Beef Empanadas

The filling can also be used for burritos, tacos, enchiladas. Just add a can of El Pato of your choice and it pops up the flavor. If you don't want to make the pastry, a can of pop biscuits may also be used.

Make sure you drain well, for empanadas. If runny, then you're not doing it right. 

Filling:

2 TBS butter

chopped onion

1 lb ground beef

2-3 large tomatos chopped or 1 large can diced

1 can chopped green chilies or 4-5 seeded and diced roasted green chilies 

salt, pinch of oregano, pinch of chili powder

optional: can of El Pato (yellow, red, or green)

Cook onions in butter until tender. Add beef, brown it up. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Drain. Eat in other things or let cool for empanadas. 

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 t salt

1/2 cup cold Crisco

4-5 TBS water

Mix dry. Cut in crisco like pie crust. Add water. Roll out and cut circles with large glass or biscuit cutter. Place 1 1/2-2 TBS filling in center. Fold over and seal with fork. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until browned OR deep fry those suckers until golden brown. 

Tortillas for when there is no place to buy them fresh

There is nothing like an amazingly hot fresh tortilla. Eat it plain, eat it with butter. We would buy fresh tortillas from La Fama in Glendale and eat a half dozen on the way home. They were the best. The factory recently had a car decide to fly at high speed into the tamale freezer and damage the supports for the whole building. RIP mi familia La Fama. Stevie and I grew up on those conchas and tortillas. Best tamales on the planet, too. I hope it works out for them to re-open. The other memorable tortillas I've had was when we stayed with the Villa brothers auntie in El Monte. She made tortillas while watching her stories on the tv and made sure we ate them for every meal and then took some on the road with us. They were delicious.

These recipes is for when you are living somewhere like Wahiawa or Guam or Korea and can't get some fresh from a Nana or street vendor. These will have to do. Making them into rounds is a gift this white west side girl hasn't perfected. Cindy told me hers always made into crackers. Mine always look like one of the 50 states of America in shape. Either way, they taste alright. The resting period helps the doughs properties call upon devil satan gluten to formulate into a delicious texture.

If you have a cast iron comal, it makes a world of difference. What, you have no comal on your stove right now? What's wrong with you. GET A COMAL. GET IT NOW. Season the heck out of it and use it for everything. Eric uses ours for grilled sandwiches, quesadillas and pancakes. That's how seasoned it is. Just wipes clean after every use. Okay, I'll shut up now. Recipes onward.

Flour tortillas 

8 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 TBS salt

1/2 cup LARD (shortening will have to do, but use Crisco. Not cheap watery store brand crap)

3 1/4 cups cold water

Mix dry. Add lard, blending in with clean hands. Add warm water a bit at a time and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead again for 10, cover,  let rest for 15. 

Pinch off small balls. Let rest again, covered, for 20-30 minutes. 

You can pat them between your hands until smooth and thin or you can gringa it out with a rolling pin. Either way, get them thin but not too thin. Or you have crackers. 

Heat comal or griddle. Add flattened tortilla and bake on one side until it bubbles. Flip quickly and let cook for another 30 seconds or so. Place on plate and cover with towel and make the rest quickly. 

Tortillas-that are supposed to be low fat but are easier to flatten out. 

6 cups flour

1 t. baking POWDER

1 t. salt

1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water

1/2 cup vegetable or corn oil

Mix dry. Add oil and blend. Add water slowly mix well. Knead, let rest 10 minutes. Make into balls, let rest again for 20 minutes. Roll out and bake on comal or griddle like above.  

Refried Beans are COMFORT FOOD

The staple of life. Beans. Oh wonderful beans. Many ways to make, here's mine. I learned from my other mom, Cindy Camacho how to make these so we could survive when no real stuff was around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

BEANS

1 lb  dry pinto beans rinsed well pick out stones
few slices of bacon or large stick of salt pork
(if have neither then a scoop of bacon grease, yes seriously, it's for the flavor)

Add to large pot or crockpot. Fill with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3-4 hours. Add water as needed.
 In crockpot cook on low for 9 hours or 6-7 hours on high.

