http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/16614
7-Up Bread
This recipe was submitted by one of our readers and has not been tested by our food editors. We are not responsible for errors in this recipe, but if you find one, please let us know in our feedback form.
Yield: 10 or more nice slices
This came from an old beer bread recipe that we did not like. So I changed it a little and made a better tasting bread.
* 3 cups self-rising flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 can 7-Up
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a lightly greased and floured bread pan. Batter will be lumpy. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes. Top will be golden brown.
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Dish Bread
This is the easiest yeast bread you will ever make. Its texture is a bit more coarse than many yeast breads, but it is wonderfully moist, perfumes your whole house while baking, and is irresistible when warm from the oven. Also, it makes excellent toast.
* 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 packages of yeast (4 teaspoons)
* 1 egg (at room temperature), lightly beaten
* 1-1/2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3/4 cup very warm water
* 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast and honey. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes.
Mix the egg, butter, salt and water into the milk mixture. Gradually add the flour, stirring until well blended.
Cover the bowl and allow dough to rise in a warm place until more than doubled in bulk (about 40 minutes). Stir the dough down and beat for 30 seconds.
Pile the dough into a greased bowl (a 1-1/2 quart Pyrex casserole dish will give you a nice, round loaf). Bake for about 50 minutes. Brush melted butter on the top of the loaf when it’s just out of the oven.
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes//dishbred.htm
© 2009 Texas Cooking Online, Inc.
Chili Gravy
This chili gravy is indispensable for enchiladas, tamales, and a host of other Tex-Mex dishes.
* 3 tablespoons melted shortening or lard
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 large garlic clove, minced or put through a garlic press
* 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
* 1/4 cup good chili powder (preferably Gebhardt’s or your own homemade)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
* 2 cups beef stock
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon Masa Harina
* salt to taste
Over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is softened, but not browned. Stir in the bacon drippings, chili powder, cumin, oregano; then gradually add the beef stock and water, stirring well.
Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until mixture is slightly reduced and thickened. Mix the Masa Harina with a few tablespoons of water or the gravy, itself, and stir back into the gravy. Simmer for 10 minutes more. Taste the gravy and add salt only if you think it necessary.
Makes about 4 cups.
Note: A word about chili powder: The most-recommended chili powder in Texas is Gebhardt’s, and for good reason. Also, if you make your own chili powder and can get your hands on some dried chiles pasillas, make some pure ground pasillas, and youll have an extraordinary powder for Tex-Mex enchiladas. However, if neither is accessible to you, you can still make perfectly acceptable and delicious Tex-Mex enchiladas with McCormick’s or Durkee’s chili powder, or whatever it is that your store carries. If you know nothing whatsoever of chili powder or chiles, then my instructions to you are very simple: Buy a product called “chili powder” — not cayenne, not crushed red pepper, not ground red pepper.
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes//chiligravy.htm
© 2009 Texas Cooking Online, Inc.
How to Make Your Own Chili Powder
or Some Like it Hot
by Eleanor Bradshaw
June may seem an unlikely month to present a how-to piece on making your own chili powder. Sure, there are lots of us who love chili year round, but many people really dont think about chili, especially making it, until the heat of summer has tapered off, and a nip is in the air.
When it comes to something as seemingly superfluous as making your own chili powder, after the McCormick people have gone to the trouble of putting all those little bottles on the supermarket shelf, you need some lead time to turn the whole idea over in your mind.
Im not going to spend much time talking you into it. Its not hard to do. You dont need any special equipment. Its fun. And you end up with an incredibly good, fresh, unadulterated chili powder that will (excuse me, McCormick) put all those little bottles to shame. Not only that but, once you learn how to turn dried chiles into chili powder, you can keep a stock of your favorite chiles on hand to use whenever you wish, even if you live in an area where chiles are not readily available.
Buy Mexican Food Products Here
Authentic Mexican spices at MexGrocer.com
Now, the following recipe is a guide — something you can go by. The whole point of making your own chili powder is to make it to your own personal taste.
