Recipes

Jim Livengood's Chicken Liver Pâté
1 lb chicken livers - membranes removed

4-5 shallots - diced

1/2 lb unsalted butter1

t fresh thyme - minced

12 basil leaves

1 t salt

1/4 cup cognac

1/2-1 t fresh ground black pepper

1/4 t fresh ground nutmeg

Chop basil leaves and immediately soak in the cognac for 1-2 hours.

Sauté the cleaned livers with the shallots in 1 stick of butter to the point where the livers are browned on the outside but slightly pink in the middle.

Add all remaining ingredients except for 1/4 stick of butter to sautéed livers and sauté for 1-2 minutes more.

Purée in a food processor until smooth.

Pour mixture into serving container.

Melt the remaining butter and top the pâté with it.

Chill in fridge.

Serve with toast points.



Marsha Gibson's Broccoli-Bacon Salad

Salad Ingredients:
2-3 heads of Broccoli florets cut into small bite-sized pieces

1 lb bacon cooked and diced

1 cup of raisins

1 cup salted sunflower seeds (shelled)

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sugar

3 Tblsps White wine vinegar

Toss the Broccoli florets, bacon, raisins, and sunflower seeds in a large serving bowl.

For the dressing, in a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar with a whisk until you achieve a smooth consistency (no visible mayonnaise lumps & all sugar dissolved).

Pour the dressing over the salad immediately prior to serving, this keeps the Broccoli turgid. You may need to toss it again if it sits for a while since the dressing will fall to the bottom.

Note: This recipe is deceivingly dense - a little goes a long way. The broccoli wilts over time due to the dressing - and though it still tastes good, I find wilted broccoli to be less pleasing.

No-Peek Chicken Casserole
1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice with Herbs

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup1 can chicken broth

6-8 pieces of chicken (on the bone)

1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup mix

Lightly grease a casserole dish.

Mix the rice (with spice packet), mushroom soup, celery soup, and chicken broth into the casserole dish.

Place chicken on top of rice mixture in casserole dish.

Sprinkle top of chicken pieces with Lipton onion soup mix.

Seal tight with foil and bake at 350 for 2.5 hrs. Don't Peek!

Note: This rice is very enjoyable. We often double the rice ingredients to make sure we have enough.

Nate Newton's Corn Casserole
1 stick of butter (softened)

16oz can of creamed corn

16 oz can of whole kernel corn (drained)

8 oz sour cream

8 oz pkg of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Coat a casserole dish with the softened stick of butter.

Mix creamed corn, kernel corn, sour cream, and muffin mix together and add to casserole dish.

Cook at 400 for 30-40 minutes until top & edges start to brown. Or cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

The casserole should set up to a firmer-than-pudding consistency.

Adding a can of diced green chiles gives this dish a bit of a kick.


Mexican Chicken
6-8 chicken breast halves

2 tsp salt1 tsp pepper1 bay leaf

1 can cream of chicken soup1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

½ can chicken stock

12-18 tortillas (I use ½ flour and ½ corn) torn into small pieces

2 cups chopped or diced onion

3 - 5 cups grated sharp cheddar (I invariably use about 5 cups)

Boil chicken 10-15 minutes with salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

Skin, debone, and shred the chicken.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix the soups, Rotel tomatoes & green chiles, and chicken broth.

Layer ingredients in a greased lasagna sized casserole dish starting with ½ the tortillas on bottom, then ½ the onion, then ½ the chicken, then ½ the soup sauce, then ½ the cheese.

Repeat.

Bake at 350 for 45 min to an hour.

Let the casserole sit about 15 minutes when finished to let it set.

Serve with picante sauce.

My Note: A wonderful flavor is added to this dish if you take the time to grill the chicken over a wood fire instead of boiling it with the bay leaf.

Jeff's Famous Chicken Fried Steak
1 3/4 - 2 lbs tendrized cube steak (or tenderized round steak)

2 Cups all purpose flour

2 tsp Baking Powder1 tsp Baking Soda

2-3 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper

3/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

1 Egg

1Tblsp Tabasco

3-5 Garlic cloves, minced

Oil for deep frying (preferably peanut oil)

You will need two casserole sized dishes for dredging in the flour mixture and the batter mixture.

Place flour in one dish for dredging.

In a 2nd dish, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, & salt, then mix in the buttermilk, egg, & Tabasco and garlic (the mixture will be thin).

Dredge each steak first in flour, then in batter.

Dunk the steaks back into the flour and dredge them well until the surface is dry.

Heat up as much oil as you can stand in a large pot to 325 degrees. More oil insures proper deep frying and minimal temperature drop/recovery time so that the steaks come out light and crispy rather than oily.

