Tortilla Chips

 These can be baked in the oven or deep fried.   Easy to make.  Can use store bought or make your own tortillas.   Great with homemade salsa.

TORILLA CHIPS

(makes 80 chips)

Ingredients:

*1 (20 count) bag flour or corn tortillas (or make you own tortillas).

*Vegetable Oil (for frying) or Cooking Spray (for baking) 

*Coarse Kosher Salt or Sea Salt

Frying Directions:

~Cut all 20 tortillas into 8 triangles. 

~Pour Vegetable oil about 1/2 deep into a heavy frying pan (I use a cast iron pan).

~Heat oil to 375 degrees.

~Place a few tortillas into hot grease and fry until a golden brown, about 5-10 seconds.

~Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 3-5 seconds.

~Remove from oil and set on a paper towel lined plate.

~Sprinkle immediately with kosher/sea salt.

~Repeat until all chips have been cooked.

~Serve with salsa and enjoy.

Baking Directions:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

~Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles. 

~Spray each side of tortilla with cooking spray.

~Spread chips out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.

~Sprinkle with kosher/sea salt.

~Bake until golden brown and crisp.

~Flip chips half way through baking

~Bake for 13-16 minutes.  

~Serve with salsa and enjoy.

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Salami & Cheese Pasta Salad

 Yummy, yummy, yummy.  If it was only me eating this I would add some black olives, but i'm the only one in the family that likes olives.

SALAMI & CHEESE PASTA SALAD

(serves 8)

Salad Ingredients:

*1 (16 ounce) box rotini pasta 

*1 ( 8 ounce) container cherry tomatoes, cut in half

*8 ounces fresh mozzarella small cheese balls

*1 pound salami, cut into cubes

*1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced

*1/2 small red onion, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

*5-8 garlic cloves, minced

*1 cup red wine vinegar

*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

*1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

*1 1/2 teaspoon salt

*1 teaspoon ground black pepper

*2 cups olive oil

Dressing Directions.

~Add all the dressing ingredients in a food processor or a tall container and use an immersible blender.

~Mix for 3--40 seconds until well blended.

~Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad Directions:

~Cook pasta according to package directions.

~Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.

~In a large bowl, mix salami, cheese, onion, tomatoes, and pepperoncinis. 

~Mix in cooled pasta.

~Mix in dressing until well coated (You can you less dressing if you prefer).

~Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.  

Ricotta Cheese

 Ricotta cheese is super simple to make.   You can make this with just whole milk, but it's tastier with the heavy cream.  The more you drain it, the firmer it will become.   

RICOTTA CHEESE

(makes 2 cups)

Ingredients:

*5 cups whole milk

*1 cup heavy cream

*1 teaspoon kosher salt

*3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Stove Top Directions:

~Place a large sieve over a deep bowl.

~Line sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth.

~In a large pot, pour milk, cream and salt.

~Sir until mixed.

~Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

~Turn off heat, and stir in lemon juice.

~Stir until milk starts to curdle.

~Allow mixture toss for 5 minutes until the mixture curdles.

~Carefully pour the mixture into the cheesecloth allowing the liquid to drain (throw away whey (liquid) or keep it for recipes calling for whey)

~Refrigerate ricotta cheese once it is drained to your liking or use right away in your favorite recipe.  

Instant Pot Directions:

~Place a large sieve over a deep bowl.

~Line sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth.

~Pour milk, cream and salt into inner pot of your instant pot.

~Sir until mixed.

~Cover, leave value at vent.

~Select the yogurt function to adjust  until the digital display reads BOIL.

~When cooking time is up, remove lid.

~Remove inner pot from  instant pot.

~Add in vinegar.

~Stir until milk starts to curdle.

~Allow mixture toss for 5 minutes until the mixture curdles.

~Carefully pour the mixture into the cheesecloth allowing the liquid to drain (throw away whey (liquid) or keep it for recipes calling for whey)

~Refrigerate ricotta cheese once it is drained to your liking or use right away in your favorite recipe. 

Oven Roasted Salsa

 I love roasted veggies.   I think it brings such a rich flavor into them.    This salsa has a little kick to it.  I consider it medium-low heat.   You can add more jalapeño peppers to make it spicer or omit them if you want no spice.    This salsa recipe is thicker salsa.  If you prefer it thinner use regular tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes.  The recipe isn't hard, but it is a little time consuming.   

OVEN ROASTED SALSA

(approx: 18 pints)

Ingredients:

*1/8 cup olive oil

*1/2 bushel roma tomatoes

*2 yellow onions

*1 large red onion

*3 green bell peppers

*1 red bell pepper

*1 yellow bell pepper

*2-4 jalapeño peppers (I use 2)

*2-3 poblano peppers (I use 3)

*4-5 banana peppers (I use 4)

*2 garlic medium garlic bulbs

*1 cup cilantro, chopped

*1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

*1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

*1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste (if you like a runny salsa, skip this)

*4 teaspoons cumin

*3 tablespoons pickling salt or kosher salt (I use kosher salt)

*1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

~Rinse tomatoes and peppers.

~Place peppers in a large bowl and drizzle some olive oil over them.

~Rub olive oil all over the peppers.

~Place peppers onto a couple baking sheets.

~Cut off 1/4-1/2 inch from the top of the cloves to expose individual garlic cloves.

~Drizzle olive oil on exposed garlic.

~Wrap with aluminum foil.

~Place on baking sheet with peppers.

~Peel onions and cut in half.

~Dizzle with olive oil and place on baking sheets with peppers.

~Bake for 20 minutes

~Flip peppers and onions and bake for another 20 minutes (bananas peppers might be done and won't need the extra 20 minutes.

~Remove from oven.  Place peppers and onions in a large bowl or pot and cover for one hour (I use plastic wrap).

~Cut Roma tomatoes in half and place into a large bowl or pot.

~Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over tomatoes.

~Place tomatoes cut side up on baking sheets (I could only fit half of the tomatoes on my baking sheets, so I had to do this step twice).

~Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt over tops of tomatoes.

~Bake for 30-45 minutes (30 minutes if the tomatoes are on the small side.  45 If they are larger).

~Place tomatoes into a large bowl or pot and cover for one hour.

~Remove roasted garlic from aluminum foil and squeeze garlic into a roasting pan (or use a large stock pot).  It will seem like aa lot of garlic, but trust me you want it.

~Cut off the tops of the roasted peppers and remove the seeds (don't worry about getting them all).

~Peel the skin away from the peppers and remove most of the seeds (if you want it spicy, leave the seeds from the jalapeño peppers.

~Do a rough chop of the peppers and put in roasting pan.

~Do a rough chop of the roasted onions and put in roasting pan.

~Using an immersible blender (or food processor) blend the roasted ingredients together.   Blend until veggies are very small and mixed together (It will not look pretty at this time.

~Remove tops of tomatoes and skin.

~Do a rough chop and put in roasting pan.

~Add salt, pepper, sugar and cumin,

~Using the immersion blender or food processor blend tomatoes into veggie mixture.  Blend until tomatoes are vey small.

~Mix in chopped cilantro, tomato paste and tomato sauce until well mixed.

~Cook in roaster or large stock pot on medium/low for 40-60 minutes, stirring once in a while.

~Pour hot salsa int clean hot canning jars.

~Make sure tops of jars are free from any residue.

~Place lids and rings on jars

~Turn lids to finger tight.

~Place in hot water bath for 20 minutes. 

~Remove from batch, and allow to set for 24 hours before storing.

~If there is a bubble in the lid, it means it didn't seal right.  Remove ring and lid and wipe top off again and put lid and ring back on.  Do the bath all over again.  

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