Homemade Flour Tortillas

Over the weekend I gave my friend some homemade flour tortilla dough to roll out at home and cook. I also gave her some of our left over unstuffed bell pepper to make burritos with.  She and her husband loved the tortillas and asked me for this recipe.  When I was a teenager, I had a lesson on making homemade flour tortillas.   Recently I was craving those tortillas again.  This particular recipe is from Rick Bayliss.   He has a cooking show on Live Well Network.  This recipe is super easy, and truthfully it is a great recipe.  Keep in mind this recipe can be made with shortening, if you are concerned about using lard, but they do taste better with lard.  Lard has less saturated fat than shortening and contains more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.  Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can benefit your heart, versus shortening that does not contain these fats.

These will be the best tortillas you will ever eat.  I promise you will want fresh from now on.

Ingredients: 

3/4 lb. ( 2 3/4 cups) All-purpose Flour, plus a little extra for rolling the tortillas
5tablespoons Lard (vegetable shortening can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4cup very warm tap Water

Mix flour, salt, and lard together in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment or with your fingers.

Add water and mix to form a slightly sticky dough.

Divide dough into 12 equal portions and cover with a tea towel.  Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
 I doubled the recipe for my family.

Preheat skillet over medium high heat.

Dust counter with flour and roll out balls of dough with a small rolling pin.  Turn quarter 
turn after each roll to roll out a round tortilla.

Cook tortillas on skillet until brown bubbles form then flip and repeat.

Place cooked tortillas in a folded tea towel. 

Enjoy!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients: 
3/4 lb. ( 2 3/4 cups) All-purpose Flour, plus a little extra for rolling the tortillas

5tablespoons Lard (vegetable shortening can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4cup very warm tap Water

Process:

Mix flour, salt, and lard together in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment or with your fingers.

Add water and mix to form a slightly sticky dough.

Divide dough into 12 equal portions and cover with a tea towel.  Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat skillet over medium high heat.

Dust counter with flour and roll out balls of dough with a small rolling pin.  Turn quarter turn after each roll to roll out a round tortilla.

Cook tortillas on skillet until brown bubbles form then flip and repeat.

Place cooked tortillas in a folded tea towel. 

Enjoy!

Peach Galette

When I went to Lewin Farms recently, they had the last of the seasons fresh peaches, so of course I picked some up.  My parents and mother in law came to visit this weekend for my son's Baptism.  My dad really likes peach pie, so this morning I made the next best thing, a peach galette.  Galette is like a pie with crust and filling.  It is made on a flat sheet instead of in a pie pan.  Galette is like a French country version of the American pie that we have all come to love.

Summer dessert, perfect for those fresh peaches you found at the store.

Ingredients for Crust:

8 ounces cold Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Lard
5 to 7 tablespoons Water
18 ounces All-purpose Flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Egg Wash of 1 Egg Yoke and 1 tablespoon Water

Ingredients for Peach Filling:

5 large Yellow Peaches

3 tablespoons Tapioca Flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix butter, lard, flour, and salt together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or
use your fingers to combine.

Cut peaches into 1 inch wedges.  Sprinkle tapioca flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg
over peaches and gently stir.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Refrigerate crust for 20 minutes.

Cut dough in half and roll both halves into 1/4 inch circles.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Divide peach mixture between both crusts.  Fold crust over the filling.

Brush egg wash onto galettes and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake peach galettes for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peach Galette

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Crust:

8 ounces cold Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Lard
5 to 7 tablespoons Water
18 ounces All-purpose Flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Egg Wash of 1 Egg Yoke and 1 tablespoon Water

Ingredients for Peach Filling:

5 large Yellow Peaches

3 tablespoons Tapioca Flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Process for Crust:

Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix butter, lard, flour, and salt together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or use your fingers to combine.

Refrigerate crust for 20 minutes.

