Mozzarella Cheese

Have I got a treat for you! Despite my hectic life in these last 20 days of school with testing and mayhem, I attempted something crazy this last weekend. I decided to try making mozzarella cheese. I really enjoy making cheese and have had great success. Normally, in my experience, though, cheese-making has been a fairly time consuming process. Not this time. Hoo boy! Can you believe I made homemade mozzarella cheese in only thirty minutes?

I got the idea from my recent issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine. Apparently, the recipe in the article was based on a book I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading, Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Carroll. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about the whole thirty minute thing. But, honestly, this cheese practically made itself. I was enjoying a beautiful, fresh caprese salad in the blink of an eye (well... maybe a few blinks, but it was fast!).

You need a few special ingredients for this cheese, but you can check out the link to New England Cheesemaking Supply here. I buy a whole bunch of the various starters and rennets and then store them in the freezer and/or refrigerator, depending on the recommendations that come with the ingredients, to use whenever the urge hits me. As easy and tasty as this cheese is, you'll want to stock up!

The first step is to pour a gallon of whole milk into a heavy bottomed stock pot. You can use regular old homogenized, pasteurized milk from the store, just be sure it is not ultra-pasteurized. Slowly heat the milk to 55 degrees F. Meanwhile, dissolve the citric acid in distilled water and set aside. Then mix the rennet and water together and set aside. Be sure you know which mixture is which! When the milk reaches 55 degrees, stir in the citric acid solution. Keep heating until you reach 90 degrees F.

At 90 degrees F, you need to stir in the rennet solution. It will immediately start to curdle the milk making it initially look like yogurt. Continue heating to 105 degrees F, stirring occasionally. In a very short period of time, there should be very distinct curds and pale whey. In the next picture, you can see how the curds and whey have separated at the edge of the pot. When the temperature reaches 105, remove from the heat. If the whey is fairly clear (it will have a slight yellowish cast), you are good to go on to the next step, if it is still a bit milky, wait a few minutes and it should clear up.

Here is what the curds will look like when it is time to drain. They are fairly loose compared to some cheeses I've made. The whey, however, is the key to knowing when it is time to drain.

I line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and drain the curds and whey. You can catch the whey if you like and make ricotta cheese or keep the whey to use in baked goods. Or, you can simply let it go down the drain. That's what I did this time since I was kind of in a hurry. Let the curds drain for a few minutes. They do not have to be completely dry to continue on to the next step.

Place the mass of curds into a microwavable bowl. Heat the curds in the microwave, on high, for one minute. Remove the bowl and stir with your hands or two spoons to mix the curds and evenly distribute the heat.

Heat two more times for 35 seconds, mixing in between. After the last time, sprinkle on the salt and then knead the cheese. At this point, it should start looking different... smooth and shiny... almost like taffy. Extra whey will come out of the cheese; it can simply be drained off. I wear vinyl disposable gloves at this point because working the cheese with your hands is much more efficient, but that cheese is hot and the gloves protect you just a bit. Knead until the cheese is smooth and can be easily shaped. If it is uncooperative, try heating for a few seconds more. Just be careful, if you overdo the heating, your cheese can become grainy, which is no good.

Working quickly, before the cheese cools, form it into whatever shape you wish. I made two logs out of it, but you could make small balls or one large ball. You could even shape the cheese in molds, if you like! Place the shaped cheese in cold, distilled water to cool.

Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one week. Slice and enjoy! What a treat!

Please note that I originally posted to store the cheese in water. While I will test it again with storing in brine like you see at the store, storing in water - ultimately - was a failure. By the end of the week, the outside of the cheese was a goopy mess. Wrapping in plastic wrap keeps it plenty moist and the cheese stays fresh for up to a week.


Mozzarella Cheese
Yield: approximately 1 pound

1 gallon whole milk
1 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool, distilled water
1/4 tsp liquid rennet mixed into 1/4 cup cool, distilled water
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Place the milk in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot. Heat to 55 degrees F. Add the citric acid/water solution and stir to mix. Continue heating. When it reaches 90 degrees F, add the rennet solution. Stir to mix and continue heating. When the mixture reaches 105 degrees F, remove from the heat and check for curd formation.

When the milk has fully curdled and separated from the whey, drain in a cheesecloth lined colander. Let the curds drain for a few minutes and then transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the curds on high for one minute. Stir the mix the curds with your hands or two spoons to distribute the heat. Return the bowl to the microwave and heat two more times for 35 seconds each, stirring after each heating. After the second time, add the salt and begin kneading the cheese. Any extra whey that comes out of the cheese can be drained off. At this point, the cheese should start to look different and be more taffy-like. Knead until it is shiny and elastic. Form into whatever shape you please and submerse in cold, distilled water until it is cool to the touch. Drain and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store, refrigerated, up to one week.

