[Liz]

Easy Soft Flour Tortillas
Soft, pliable, perfect for wrapping. A few tricks. Dissolving salt in warm water helps season the dough especially if using coarser salt. Rolling very thin and dialing in pan heat guarantees those appetizing bubbles, and the perfect texture.

Make 10 (8-inch) tortillas 2 cups flour 1 tsp fine sea salt 2/3 cup very warm water 5 tbl light flavored oil, melted shortening, melted lard or melted butter

Direction Add salt to the warm water and stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, fork/combine flour with the oil (or other fat) til it looks crumbly. Pour in almost all of the salty water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more of the water. When the dough comes together, transfer to floured work surface and knead smooth, 2-3 minutes. Cover with a clean dishcloth and leave 15 minutes (up to 2 hours). Resting the dough makes rolling it out easier. Divide into ten equal sized blobs and shape them into small disks.

Rolling pin each small disk into 8-inch rounds. The thinner, the better--don’t worry about making them perfectly round. Stack them w/ parchment between.

Cook Tortillas Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet on med-high. When hot, add the first tortilla. Within 20-30 seconds, you should start to see it puffing up with bubbles.When the bottom of the tortilla has some brown spots, flip it and cook until the second side is browned in places and the tortilla looks dry at edges----will take 1-2 minutes to cook. Transfer cooked tortilla to a dishcloth and cover it, then continue, adjusting heat as needed.

Tips Substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. The dough might need a bit more water. Make ahead: Divide the dough into smaller balls (this recipe makes ten 8-inch tortillas), wrap them very well, and then place them in the refrigerator for up to three days. About thirty to forty minutes before you plan to cook the tortillas, take them out of the fridge and bring to room temp before rolling out.

Store leftover tortillas in a resealable plastic bag for a day or two or freeze if they need to be stored longer. Fresh homemade flour tortillas are at their softest when warm, so if you have room-temperature or cold tortillas, we recommend reheating them in a skillet until they are warm and pliable again. Freeze flour tortillas in a freezer-safe bag or container, stacked with a small sheet of parchment between. \

[Liz]

Southwest Cream Cheese Chicken Wraps / a hearty lunch or light dinner
Add red peppers, black beans, corn, shredded cheddar and SW spices in flour tortillas.

Ing 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Dash of cayenne 2 cloves garlic minced 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped 1 red bell pepper diced 1 cup frozen corn thawed 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup sour cream 4 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 6-8 large tortillas 1 1/2 to 2 cups tortilla strips optional

Instructions In skillet, heat ol/oil on med. Add 3 cups chicken, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno and 1 red bell pepper. Cook 5 min til warmed through and peppers are just tender. Stir in cup frozen corn, 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 cup sour cream, 4 oz cubed cream cheese and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Continue cooking and stirring until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup chopped green onions and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Divide mixture into 6-8 large tortillas. Sprinkle with 1 1/2-2 cups crisp tortilla strips. Roll up tightly; serve immediately.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I new you’d have the answers for me. Thanks! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

As luck would have it, I just happen to have a 5 gallon bucket of bear ‘lard!’ I WAS going to use it in my homemade bird suet over the winter months, but if I can make Tortillas from it, Beau would love that!

As a kid, whenever we got a cut or scrape Grandpa would put ‘Grandma’s Goose Grease’ on it and we were just fine. I know for a FACT that neither of my Grandmas raised geese. ;)

Beau uses that ‘lard’ on anything leather. It keeps it supple and looking nice and has good waterproofing qualities. And amazingly it does NOT smell nasty. (He renders it OUTSIDE, of course!)

[FamiliarFace]

Ahh, this is what happens when I miss the gardening thread for a few days!

Last night we made killer pork carnitas burritos. I used shishito peppers in them. What amazing flavor, and hubby said they were the best we’ve ever made. I agree!

Next time I will try homemade tortillas instead of store bought ones.

[Liz]

Caramel Fudge Cheesecake in Brownie Crust
Divinely decadent. Tastes best days later. Must be thoroughly cooled before serving.

Ing pkg fudge brownie mix (must use 8" square pan size to be baked in 9" springform) 14 oz package Kraft caramels 1/4 cup evap/milk 1-1/4 cups coarse-chp nuts option 2-8 oz bars cr/cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 lge eggs, room temp, lightly beaten 2 oz ea unsweet/choc, semi-sweet chocolate, both melted and cooled milk chocolate shavings garnish

Steps Prepare brownie batter as per pkg. Spread into greased 9" springform. Bake on sheetpan 350 deg 20 min. Place on wire rack 10 min. Micro-melt caramels with milk. Pour over brownie crust leaving inch margin at edges; sprinkle with nut option.

Beat cream cheese/sugar light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat on low; just combine. Stir in melted chocolate. Pour mixture over caramel. Bake on sheetpan til center is almost set, 350 deg 35-40 min. Cool on wire rack 10 min. Run knife at edges to loosen; cool 1 hour longer on counter.

Must-do Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cool. Next day remove sides of pan. Garnish w/ milk chocolate shavings and serve.