Caprese Salad

I could eat Caprese everyday, especially when the tomatoes and basil come from the farm stand just down the street from me. I dare you to find a more refreshing salad!

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, sliced
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced- Fresh is best
• Fresh Basil leaves
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Pepper

Cooking Directions:

Layer tomatoes, cheese and whole basil leaves, and repeat. Drizzle with as much or as little balsamic vinegar as you like and sprinkle with pepper.

Pizza

Nothing beats homemade pizza. We like our crust thin and a bit crispy. Here are a few tips about making pizza crust:

• Mix wet ingredients together first, then gradually add dry.
• The less flour the more it will rise (but make sure there is enough).
  
• Allow a couple hours to let the dough rise quite a bit.
• Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan or stone to ensure that it won't stick.
• If you are having difficulty rolling out the dough, walk away from it for a bit. It will roll out better.
• Cook your rolled out dough for about 5 min before putting sauce, and toppings on.

Pizza (makes 2 pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 1 c warm water
• 1 pkg yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tb olive oil
• 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 unsifted flour (less is best).
• Corn meal
• Garlic powder, Rosemary and basil flakes if desired
• 1 can tomato sauce (mix in garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Desired toppings: Pepperoni, green pepper, onion, tomatoes, chopped spinach, etc.

Pizza Directions:

Mix water with yeast and sugar, allow yeast to agitate. Blend all ingredients in Bosch/Kitchen Aid adding flour slowly. Set aside to rise until doubled. Punch and roll out. Makes 2 12-in crusts. Sprinkle corn meal on pan before placing crust on pan- so it won’t stick. Bake crust alone for about 5 min, and then add sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 min.

Bistro Ham Sandwich

A favorite go-to in our house.

Ingredients:

• Sandwich Bread
• Butter
• 2 Granny Smith Apples, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb Deli Ham slices
• 1/3 lb Deli sliced Swiss cheese
• Mustard, any type
• Pepper

Cooking Directions:

Spread butter on outside of bread. Spread mustard on inside of bread. Layer ham, cheese, and apple in sandwich, sprinkle with pepper. Cook in skillet on medium-high on both sides until cheese is melted.

Sweet onions

I love these onions so much, I eat them plain. One of my major complaints about living in the East is that it is difficult to find good Mexican. One of my favorite places back in P-town is Bajios. I love their onion-corn mix, well and a lot of other stuff. So one day I decided to make something like it...here is what it has become. Put them on anything, I mean everything Mexican.
Sweet onions

• Vidalia onion
• Butter
• Brown Sugar, I use around 1 tsp
• Lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions
Throw everything in a fry pan and saute until desired tenderness.

Carnitas

It's what my husband requested for Father's Day. I hadn't made them before but something like it so I looked up a few recipes and made my own. Can I just say, they rocked (which is why I'm recording it now...so I can recreate it later)!

Carnitas

• Pork roast- I'm sure it will work with any other meat as well
• 1 7oz can diced green chilies
• 1/2 -1 c. salsa- medium added just the right amount of kick
• Lots of lime juice, fresh is always best
• Salt, garlic salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder

Cooking Directions:
Brown the meat in sauce pan, season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Fill crock pot with enough water to almost cover the roast. Cook on low for 4-5 hrs or until meat pulls apart easily. Drain water and shred meat. Mix in salsa, chilies, cumin, chili powder and more salt and pepper. Squeeze in lime juice and mix. Cook another 2 hrs.

Serve in taco shells or on tortillas with desired toppings. May I suggest a lot of sweet onions.

Crispy Ranch Chicken

We love this chicken. It's quick and my kids always eat a ton! This is a great dish to make for company, good to impress anyone's taste buds.

• 3/4 to 1 c crushed cornflakes

• 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese, fresh

• 1/2 envelope ranch salad dressing mix (Less if you don’t want strong ranch taste)

• 4 chicken breasts (slice in half to make 8 thin chicken breasts, or use meat tenderizer)

• 1/2 c melted butter

Combine cornflakes, cheese, and ranch mix. Dip chicken in butter then coat both sides in cornflake mixture. Place on greased baking dish. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 25 min, or until done.