Easy tortillas!

We never seem to have tortillas on hand when we want them. I just found an easy
recipe to insure that we never want for our south of the border fix again!

Homemade Tortillas

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive oil to insure tenderness)

Combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. On a floured surface, knead five or six times. Divide the dough into eight, even pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 7-inch circle.

In a large, nonstick frying pan coated well with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for one minute on each side until lightly browned. Stack them
between sheets of paper towel and keep covered with a clean kitchen towel. The'steaming' will keep them soft enough to fold or roll depending on what you are
using them for.

Back at the Chicken Marsala . . .

If you don't have Marsala wine available, use a quarter cup white wine and a tablespoon of brandy for much the same tastes.

Very Quick Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 or so pan.

Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the vinegar and mix to combine thoroughly. Add in the vinegar and stir quickly to incorporate and spread batter in prepared pan and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched.

You can add a quarter cup of chocolate chips or nuts, too. A dash of cinnamon gives it a Mexican flair.

Chicken Marsala

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into eight pieces

ground, black pepper
flour, for coating
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (needed for the dish's flavor)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1 shallot (You can use small, red onion), minced
2 tablespoons parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
6 tablespoon marsala wine, dry not sweet variety
2 tablespoons chicken stock

Dust chicken with salt, pepper and flour. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and the oil in skillet and fry chicken in batches until golden on each side.

Remove chicken from pan and arrange in a single layer in shallow, ovenproof pan. Put in low, 250 degree oven) to stay warm.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and garlic to skillet and saute (do not brown) until soft. Add mushrooms and saute about 5 minutes. Use slotted spoon to lift mushrooms out of skillet and arrange on top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and put back in oven until you finish next step.

Pour Marsala wine into skillet along with chicken broth and remaining 1 tablespoons butter and boil rapidly until slightly reduced. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in cold water and add to the wine mixture and cook until slightly thickened. Pour over chicken breasts and serve with angel hair pasta.

The recipe can easily be increased. I do make more sauce than called for because it tastes so good over the pasta!