Leek and Potato Soup

Before you go running in the opposite direction, please just hear me out. I wanted to try some vegetables that I'd never eaten before and so I came across this recipe and thought it looked innocent enough (after all, leeks are just a mild form of onion). So, I tried it and thought it was delicious- very classic flavors. And to top it all off, Kate asked a few days ago when I was going to make the "green soup" again because she liked it so much. Very healthy and very good.

picture courtesy JamieOliver.com

Potato and Leek Soup
From JamieOliver.com

2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 medium onions
1 pound leeks
2 cloves of garlic
1 ¾ quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound potatoes
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and roughly slice the carrots. Slice the celery. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Cut the ends off the leeks, quarter them lengthways, wash them under running water, and cut them into ¼-inch slices. Peel and slice the garlic. Put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Place a large saucepan on a high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened, but are still holding their shape, and the onion and leeks are lightly golden. Peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch dice. Add the boiling broth to the vegetables . Add your potatoes. Give the soup a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad

This was so delicious. The family was a little skeptical when I first put it on the table, but after one bite, we could not get enough. Oh, and don't even get me started about how delicious it was the next day....mmm. You could serve this as a side (although it was our main dish) or as a great dish at a shower or party. OR...its amazing stuffed in a burrito or quesadilla. Love it.

Picture courtesy My Kitchen Cafe

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
From My Kitchen Cafe

5 cups cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
1 (16-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 (12-oz.) can corn, drained
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
4 pickled jalepeno pepper rounds (found in the Mexican section)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until peppers are finely minced. Toss with salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Jamie Oliver's Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

I don't know if any of you watched Food Revolution, but I did and I loved it. His signature dish on the show is a stir-fry, both with chicken and beef. I've tried both, and this one is going up first. It was absolutely delicious and light and healthy and EASY. You can use whatever veggies you like, just make sure that you take into account the varying cooking times of each. You'll love this too- and bonus, its seriously ten times better the next day and the flavors really pop.

picture courtesy jamieoliver.com

Jamie Oliver's Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Adapted from JamieOliver.com

1 box spaghetti noodles (I used Barilla plus)
1-2 Tbs. vegetable oil
.5-1 lb. steak, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 package beansprouts
soy sauce to taste
sesame oil to taste
juice of ½ a lime
1 large red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
1 head of broccoli
a handful of baby corn, quartered lengthways
6 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender. I added my broccoli in for the last 3 minutes of cooking and then drain, place in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a large wok or a heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Add a splash of vegetable oil then stir fry the beef slices with the sliced garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes until just cooked. Add the beansprouts, a good splash of soy sauce and sesame oil and the lime juice for the last 30 seconds of cooking.

Tip the contents of the wok into a large bowl, including all the juices. Put the wok back on the heat, add a splash more vegetable oil and all the vegetables. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the cooked noodles and toss well over the heat. Toss everything together in a large bowl and serve.

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes

These pancakes are money- there's no other way to put it. They are fluffy, have a perfect texture, and the oatmeal gives it an unreal flavor. And, they're healthy? Yes. You could even switch out the vegetable oil for some applesauce if your diet won't permit that sort of thing. Or, you could do like we did this morning and put a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top- even more money- just ask Taylor...she ate about a full cup of it with her one pancake. Next time you're wondering what to make for breakfast, look no further than these.
Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or 2 Tbs. applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed

Place the rolled oats into the jar of a blender and blend until the texture resembles coarse flour. Whisk together the blended oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, dry milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes- this is a crucial step, so don't skip it!

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Rancid!

I've been posting some recipes recently that require foods that can easily go rancid. Check that... maybe I need to review what the word "recently" means. It doesn't seem like I've really posted anything recently. All I have to say about that is: 22 more wake-ups and I free! I am really ready to get back into the kitchen, let me tell you.

Anyway... what I was trying to say before I so rudely interrupted myself was that there are certain foods that can go rancid on you and if you're not careful, they can sneak up on you and make things that normally taste wonderful taste... weird.

Case in point: I've been eating a fair amount of hummus lately. And up until about a month ago, I couldn't understand why the recipe I've always used and loved kept coming out so darn disappointing. I'm not really sure what prompted the moment of enlightenment, but all of a sudden one night it dawned on me that I was working from a jar of tahini (sesame seed paste, similar in consistency to peanut butter) that had been in my cupboard for something like three years.

