Pretzels (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

I doubled this recipe because my family inhaled these and was asking for more. 
View original recipe here.

Dough

5 cups (20.1 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
4½ tsp instant yeast
2 cups (16 oz) very warm water

Topping

½ c (4 oz) warm water (try boiling)
2 Tbsp baking soda
Coarse salt
6 Tbsp butter, melted

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30-60 min.

Preheat your oven to 400°. (Originally 500°). Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 16 equal pieces (about 2.5 ounces each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 min. While the dough is resting combine the ½ c warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn’t, it will make your pretzels splotchy. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (anywhere from 14-22” long) and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 min.

Bake the pretzels for 7-9 min (I baked mine at 500 for only 6 min) or until golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

Chicken Corn Chowder (Monica Brinton)

5-6 potatoes, cubed
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 c frozen corn
1/6 lb cooked bacon bits (2.65 oz) (originally 1/3 lb)
2 c shredded rotisserie chicken
1.5-2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 green onions, chopped (originally 1 bunch)
½ c butter
¾ c flour
4 c milk (1 quart)

In a pot, add cubed potatoes, bouillon cubes, and water barely covering the potatoes. Bring to a boil. When potatoes are almost soft ~15 min, (do not drain water) add corn, bacon, chicken, cheese and onions. In a separate pot, make the white sauce: melt butter, whisk in flour. When bubbly, add milk and whisk more. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and has thickened. Add sauce to soup when the first pot of vegetables are ready.

Lemon and Garlic Baked Tilapia (shrutisdilectabledilites.com)

This was a huge winner with my entire family!

*picture from shrutisdilectabledilites.com

8 Tilapia filets (if frozen, thaw)

12 cloves garlic, crushed and diced large

5 Tbsp butter

8 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided

6 tsp Parsley (fresh or dried)

2 tsp Oregano (fresh or dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter on a low flame in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and sauté on low for ~1 min. Add all but 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice, shut off flame, and remove from heat.

Lightly spray the bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes. Add 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice to each pan. Place the fish in the pans. Add seasonings. Pour the lemon butter mixture on the fish (dividing evenly between pans) and top with fresh parsley for garnish. Bake at 400° until cooked, ~15 min (or until semi-golden).

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup (keyingredient.com)

This soup was a big hit with my family! I have doubled the tortellini.



2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil (originally 2 Tbsp)
2 10.75oz cans of condensed tomato soup
⅛ c sun dried tomatoes, chopped (or 2 Tbsp of sun dried tomato paste) - originally ¼c
2 c half and half
2 c chicken stock
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
20 oz cheese filled tortellini (originally 9 oz)
¼ c shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Sauté garlic with the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat until golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt. When the garlic is done, add the tomato soup, tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock and spices. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup. Cook according to the package directions (simmer for 7-9 min). After tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Gravy (thecountrycook.net)

My kids loved this dish!

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy mix (try 1)

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

2 c water

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

½ c sour cream (optional)

Rice, mashed potatoes or noodles to serve over *I also steamed veggies to serve with it.

Season chicken breasts (both sides) with garlic powder, black pepper and just a tad bit of salt. Note: the chicken gravy and cream of chicken soup already have salt in them so don't go overboard on seasoning with salt (about a teaspoon should work).

In your slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken soup, and water until smooth. Add the seasoned chicken breasts. Cover them in gravy. Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Once cooked, break chicken up into chunks using a fork. Stir in sour cream (if using). 

Note from thecountrycook.net: I think the sour cream adds a great creaminess to this so I definitely recommend adding it in! Then serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. 

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes, Slow Cooker (damndelicious.net)

These potatoes were so yummy! We ate them for dinner, but they would be great for breakfast, too! Preparation was super easy and quick.

6 slices bacon
3 pounds red potatoes, chopped
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 Tbsp Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread bacon in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven until brown and crispy, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool before crumbling; set aside.

Line slow cooker with aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang to wrap potatoes on top. Coat with nonstick spray. Place a layer of potatoes evenly into the slow cooker. Top with cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon, salt and pepper, repeating 2 more times, reserving ½ cup cheese.

Cover potatoes with aluminum foil and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat 3-4 hours. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover and cook until melted, about 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with chives.

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup (Cooking Classy)

Holy cow, this was amazing! Original recipe from Cooking Classy. This will be replacing my old potato soup recipe, which is great, but this knocked our socks off!