The temperature is important - use a thermometer. Fry the steaks keeping them separated and flat.

Turn them over as they bob to the surface 7-8 minutes or until golden grown.

Drain and serve immediately - or put on a rack inside a baking sheet in a 160 degree oven to stay warm and crispy.

Old and/or leftover steaks lose their crispness, but they are still a great leftover meal.


Southern Cream Gravy
1/4 cup rendered beef fat

3 Tblsp all purpose flour (Wondra brand is ideal)

2 Cups evaporated milk

1 cup beef stock

1/2 - 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper salt to taste

Place cast-iron skillet over medium high heat & add oil.

Sprinkle in flour & stir to eliminate lumps.

Add milk & stock & stir until thickened due to reaching a simmer

Make sure the flour does not scorch on the bottom of the pan. This means you will need to stir regularly and even continuously toward the end.

The beef fat is a crucial part of the flavor of this recipe and the main reason the gravy is so flavorful.

You may find the need to add more flour to thicken this to a gravy consistency, but it does tend to thicken as it cools.


Southern Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs Idaho baking potatoes cut into 1.5" cubes

1 Tblsp salt

1 Cup whole milk

1/2 Cup half & half

8 Tblsp Butter
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Place potatoes (skins on) in large, heavy pan, cover with water by an inch. Add salt.

Boil over moderate heat until they are just fork tender.

Drain. Let sit in the pan and allow the moisture to steam away.

While potatoes cool slightly, add the milk and the half & half to a sauce pan and scald the mixture, being careful the mixture does not foam over.

Mash the potatoes, leaving some smaller lumps. Put the potatoes over low heat, stir continuously for 3-5 minutes to dry them out well.

Add the butter in pieces & allow to melt and be absorbed while you stir.

Add the scalded milk mixture 1/4 cup at a time, until you have the desired consistency (make sure it doesn't get too soupy).

Taste and add salt & pepper according to your preference.


Southern Style Green Beans
1 1/2 lbs Green Beans, snapped

3 Cups Chicken stock, strongly but not offensively salted

1/4 lb of raw Bacon (or bacon grease)

1/2 medium Onion, chopped

1/2 Tblsp fresh ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a pot. Cover & Boil strongly for 35 - 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Let stand & steep for at least 30 minutes (a very important step).

Discard bacon and onion and serve. Serves 4 - 6


Jeff's Famous Chicken or Beef Fajitas
For Chicken:

3 1/2 lbs chicken tenders (or boneless chicken breasts cut to the size of tenders)

For Beef: 3 1/2 lbs of skirt steak, flap meat, or flank steak

Marinade:

1 15oz. bottle of Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce
15-16 oz of Soy Sauce
3Tblsp Lawrey's Garlic Salt

1 Tblsp fresh ground Pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For chicken, add 1/2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice

Evenly mix salt & pepper. Liberally apply the salt & pepper mixture to the raw chicken or beef.

Add seasoned chicken or beef to a gallon-sized zip-lock bag.

Add equal amounts of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to liberally cover the chicken or meat in the bag.

If doing chicken, add the lemon juice.

Eliminate all air pockets from bag & seal the bag.

Knead bag to insure an even distribution of the marinade and spices.

Place bag in fridge for at least an hour (several hours is best).

Before grilling, drain the marinade, leaving the chicken or beef in the bag.

Add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to the bag of chicken or beef, seal the bag, and knead it to get it evenly coated with the oil (this will help prevent the chicken or beef from sticking to the grill).

Grill the chicken or beef, being careful not to over cook it (& dry it out).

Cut each chicken tender into 1/2 inch strips.

Cut the steaks against the meat grain into 1/2' strips.
Serve immediately.


Refried Beans
3 Cups dried pinto beans

1 Cup Bacon Grease1 Tblsp salt

2 Tblsp Bacon Grease (for re-frying)

To a large pot add cleaned beans and enough water to cover the beans by at least an 2 inches.

Heat over medium-high heat and boil strongly for 1 hour. Occasionally stir the beans, scraping the bottom to keep them from burning on the bottom.

Do not let the water fall below the level of beans - they will swell as they cook and need more water.

If the beans burn on the bottom - throw everything out and start over. You cannot salvage them.

After the beans have boiled for an hour, add one cup of bacon grease and continue to boil, stir, and replenish water for a second hour - watching the water level.

Continue to stir and scrape the bottom to keep the beans from scorching on the bottom.

At the end of the second hour add the salt and boil for 45 minutes - watching the water level so that the water level is even with the bean level by the end of the cooking time. You will notice the beans will start to boil more rapidly after the addition of the salt.

