Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"!

I think I will be making these flatbread "gorditas" for a long, long, time. That's how good they are! It does take time to let the dough rise, but other than that they are fairly simple to make. My husband ate six of them in one sitting and wanted more the next night! The fillings you can come up with are endless!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"

For Gorditas:

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. potato flour OR 1/2 c. potato buds or flakes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt

For filling:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. good Caesar dressing (my favorite is the Girard's brand, Light or regular)
Torn lettuce leaves
1 zuchinni
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion
Additional Caesar dressing


Place the two chicken breasts in the 1/2 c. of Caesar dressing in a gallon size zip lock bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

To make the bread: Place 2 cups of the flour into the bowl of a mixer. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir (don't whisk) until smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the yeast with the 1/4 c. warm water, let rest until nice and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the potato flour (or buds/flakes) with the remaining 1 c. of flour. Add in the yeast mixture and the oil. Add salt, stir to combine everything.

Add this mixture to the cooled flour and water mixture. Knead with your KitchenAid or by hand for about 5 minutes. Dough may look dry but it will eventually turn into a nice slightly firm ball. You can add up to 1/4 c. more water if you need it, but keep in mind this is not a super soft dough. If kneading by hand do so on an oiled surface with oiled hands (not floured!)

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7" or 8" inch circle, this is easy to do by hand, the dough doesn't bounce back. Dry fry(NO oil or butter) on a griddle or large saute pan over medium heat, should take about a couple minutes per side until they are flecked with brown spots like a tortilla or gordita. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack and stack them on top of each other to keep them soft and pliable. Serve immediately or store in a plastic bag.


For filling:

Grill the marinated chicken breasts, about 20 minutes over medium heat, turning every five minutes.

While chicken is grilling, slice up the zuchinni into thick slices and chop the bell pepper and onion into large bite size chunks. Saute in 1 Tbs. olive oil until slightly browned and onions are translucent.

Slice the chicken into thin strips.

To serve first lay down some torn lettuce leaves, top with 2 or 3 slices of chicken. Drizzle with a little Caesar dressing and top with some of the sauteed vegetables.

For step by step picture instructions, you can visit the King Arthur Baker's Banter Blog at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/?s=gordita

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

These muffins were absolutely delicious! King Arthur flour really knows their stuff! :)
I loved the consistency of these muffins, kind of crispy on the outside and moist and yummy on the inside. The batter is supposed to be thick, don't let that scare you (I know it did me, I'm used to working with thin batter due to all of the extra buttermilk and sour cream I use!) But they rose beautifully and turned out great. KAF said that this recipe works well with any type of berry and the dough can be refrigerated for up to one week. You can make a few each morning!

KAF Blueberry Muffins

2 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 6 oz. (3/4 c.)container lemon yogurt (I like using the lemon burst flavor from Yoplait)
1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh of frozen (I used frozen, do not thaw, just throw 'em in there frozen)
coarse white sparkling sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a 12 c. muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Start out the mixture on low speed and increase the speed to medium until you reach the right texture.
Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time and beating after each addition.
Add vanilla and yogurt.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth, will be thick.
Fold in berries by hand.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, using a heaping 1/4 c. for each. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake the muffins for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If using frozen blueberries, you will have to cook a little longer. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then remove to rack.

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

My family LOVED these! They kind of tasted like a sausage and cheese mcmuffin but way better! The biscuit itself was moist and delicious and the pockets of melted cheese were heavenly. A great breakfast or brunch item.
Thanks King Arthur Flour again for a great recipe!

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut in pats
1 c. buttermilk (or plain yogurt or sour cream can be substituted)
2 c. cooked and sliced Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
1 c. diced cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Gently stir in the sausage and cheese. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture is evenly moistened.
Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat and roll it into an 8"X10" rectangle, about 3/4" thick. (Try to handle it as little as possible, just like scones, they less you handle it, they better they will be!)
Cut the dough into 16-20 squares depending on how big you want them.
Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet about 1" apart.
Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with melted butter.
Let cool a little and serve warm!

Individual Turkey Taco Layered Salads

This is a yummy recipe I found on the Betty Crocker website. I love it because I can make four individual salads, two my husband and I can have for the dinner, and the other ones I can send with him for lunches. The french dressing, salsa, and cilantro make a great dressing. You can also substitute Fritos for the tortilla chips.


Individual Turkey Taco Layered Salads

Dressing:
1/2 c. Pace medium salsa
1/2 c. french dressing
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Salads:
6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
3 medium green onions, chopped
2 c. diced turkey (I asked the deli counter for 6 extra thick slices of turkey and then I chopped it)
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
2 c. chopped or shredded cheese
2 c. broken tortilla chips.

In small bowl mix dressing ingredients.

For each salad use a 4 or 5 cup container. In each container layer ingredients in this order: 1 1/2 c. lettuce, 1 Tbs. onions, 1/2 c. turkey, 1/4 c. corn, 1/4 c. tomatoes, 1/4 c. dressing and 1/2 c. cheese. Place a small piece of wax paper over the salad and sprinkle on 1/2 c. of the broken tortilla chips. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours or can be tossed and served immediately.