3-3.5# Russet potatoes, peeled, diced into .5”-.75” pieces (~7 medium potatoes, 8-9 cups)

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 c)

3 (14.5oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 c evaporated milk
1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 c butter

1/3 c all-purpose flour

½ c sour cream

1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)

9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled

4 green onions, diced

Add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours (poke potatoes with a fork to check make sure they’re soft). Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup in slow cooker into a measuring cup, set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups soup liquid into butter mixture (it will thicken quickly). Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend. If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an emulsion blender to puree. Cover and cook on high until thickened, about 10 min. Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions (you can just mix in those 3 remaining ingredients into slow cooker or top individual servings).

Pesto Pizza (71 toes.com) "Green Pizza"

Pizza crust “Trader Joe’s” or your favorite
Basil Pesto (Kirkland brand from Costco)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Rotisserie chicken (from Costco), shredded
Cornmeal (optional)

Sprinkle cornmeal on cookie sheet. Follow directions for pizza dough. After pre-baking (if your dough requires it) spread pesto all over it. Spread mozzarella cheese on top and add chicken. Bake according to dough directions.

Baked Oven Fries (Annies-eats.com)

Source and nice picture here.

3 Russet Potatoes (~24oz total)

5 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil, divided

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 475°. Peel and cut potatoes lengthwise into even-sized wedges. Place the wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 min. Put 4 Tbsp of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 min. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 min, rotating the baking sheet after 10 min. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5-15 min. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

BBQ Chicken Salad (like Zupas')

I am sadly not a huge salad lover, but I love Zupas' BBQ Chicken Salad. When I saw this recipe that looked just like it, I had to try it, and I loved it just as much! Yippee!

Here is my iPhone picture in the evening (no natural light!)

Here is a beautiful picture from the source. Wowza!

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 tenders

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 c chopped Romaine lettuce

1 Roma tomato, diced

¾ c canned corn kernels, drained (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¾ c canned black beans, drained, rinsed (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¼ c diced red onion
black olives, sliced (original recipe didn't have these, but Zupas' salad does)

¼ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ c shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c Ranch dressing (optional)

¼ c BBQ sauce

¼ c tortilla strips (optional)

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add a little BBQ sauce for flavor. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. (I left Ranch out for those who like it to spread it on top.) Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

Garlic Chicken Puffs (tidymom.net)

Original recipe (and better pictures) HERE.

The family loved this recipe. It would've been awesome to have a dipping sauce.

6 (frozen) chicken tenderloins
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
Salt and pepper
4 oz cream cheese
2 (8 count) cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Put tenderloins in a skillet on the stove at medium heat. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Add minced garlic. Add salt and pepper as desired. When chicken thaws, turn over. Heat until chicken is cooked through.

Put chicken-garlic mixture into a blender along with the cream cheese. Blend well. Unroll crescent dough* and cut each triangle into 2 triangles. Place 1 tsp of chicken mixture on the center of each triangle and fold the corners in over the creamy mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 11-14 min.

*Try instead to pat a layer of the crescent dough on the bottom of a sprayed pan. Spread chicken mixture over it, then top with another layer of dough.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (familyfreshmeals.com)

I enjoyed these cookies from familyfreshmeals.com. I did you and myself the favor of ordering the ingredients correctly (the original recipe really messed me up that way).

I really like the white chocolate chips in this recipe. 
Makes 3 dozen large cookies or 4 doz small.

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt (try ¾ tsp)

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 c chocolate chips

½ c white chocolate chips

2 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until well creamed together. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add chocolate chips and mix. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in the oats and mix just until combined. Drop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon on to the prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies 12 min or until cookies are lightly browned. Do not over-bake. They will seem a little soft, but will firm up as they cool. You want to keep the nice, soft texture.

Spaghetti Pie (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

It seems that all of my favorite recipes come from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She's pretty awesome! I've been wanting to try this one for a while since she said it is her family's favorite. It was a good one and I enjoyed making it, even! I decreased the amount of Parmesan cheese (I only had canned).

12 oz thin spaghetti or vermicelli noodles

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 small white or yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

28-oz can crushed tomatoes

16-oz tomato sauce

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

4 oz light cream cheese, softened

½ c lowfat cottage cheese

¼ c Parmesan cheese, plus (originally 3/4 c)

¾ c mozzarella cheese, divided

Lightly coat a deep 9- or 10” pie plate with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until al dente according to package directions. While the noodles boil, heat a large 12” skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef or turkey, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and continuing to break up the meat, until the meat is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and drain any excess grease. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Simmer the sauce over medium or medium-low heat for 10 min.

