Pizza Dough

½ - 1 oz. yeast
½ tsp. sugar
1 ½ cups water (95°- 115°)
16 oz. flour (white, wheat, or mixed)
1 tsp salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes. In separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Add enough flour to make the right consistency. (I actually mix and knead the dough in my KitchenAid mixer. Works great!) Separate dough into two balls (one large 2/3, one small 1/3). Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a circle. Place dough on lightly greased pizza pans and stretch dough to edges. Spread sauce over crust and top with cheese and desired toppings.

Bake at 450° for 8-12 minutes or until crust is a light, golden brown.
Makes one large and one small pizza

Source: http://recipes.robbiehaf.com/T/272.htm

White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
½ baking soda
2 cups (11 oz.) white chips
1 ½ cups chopped Macadamia nuts

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg one at a time, and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in white chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350° oven.
Makes 5 dozen

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 scant cup shortening (6 oz.)
1/2 cup butter (4 oz.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (8 oz.)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 ½ cups flour
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Cream together: shortening, butter, and sugars. Add: eggs and vanilla, mix well. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart (12 to a sheet).

Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Alfredo Sauce

1 pint of Heavy Cream
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese (I use spreadable or brick cream cheese, whichever I have on hand)
1/2 - 1 C. Parmesan cheese* (I use 2.5 ounces, whatever that works out to be!)
1 tsp. Garlic powder

In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and Garlic powder. Simmer this for 20 - 30 minutes (or more!) on low. Season as desired with a little salt and pepper. Makes about 3 cups.

*Note: The parmesean cheese needs to be a brick that you grate yourself or some already grated but NOT the Kraft-type that you shake on spaghetti.

Source: http://www.copykat.com/2009/02/03/olive-garden-alfredo-sauce/

French Bread

1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. yeast

Place all ingredients in the order listed into the KitchenAid mixer. Turn on mixer to stir speed until well mixed then turn to speed 2. Let the machine knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the bowl and shape into a smooth ball. Spray the bowl LIGHTLY with oil and return the dough ball to the bowl turning the ball to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place to rise until double, about 45 minutes.

Turn out dough onto a floured countertop. Shape the dough into one 12-inch oblong loaf, one large round loaf, two 18-inch thin baguettes, or 8 french rolls.
Dust the tops with flour and rub it in. Place the loaves on a cookie sheet. With a very sharp knife, slash the tops of the loaves about ½ inch deep. Cover and let rise in a warm oven about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake round or oblong loaves about 20 minutes, the baguettes about 15 minutes, and the rolls about 10-12 minutes.

Baja Fish Tacos

*3 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*2 limes, juiced
*½ C. orange juice
*½ tsp. cumin

*½ tsp. chili powder

1 pound fresh fish fillets
8-10 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
2 C. lettuce or cabbage, shredded
1 C. jack cheese, shredded

BAJA CREAM SAUCE:
½ c. sour cream
3 Tbs. cilantro
lime juice (to taste & consistency)
chili powder (to taste)
tabasco sauce (to taste)

In large bowl (or zip bag) combine first 6 ingredients. Add fish, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove fish from marinade and discard marinade. Cook fish either on barbeque, in skillet or under broiler. Break cooked fish into small chunks. Place an equal portion into each tortilla. (Lately I've just been breaking each cooked fillet in half and placing one half in each tortilla.)Top with remaining ingredients. Serve with pico de gallo* and cream sauce.

Serves 4

*Pico de gallo: Chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro tossed with a bit of salt and lime juice. Tasty!

Cream Sauce

Yogurt

Here is the process I use to make my own yogurt. You might need to tweak these instructions to tailor them to your situation and taste.

Make sure all tools you use are VERY clean. Getting any bad bacteria into your yogurt will ruin it.

You will need:
-thermometer
-large sauce pan
-whisk
-jars or plastic containers
-milk
-plain yogurt (to use as a starter)
-powdered milk and/or gelatin (optional)
-insulated cooler
-towels

I use powdered milk and gelatin in my recipe because I like the consistency better that way. It makes a firmer yogurt. They aren't necessary ingredients but without them the result will be a softer yogurt.

STEP 1: Heat milk (and whisked-in powdered milk & gelatin) to 145° - 150°F.

STEP 2: Remove from heat and cool milk to about 125-130°F. If the milk is too hot you will kill the starter when you add it. If it's too cool you won't activate the cultures.

STEP 3: Inoculate with starter yogurt. (Plain, no sugar added, with LIVE cultures) Whisk starter yogurt into the milk and then pour into your containers.

STEP 4: Incubate @ about 130° for 4-6 hours. I do this by filling an insulated cooler with very hot water and letting it heat while I get the milk mixture ready. Then I pour out the water, put in my filled jars and refill with fresh, hot water up to the neck of the jars.





STEP 4 (continued): Wrap the cooler in towels or blankets to help hold in the heat and let it sit for 4-6 hours. Yogurt likes to be VERY STILL while it's culturing so be careful not to jostle it.

STEP 5: Remove jars from the cooler and refrigerate. The yogurt will firm up more after refrigeration.

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Ingredients for each quart of yogurt:

4 cups milk
2 Tablespoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon gelatin
2 Tablespoon plain yogurt

Here is a link to a printable copy of my basic recipe: www.cindee.net/Yogurt.pdf

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.