Daring Bakers Challenge for October - Pizza Dough

I am so excited to post my first Daring Bakers Challenge that I can hardly stand it!!!

I've tried some recipes for Pizza Dough and this one is definitely a keeper. I was so nervous just about thinking tossing my pizza and had to wait for my husband to be home so he could capture that on a picture... well, I waited for the best day, he was there, I was stretching the dough but no big toss flying in the air from my side! I'll keep trying... I promise, I still have two more dough balls in my freezer!

The whole recipe is for six, 6 oz. dough balls. I made it that way and used only 4 of them and froze the rest. We didn't make any adventurous flavors as toppings but I have to say it... they turned out REALLY good! The dough (I think I stretched it a lot on my first three pizzas, oops!) was very thin but had a really nice texture. The fourth pizza I made the next day it was FAB, I mean the crust was nice and crispy in the bottom and had an excellent consistency.

Making the dough was a delight. It took only a few minutes to get the dough mixed and made into this little balls and then I had to let it rest for a couple hours before i put it back in the fridge. So, if you work, that is a really good thing if you want to prepare it in advance.

This months Daring Bakers challenge was brought to us by Rosa's Yummy Yums and is in memory of Sher who shared this idea for a challenge with Rosa a few short days before she passed. Be sure to check out the Daring Bakers blogroll to see the rest of the Daring Bakers pizza creations.

So, here we go!

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled –
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water. The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.




3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.



7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.

During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully, then try again.You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.



12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice. Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.



13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes. After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.




(This is our own version of CKP Club --you bake the dough with the cheese and bacon and chicken (I didn't put chicken on this one), and after is done, you top it with fresh tomato slices, lettuce and mayo mix and avocado slices... you won't regret it, I promise!--)

Classic Challah

I was for a long time thinking about making this kind of bread. It seemed so beautiful in the pictures I've seen around the internet, so I decided to challenge myself and try to make it (it was actually a whole lot much more easier than I expected). I read somewhere that this bread also makes fabulous french toasts, so if I was looking forward for another good reason to make it, there I had it!.

Ingredients:

For the Dough
1/2 cup lukewarm water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used 7)
1/4 cup honey (I used 1/3 cup of sugar)
2 large eggs
4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast


For the Glaze
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water


Directions:

1) Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, until you have a soft, smooth dough.

2) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

4) You may braid the challah the traditional way, into a three-strand braid. For a fancier presentation, make a four-strand braid. Divide the dough into four pieces, and shape each piece into a rough 6" log. Cover the logs with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

5) Roll each log into a 21" rope. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. They'll shrink back to about 18" as they sit.

6) Lay the strands parallel to one another, and pinch the ends on your left together.

7) Take the rope nearest you, and move it up over the two adjoining ropes. Next, move the rope back under the rope next to it. Fan the ends of the ropes out again.

8) Repeat the process, but start with the rope farthest away from you. Bring it down and across the two adjoining ropes, and then back under the rope nearest it. Continue in this fashion, alternating which side you begin with, until you've braided the whole loaf. Pinch the loose ends together, and tuck them underneath the loaf.



9) Gently pick up the loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment- lined baking sheet.

10) Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and let it rise till it's very puffy, 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

11) Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water, and brush this glaze over the risen loaf. You can decorate on top with some sesame seeds.

12) Place the baking sheet atop another baking sheet; this will insulate the bread's bottom crust, and keep it from browning too much. Put the challah in the lower third of the oven, and bake it for 20 minutes.



13) Tent the challah loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown.

14) Remove the bread from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool.



15) You are done! Enjoy :)


Source: King Arthur's Website (Directions with pictures of the braiding process)

Bruschetta

Bruschetta, is one of the most fresh type of salsas you can have on top of a grilled french loaf bread. It's really simple to make and full of flavor. You should give this a try!




Ingredients:

4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Pepper


Directions:

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let it chill for 30 minutes. Serve on top of warm toasted bread. Enjoy!


Source: Adapted from King's Arthur Website

Cerdo al jugo con pure (Boneless Pork Ribs and Creamy mashed potatoes)

I am FINALLY making something chilean for the blog! Actually, I cook a lot of chilean food at home, just I keep forgetting to make pictures!

This dish is pretty common in Chile. Instead of boneless pork ribs is usually made with Pulpa de cerdo and the great thing is that you can use all those vegetables you have in the fridge and you don't know what to do with them!


