Homemade Pizza

1 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

Combine in a bread machine add ingredients in order your bread machine prefers. 

Mine: water, oil, flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, basil, and orgeno in a large bowl.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.  Punch down the dough and divide in half.  Form each into a ball and cover with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes.   

Spread out on 2 large pizza pans.  Poke holes all over with prongs of a fork.

Bake at 375 for 7 minutes.

Add toppings and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Note: garlic bread Roll into sticks and top with olive oil, crushed garlic, and parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Whipped Butter

2 sticks Butter, soften
1/2 cup light Olive Oil

Use a hand beater and medium bowl.

Slowly pour in the olive oil while still beating the butter.

Once fully added, whip in mixer for 3 minutes on high.

Place in container, cover, and refrigerate/freeze.

Will spread easily straight from fridge.

Oatmeal Yeast Bread

2 2/3 cup Warm Water
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Yeast
2/3 cup Instant Milk Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1 Egg
2 1/4 Cups Quick Rolled Oats
6 Cups Flour
softened butter
Pam
Stick Butter with wrapper half way off

In a large mixing bowl, mix water and sugar.

Sprinkle in yeast. Do not stir. Let stand and grow 10 minutes.

Add milk powder, salt, oil, egg, and oats to yeast mixture. Mix well.

Add 3 cups flour. Mix well.

Add remaining flour gradually until dough cleans sides of bowl.

Knead 10 minutes on a floured surface.

Coat top of dough with a thin layer of softened butter. Cover bowl and let dough rise until it doubles in volume. I like to bring a small pot of water to a boil and place it on the bottom of the oven.  Then put a wrack right above it and have the dough rise in the oven with the door shut for an hour.

Divide dough into two portions.

Form loaves and place in well greased pans, I use Pam.

Coat tops of loaves again with a thin layer of softened butter.  Let bread rise until the top of each loaf is 1 inch higher than the level of the pans. I just put them back in the oven without reboiling.  Keep oven door shut and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

To test for doneness, rap on top of baked loaf with knuckles, if fully baked, loaf
will sound hollow.

Rub stick butter over all of the baked loaves.

Let cool completely and cover in cling wrap.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water 

6 Tablespoons honey, divided

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

softend butter

1 stick hard butter

In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm water, 3 Tablespoons honey.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes.

Add 3 Tablespoons of honey, melted butter, 2 cups white flour, and salt.  Stir on medium speed till well combined. 

Slow down mixer to slowest setting and gradually add 1 cup of whole wheat flour.  Let mix for about 3-5 minutes till well combined.  I like to increase speed a little after the flour is added.  I also scrap down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scrapper when needed.

Slow down the mixer again and slowly add the last cup of whole wheat flour.  Turn back up to medium speed and combine till dough no longer clings to the bowl. 

Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes, I use wheat flour.  I also use about 1/2 cup flour to begin with and gradually add more trying not to add over 1 cup in total and none during the last 1-2 minutes of kneading.  

Place back in mixing bowl and coat the surface with softened butter. Cover with a dishtowel.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.  I like to boil a small pot of water and place it in the bottom of the oven.  Place the dough to rise on the rack right above and shut the oven door.  Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down, and divide into 2 loaves.  I use a scale to measure the divided halves to make sure they are equal.

Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.  Rub top with soft butter.  Cover again with towel.

Allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.  I place back in the oven but do not reboil the water.  Takes about 30 minutes to rise.  Then I leave it in there a little longer while oven heats up.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Turn bread out onto cooling rack immediately.

Lightly brush the whole loaves with stick butter.  Should take about half a stick.  I kept the other half of the butter wrapped to hold onto.

Cool completely.  Wrap in cling wrap.

Honey Butter

2 Sticks softened salted butter
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Whip all ingredients together.  Place in a bowl with a lid and keep refrigerated.

Cafe Rio Tacos

Cafe Rio Chicken 
Cafe Rio Rice

Cafe Rio Black Beans

Guacamole
Tomatillo Sauce
Shredded Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Tortillas

Make your Taco by placing lettuce down on a tortilla.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Layer chicken, rice, black beans, and guacamole.  Drizzle with tomatillo sauce.

Also good as a chicken taco salad.

Cafe Rio Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts
6 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
8 oz Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup \Water
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 3 hours and on low for 2 hours.

Shred with fork.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can Rotel, drained
1 Tablespoon dried chopped onions
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.

Add beans, corn, Rotel, dried onions, salt, and chili powder. Continually stir until heated through.

Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Note: Also good as a dip with tortillas chips!

Cafe Rio Rice

1 Tablespoon butter

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup uncooked Basmati rice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lime juiced

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine butter, chicken broth, and salt, bring to a boil.

Stir in rice, cover, and cook on low for 18 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Stir in garlic, lime juice and cilantro.  You may need to put the lid back on till rice is the softness you desire.  The steam will cook it a little longer, but not more heat from stove top.