Hors d'oeuvres

While talking to my cousin the other day she asked if I had any recipes for hors d'oeuvres, and I said I was more a main course and dessert cook. However as I thought about it I realized, I like appetizers just not what people think of as hors d'oeuvres, little cheese cubes, pieces of fruit and Swedish meatballs are ok, but not my thing. So I decided to go with something I like.
Of course this could also work as something for lunch...

Ingredients:
1 package large tortillas
2 pounds Mexican ground beef (recipe to follow)
or
2 pounds Mexican chicken (recipe to follow)
Lots of Shredded Cheese (if you like spicy use pepper jack, if you like mild use Monterrey jack, if you like sharp use cheddar.)
Butter
Sour Cream
Salsa


Mexican Ground Beef
Brown 2 pounds of ground beef or chuck and drain it.
Stir in salsa, just enough to coat the meat and sit a little in the bottom of the pan, add some chili powder, taste and add more salsa or chili powder to taste.

Mexican Chicken
Slice 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts on the bias about 1/2 inch thick.
place in a pan with salsa and cook till done.

Quesadilla
Place the flour tortilla on a large plate, place several strips of chicken, or several spoon fulls of beef, on half of the tortilla and spread it around. Place lots of cheese on the meat, fold the tortilla in half, spread butter on the tortilla and place cheese side down on hot griddle, over medium heat. Place butter on the face up side, once the bottom side is golden turn, and cook till golden and the cheese is completely melted. Repeat till all meat is used.
Place on the plate and slice into triangles with a pizza cutter or large knife. Organize on a platter around bowls of salsa and sour cream.

Pizza Carbonara

This is an awesome pizza, although it can take some time to make.





Start by pan frying or sauteing chicken breasts, set aside when done.

Next start the pizza crust:

Pizza Crust

2 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Bread Flour



In a large metal bowl combine the warm water, yeast and sugar, let stand till the yeast is ready, 10+ minutes. (It's hard to explain when yeast is done.)

Add the olive oil and start stirring in flour. Keep adding and stirring flour until the dough balls up as you stir and it doesn't seem to be taking flour.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

While the dough is rising make the carbonara sauce and cut the cheese.


Toppings not in the rest of the recipe(s)
Fresh Mozzarella, although if you can't find it or don't want to spend that much on cheese the pre-shredded stuff will work too. Slice the fresh mozz. and place on a plate between two paper towels with another plate on top. Leave for about 20 min.




Easy Carbonara

6 bacon slices, diced
3 tbsp. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. heavy cream

In large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon about 3 minutes or until limp. Add onion; cook 3-5 minutes longer or until bacon is browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from skillet, remove 1-2 strips worth of bacon. Stir in cream; bring just to boiling point. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Once the sauce is done set aside off heat to thicken.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Divide out and roll the pizza crust, as thin or thick as you like (I like thin) to fit your baking pans. Place the crust on the pans and cover with the carbonara, then fresh mozzarella, the bacon crumbles and the cooked chicken (diced).
Place in the 400 degree oven and cook till crust is brown around the edges and the cheese is bubbly in the middle.
Slice while still warm and serve.
Not the best Pizza cold, but still tasty.

William’s Ranch Dressing

William’s Ranch Dressing

½ cup Buttermilk

1 cup Mayo

½ cup Sour Cream

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. parsley (I usually use dried)

Salt and pepper to taste (probably about a half teaspoon of each)

Garlic Salt to taste (probably about a teaspoon or one and a half teaspoons)



Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly. Store in refrigerator.