Peppy's Pita Bread

I have been wanting to make pita bread for a really long time.  Usually when I try it, it doesn't puff up like it is supposed to and turns out to be more like a flat bread.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and it was way easy and tasty.  We had fun watching every single pita puff up perfectly in the oven.  I can't wait to stuff them with something yummy!

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start.  When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.  (I made my in my Kitchenaid because I don't have a bread machine, and just mixed it until it formed a soft dough, then let it rise until double in size.)

2.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope.  With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces.  Roll each into a smooth ball.  With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle.  Set aside on a lightly floured counter top.  Cover with a towel.  Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.

3.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack.  Place cake rack directly on oven rack.  Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown.  Remove from oven immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft.  Once pitas are softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas.  They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

Broiled Roast Beef Sandwiches

This is an great open-faced toasted sandwich. Some friends of our made it for us when we were first married and I'm still making it -- with some minor modifications. Tasted good then, tastes good now.

Ingredients:

6 bakery rolls (or small loaves of French bread) sliced in half

butter

3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is clear. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly butter rolls. Broil just until golden on top. Spread marinara sauce on top of rolls. Top with roast beef and mozzarella cheese. Place back in broiler until cheese is melted.

Dilly Chicken Sandwiches

I love cookbooks. I seriously can just sit and read them like I would a novel. This is dangerous to my waistline. But, when Taste of Home had cookbooks on sale for $5 each a few weeks ago, I had to buy some. Three, to be exact. They came in the mail today and I'm in heaven.



Tonight's dinner was from the Salads & Sandwiches cookbook. We love sandwiches at our house, and I'm so excited to have some new ideas. These were really, really good. I used whole wheat rolls from the grocery store bakery instead of french bread.

Dilly Chicken Sandwiches

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. dill weed, divided
6 Tbs. butter, divided
8 slices French bread (1/2 inch thick) or sandwich rolls
1/4 c. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 lettuce leaves
8 slices tomato

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness; set aside. In a large skillet, saute garlic and 1/2 tsp. dill in 3 Tbs. butter (I used about half this amount.) Add chicken; cook over medium heat until chicken juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

Spread both sides of bread with remaining butter (again, I used much less.) In a skillet or griddle, grill bread on both sides until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice and remaining dill. Spread on one side of grilled bread. Place lettuce, chicken and tomato on four slices of bread; top with remaining bread. Yield: 4 servings.