Fried Tortillas with Cinnamon and Sugar Coating

This is my version of Fried Tortillas which are a great, easy treat for a special gathering; but most important, it's a fried treat which makes it perfect for Chanukah.

Serves 10

 Ingredients

about 6 cups of vegetable or peanut oil

1 pkg. of 10 each 6" quality flour tortillas
1 cup sugar
5 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Cut the tortillas into quarters.

2. Line a cookie pan or sheet with paper towels.

3. If you don't have a deep fryer: In an approximate 3 qt. heavy pan, using a frying or steaming basket and a deep-frying or candy thermometer, heat the oil to a temperature of 365 degrees.*

4. *Add two or three tortilla quarters very carefully and one at a time to the hot oil.  If the oil is the right temperature, the tortillas will cook in about one minute to a golden brown. With a slotted spoon, flip them very carefully half way through cooking. Remove with the slotted spoon or basket as they brown and place one layer deep on the paper-towel lined pan to drain.  Add a new layer of paper towels each time the pan is full.

*Tip:  Be prepared to devote your full attention to this task. You'll need to be ready to work quickly and uninterrupted.  Also, be very careful as you are working with hot oil - no small children under feet!
 
5. While still warm, with a spoon carefully and thoroughly coat, one at a time, the tortillas in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. You can strain through a sieve and save any leftover cinnamon/sugar mixture for later use such as on cinnamon toast.


The tortillas are best served warm.  I have found that my vintage, electric bread-warming basket, lined with paper doilies, is perfect for this - see photo above.  (Okay, I bought the basket new and now it's old, very old.)  You could put them on a pretty plate which would be usable on a warming tray, or just keep warm until ready to serve in a 200 degree oven. I doubt you'll have any leftovers; but if you do, they would keep well in a tin can for about a week.

The tortillas are great by themselves or served with a good vanilla ice cream, maybe topped with a fantastic caramel spread like the Brazilian doce de leite used on the ice cream in the below photo.  I found this amazing spread at a local Brazilian market to which my friend Cassi introduced me.  The spread is so rich, a little goes a long way! 

At our Chanukah party this year, I think I'll also serve the sweet guava paste, which I got at the Brazilian market, with cream cheese on some nice crackers. Oh, we're going to have some fun this year! Happy Holidays!

Printable Recipe

Bonnie's Spaghetti Sauce

Do you want to throw something together at the last minute?  It couldn't get much easier than this, and it's one of my most often-requested recipes!

Serves 4-5

In a heavy skillet on the stove, over medium-low heat, brown together:

1/2 lb. ground beef chuck (break up with a fork as you brown)
1/2 c. chopped onion (frozen is fine)

Mix well in a blender (all but the bay leaf** and Parmesan cheese**)

one 14 1/2 oz. can whole tomatoes*
one 8 oz. can tomato sauce*
one 6 oz. can tomato paste*
1 TB Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp. chopped garlic (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 1/2 tsp. dried whole rosemary leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. dried crushed red pepper*
1/4 tsp. mild chili powder*
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp. sugar

1 bay leaf**
1/8 c. shredded Parmesan cheese**


*Tip:  It is especially important to use a quality canned tomato product and to measure the crushed red pepper and chili powder!

Pour Sauce over the ground beef mixture, add the bay leaf**, cover and simmer over low heat for about one-half hour.  Stir often.

Add a little water, if necessary, while cooking.  Right before serving, remove the bay leaf** and stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese**. 

Serve over your favorite spaghetti with a nice salad and crusty garlic bread.  Enjoy!

Printable Recipe



What's That Got to do with This?


As Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind always said:  "After all....tomorrow is another day!"

Especially for Cousin Todd!

 

Bon Bon's Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Friends have requested that I post this recipe today because it's so cold outside.  Chicken soup not only contains a number of beneficial medicinal substances, it is the ultimate comfort food in cold, wet weather.The aroma, which permeates the home, wraps around you like a blanket and makes you feel warm and cozy.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

One approx. 4 lb chicken fryer, washed and left whole
12-14 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 TB chopped garlic
2 medium carrots, washed, peeled and halved
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered*
2 stems celery, washed and cut into thirds - and leaves from one stalk of celery

Directions

*Tip:  To avoid as few tears as possible, try cutting the onion under running cold water. Also, to avoid odor on your hands, first dampen them with lemon juice.

1.  The Chicken:

Put the whole chicken into a 4 qt. or larger** cooking pot.  Add all other ingredients and cover with cool water, leaving at least a 2" space from the top of the pot.  Over medium high heat, bring to a simmer (watch carefully to avoid boiling over).  Reduce heat to a medium low simmer, cover and cook about 2 hours. 

2.  The Schmaltz (rendered chicken fat for the matzo balls):

Note: You can substitute vegetable oil:  the matzo balls will be good; they're just better with schmaltz - or you can buy schmaltz - homemade is, here again, even better.


3 cups chicken fat (I just accumulate in a container in the freezer.)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (frozen is fine)


Melt (render) the fat over low heat in a heavy frying pan on the stove.  Before the fat is completely melted, add the onion and cook until the remaining fat cracklings are crisp and golden brown.  Strain the onion and cracklings (gribenes -Yiddish for scraps) through a cheesecloth or a fine strainer, pressing the gribenes gently to remove all fat. Store schmaltz in the refrigerator or freezer. Use gribenes as desired:  typically on rye or pumpernickel bread, or in recipes.


3.  The Matzo Balls (These are light and very flavorful) - Makes about 12-16 balls:

Note:  The matzo balls are optional, but you're missing out if you don't try them!


4 TB schmaltz (melted)
4 large eggs (slightly beaten)
1c. matzo meal (you can buy, or you can use up leftover matzo by finely grinding to a meal - I use a blender to grind)
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 TB stock from the chicken soup

Stir together schmaltz, eggs, matzo meal, salt and garlic powder.  Add chicken stock and mix well.  Cover and freeze for about 15 minutes (until very cold, but not hard), or refrigerate for about 1 hr.  With wet hands, gently handling as little as possible, form the mixture into about 1" balls, placing them on a plate; set aside.  


Return to the chicken soup: With two large slotted spoons, carefully take the chicken out of the soup and place in a large bowl. Remove (I do this under running cool water) and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, and set the meat aside.  Strain the vegetables from the soup, and add the chicken meat back to the soup.  (You can leave the vegetables in the soup if you desire; however, you may need larger than a 4 qt.** pot in order to accommodate the matzo balls.)

Add about 4 more cups of water to the soup, leaving a minimum 2" space from the top of the pot and bring soup to a brisk boil.  Reduce heat and carefully add, with a wet spoon, one matzo ball at a time.  Bring soup to a low boil (the matzo balls will rise to the top; if not, gently pry them with a cooking spoon), cover and cook 30-40 minutes.  Enjoy!


What's That Got to do with This?

Bet you've never played this game with a toddler (in my case, my grandchild) -

   WHERE'S REID?

!

                              

    OH, THERE HE IS!!