When beans are soft, beans are done. Eat beans with shredded cheese, shake of Mrs. Dash or salt. Comfort food at its finest.

If you have beans leftover, put away. Keep all the bean water. Somehow overnight beans taste better refried, just like old rice is great for fried rice.

REFRIED:
get out the bacon grease or lard

In a large skillet, melt a TBS or so of grease over medium heat. Add scoops of beans. Mash well, stir, mash well. Add some bean water. Mash and stir. Add more beans. Mash and stir. Add more water. Mash and stir, keep going until you have what you want. Keep going with all the beans until you are done.

Salt a little then taste. Don't do like your dad did and dump a cupful and think they were wonderful. NO. They were awful. Don't ruin your beans with tons of salt. Eat beans with cheese, tortillas, by themselves. Just bask in the wonder that is the comfort food of beans.

2 years later. . . and more. BREAD!

Time to get back to recipes. It is time.

This is specifically for Dolly and Lynette. Two dear friends of mine that love my bread. Here's how to make it.

Basic White Bread

1 pkg yeast or 2 1/4 tsp add to 1/3 cup warm water + 2 tsp sugar. Mix well and let proof (bubble, the fermentation is always entertaining) set aside.

In a large bowl: Mix together 4 cups white flour + 1 tsp salt. Cut in 3 TBS butter.

To yeast mix add 1 cup warm milk. Add yeast mix to flour and mix well. Turn out and knead on floured surface until smooth and silky. Place in large buttered bowl, cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled.

Punch down. Roll out and form into pans. Or braids or round loaves. Let rise until doubled. Brush with milk or water.

 Bake in greased pan for 35 minutes at 375. Tap on bread with a knife before taking out of oven. If it makes a hollow sound then they are done.

Variations:
1- Omit 1/2 cup of flour. Add 1/3 cup wheat germ and 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (shelled of course)
2-to flour mixture add 1 tsp dried herbs and 1/2 tsp garlic (or onion)
3-can use 1/2 white flour, 1/2 wheat

Can also be made in food processor. With dough blade put flour, salt and butter in bowl. Mix well. Add liquid and let knead for until soft dough doesn't stick to sides. Let rise in buttered bowl.

BAGUETTES or French Bread

Mix together:
3 tsp yeast
5 cups flour
2 tsp salt

Add 2 cups warm water. Mix well. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Let rise in buttered bowl. Punch down after rising and form into baguettes or long loaf. Let rise again. While rising, turn oven on to 375. Add a large tin of water to the bottom of oven, this creates a moist steamy oven for the bread. When bread is ready, slash bread before baking and brush with milk or water. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Grandma Zieglers Wheat Bread

2 TBS yeast + 1 cup warm water in bowl.
Let proof, then add 1 cup warm milk, 1/3 cup honey or molasses, 1 TBS salt and 3 TBS butter or crisco
Mix in 2 cups white flour and 3 cups wheat flour.
Add more flour as needed to make dough. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Let dough rest in buttered bowl until doubled. (Grandma used to put it in the station wagon in the winter to rise)
Punch down. Reshape. Let rise again in buttered bowl. Punch down.
Shape into loaves and place in buttered loaf pans. Let rise again.

Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. The key for this recipe is 3 risings.

There is bread. Making bread is a lot like any other baking recipe. You have your wets in one bowl (milk, water, eggs) and dry in another bowl (flour, salt, herbs) and mix the two.

Update

I should just call this the 6 month blog. I always forget it for 6 months then remember I have it because someone has requested a recipe and I have it written down to do this and well, I'm still pretty brain damaged in some areas. It's spring break and tomorrow I'm taking the kids to "grandpa's".

Well not really Grandpa Z's like we usually go but to CA. Yeah, Cali. We've never ever ever taken a family vacation that didn't involve going to the mountains this past decade so we are tomorrow. So what a better way to cheer them up? A surprise trip to Disneyland.