When the noodles are done cooking, drain and return to the pot. Immediately stir in the cream cheese and toss the noodles by lightly lifting them up and over with tongs until the cream cheese is mostly melted. Stir in the cottage cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ½ c of the mozzarella cheese. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Stir in 2 c of the red sauce. Keep the remainder of the red sauce warm on the stove.

Scrape the noodles into the prepared pie plate and using a flat spatula, press the noodles evenly into the dish so they are tightly pressed together and evenly flat across the top. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese and the remaining ¼ c mozzarella cheese across the top.

Bake the spaghetti pie for 20-22 min, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is golden on top. Let the dish rest for 10 min. Cut into slices and serve with remaining red sauce.

BBQ Chicken Marinade (Whitney Heap)

We've had this twice now, and it is a winner!

Chicken
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup oil
1 can Sprite

Add chicken to a large plastic bag or glass container. Mix marinade and pour over chicken. Let marinate overnight. Barbecue on a grill. (No additional seasonings needed.)

Fresh Corn on the Cob (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

7-8 ears of corn, husked and silky threads removed


4-6 quarts water

2 Tbsp sugar


2 Tbsp white vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (~4-6 quarts of water). When boiling, add the sugar and vinegar and bring to a full boil again. Add the husked corn, submerging all the ears in the water the best that you can. Bring the water to a full boil again. This is important! It may take a few minutes for the water to come back to boiling temperature once the corn is added but let it come to a full boil before moving on. Once the water is at a full boil, cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit in the hot, steaming water for 10 min. (The corn can stay in the water for up to 20 min. without becoming pithy and dry.)

Creamy Cheese Potatoes (justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com)

These were super yummy! Original recipe here.

5-6 large potatoes (enough to fill a 9×13 dish)
1 pint (2 c) whipping cream or half & half
Salt and Pepper
2 c grated cheddar cheese
2 tsp parsley flakes

Cut potatoes into thin French fry strips, and lay them in a greased 9x13” glass pan. Pour cream over the top of the fries. Salt and pepper them generously. Sprinkle at least 2 cups cheese over the top. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top of the cheese. Cover with foil, and poke a fork through the top of the foil, 2 or 3 times to allow a little steam to escape (so the cream doesn’t boil over into your oven). Bake on the middle rack at 400° for about 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. During the last 15-20 minutes of baking, lower the rack one more step to make the bottom of the potatoes, brown and crispy.

Roast and Gravy (Courtenay South)

Courtenay and Andrew have perfected the art of pot roast and gravy making. They've made this for us several times and we always love it. I finally got around to asking for the recipe and trying it. Success! I altered the portions slightly as noted.

Roast

Olive oil
1½ lb roast, cheapest cut (Originally 2-3 lb.)
1 lb baby carrots (Originally 2 lb)
Potatoes, peeled and left whole ~1 per person
1/2 onion, peeled and cut in half (Originally 1 onion)
Optional: Celery tops and bottoms (the parts you usually throw away) – helps tenderize the roast
½ c beef broth* (beef bouillon and water or just water, and add the bouillon when making the gravy)
Montreal Steak Seasoning (Grill Mates 29oz from Costco)

1. Heat frying pan to medium-high. Drizzle with olive oil. Generously season one side of the roast, coating the entire side. This seasoning will flavor all of the food in the slow cooker, as well as your gravy. Place the seasoned side down into the frying pan to brown it. While it is browning coat the upper side with the same amount of seasoning. When the bottom side is brown, flip and brown the other side.

2. Meanwhile, pour your carrots into the slow cooker, and add your water/beef broth. Place browned, seasoned roast on top of carrots. Place the potatoes around the roast. Divide the onion into 4 sections and place on top of the roast (onions add flavor and help to tenderize the meat). Add celery on top of onions if using. Add broth OR *add HOT water to the frying pan and use a spatula to gather all of the remaining seasoning. Pour that seasoned water into the slow cooker instead of using broth. Use HOT water so you don't warp your pan.

3. Put on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours) or until meat and carrots are tender. Make sure you cook it long enough or the meat will be tough, and the carrots hard. The potatoes cook the fastest so make sure they are not in any liquid (which speeds up cooking). If you are going to cook the roast on low for 8 hours you may want to add the potatoes a few hours into the cooking time. 

