Crisp Rosemary Flatbread

i have this food site that i LOVE. i have tried many of the recipes there and am almost always so glad that i did. Smitten Kitchen go there.

so naturally, my first recipe post should be from its archives. the following is straight from the site. also, i just made this for the second time in three days. the first time, these "crackers", as we call them, lasted mere hours. they are so simple and so good.

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Adapted from Gourmet, July 2008

Nothing could be easier than making this cracker, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell people you slaved all day over it because they’re going to be impressed, really impressed, and I see no reason not to milk it.

I think you could easily swap the rosemary for other herbs, such as thyme or tarragon, or punch it up with black pepper or other spices, but personally, I like it just the way it is here.

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon (has anyone seen this stateside?)

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly*. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

*here are my changes: i didn't brush the top with more oil. i felt the dough had plenty. on the other hand, if you have a good oil i suppose the more the merrier? i dunno. i also used kosher salt in the dough, and sprinkled (just a bit) more on top. oh yeah, and i also also also have a thing with big pieces of dried rosemary, so i had a bottle of dried, crushed rosemary that i used. our fresh stuff is getting woody.

More Advice: if you remove the flatbread from the oven, just as the edges are beginning to brown, the texture results in more of a chew than a snap. i liked that. ammon, however, wanted his crispy & snappy, so i left one in just a litttttttle bit longer. and there you have it.

drinks drinks and more drinks

i stumbled onto this site and so far am loving it....so i thought i'd share.
i love drinks, and always love finding festive new ones to try. you could try a new drink everyday! so here it is...enjoy!

http://www.drinksmixer.com/cat/8/

Cheesey Corn Dip

This is one of Tyler's favorite things and he makes me make it insanely often. :)

3 cans drained corn
2 C. mayonnaise (I use a little under 1 C. cause it's not as fattening that way.)
1 C. Parmesan cheese
16 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese (Aldi only sells it in 8 oz. packages of slices, so I just tear the pieces up)
1/2 to whole can sliced jalapenos (I actually skip this part cause I don't like them.)

Mix together in 9x13 dish. Bake 20 minutes at 350. After its done I get a spoon and mix it all together a little more now that it's all melted.

Yummy! Make sure you have some tortilla chips!

Ranch Chicken

¾ c. cornflakes crushed

¾ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 pkg. Ranch salad dressing

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

½ c. butter or marg. Melted (I use maybe 2 T.)

Note: This really does make enough for like 8 whole chicken pieces, so if you're only making 4-5 you can half the recipe. That's what I do.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes, p. cheese, and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in melted butter, then roll in cornflake mixture to coat. Place chicken breasts in a greased 9x13” baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350* for 45 min. or until juices run clear. Makes 8 servings.

I LOVE this stuff. and if I have any leftover crumby-stuff I put it all over the chicken also. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes and sometimes I dip my bites in sour cream just for kicks. :)

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Grill 4 or 5 chicken tenders. I used some lemon pepper marinade cause that is what I had and it was GOOD! Italian dressing is also great! Chopped up about a half of a red pepper and half a green pepper and a quarter to a half of an onion. Saute in pan with some olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, a little salt and pepper and about 3/4 teaspoon cumin. Chopped up the chicken. Shred half cheddar cheese and half monterey jack. Take a large tortilla, place some cheese, chicken and sauted veggies on half the tortilla and fold. Spray a skillet with oil that is big enough to fit 2 folded tortillas. Cook on medium heat for about ohhh, 2 minutes per side? Watch them! Flip when it is lightly browned.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or Matt's hot sauce :) and my sooooo easy mexican rice ( I will post that tomorrow)

Greek Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Cut up 7 or 8 potatoes into bit size chunks and put in a medium size bowl. Add about a 1/2 cup of olive oil? (I've never measured, use enough to really cover potatoes)

Crush 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, lots of sea salt and pepper, and oregano....be very generous with the oregano...like 3 teaspoons. Squeeze a half of lemon into it too if you have one, (I can't remember which way I like it better.) I add a few big dashes of basil too. Toss to coat the potatoes well and spread out on a cookie tray. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes have browned edges and are as crisp as you like them. Of course we dip them in ketchup :)