Be very careful and mindful at this stage. This is where you can easily scorch the bottom of the pan and ruin your beans, causing you to throw out the beans, scrub hard on the bottom of your pan, cry, and/or gnash your teeth.

Once the beans are tender and have a nice thick bean liquor, remove the beans from heat and allow to cool - uncovered for at least 4 hours (refrigerating over night is best). DO NOT COVER WHILE HOT - they will sour.

To re-fry, add the 2 Tblsps of bacon grease to a large pot (preferably cast iron). The moment the bacon grease begins to smoke, add the cold beans and mash with potato masher. so that the beans end up 75% mashed and 25% chunks.

Allow the refried beans to heat & cook down to desired consistency and temperature.


Mexican Fried Rice
1 cup long grain rice2 cups chicken broth

1/4 small can tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 to 1/2 t ground Cumin

3/4 to 1 t Paprika

1/4 to 1/2 t ground black pepper

1 to 2 cups beef fat or cheap shortening (Like Mrs. Tucker's) containing animal fats

Heat shortening to 360-380.

Add raw rice stirring continuously and gently and fry until kernels turn light brown. Try to avoid breaking the kernels.

In a separate sauce pan, mix and heat the chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic and spices until blended and warmed.

When rice is ready, drain all but about 1 Tblsp of the shortening from the rice - leave the rice in the pan.

CAREFULLY add the broth solution to the hot rice - it will steam and probably come to an instant boil.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.

Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
1 Quart of Chicken Broth

24 - 32 oz tub of sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 small lemon.

Corn Starch

Put the Chicken broth in a pan and boil it down to where it is reduced to about 1/4 cup in volume. This will take a while.

Add the sour cream to the chicken broth reduction.

Add the juice of 1/4 lemon (no more - even less if it's a big lemon).

Heat the sauce until it starts to simmer.

Taste to see if the sauce needs any more lemon - it is easy to over-do the lemon - be careful with this ingredient.

Add enough water to about 2 TBLSP's of corn starch to make a thin slurry.

Whisk the corn starch slurry into the sour cream sauce and bring back to a simmer so that the corn starch thickens the sauce.

Repeat this last step in smaller quantities until you achieve the desired thickness.

Serve on chicken/turkey enchilada's or with chicken fajitas.


Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
Sauté some onions and bell peppers.

Add cooked, de-boned turkey.

Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and pepper to the veggies.

Add a can or so of Rotel.

Heat through & stir to blend... you want the turkey to start to shred as it is stirred.

You want to end up with a consistency that will be good for an enchilada filler.

Add chicken stock if too dry, but don't have this too moist because it will wreck the tortillas.

Now, for the tortillas. Heat up some beef shortening (Mrs. Tucker's from the store will work) to about 340 to 350.

One by one, dip each tortilla into the hot shortening until they are blistered on each side (a matter of a few seconds). You will have to flip them, just make sure you don't over-cook them where they start to harden.

As you remove them from the shortening, dredge them in a pie pan that has some canned enchilada sauce poured into the pie pan. This flavors the blistered tortillas.

Be careful how you stack them after you cook them. If they are too hot and moist, they will stick together and fall apart on you when you try to separate them for rolling into enchiladas. The best thing to do is to be able to have several stacks of post blistered & dredged tortillas that you rotate putting hot ones on top so they cool off more as you stack them and thus separate more easily, later.

Make enough of these tortillas to match your filling.

Now, roll the tortillas with the filling and place them so they sit on top of the overlapped area on the tortilla - thus keeping them from unrolling. I put them on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, side by side. Roll until your are depleted of the tortillas and filling.

This is a good place in the process to stop, cover well with foil, and store in a refrigerator for heating, later, if you want to do this dish in advance (this is pretty labor intensive).

When you are ready to heat and eat, keep them tightly covered to prevent them from drying out, bring up to eating temperature gently (too much heat causes them to fall apart). I usually put the oven at 250.

Serve by placing the hot enchiladas on warmed plates, cover them with the sour cream enchilada sauce, top with grated Monterrey jack cheese and pickled jalapeño slices. Garnish with a dash of paprika.

If you don't warm the plates, the enchiladas will be too cool by the time you get it all on the table.

Mark Hedrick's Wisconsin Brats
1 pkg of Johnsonville brand fresh Bratwurst (no other brand allowed)

Beer

Butter

Onions, sliced into rings

Fresh buns

Gently simmer Bratwurst in beer, butter, and onions until brats are thoroughly cooked.

Put brats on a hot charcoal grill.

As the brats brown, place onions from the liquid on top of the brats to absorb the flavor of the grill.

When brats are nicely browned, either eat immediately on buns with the grilled onions and/or mustard and/or ketchup...or place the brats back in the warm beer to stay warm and absorb more beer flavor.