Gravy
Makes 2-3 cups. Not the healthiest part...but it will make or break your dinner. This is half of the original recipe.

¼ c butter (or fat drippings from the roast) 
¼ c flour 
2 c water 
2 cubes beef bouillon 
½ tsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce (This also works great in stew.) 

1. Remove cooked items from slow cooker, put in glass or stainless steel bowls, cover with foil or lids, and place in a warm oven while making the gravy. Throw away the celery and onions. Keep all of the liquid to use in the gravy. 

2. Make a roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until butter/flour mixture begins to bubble. Whisk for 1 more minute to cook out the flour taste. 

3. Add 2 cups of liquid, first using the liquid from the slow cooker and then add enough beef broth to make 2 cups. Increase heat to medium/medium-high. Continue stirring/whisking as you heat the gravy. While you stir, taste the gravy and season as needed (use beef bouillon, seasoning salt, garlic, etc). Add the browning sauce. Continue whisking until the gravy comes to a boil. Once the gravy is boiling it is about the consistency it will be. 2 cups of liquid makes a pretty thick gravy, so add more broth to thin as desired. 

Serve the gravy over the meat, potatoes and carrots. Enjoy!

Thank you, Courtenay and Andrew!!!

Quinoa Chicken Chili (sweettreatsmore.com)

I found this recipe on sweettreatsmore.com. The family loved it!

This is half the original recipe and makes enough to feed my family with enough left over for a nice lunch or two for me.

½ c quinoa, rinsed
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes*
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) corn, drained
2 c chicken stock
1 large chicken breast
½ large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ tsp minced onion
½ tsp garlic
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp chili powder (or taco seasoning)
1 tsp salt
Cheese
Cornbread (optional)

Place everything in a 6 qt slow cooker and cook for 5-7 hours on low or 2.5-3.5 on high. Remove chicken, shred it and return to slow cooker. Keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish with cheese. Add cornbread if desired.

*The original recipe had 7 oz more of tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilies ~ Rotel). Add more liquid or tomatoes if needed.

Vegetable Curry (Bex Loftus)

My British companion and trainer, Bex Loftus, taught me how to make this curry. Besides being an environmentalist and activist, she was a vegetarian (and we weren't allowed to eat the meat in Russia anyway). The first time she made this, I was dreading having to eat it, but it smelled amazing, and I quickly learned that it tasted amazing too.
This recipe is about double what my family can handle.



Olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
8 tsp ground cardamom seeds*
6 tsp coriander (whole or ground)*
2½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
6 whole carrots
1 cauliflower head
2-3 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 can garbanzo beans
Vegetable Soup Stock (opt)



Pour a thick layer of oil into a large pot (~¼” or less). Turn heat on medium. Chop onions and garlic and add to pot. Add bay leaves, tons of cardamom and coriander seasoning (until you can smell it), salt and pepper. Chop vegetables and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add crisper veggies first (carrots, cauliflower) and then softer ones. *Add more cardamom and coriander until you can smell it. Add soup mix. Add enough water to coat all vegetables (about an inch deep). Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour. Curry is done when all vegetables are soft. Mash with a potato masher until vegetable pieces are quite small. Continue cooking until the water is cooked off the top. ~15 min. Make sure you can smell the coriander and cardamom. Add more if you can’t. Serve with warm homemade tortillas. Use torn off pieces of tortillas to scoop the curry into your mouth.

TWO TORTILLA OPTIONS:

Tortillas (mission recipe)
4 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c + 1 Tbsp margarine, partly melted
1 c hot water

Mix together until dough is smooth. Keep bowl of dough covered while rolling tortillas. Roll until thin and cook in hot frying pan until barely bubbles (with only a few brown spots, if any)

Tortilla Mix (heart-hands-home.blogspot)
16 c flour (unbleached/add up to ½ whole wheat)
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 c shortening

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with whisk to fully mix. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or hands. Store mix in airtight container.

To Make Tortillas:

Place 2 c tortilla mix in a bowl, making a well in the center. Add ½ - ¾ c warm water, a little at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough. Knead dough for a short time till it becomes elastic. Cover with plastic and let it rest 10-15 min. Form 12 small balls ~1.3 oz each. Pull the dough around the bottom of the ball to make top smooth. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap. Dip dough balls in flour and roll out thinly. Cook on dry griddle preheated to 350° until top begins to bubble. Flip and cook for about 15 seconds more. To keep warm: stack between towels. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Thank you, Sister Loftus for this recipe!