Cerdo al Jugo

Ingredients:

1 piece of boneless pork ribs (about two pounds)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small piece of green bell pepper, chopped (I used 1 tsp of dried bell peppers)
1/2 tsp dried basil (I used two fresh basil leaves, minced)
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used 3 fresh sprigs, only the leaves)
1/2 tsp thyme (I used 3 fresh sprigs, minced)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
Chicken broth
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Directions:

1. Heat oil in a heavy sauce pan. Then, add onion, garlic cloves, celery, carrots, bell pepper and herbs and let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until you see the onions soft and clear.



2. Add the pork (you can either put the whole piece or cut into regular pieces. Let it brown for 5 minutes.



3. Add the wine and let the alcohol to evaporate (about 1 minute).

4. Cover with chicken broth and let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.



Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 regular Idaho potatoes
4 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Dry Milk
Heavy Whip
Salt

Peel and slice the potatoes and boil them in a pot with warm water and a good bit of salt. Usually it takes like 10 to 15 minutes for them to cook (it depends on the amount of potatoes and how thin you slice them)



Once cooked, drain them completely. Smash them and add the butter cut in thin slices (so it will melt and combine easier), dry milk and the heavy whip (I add as much as I need to get the consistency I like). Beat with electric mixer at high speed until soft.

Tabouli

This is one of my favorite greek salads. It's so easy to make and can be used as an appetizer too. I tried several recipes a long time ago, but this one is definitely the best of all!


Tabouli
Source: The New Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen


Ingredients:

1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
black pepper, to taste
4 scallions, finely minced (whites & greens)
1 packed cup minced parsley
10 to 15 fresh mint leaves, minced (or 1 to 2 Tbsp. dried mint)
2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, diced.


Directions:

1. Combine bulgur and boiling water in a medium-large bowl. Cover and let stand until the bulgur is tender (20 to 30 minutes, minimum).

2. Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cover lightly and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve cold with warm wedges of lightly toasted pita bread.


*** You can prepare steps 1 and 2 as much as a day or two in advance. The flavors get deeper as it sits around. A food processor does a perfect job of mincing scallions, parsley, and mint into a fine feathery state, which makes the salad much prettier and easier to eat.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Ice Cream

If that doesn't sound good to you... then I would be really confused! I went to a creamery some days ago and tried this ice cream and had the brilliant idea of trying to recreate this delicious flavor. So, after giving some thoughts and trying to get a good simply cheesecake ice cream recipe, I ended up with this creation. Here we go!


Ingredients:

12 oz cream cheese (1 1/2 package)
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tspn. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup heavy whip cream
4 Tbsp. Dulce de Leche


Directions:

Put cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on medium speed. Once well blended, add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat well. Add the heavy whip cream. Pour the mix in your ice cream machine and proceed according to manufacturer instructions. Five minutes before ice cream is made, add dulce de leche. Transfer to a air tight container and freeze it for at least 3 hours.

Best Pound Cake ever!!!!

This is a very simple and delicious recipe (I think I say that with every single one I post, oh well...) But, definitely, this is a REALLY good one! It's very easy to prepare and the result is unbelievable!

Check your pantry and see if you have this:


Ingredients:

1 Box Butter Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. Butter flavoring (I used the dry one)
1 Pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding
4 large eggs


Directions:

Pour the Butter Cake Mix in a medium mixing bowl.



Add the rest of the ingredients on top of it.



With your electric mixer beat until all incorporated.



Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Place the batter in it.



Bake for 45 - 55 minutes. (If you insert a toothpick it should come out dry)



Cover with a damp cloth until it is almost cooled. Remove from pan. Cut a slice....



Enjoy!

Profiteroles (Puffs) with cream cheese filling

Profiteroles are a very easy pastry to make. They are mostly called Puffs and can be filled with any kind of variety of creams, puddings, chocolate, berries, etc. I got this recipe from my Aunt Delia but I was reminded this week through King Arthur Flour's newsletter. This is a very easy dough to make and if you follow the directions carefully I can assure you they will turn out just great! I divided the Ingredients and Directions in three parts. That way, you can go step by step from making the pastry dough till filling and garnishing the puffs. Here we go!


Profiteroles (Puffs)

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature


Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, heat until the butter has melted, and bring to a rolling boil.

3) Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture smoothes out and follows the spoon around the pan; this should take less than 30 seconds.

4) Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It'll still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds.

5) Transfer the dough to a mixer, and beat in the eggs one at a time; the mixture will look curdled at first, but when you add the last egg it should become smooth. Beat for 1 minute after adding the last egg. You'll have a stiff, smooth batter.

6) Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls (about the size of a chestnut) onto the prepared sheets (a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here). Leave about 1 ½" to 2" between them; they're going to expand to about the size of a golf ball.

7) Bake the puffs for about 20 minutes, till they've puffed, they're a medium golden-brown, and they look dry.