Assemble the following ingredients:
For mildness and flavor:
* 4 Ancho chiles (dried poblanos) [see Chile Primer]
* 3 Dried New Mexico chiles
For heat:
* 3 to 5 Dried Chiles de Arbol or Cayenne
For flavor:
* 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons ground oregano (Mexican oregano, if you can get it)
Preheat your oven to 300F.
Remove stems and seeds from all the chiles. Cut each chile in half with scissors and flatten the pieces. Incidentally, good dried chiles will still have some moisture in them and be fairly pliable. Dont use dried chiles that are so dry and fragile that they shatter when touched. Chile ristras and wreaths are wonderful decorative accents, but the chiles dry out and lose their flavor.
Readers clicked to these chili recipes:
* Texas Style Chili
* Pedernales River Chili
* Brazos River Chili
* Three Chiles Chili
Other related articles:
* FAQ on Different Chiles
* Raven Article - Chili Weather
Put the chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove the pan and check the chiles (they cool almost immediately). The smaller chiles will be toasted first, so remove them and set aside. Bake the larger pieces another 4 minutes and check again. The poblanos will be done last, but as portions of them toast, break them off and set aside returning the pan to the oven if necessary.
When all chiles are toasted and crispy, break each piece into two or three pieces and place in a blender. Pulse briefly until you have powder.
Toast the cumin seeds by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir the seeds constantly being very careful not to let them scorch. When they are a few shades darker than the untoasted seeds, they are ready. Grind the toasted seeds with a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper.
Add the ground cumin, garlic powder and oregano to the ground chiles in the blender. Pulse a few more times to thoroughly mix the powder, and youre through. You should have about 1 cup of chili powder, depending upon the size of your chiles.
You have created your own custom blend of chili powder. If you compare what you have just made with the store-bought variety, you will find it to be much darker in color with a deeper, richer aroma and taste. Naturally, you will want to test your creation, and an excellent recipe for doing so is the Brazos River Chili in Grandmas Cookbook, or any good recipe that relies heavily on chili powder.
This recipe makes very good chili powder, but is by no means written in stone. The chiles and other ingredients can be varied according to your taste. To add the smoky heat of chipoltes (smoked jalapeos), for instance, substitute a chipolte for one of the chiles de arbol. Or better yet, toast some chipoltes and make a pure chipolte powder from them. A teaspoon of chipolte powder is the rough equivalent of one chipolte chile.
Store your chili powder in a small, airtight container like a glass jar with a lid that can be tightened. If you make more chili powder than you will be using in the immediate future, triple bag it in plastic bags and put it in the freezer.
With this knowledge, you are limited only by your imagination and your taste.
END OF ARTICLE
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Grandma’s Fried Okra and Potatoes
This is a dish my husband loves, and he professes to hate okra! Not the deep-fried, batter-dipped variety, this is quick — something you can keep an eye on while the rest of your supper cooks. And remember, the larger the okra pod, the tougher, so choose small pods.
* 1 pound fresh okra
* 2 large potatoes (baking type — not new potatoes)
* 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Wash okra and cut off stem ends. Cut in 1/2-inch pieces. Peel potatoes and chop into 1/2-inch dice. Put okra and potatoes in large bowl. Add chopped onion to mixture. Sprinkle cornmeal, salt and pepper over mixture. Stir until cornmeal is evenly distributed throughout mixture.
Heat cooking oil in large skillet over medium heat (oil should be hot, but not smoking hot). Carefully spoon okra/potato mixture into hot oil. Fry, turning mixture occasionally, until potatoes are done and mixture is nicely browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Makes enough for 4 or 5 hungry people.
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© 2009 Texas Cooking Online, Inc.
Old-Fashioned Fried Okra
* 1 quart okra (4 cups)
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 1 egg, well beaten
* 1 cup shortening
Wash okra well and drain. Cut off tip and stem ends. Cut in 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside in medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Pour the beaten egg over the okra, and toss until okra is coated. Pour flour mixture over okra, and toss to coat.