I stuck my nose in the jar. It didn't really smell bad, but there was something different going on. You've got to watch those high fat products. I've had this problem before; because they're shelf stable, we (or maybe just I) tend to forget how long they've been in there. Unfortunately, those items high in fat can go rancid pretty easily.

The good news, I guess, is that using rancid ingredients doesn't hurt you, it just can lend an odd taste to whatever you are making. In the tahini case, my hummus just tasted slightly off. I went to the store and got a new jar, and all my troubles were solved.

But here's the thing. How do you know when something is rancid? Sometimes it's just darn obvious. When something is really rancid it has a sharp odor that you can instantly recognize even if you have no idea what is wrong. That's easy. The problem is when it's so subtle that you don't really recognize it.

Here are a couple of recommendations:

1. When you first purchase items that are prone to going rancid (whole wheat flour, bran, whole grains, shortening, nuts, and nut butters), take a really good long sniff of them to create a memory of what they should smell like. I always have this problem with whole wheat flour in particular. I can't tell you how many times I've stuck my nose into a batch of flour and couldn't decide if it was rancid or not. When I am in doubt, I open a new package and smell it in turn with the rancid batch and then it is really obvious.
2. Be sure to store items properly. Foods with a high fat content can go rancid when they become oxidized and/or undergo chemical alteration by microbes. To combat these issues, make sure you store the items in an air tight container and then store them in a cool, dark place. I always store my nuts in the freezer. My whole wheat flour lives in my fridge.

Well, I guess that's all I've got time for today. I've got tests to correct and lessons to plan still, but I wanted to let you know I am still kicking. I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Corn Chowder

For the sake of doing something without meat...except bacon!  You would never know it's meatless because it's so dang hearty!

Corn Chowder   

Loves to cook, Loves to eat Blog
 

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced celery (2-3 stalks)
1-1/2 cups carrotts, sliced
2-1/2 cups potatoes, cubed
1 can corn, drained (or 2 cups frozen corn)
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
1 15 oz can evaporated milk
4-5 chicken bullion cubes
2-3 quarts water
1 lb cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup potato pearls or flakes, for thickening
In your favorite soup pot, saute the onion and celery in the butter until they are softened. Add 2-3 quarts water, carrots, potatoes and chicken bullion cubes. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until veggies are soft. While that is simmering, cook the bacon in a frying pan. I like to slice it in small pieces while it is still a little frozen and then fry it–that way it is all ready crumbled and cooks pretty evenly. Set bacon aside on a paper towel to drain. Now, back to the soup pot. Add corn, cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk. If you want to you can add potato pearls or flakes at this point to make it thicker. Let chowder simmer 5-10 more minutes. Serve with warm rolls or bread. If you know you will be eating all of the soup at one meal, you can add all the bacon to the soup. I don’t like soggy bacon, so at my house, we add our own bacon to our individual bowls. *This chowder will definitely warm you up on a cold evening. It also makes an easy dinner to take to someone who is sick or struggling.

How to Bake Chicken

Just a little tutorial I got from OurBestBites.com.  This is the only way I cook chicken now.  It's moist and the clean up is so simple!


How to Bake Chicken

Oven Roasting
Okay, for this one, you can use bone-in or boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Boneless skinless is quick and easy, but bone-in will give you chicken with more flavor and it tends to be juicier.  But they both work great.  If you're after a particular flavor, marinating is a great way to go. However, if you're after a more neutral flavor for something like chicken salad or a casserole, rub the chicken with a little extra-virgin olive olive oil

and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If you want to meet somewhere in the middle, you could go the salt-based seasoning route from the Fauxtisserie Chicken method again--just sprinkle it on there.
Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. If you're using bone-in chicken breasts, place chicken, breast side up, on the baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes or until the juices run clear and, if you've somehow magically found a meat thermometer that works (see diatribe here), the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

If you're using boneless skinless chicken breasts, roast for 7 minutes, turn the chicken, and cook an additional 7 minutes. (I keep mine on convection at 400)
Whether you use boneless or bone-in chicken, remove from oven and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving. This keeps the meat juicy and flavorful (and hey, not burning yourself is a positive side benefit).  You can just toss the skin from the bone-in chicken.

Chicken Caesar Wrap

I made these with the Flat Out Wraps and they were so good, healthy, and easy.  I baked the chicken with the caesar dressing as marinade.  Yummy!!