8) Remove baked puffs from the oven, and use a sharp knife to cut a slit into the side of each puff, for steam to escape; this will help prevent them from becoming soggy. Return the puffs to the oven for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.




Cream Cheese Filling
Source: The Joy of Baking

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. (14 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone or cream cheese until fluffy and smooth. Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until soft peaks forms.


Assemble:

Once the puffs are cooled and just before serving, spread or pipe the cream on the shells and top with fresh berries or cut up fruit. In this case, I just put a frozen blueberry. Sprinkle some powder sugar on top. Serve immediately.



Note: If your puffs don't look as beautiful as you want, just cover them up with enough powder sugar, nobody will know the difference ;)

Pita Bread

This is another incredible recipe. After making this bread I promised myself I will never buy Pita Bread from the store again. It's simply delicious!



Pita Bread
Yield: 8 pitas

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar or honey
1 packet instant yeast
1 ¼ to 1 ½ water, roughly at room temperature
2 tbsp. olive oil, vegetable oil, butter or shortening


Directions:

Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 ¼ cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the dough around so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it will be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while it is preheating. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between ¼ - 1/8” thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.



Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary.






Source: Annie's Eats

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Chip - Banana Pancakes

I know, I know... it should be a blog with very nutritious recipes, but every now and then it is so good to have one of those breakfasts when you just eat, enjoy and have fun. A few Sundays ago, I made this recipe for my guys. Hope you want to give it a try, trust me... you won't regret it!



Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Chip - Banana Pancakes
(Adapted from Bisquick)

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick mix (*)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 regular bananas
Syrup


Directions:

1. Stir the Bisquick mix, milk, eggs, sugar, baking powder, lemon juice and vanilla until well blended. Add chocolate chips.

2. Pour a slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle and cook until edges are dry. Turn and cook until golden.

3. Once done, put on a plate, add tiny bit of butter, then some sliced bananas on top and syrup to taste. Serve immediately.

(*) If you don't want to use Bisquick, replace the first three ingredients for: 2 cups self rising flour, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oil and 2 cups of milk.

I didn't make more pictures of the plate, but I bet this one will show itself how much your family can enjoy it!

American Sandwich Bread

Hey!

I got this fabulous recipe from "Annie's Eats blog" and decided to give it a try some time ago. Unfortunately by then I didn't know I was going to have a food blog, so I only made a couple of pictures.





American Sandwich Bread
Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 cup warm whole milk (about 110°)
1/3 cup warm water (about 110°)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp. honey (I used sugar instead)
1 envelope (about 2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast


Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 200°. Once the oven temperature reaches 200°, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.

Mix 3 ½ cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the milk, water, butter, honey (or sugar) and yeast in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping the machine two or three times to scrape dough from the hook, if necessary, about 10 minutes. (After 5 minutes of kneading, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time and up to ¼ cup total, until the dough is no longer sticky.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven until the dough has doubled in size, about 40-50 minutes.

On a floured work surface, gently press the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With a long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20-30 minutes.

Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350°. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring two cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack and set the loaf onto the middle rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 195°, 40-50 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Enchiladas de carne (Beef Enchiladas)

For some time we were trying to find a good recipe for Enchiladas that wouldn't involve make them like a casserole (I mean without cream of chicken or mushroom). After searching and searching online, one of my very favorite's food blog ( The Pioneer Woman Cooks!), posted this really good recipe. They were delicious but I have to confess that I liked them even better as left overs, so what I would do next time is make them a day ahead and bake them the next one.

This recipe looks way to long and too much work, but actually when you make it, it's really easy and doesn't consume a lot of time. Trust me, you won't have to spend six hours in the kitchen, but one for sure!

I am sorry I don't have pictures of how I made them step by step, but I promise it is not hard to follow her instructions.



PW’s Favorite Enchiladas
THE SAUCE
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large (28-ounce) can enchilada or red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a past, cooking for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes. Toss the cilantro on top and stir.

While the sauce is simmering, you can start working with the meat.

THE MEAT
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown meat with onions in a skillet (I did spray the pan with Pam before browning the meat). Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and season with salt. Set aside and let it cool.

While the meat is cooling, you can work now with the tortillas.


TORTILLAS
10 to 14 corn tortillas
½ cup canola oil

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas oil until soft, not crisp—about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.


ASSEMBLY

Sauce (above)
Meat (above)
Tortillas (above)

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped black olives
1 cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped cilantro


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out.

Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface (I used a plate). Make sure to dip them to coat but not leave them there long, otherwise they will tear.

Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled.

Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas.



Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubble. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over enchiladas before serving