Cut dough in half and roll both halves into 1/4 inch circles.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Process for Peach Filling:

Cut peaches into 1 inch wedges.  Sprinkle tapioca flour, sugar, cinnaon, and nutmeg over peaches and gently stir.

Divide peach mixture between both crusts.  Fold crust over the filling.

Brush egg wash onto galettes and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake peach galettes for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sodium Free Shrimp Chow Mein

My youngest sister, Adrienne, is dealing with a health concern that requires her to eat a low sodium diet.  She requested I try my hand at creating a low sodium chow mein recipe.  My goal ended up creating a chow mein recipe without any added sodium.  While researching the elusive umami flavor, that flavor that is pivotal to Chinese and Japanese cuisine such as chow mien, I learned some cool stuff about what flavors really give the umami flavor in recipes.  Monosodium glutamate is the flavor compound that we have come to call the fifth flavor of umami.  Oyster mushrooms are high in glutamates, the highest content of all mushrooms.  My recipe uses the umami of oyster mushrooms to replace soy sauce and oyster sauce, the two ingredients used in traditional chow mein sauce.  

Chow Mein is one of the yummiest Chinese take out items on the menu.  This is all homemade.

Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients:

Chinese Noodles (homemade noodles recipe below)
2 packages Oyster Mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Carrots
6 cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch of Green Onions
1 head of Napa Cabbage
3 inch piece of Ginger
4 cups Water
2 lbs. Raw Deveined Shrimp
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

Chinese Noodle Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
3 Eggs
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
6 tablespoons Water

Combine all dry ingredients for noodles together in a mixer bowl and mix completely
with a paddle attachment.

Beat eggs and water together, then add to the flour mixture.   Knead with a
dough hook for 5 minutes.

Using a pasta machine, roll dough to the number 2 thickness and cut with the spaghetti cutter.
Use tapioca flour to keep the noodles separated.

Boil a large pot of water.  Boil noodles for 30 seconds.

Drain noodles well.

Peel ginger and onion.  Cut onion in half.  Add half the mushrooms without the stems, garlic,
and 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker pot.  Cook ingredients on high for 10 minutes.
 This will be the sauce for the chow mein.

Puree sauce from the pressure cooker in a blender.

Pour sauce into a small pan and cook over low to medium heat until reduced by half.

Cut carrots, bell peppers, and green onions into 1/4 inch matchsticks.  

Cut cabbage and remaining oyster mushrooms into chunks.

Preheat wok over high heat.  Be prepared for smoke and have windows and fans on to
circulate the air.  Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and begin stir frying carrots.

Next add the bell pepper and stir.

Have ingredients ready and waiting next to the wok.

Add shrimp and more oil.  Stir fry until the shrimp is pink and opaque.

Add more oil to flavor.

Now for the cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms.  Stir fry.

Add noodles and stir.

Stir fry with some more oil if needed.  We want the noodles to be slightly crispy on the outside.

Push sauce through a sieve over chow mein.

Stir and cook for minute or two more and serve.

Enjoy!

Sodium Free Shrimp Chow Mein

Printable Recipe Found Here

Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients:

Chinese Noodles (homemade noodles recipe below)
2 packages Oyster Mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Carrots
6 cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch of Green Onions
1 head of Napa Cabbage
3 inch piece of Ginger
4 cups Water
2 lbs Raw Deveined Shrimp
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

Chinese Noodle Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
3 Eggs
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
6 tablespoons Water

Chinese Noodle Process:

Combine all dry ingredients for noodles together in a mixer bowl and mix completely with a paddle attachment.

Beat eggs and water together then add to the flour mixture.   Knead with a dough hook for 5 minutes.

Using a pasta machine, roll dough to number 2 thickness and cut with the spaghetti cutter.  Use tapioca flour to keep the noodles separated.

Boil a large pot of water.  Boil noodles for 30 seconds.

Drain noodles well.