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Serves 4
Ingredients
3 Chicken breasts
1 head Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese-grated
Caesar Salad dressing
4 tortillas

Marinate chicken in about 1/4-1/2 cup of caesar dressing for 2 or more hours. Usually when I pull my chicken breasts out of the freezer to defrost, I just put them in the marinade for the day. Grill outside, or on George Forman. Slice into bite size pieces. Chop up your lettuce, add cheese and dressing and mix. Put about 1 cup of salad mixture down the center of your tortilla. Then add chicken. Roll your tortilla and enjoy!

Homemade Waffles

We've kicked the Bisquick to the curb and started making pancakes and waffles from scratch lately. I can never go back to the box after eating these...they are moist, fluffy, perfectly flavored, and super-easy to make. What more could you want? Enjoy!
Homemade Waffles
allrecipes.com

2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs. white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until foamy and fluffy (on medium speed for at least one minute). Lightly beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until combined- do not overmix or your waffles will be dense. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot. Makes 16 waffles.

Salsa

Picture courtesy of foodsdiscovered.com

In honor of Cinco de Mayo today - here is a simple homemade salsa recipe.


Salsa
adapted from Carol Ramirez

1 bundle of green onions
cilantro
1 tsp crushed red pepper (dry)
2 tsp garlic salt with parsley
1 large can Hunts Petite Diced Tomatoes

Cut green onions. Using the white ends only,chop in small pieces. Break off small handful of cilantro and wash. If you want it really spicy use more cilantro. (I use enough to fit in the palm of my hand).
Chop onions and cilantro in the blender. Add crushed red peppers, garlic salt & tomatoes to blender. Blend well.

Refrigerate. It is better after it has been cooled. Enjoy.

Mapledoodles

I'm not a huge fan of maple but I couldn't stop eating these cookies.  Maybe because I made them with real maple syrup which is so much better than the store-bought kind.

I couldn't get the recipe on here so visit the link where I found the recipe at Cookies and Cups!

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Always fun to do something a little different.  These potatoes were deliciously creamy and different.  Plus it never hurts to gave a little greenery!

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes 
Publix grocery store recipe

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 (20-oz) packages refrigerated homestyle sliced potatoes  ( I just sliced my own potatoes and cooked them a bit longer)
8 slices bacon
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Prep

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut cream cheese into chunks; place in large bowl to soften.
• Coat 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Steps

1. Cook bacon following package instructions. Crumble bacon into bite-size pieces.
2. Stir broth and sour cream into cream cheese; gently stir in potatoes, bacon, peas, and 1 3/4 cups cheese. Transfer to baking dish and cover; bake 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove cover; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Serve.

Total Time: 70 minutes, Active Time: 15 minutes (Makes 12 Servings.)

Spiedies

These chicken sandwiches were so good- totally packed with amazing flavor. While the original recipe calls for cutting the chicken into cubes and then grilling it, if I make it again, I will leave them as breasts and serve them on whole wheat hamburger buns with some sort of green (like arugula or spinach). Seriously though, this is one flavorful dish. It would also be great served just as a chicken breast with rice on the side. So good.

picture courtesy The Little Kitchen

Spiedies

The Little Kitchen

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed)
6 (6-inch) sub rolls

Mix the oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Take 2 Tbsp of the oil mixture and place into another bowl and set aside. Prick the chicken breasts with a fork all over on each side. Cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks. Add to large (first) bowl of marinade. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 3 hours.

Whisk together mayo, vinegar and lemon juice with the 2 Tbsp of oil mixture set aside earlier. Remove the chicken and thread onto metal skewers. Heat your gril for 10 minutes on high. Oil your cooking grate. Place the skewers on the grill, turning frequently. Cook for 10-15 mintues. Remove from grill and allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes. Grill the rolls on grill for a few seconds each. Remove quickly or they will burn. Remove the chicken from the skewers and place directly on the rolls. Drizzle with mayo sauce mixture

Pita Bread

I must say, sometimes, even I am surprised by how something I always thought would be challenging to make is, in fact, quite easy. Take pita bread, for instance. I'm not sure why I thought they would have to be challenging; I guess I figured that pocket in the middle couldn't just show up like magic. But you know what? It does!

To be honest, this may be one of the quickest, easiest breads I've ever made (and I have made quite a few). The only draw back, if you can call it that, is that you do need to get out the rolling pin and dirty up the counter flattening these things out, but I think that it's worth it.