We are meeting up with Uncle Dean and Aunt Sue in Palm Springs but the kids don't know that. They think we have to leave early to meet up with Uncle Dean and Aunt Sue in Eagar for lunch. I didn't say WHERE we were meeting, just that we have to leave early to meet them and they can sleep in the car. They won't figure it out until we're in Indio and I'm not saying anything about the D-land until we get there. Told the boys they had to pack nice pants because we have a nice dinner at Aunt Joyces so no nasty pants, ha ha ha. How is that? I hope it works out and all is kept well. It's going to be a tough year, we may as well start it off with something good this time around.

The cockatoos were left at Cage World so I'm not worried about Elvis getting out and eating the vacuum cleaner. They were upset, it was hard boarding them but Debbie is going to mellow Elvis out. He's been plucking since Thad left at New Years. He was put into a cage below an obnoxious parrot that kept throwing seed into my hair and saying in a fluttery voice "Heeell loowww". He clutched the door of the cage like "Please don't leave me here. I won't eat the vacuum cord anymore. I won't chew on the coffee table, I won't tear up any more picture frames, please don't leave me!" Poor Elvis. Buddy was okay with it, he loves the company and the noise there. He's neurotic anyways and has never had feathers. Elvis on the other hand....

So that's pretty much it here. I'll be back and I'll post those enchilada recipes I promised Josh. He can wait that long. xoxo

Bacon Surprise!

Not to be confused with Pickle Surprise! Where's the pickle? That's the surprise!
Seriously, it's Bacon Surprise!
Bacon Surprise is actually an overcooked carbonara that I used to make with noodle-roni boxes of parmesan noodles. I don't know if they make those anymore but you don't need them to make plenty of bacon surprise.

It's fattening and has loads of carbs and BACON and CHEESE. What more do you need? Here we go:

Ingredients: cooked spaghetti broken into half or thirds before cooking. Drain your pasta, add 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Mix well while hot. Make sure it's in a big bowl.

1 lb of bacon cooked crisp, save the grease
parmesan cheese
garlic either a few minced cloves or 1/3 tsp granulated
dried basil about 1 tsp
salt, pepper
8 eggs
1/2 cup half n half or milk
some white wine (kind you would drink, if it's nasty to drink it's nasty to cook with)

In a bowl mix all the eggs, half n half, the garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated. Mix it well so there are hardly any lumps in it at all.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook 2-3 TBS bacon grease with a dash of white wine. When it starts to splatter quickly add the egg mixture. Let it sit for 20 seconds then start mixing and cooking fast. Mix it well until it starts to curdle and chunk up. When it "looks" just right quickly pour it over your pasta. Mix it all together and there you are. Bacon surprise. It's even better the next day. Feel free to tweak the recipe with more or less garlic, basil or salt n pepper until it's just right for you. Enjoy!

Uncle Herberts Spam Musubi

Finally, that wonderful Uncle Herbert Spam Musubi recipe. The girls are making it right now. Key word to remember is HOT. as in temperature. Rice must be hot, spam must be hot. The heat makes the nori soft to cling to your musubi. It's the rule in sushi making. Remember too that you don't have to fry up your spam in the sato shoyu sauce or add the sushi sauce to the rice. You can just fry up your spam and have unsweetened rice like the kind you get at 7-11 in Wahiawa. So here goes:

Make one pot of sticky rice-calrose or jasmine. Calrose makes the best.

Fry your spam in slices. For the sato shoyu sauce it is: 2 TBS each shoyu, sugar plus 1 TBS mirin (japanese sweet vinegar). Fry them in the sauce until it thickens, turning often.

In a cup mix 1/3 cup each white vinegar, sugar plus one tsp salt.  Stir until it's mixed well, pour over hot rice and stir it all up so all the rice is covered in it.

Quickly lay out your nori (cut in 1/2 sheets), add 1 slice of spam and pat rice on top. Roll together tight and there you are. You can use your spam can to get it right shape or look for a cookie cutter that is thick and rectangular if you don't have a musubi mold. Or if you have a sushi mold use that and make different shapes.

Enjoy!