Product Review: La Tortilla Factory's "Hand Made Style Yellow Corn" Tortillas

Over the weekend, we picked up a package of "Hand Made Style Yellow Corn" tortillas by La Tortilla Factory. Sold in a zipper top package of eight. I'd say they are approximately the size of a small lunch/sandwich plate. Instructions for preparation include a variety of heating methods, including using the microwave. I opted to heat through in a skillet with a bit of canola oil, which worked wonderfully. Be aware that they include both corn and wheat in the ingredients list, are MSG and aluminum free, and aren't super thick.

Husband really liked the texture and flavor, telling me they were restaurant quality tortillas. We've had less than fantastic results with other products and other vendors before, so I was happy to see this would make it as a regular staple in our pantry.

Product Review: OXO Digital Instant Read Thermometer

OXO very kindly sent me their "Good Grips Instant Read Digital Thermometer" so I could give it an honest review. It is blister-packaged to a piece of cardboard, which I don't think is even necessary for display, but that is not the highest of my concerns.

[Photo, copyright OXO.com]
The product itself resembles the shape of a lollipop: the stick would be the metal probe and the candy head, the read-out screen. The probe is housed in a plastic casing with a knob you can turn so that the various temperatures for doneness are displayed, depending upon which type of meat you are cooking and whether you are using whole or ground meat. Helpful! Also helpful is the small button at the rear of the casing which allows you to choose between Fahrenheit or Celsius, depending on where you live. Nice touch. It is battery-operated.

I have purchased other products from their Good Grips line and found them to be accurate. The flat-panel screen on this particular item, while easy to read when you're looking at it head on, tends to reflect the light in my kitchen and can be less than simple to read when looking at it from an overhead angle. The digital numbers are large and bold, and I like that.

This thermometer does not necessarily provide an "instant" readout. You'll watch the numbers climb and slip back as you manipulate the device. For instance, I oven baked thinly-sliced diced chicken and inserted the metal probe to check for doneness. I was assured the meat was 165F. Yet when I plated them and checked again, the temperature had slipped (cool plate vs. warm pan). Back into the oven it went.

Something else I would like to see improved is the length of the probe itself and the weight of the display. This is not a "leave-in" type of thermometer. Due to high heat in my pans and cooking oil, I don't want to stand there waiting for the readout while my arm is exposed to the pan. Removing the food from the pan to check the temperature isn't always practical and waiting for the proper readout has led me to overcook certain ingredients. Not wonderful.

Because this is a battery-operated item, you cannot immerse it in water while cleaning.

To sum up, this product works well for a quick check on your meats. If the handling issues are addressed in future versions, I would try it again to see if it would become an oft-used item in my kitchen. Right now I alternate between this and my Leave-In Meat Thermometer (also from OXO).

Douglas' Dijon Pizza

We were looking for a different way to have pizza, something that didn't contain tomato sauce as the base. (I know. Brace yourselves.)

While Doug was out at an appointment, I poked around in the cupboards to see what we had on hand, and decided to do a bit of experimentin' in hopes he'd like what I put together.

Crust:

- 1 c. + 1/4 c. bread flour
- 2 packets active yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 c. milk
- 1/3 c. very warm water (to activate the yeast)
- 1 T. EVOO

Combine all ingredients in a glass or metal bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon. Dump your dough out onto a lightly-floured table or board and knead it until smooth. If it's still a little sticky, add a bit more flour. Form it into a ball and set it to rise in a greased bowl for one hour. I like to use EVOO for the grease. Pops it right out again when it's time to knead/roll in the next step.

While the bread is rising, you can work on making the dijon chicken, a very simple process. For this you'll need:

- one or two skinless chicken breasts, diced
- EVOO
- black pepper
- rosemary (dried or fresh/snipped)
- Dijon mustard

Use enough EVOO to coat the bottom of a small mixing bowl; add diced chicken pieces. Sprinkle with black pepper, the rosemary and enough Dijon mustard to taste (to give you an example, I use approximately one to two Tablespoons of mustard); toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Turn this mixture into a pan lined with aluminum foil. Seal up the sides and cook for 17 minutes in a 425 F oven. When finished, remove from pan and let cool.

When the timer goes off for the bread dough, do the following:

- Prep your pan by sprinkling corn meal all over it. This will prevent the crust from sticking to it. Set aside.

- Once again, turn your dough out onto that floured surface. Knead with your hands for a few minutes to beat the rise down. Then, with a floured rolling pin or glass bottle, carefully roll out your dough, making sure to have enough thickness so it won't tear when you lift it off the towel/surface. If you end up tearing it, no big deal, just reform it into a ball and roll it out again.

- Layer your crust onto the pan, spread with EVOO, which is acting in place of your typical tomato sauce. Layer thin slices of washed zucchini and/or yellow squash randomly onto it, then add the cooled chicken pieces.

- Bake pizza in a 415F oven for 15 minutes. Remove promptly and cut immediately.

Yield: 8 good-sized triangles
Source: Crust recipe from The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Bay Books), Chicken recipe adapted from Lean and Lovin' It: Exceptionally Delicious Recipes for Low-Fat Living and Permanent Weight Loss by Don Mauer (*used cooking time/temp from the Sweet and Spicy Chicken recipe)

Super Rad Chicken Soup

Over the weekend, I had an opportunity to fix up a batch of chicken soup for Doug. We don't use bullion or canned broth because both are full of fat, salt and monosodium glutamate. Forget that noise, we don't want it!

So, I cobbled together a quick and basic soup that tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, washed and diced
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• onion powder, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• basil, to taste
• 1 medium carrot, washed, peeled and sliced
• green beans, washed, trimmed and chopped into small pieces
• 1 bay leaf

Very simple to make. Here we go:

Fill Dutch oven or large pan (with lid) with water, add chicken pieces. Boil uncovered for five to seven minutes; reduce heat, stir. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for forty-five minutes to an hour and a half, covered, stirring occasionally.

Serving size: Give it all to the sick person, they'll love it. Otherwise, approximately two big bowls.
Source: Partly Miss Betty's Bible, AKA The Betty Crocker Cookbook, plus Jen's "cooking inJenuity". Ha.

Coconutty Granola

I discovered this recipe on the back of my bag of unsweetened organic coconut flakes, which Doug bought for me to use in baking from the Whole Foods. I grew up on sweetened coconut, different than this stuff, but inherently I like this better for baking. It gives structure to my cakes and quick breads, plus it isn't so sweet that I just inhale it straight from the package.




Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (and of course, feel free to substitute whatever type of flour doesn't make you sick)

1/4 cup Let's Do..Organic Coconut Flakes

3/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds (may also substitute raisins or chopped dates for some or all of the nuts)

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 cup maple syrup *

1/2 cup safflower or sunflower oil **

1 t. vanilla



Preheat oven to 300F.

Mix oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon and almonds in a medium sized bowl.

Mix maple syrup, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Combine syrup mix with oat mix; stir until evenly coated. Pour onto a greased baking sheet and spread for even coverage.

Bake for 30 minutes. Stir and bake an additional 20-30 minutes depending on preferred level of crispness.



Store in an airtight container, refrigerate or freeze.



*+**: We don't use maple syrup and we don't like sunflower oil. To remedy this, I substituted honey for both items in the named quantities. As a result, the product turned out more like a loose cereal than a product that stuck together. However, we like that, so if you're good with using a spoon or eating straight from the bag with your hands, go for it.

Source: Edward and Sons Trading Co., Inc.
Serving size: Six 1/2 cup servings