Tasty Flat Bread

This bread is soft on the inside and has a crisper crust. Very good with butter. I make long slices. The kids love it.

1 yeast cake or 1 yeast envelope
1 1/2 cup hot water (110 F-115F)
1 teaspoon honey
4 Cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
wheat bran
baking soda

Dissolve yeast, honey in the hot water. Wait 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it forms a nice ball and is difficult to knead, adding flour as needed. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour.  Scatter some of the wheat bran over the top of a pan. Place the dough on your pan and shape into a rectangle. In a small pan, heat up a few Tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon flour over medium heat for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Brush on the mixture over the top of the dough. Let the dough rise again for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 25-27 minutes.

Lubia polo /tomato rice with lamb and green beans

You can also make this with ground beef or beef (stew).

1 onion, diced finely (optional)
1.5 lbs lamb, diced (Can use beef)
1 can tomato paste
1 small lemon, juiced
Garlic
Green beans, chopped to 1 inch pieces
dash cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
Saffron-small pinch
1/2-1 cup water
3 cups long grained rice, cooked

If you are using onions, cook with oil until translucent and starts to caramalize. Remove the onion and cook the lamb. Add the spices, garlic, tomato paste, water, some lemon. Add green beans. Cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tnder. Slowly add in cooked rice. 

Lasagne Bolognese based on saveur recipe

This is the best lasagne I have ever had. The sauce took a long time but it was well worth it.

meat sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 rib celery, minced
1/2 carrot peeled, finely diced
2-3  slices prosciutto, finely chopped or you can use bacon
1½ lbs. ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup hot milk
1 cup beef, veal, or chicken broth
1 28-oz. can Italian plum tomato purée

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until soft and translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes more. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Add ground chuck, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up meat with the back of the spoon, until just cooked and still a little pink, about 5 minutes more. (To keep meat tender, do not fry or brown.)

2. Add wine to pot and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add hot milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat broth and tomato purée together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot, then add to meat mixture in pot. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2½ hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

make a bechemel sauce.

Grease your baking pan and layer the lasagne with meat sauce topped with parmesan, pasta, bechemel topped with parmsean, pasta, meat sauce and parmesan.

Cover and bake 375 for 45-1hour.

Bechemel the Versatile

There are a lot of various recipes you can make with the basic Bechemel. The possibilities are endless.

4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add flour and stir for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium lo (about a  3 setting). Add milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce thickens, turn off the heat.

1. Variation. Use 1 c. Chicken broth, 1 c. Milk. Add cooked diced chicken  and mixed frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn).  Top with biscuits and bake for 12-15 minutes or make it into pot pie or serve with pasta.

2. Add Parmesan and add cook veggies and a splash of white wine to serve with linguini (pasta primavera).

3. Add cheddar cheese 1-2 cups for Mac you have a great Mac and cheese sauce or topping for cooked broccoli or cauliflower.

4. Add Parmesan and Mozzarella for a sauce that you can use when making lasagne. Just use in place of ricotta.  Recipe I'll be posted next.

5. Add cheddar cheese, chicken or veggie broth, some milk and broccoli puree with mace for a nice broccoli soup.

6. First cook your finely diced celery, carrots with oil. Remove and set side. Add Bechemel ingredient and then add Parmesan with 1 cup broth and 1-2 cups of milk or cream and mashed, cooked (4 large russet) potatoes and garlic for some creamy potato soup.

7. After frying pork chops or chicken. Add the butter and flour with a splash or red wine and milk or cream for a nice gravy.