cheese
1c macaroni, cooked till tender
3T butter                                   3/4 t salt
3T cornstarch                          2 c milk, any kind we usually use 2%
1/4 t dry mustard                  2 c grated cheese, we use cheddar
Melt butter and cornstarch and mustard for a few minutes.  Pour in milk and stir until fairly thick.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Drain macaroni and pour into cheese sauce.  Pour everything into a greased 1 1/2 qt casserole.
Bake 400F for 20 minutes.  You can top with buttered crumbs but I don't usually.

Paula's Perishky

I love meat perishky.  The Mennonite Girls Can Cook girls got me started making them.  But most of the time I just make them with leftover roast beef, my favourite is leftover Russian Brisket, though my Lendenbraten would by good too.

First you need a nice bread dough.

REFRIGERATOR POTATO BREAD
1/3 c potato flakes                      2 T yeast
2 c warm water                             1/2 c margarine
1 T salt                                              2 eggs, beaten
6 c flour
Put in the bread machine in the usual order:  wet stuff first, then dry, then flour and yeast on top.  Let rise once.  This is also easy to make by hand.

PERISHKY FILLING
1 lb or so of leftover roast beef, chopped
leftover gravy
cornstarch
If you followed the perishky link above, you’ll see that they add undiluted cream of mushroom soup.  That is about the consistency to which I thicken the leftover gravy.  Mix the meat and the gravy together, but don’t make it too liquid.  It’s hard to describe, you’ll know when it’s right.
Cut off pieces of dough a little larger than an egg, depending on the size of buns you want.  Press the dough out into a circle the size of your palm, I just use my fingers.  Make sure the centre of the dough doesn’t get thin.  Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of the dough, again, the amount will depend on the size of the dough circle.  Bring the dough up over the filling and seal well.  Put on a lined cookie sheet and let rise.
Bake 350F for 25 minutes or until golden.   These freeze well and make a quick snack/lunch.

This dough also makes yummy buns and can be kept in the fridge for 3 days.


CINNAMON PULL BUNS
Use the above dough.  Cut off golf ball size pieces and roll into balls.  Dip each ball into melted butter then into cinnamon sugar.  Drop balls into a greased bundt pan.  Let rise again.  Bake 350F for 30 min.  Invert on serving plate and pull off pieces.  Mmmm!  They taste like doughnuts.

GARLIC PULL BUNS
Melt about 1/4c butter and mix in 1 t garlic powder (real garlic will burn).  Dip golf ball sized pieces into garlic butter.  Drop into greased bundt pan and let rise.  Bake 350F for 30 min.

Garlic Breadsticks/Crazy Bread

Garlic Parmesan Bread Sticks -tastes like Little Ceasar's crazy bread   Makes 2 1/2 dozen

1 1/2 c warm water                      1 T oil
1 T sugar                                      1/4 t salt
4 c flour                                        1 T yeast

I put everything in my bread machine and let it do the work.  But take the dough out after only 10 minutes rest.  You have a choice for the next step -easy or hard

Easy: Roll dough out into 15x15 inch square.  Slide onto a lined cookie sheet(s).  Cut into 1 inch wide strips, then slice once across the middle.  Then spread on garlic sauce.

Hard: Roll dough into 15x15 inch square.  Slice into 1 inch strips.  Dip into garlic sauce and twist strips 2-3 times.  Place on lined cookie sheet.

Garlic Sauce:  Combine 1/2 c butter, melted, 3 T grated Parmesan, 2 T dried parsley, and 1 1/2 t garlic powder (not salt!).

Bake 350F for 18-20 minutes or until done.

New Favourite Bread

We didn't really like the Tomato Soup, so I won't be posting the recipe.  But I do have a really good bread recipe to share.  It's for Challah, the bread Jewish families traditionally make for the Friday Sabbath meal.  I was told it made 2 loaves but they were huge.  Next time I will make 3 or 4 loaves.

Challah

1 1/2 c warm water                      1 T oil
1/2 c honey                                   4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 t salt                                    2 T yeast
5 c flour, plus some

I put everything into the bread machine.  I had to add about a cup more flour while it was mixing and kneading.  Let rise about an hour.  Yesterday, I divided the dough into 8 and rolled each piece into a log about 1 inch in diameter.  Use 4 and braid.  If I hadn't had a migraine yesterday I should have taken pictures.  I'll try and describe it -I really think the 4 strand braid looks better than 3.   Lay the 4 strands side by side.  Take the strand on the left and go over the next two strands, they go under the strand on the right.  Just repeat, take the strand on the left (outside) and go over the next two strands, then under the strand on the right.

Let rise, mine was ready in about 40 minutes.  Bake 325F for 30-40 minutes.

Colin raved about this bread all the way through supper and would have been just as happy to have only had the bread for supper.  High praise indeed!!