Blue Corn Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups Red Bob Mill's Blue Cornmeal, Medium Grind
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups warm milk
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

• Mill the cornmeal to create a softer meal.  I use the milling blade on a NutriBullet Pro.
• Mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.  Microwave the milk for 2 minutes and then whisk in the oil.  Dump the steaming milk and oil mixture into the flour and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold over and knead the dough ball in the bowl for no more than  two minutes.  Dough should be firm and soft and still warm from the milk. Do not over knead.
• Place dough in a bowl, cover with a cloth dampened with hot water, and let rest for 20 minutes in a warm place, such as an oven that was turned on briefly.
• After the dough has rested, break off or cut sixteen sections, place on a plate or flexible rolling board (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with the cloth re-dampened with hot water10 minutes.  It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.
• If making for the freezer, put each cut piece in a strip of wax paper, rolling up from one end for one complete turn, then wrapping both sides inward before rolling the rest of the way.
• If cooking immediately, after dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook or roll out each one before cooking.
• In a dry iron skillet, flat frying pan, or electric griddle, heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.  They will draw up in size in the pan.  
• Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
• Tortillas can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.  You can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Myrtle's Note:  I wanted to try making a hybrid tortilla, but worried about the proportions given the difference in density between cornmeal and flour.  After reading lots of Internet advice, I decided to use the 3/4 to 1 cup ratio, but to then make up that 1/4 with flour and increased the baking powder to help compensate for the change in ingredients.  I also used a bit of spices that I found common in corn tortilla recipes.  The result was a light, fluffy tortilla, a bit denser than a flour tortilla and tasting of cornmeal.  I am very pleased with the result.  I used the blue cornmeal because it has more protein than yellow cornmeal.


Yield:  16

Source:  Myrtle, modified from Texas Flour Tortilla recipe.

Blue Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup Red Bob Mill's Blue Cornmeal (medium grind)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon or more sugar (up to 1/4 cup will work for sweeter muffins)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees


Directions:

Grease muffin pan and set aside.  I very much adore, for baking, Pam's happy baking spray.

Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and oil in a bowl or glass measuring cup. In larger bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into dry ingredients.

Fill the muffin tins, leaving about an eight inch or so from the top.  Bake for 16-20 minutes (my oven finished them in just 16 minutes).  Remove from pan immediate.  Best served warm.


Myrtle's Note:  I made them using just 1 teaspoon of sugar, for the traditional version.  However, I plan to also make them with 1/4 cup sugar to have the sweet version.  I found them to be light and with much texture.  I was surprised at the crunchiness of the cornmeal.  I had them plain.  Some folk recommend serving them with salted butter or honey butter.  I think they would be great with chili or stew.


Yield:  18 muffins

Source:  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/blue-cornmeal-muffins/3377a166-8c1e-4285-bb21-714d7e9148b4

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast 
• 4 medium red potatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
• 1/4 cup yellow curry paste
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 large dollops Gourmet Gardens® Ginger
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Redmond's Sea Salt

Directions:

Dice chicken and set aside.  Cut potatoes into small cubes and set aside.  Mince onions and garlic and set aside.

In a large sauteuse pan, melt the butter on medium low.  Add the curry paste and cook for approximately five minutes.  Add onions and cook until translucent, approximately 10 minutes, adding in garlic, ginger, and brown sugar mid-way through.

Add in the chicken and cook until the outside is white (approximately 10 minutes), adding potatoes in mid-way through.  Add coconut milk and stir thoroughly.  Once a vigorous simmer is reach, cover and simmer for approximately 30-35 minutes, turning the heat to low if need be.

For a thicker sauce, after 25 minutes, remove cover and let simmer for 10 more minutes (the photo below was taken before reducing the sauce).

Myrtle's Note:  I read and read and read about curries, but never found exactly the recipe I wanted.  Having bought the yellow curry paste some months ago, I decided I would start with that and followed suggestions I found in the comments of recipes I browsed.  The repeated advice is to cook your spices (in this case primarily the curry paste).  I found it interesting that, in curries, the spices and onion mixture is considered to be the broth.  Traditionally, this would also have fresh tomatoes in this, but I am not a huge fan of tomatoes.  Be warned, yellow curry paste is spicy!


Yield:  4 servings

Source:  Myrtle (ideas gleaned from reading commentary on making curries)