Heat shortening in a large skillet over medium heat (oil should be hot, but not smoking hot). Add okra and fry until brown and crisp. Drain well on paper towels. Makes about 6 servings.
Note: Remember, the larger the okra pod, the tougher it will be, so choose small pods.
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes//fried_okra.htm
© 2009 Texas Cooking Online, Inc.
Fried Jalapeños
Jalapeños have a wonderful flavor, If you remove the seeds and internal stems, you get a great tasting chile pepper without as much heat. These little devils are great to munch on before a Tex-Mex meal.
* 1 14-ounce can whole pickled jalapeños
* 1/2 pound Longhorn cheese, grated
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup milk
* oil for deep-frying
Cut the tops off the jalapeños and scoop out the seeds. Stuff each jalapeño with one-half to one tablespoon grated Longhorn cheese, pressing it down into the pepper with your finger.
In a bowl, combine the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl, stir the salt and pepper into the flour. Roll the filled jalapeños in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then again in the flour mixture. Set aside to allow the coating to set while you bring the temperature of the oil to 350°F degrees.
Deep-fry the jalapeños until they are golden brown (1 or 2 minutes).
Note: If your supermarket doesn’t have Longhorn cheese, medium-sharp cheddar can be substituted.
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes//friedjalapenos.htm
© 2009 Texas Cooking Online, Inc.
Grandma’s Fried Fruit Pies
These little pies are so good. The last time I made them, the people who said “I’ll just have one,” had at least two.
This pastry recipe will make twelve 5- to 6-inch pies.
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup Crisco or other good vegetable shortening
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup cold water
* 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, fork, your hands, or whatever method works best for you, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir together the beaten egg with the water and sprinkle over flour mixture. Sprinkle in the vinegar, mixing lightly, until ingredients are well combined. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
The Filling
Although the basic recipe is listed, please note that for each cup of dried fruit, you need at least a half-cup and probably more of water, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. If you make a dozen pies, you may want to mix up the flavors. Using the proportions in this recipe, for example, I made six Apricot and six Apple/Cherry by using approximately 1-1/2 cups of dried apricots and 1 cup of apples and 1/3 cup of dried cherries. Of course, I cooked the apricots separate from the apples and cherries.
* 3 cups dried fruit (apricots, peaches, apples)
* 1-1/2 cups water
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
On very low heat, simmer the dried fruit in the water for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very tender. Add water if necessary to prevent scorching. Allow to cool; mash fruit slightly. Stir in the sugar and spices. This step may be done in advance and refrigerated; however, warm up the fruit (microwave is fine) enough to take the chill off and make it workable before filling your pies.
Putting It All Together
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and cut it into four equal pieces. You can then cut each of the four pieces into three equal pieces, leaving you with 12 golf-ball-size dough balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Your circles do not have to be perfect, and ragged edges are okay.
Put 2 generous tablespoons of filling onto one side of the circle of dough. Seal the pie by wetting the inside edge of the dough with water (use your finger), and then fold over the dough, making the familiar half-moon-shaped pie. Make sure the edges of the dough are even, and press and crimp to insure a good seal. You can use a fork to give you a bit of a decorative edge if you like. You can also correct the more ragged edges during this step because the dough is pliable. Just make sure the filling is sealed in and any holes in the dough are crimped.
Frying
I use two methods and both are good. To deep-fry, heat the oil in a deep pan with steep sides or a deep-fryer. Carefully lower the pies into the oil, one at a time, and fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. You don’t have to worry about cooking the filling since it’s already cooked. The frying process merely cooks the dough.
The second method is panfrying. Fry the pies in about a half inch of oil in an electric frying pan set to 375° F. Panfrying takes a little longer and the pies have to be turned, but the end result will be every bit as good. Sprinkle the hot fried pies with confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Note: Whatever the frying method, be sure your oil is very fresh. You don’t want your pies to take on the flavor of last week’s onion rings.
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