Tortilla Baking Mix

Recipe found in Dr. William Davis 30 minute Wheatbelly cookbook.

Tortilla Baking Mix

Ingredients:

3 cups ground golden flaxseeds
1 cup almond meal/flour
2 T. onion powder
2 t. Garlic powder
1 1/2 t sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Fleisher's Chicken rub

This recipes is from the book, The butcher's guide to well raised meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone.

This is also a great spice for ribs, roasts, chops and fish.

Makes 2 cups

1/3 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup dried sage
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup paprika
3 T dried thyme
3 T freshly ground pepper
3 T dried oregano
1 T cayenne

In a large bowl, mix the ingredients. Rub the dried herbs between your palms to crush them as you add to the mixture. This rub will keep in an airtight container for 6 months. Shake or mix well before using.

Making the most of salt.

Making the most of salt – from Cook’s Illustrated – November – December Issue

Types of Salt – What distinguishes one salt from another is texture, shape and mineral content. These qualities can affect how a salt tastes as well as how it interacts with other foods.

Table salt (common salt)- Tiny, shaped crystals

How to use – dissolves easily , making it ideal for most applications, both sweet and savory. Avoid iodized which can impart a subtle chemical flavor.

Kosher Salt -Course-grain does not contain additives

How to use – top choice for seasoning meat. The large grains cling well to the meats surface.

Sea Salt - Product of seawater evaporation. Yields irregular shapped, mineral rich flakes.

How to use – don’t cook with pricey sea salt; mixed into food, it doesn’t taste any different than table salt. Instead, use it as a finishing salt where it delicate crunch stand out. When buying, look for brands boasting large, flaky crystals.


Good uses for salt

1. Dulling the bitter edge – salt works to block the bitterness in food thus enhancing other less prominent foods. Adding 1/8 teaspoon to coffee grounds (every 72 ounces) reduced the perceived bitterness.

2. Tender scrambled eggs – salt keeps egg proteins from bonding to each oether and producing a weaker protein chain. Add 1/8 teaspoon of table salt for every 2 eggs just prior to cooking.

3. Deep cleaning cast iron – The abrasive quality of kosher salt makes it a perfect clenser for rusty cast iron. Warm ¼ inch vegetable oil in pan 5 minutes, remove from heat and add ¼ cup kosher salt. Scrub salt into pan with paper towels until debris loosens. Rinse well and repeat if necessary.

4. Making garlic paste – sprinkle kosher salt over minced garlic and use the side of a knife to reduce the chopped garlic to a fine paste.

5. Greener green beans – adding salt to the cooking water seasons the green beans and helps them retain their bright color. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of salt for every quart of water.

Salting Meat (best choice for meats that are already juicy or well marbled)
Salting helps proteins retain their own natural juices. When salt is applied to raw meat, juices inside that meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the meat. Preferred salt – kosher

Brining Meat (adds moisture making it the best choice for lean proteins)
Use table salt. Works faster than salting, can make lean cuts such as chicken breast or pork tenderloin juicer than salting since it adds, verus merely retains, moisture.

Vanilla extract

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Commercial vanilla extract usually has simple syrup (sugar water) added to the extract to give it a sweet aftertaste. You can do this if you want, but if you are using the vanilla for baking, there really is no need.

INGREDIENTS

3 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka
glass or mason jar with tight fitting lid

METHOD

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.
Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.
You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Middle Eastern Spice Mix

Makes 2/3 cup.

2 T freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 T salt
1 1/2 t ground cardamon

3/4 t ground cloves

Vanilla extract

For the last 6 years I’ve been making my own vanilla extract. It is so easy to make and it gives me control of the taste of the extract. I prefer a stronger vanilla taste in my baking. The store varieties are expensive and I’m not all together sure what “extra” ingredients are added to their vanilla making process. Commercial vanilla extract usually add simple syrup (sugar water) to their extract to give it a sweet aftertaste. You can do this if you want, but if you are using the vanilla for baking, there really is no need.

Decide what type of vanilla bean you would like to use for your vanilla and buy the best quality . These are the most popular:

Madagascar – Regarded as the world’s best for great vanilla flavor. Dark, full bodied, and rummy with a hint of tobacco. Perfect for recipes if you need a vanilla to stand up to powerful flavors that might overshadow it. This is the one I use.

Bourbon – Fruity You can use this for everything.

Mexico – This vanilla is sweet, smooth and creamy. Perfect for hot chocolate, liquors, creams, and cakes.

Tonga – More of a delicate flavor. I think it would be great for savory dishes, ice creams, and cakes.

Tahiti – Floral, with hints of licorice. Great for fruit compotes, jams, and maybe spice rubs.

Ingredients:
2 Cups (16 oz.) vodka
6 Vanilla Beans ( This is the basic recipe. I will usually put in a couple of more)

You can easily cut this recipe in half and use 3 vanilla beans and 1 cup of vodka.

You can use any kind of bottle you want, but I do recommend glass.

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 8 weeks or longer. The darker it gets the stronger the extract is.

After 8 weeks the vanilla extract has the nice amber color. After this time I will usually pour the vanilla extract into small amber colored bottles, add a vanilla bean and store in my cupboard. By adding the extra vanilla bean, the extract will keep on gaining flavor. Add a little more vodka when it is halfway used up to replenish your supply of vanilla. It will dilute it for a while but will regain strength quickly.

Your homemade vanilla extract makes great gifts.

You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Cajun Spice

Why buy cajun spice when you can make it with this easy recipe from Whole Foods. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

1/4 C plus 1 T paprika
1/8 C dried thyme
1/8 C dried oregano
1 T cumin powder
1 T onion powder
1/8 C dried basil
1 T freshly ground pepper
1 T freshly ground white pepper
1 T cayenne pepper
1/8 C salt

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well blended or mix thoroughly in a large bowl with a spoon or wire whisk. Keep stored in a covered jar in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.

Southwest Seasoning

Make your own southwest seasoning. Combine your own blend and store in a airtight container. Add to your recipes for a little extra spice and flavor.

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Honey Mustard

4 Tbsp. Hot Mustard, Mr. Mustard
6 Tbsp. Mayo
4 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. chives

Mix well and serve. This does taste better if you allow it to sit for a couple of hours, or even overnight.

Taco Bell Meat Seasoning

Notes:
This tastes very close to the Taco Bell Meat seasoning.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 lb. Lean Finely Ground Chuck
1 1/2 Tbs. Mesa Corn Flour
4 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Dry Minced Onions
1/2 tsp. Beef Bouillon


Preparation:
Mix together all ingredient except the taco meat. Stir the spice mixture well making sure that all spices have been blended well.
Crumble ground beef and brown stirring well. Remove from heat, rinse with hot water and drain water and grease from beef. Return ground chuck to the pan and add taco seasoning. Add 3/4 - 1 cup water to ground beef and taco seasoning and simmer on medium low temperature for 20 minutes. Simmer until most of moisture has cooked away. Remove from heat when moisture in meat as dissipated but meat is not dry.

Onion Soup Mix

Onion Soup Mix

3/4 c. dried minced onion
1/3 c. beef bouillon
4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed celery seed
1/4 tsp. sugar

Combine ingredients. Store tightly covered.