I really enjoy pita for all kinds of applications. My favorite is cut into wedges and dipped into hummus. In the picture above, I have stuffed it with fresh spinach, tomatoes, and hummus. They're also great for hot sandwiches. I love a nice seasoned patty of meat, especially if it's lamb with a little Greek inspired seasoning.

You start the pitas by mixing the ingredients together. The first time I made these, I mixed them in my stand mixer. However, the amount of dough is so small, that I found them just as quick to mix by hand, and then I didn't have to dirty up my mixer. Truth be told, you could mix the whole thing on the counter (make a well in the flour for the wet ingredients and then mix). The dough comes together nicely. It never quite loses its tackiness, but it will become smooth and workable, provided you don't knead at a snail's pace (the longer you hand is in contact with it at each go, the more chance it has of sticking). After mixing, knead the dough until it comes together nicely and is elastic. Please note that it is not a huge amount of dough; I don't exactly have the largest hands around.

Let the dough rise until doubled in an oiled and covered bowl. It took mine about an hour in a 72 degree house. Knock down the dough and flatten it out on a lightly floured counter top. Cut the dough into six even sized pieces and pull the dough around, almost like you are turning them inside out, and pinch the edges together to form a nice, smooth ball. Dampen a flour sack towel and place over the six dough balls to let them rest ten minutes. Resting allows you to roll them out without the gluten fighting you every step of the way.

Once they have rested, prepare two 11x17 inch pans or one 3/4 sheet pan (only recently becoming available at restaurant supply stores, this size pan is great because it is the largest pan you can fit in a home oven) with parchment. Roll the dough balls out on a lightly floured counter until they are about the size of your hand or about six inches in diameter.


Place the dough rounds onto the lined sheet and cover loosely with the damp towel again and let them rise for about half an hour. In the meantime, start your oven to preheating. It takes my oven a long time to preheat to 500 degrees! When the oven is heated and the pita rounds are just slightly puffy, place them into the oven and then watch the magic happen. A nice, hot oven is required if you want the pitas to puff properly. Also, if you feel they have dried out too much before going in the oven, you can spritz them with a little water. If they are too dried out, they won't be able to puff as well.

Bake pitas until they are puffed and just starting to think about turning a little golden. I will warn you, there is a fine line between undercooked and overcooked pitas, so be sure that you are watching them carefully. It took mine about 7-10 minutes to bake. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a rack to cool. As they cool, most will start to deflate, but if they don't before you want to store them, gently press the air out of them. I typically have one pita per batch that doesn't puff as well as the others. Makes it hard to use as a pocket, but it still tastes great!

Pitas store in an airtight bag for 3-4 days or they can be frozen for up to six months. They taste best if they are just slightly warmed before serving so they become soft and supple again.

Pita Bread
Yield: 6 pita rounds

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and knead until a supple dough forms. Dough should still be tacky but not sticky. If it is too sticky, knead in a little flour. Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until double, about one hour.

Knock down the dough, press into a flat rectangle to facilitate cutting it into six even dough pieces. Form each piece into a ball by pinching the dough around to the bottom, forming a smooth surface. Cover the six balls with a slightly damp flour sack towel (or paper towels). Let dough rest, covered, for about ten minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Prepare two 11x17 sheet pans with parchment. Roll out each dough ball until it is nice and thin and about six inches in diameter. Mine were about 3/8 of an inch thick. Place rounds on the parchment, cover with the damp towel and let them rise for about half an hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.

When the oven is preheated and the dough has risen slightly, place the pitas into the oven. Bake 7-10 minutes or until nicely puffed and just starting the turn color. Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Okay, this looks funky but it was so easy, so different, and so good!

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Charlotte

from Publix grocery store 

Ingredients
1 (12-oz) Bakery butter loaf cake
8 small dark chocolate peppermint patties  (I used York patties)
8 square fudge mint cookies  (I used Grasshopper cookies)
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 (12-oz) box no-bake cheesecake mix (filling portion only)
Whipped topping (optional)

Prep

• Cut cake into very thin (1/4-inch-thick) slices.
• Chop peppermint patties finely.
• Chop cookies finely.

Steps

1. Place milk and filling mix in medium bowl; beat with mixer on low 1 minute. Add chopped patties; mix on high 3–4 minutes or until thick.
2. Line 3-quart dessert bowl with cake slices, covering bottom and sides (reserving some slices for top). Spoon one-half of the filling over the cake slices, then add one-half of the cookie crumbs; repeat. Finish with a layer of cake slices. Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
3. Dessert may be inverted onto serving plate before slicing. Serve with whipped topping.

Total Time: 45 minutes, Active Time: 15 minutes (Makes 8 Servings.)