Whole Wheat Tortillas

These are the tortillas that changed Dad’s mind about soft-shell tortillas. They are way tastier than store-bought, especially when eaten fresh from the skillet.

: : Whole Wheat Tortillas : :

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 5 cups (25 oz.) hard red or white wheat flour + extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup palm oil shortening or coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions:

1) For mixing by hand: In a large, heat-proof bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt. Rub in the palm or coconut oil by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. 
For mixing by machine: Put whole wheat flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add palm or coconut oil and pulse until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Pour into a large, heat-proof bowl. 
2) Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth. 
3) Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Cover with a damp cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. 
4) Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Do not overcook or your tortillas will be brittle. Place finished tortillas in a kitchen towel to soften. Roll out the next tortilla while the other is cooking. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes about 18 tortillas

Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

It is nearly impossible for find a good (i.e. healthy) store-bought salad dressing that isn’t way overpriced. The solution: make your own! Here is my current favorite recipe.

: : Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette : :

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press*
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

*2 cloves makes this dressing quite spicy. If you prefer a milder version, use the smaller amount.

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small jar. Screw on the lid and shake until well blended. Allow to sit 1 hour for best flavor. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Sweet Onion Dip

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: : Sweet Onion Dip : :

Skip the prefab dips in the market; this cooked Vidalia dip is beyond better. The onions are subdued to begin with; cooking them concentrates their sugars for extra sweetness.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Vidalia onions (1 pound total), finely chopped
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
• Potato chips, bagel chips, or crackers, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with your choice of potato chips, bagel chips, or crackers.

Makes about 2 cups

Eve's Pudding

 

I while ago I saw an article in Martha Stewart Living, February 2007 about English puddings. I immediately wanted to make some of the delicious-looking recipes. So we made Eve’s Pudding. I was quite pleased with the results, as was everyone else. Even Dad, the ultimate food critic in our family, said it was good. Keeping with the British tradition, we served our pudding with a vanilla sauce. It was the perfect dessert for a cool, wet fall evening!

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: : Eve’s Pudding : :

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

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Ingredients:

For the Pudding:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, plus more for baking dish
• 1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• Salt
• 1 3/4 pounds baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 3/4 cup demerara, Sucanat, or rapadura
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup whole milk

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Pudding:

1) Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9″ square baking dish; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2) Put apples, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt into a large bowl; toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over top; set aside.

3) Put butter and 6 tablespoons sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk. Mix until combined.

4) Spread batter over apples, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until batter is cooked through and juices are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, as the pudding is cooling, make the sauce:

1) Blend maple syrup, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks. Gradually stir into sugar mixture.

2) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm over the pudding.

The original recipe is supposed to serve 8-10, but seven hungry people didn’t find it hard to lick the pan clean.

Smokey BBQ Sauce

Grilling season is just about over. But we like to eat barbecue sauce all through the year: barbecue pizza, in a chicken panini sandwich, or just slathered on pork roast. Here is a recipe that doesn’t require chopping vegetables and hours of cooking, just a few special ingredients.

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:: Smoky BBQ Sauce ::

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 0z.) can tomato paste
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store in the refrigerator.

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