Shrimp Chow Mein Process:

Peel ginger and onion, cut onion in half.  Add half the mushrooms without the stems, garlic, and 3 cups water to a pressure cooker pot.  Cook ingredients on high for 10 minutes.  This will be the sauce for the chow mein.

Preheat wok over high heat.  Be prepared for smoke and have windows and fans on to circulate the air.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok and begin stir frying carrots.

Next add the bell pepper and stir.

Have ingredients ready and waiting next to the wok.

Add shrimp and more oil.  Stir fry until the shrimp is pink and opaque.

Add more oil to flavor.

Now for the cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms.  Stir fry.

Add noodles and stir.

Stir fry with some more oil if needed.  We want the noodles to be slightly crispy on the outside.

Push sauce through a sieve over chow mein.

Stir and cook for minute or two more and serve.

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Have you been to Olive Garden and eaten Zuppa Toscana?  Yes, then you know how amazing that soup is.  This is my attempt.  I made up this recipe a few years ago and it isn't exactly the same, but I like it and wanted to share.  We are heading into Autumn here in New York.  Yes, we have seasons, unlike my home town in California.  The weather is cooling down and I am happy to be making soups in response to the cold.  For my family and friends in California, not enjoying the cool weather yet, maybe this soup can still give you some comfort.  

Comfort in a bowl.  Try it and you will see.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Breakfast Sausage
4 cloves Garlic
5 thin skinned Potaoes (Eastern or Red potatoes)
6 cups Vegetable Broth (Chicken Broth can also be substituted)
1 bunch Kale
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Clean potatoes and kale and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Brown sausage in a stock pot over medium heat.

Pour broth into pot, add potatoes and garlic and cover and bring to boil and cook
until the potatoes are tender.

Add kale after potatoes are tender.  Cook for another 3 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cream, and stir.

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Breakfast Sausage

4 cloves Garlic

5 thin skinned Potaoes (Eastern or Red potatoes)

6 cups Vegetable Broth (Chicken Broth can also be substituted)

1 bunch Kale

1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Process:

Clean potatoes and kale and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Brown sausage in a stock pot over medium heat.

Pour broth into pot, add potatoes and garlic and cover and bring to boil.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Add kale after potatoes are tender.   Cook for another 3 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cream, and stir.

Enjoy!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

My mother in law Vereen reminded me of a recipe she would make, stuffed bell peppers.  I wanted to make a similar recipe, a homemade easier to eat version.  This recipe gives all the flavors of stuffed bell peppers, but it's all made in one skillet and easy to serve and eat.  Truth be told, I'm a sucker for flavors like the ones found in this recipe.  I bought the bell peppers in the discount bin, so I needed to use them for something.  If you happen to have a discount bin, then I recommend buying your peppers this way.   The other ingredients are pretty standard and not too expensive.

This is how stuufed peppers should be.

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 Pint Canned Whole Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Peppers
2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
2 cups Shredded Gouda (Monterey Jack, or Cheddar will also work)
3 cups cooked Brown Rice (white rice can be substituted)

Dice the peppers and onion.

Brown meat with onion and peppers in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat.
Sprinkle paprika and crushed red pepper on meat mixture.

Add tomatoes, and crush wish spoon.  Add rice.  Stir to combine.

Sprinkle cheese on top and cover pan and cook over low until cheese is melted.

Put the pan under the broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly browned slightly.

Enjoy!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Yellow Onion

1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef

1 Pint Canned Whole Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Crushed Red Peppers

2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika

2 cups Shredded Gouda (Monterey Jack, or Cheddar will also work)

3 cups cooked Brown Rice (white rice can be substituted)

Process:

Dice the peppers and onion.

Brown meat with onion and peppers in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle paprika and crushed red pepper on meat mixture.

Add tomatoes, and crush wish spoon.  Add rice.  Stir to combine.

Sprinkle cheese on top and cover pan and cook over low until cheese is melted.

Put the pan under the broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly browned slightly.

Enjoy!