Split Pea Soup with Ham
1 smoked bone-in picnic ham (about 2 1/2 pounds)

4 bay leaves

1 pound split peas (2 1/2 cups), rinsed and picked through

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions , chopped medium

2 medium carrots , chopped medium

2 medium stalks celery , chopped medium

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2-4 medium cloves garlic, minced

pinch granulated sugar

3 small new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into medium dice

Ground black pepper

minced red onion (optional)

balsamic vinegar

Use a small 2 1/2-pound smoked picnic portion ham if you can find one. Otherwise, buy a half-picnic ham and remove some meat, which you can save for other purposes

The finished soup will continue to thicken as it stands but can be thinned with some water when reheated.

1. Bring 3 quarts water, ham, and bay leaves to boil, covered, over medium-high heat in large soup kettle.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is tender and pulls away from bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove ham meat and bone from broth
add split peas and thyme and simmer until peas are tender but not dissolved, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, when ham is cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Discard rind and bone.

2. While ham is simmering, heat oil in large skillet over high heat until shimmering.

Add onions, carrots, and celery sauté, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low add butter, garlic, and sugar.

Cook vegetables, stirring frequently, until deeply browned (caramelized), 30 to 35 minutes set aside.

3. Add sautéed vegetables, potatoes, and shredded ham to soup simmer until potatoes are tender and peas dissolve and thicken soup to the consistency of light cream, about 20 minutes more.

Season with ground black pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with red onion, if using, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.

Authentic French Onion Soup
Soup:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Table salt

2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing

1/2 cup dry sherry

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups beef broth

6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine

1 bay leaf

Ground black pepper

Cheese Croutons:

1 small baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices

8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

1. For the soup:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.

Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt.

Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).

Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot.

Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

2. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat.

Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)

Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes.

Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.

Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.

Increase heat to high and bring to simmer.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

4. For the croutons:

While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes.

Set aside.

5. To serve:

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.

Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup.

Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère.

Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet.

Be patient when caramelizing the onions in step 2 the entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the heating element to obtain a proper gratinée of melted, bubbly cheese.

If using ordinary soup bowls, sprinkle the toasted bread slices with Gruyère and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts, then float them on top of the soup.

For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.

Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces white button mushrooms , wiped clean and halved if small, quartered if medium, cut into sixths if large

Table salt and ground black pepper

3/4 pound beef tenderloin (about 2 fillets), cut into 1/2-inch long, 1/8-inch wide strips

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 small onion, minced (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup sour cream

8 ounces egg noodles , cooked in salted water, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons butter

Sour cream can curdle if added directly to hot liquid. To prevent curdling, temper the sour cream by stirring a little of the hot liquid into it and then adding the warmed sour cream mixture to the pan.

Buttered egg noodles are the classic accompaniment to this recipe. Add noodles to boiling water at the same time the onion goes into the pan in step 4, so that the noodles and stroganoff will be done at about the same time.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering, but not smoking, about 2 minutes swirl to coat pan.

Add mushrooms and cook over high heat without stirring for 30 seconds

Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes longer.

Transfer to medium bowl.

2. Return skillet to high heat, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil swirl to coat pan.

Place tenderloin strips in skillet. Using tongs, spread the meat into single layer, making sure that strips do not touch, and cook without turning until well-browned on first side, 2 minutes.

Turn strips and cook on second side until well-browned, about 1 minute longer.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to bowl with mushrooms.

3. Add beef broth to skillet, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon simmer until broth is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer broth to bowl with mushrooms and beef, scraping skillet clean with rubber spatula.

4. Return skillet to medium-low heat and add butter when butter foams, add onion, tomato paste, and brown sugar.

Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is lightly browned and softened, about 6 minutes

Stir in flour until incorporated.

Gradually whisk in chicken broth and wine

Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, whisking occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Whisk liquid from mushrooms and beef into sauce and simmer to incorporate.

Stir about 1/2 cup of hot sauce into sour cream, then stir mixture back into sauce.

Add mushrooms and beef heat to warm through, about 1 minute.

Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve over buttered egg noodles.

Pasta Carbonara
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound bacon (6 to 8 slices), slices halved length-wise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup dry white wine3 large eggs

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (3/4 cup)

3/4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese , finely grated (about 1/4 cup)

3 small cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced to paste1 pound spaghetti (or other pasta)

Table salt and ground black pepper

Add regular table salt to the pasta cooking water, but use sea salt flakes, if you can find them, to season the dish for fuller flavor.

Note that while either table salt or sea salt can be used when seasoning in step 3, they are not used in equal amounts.

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof serving bowl on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot.

2. While water is heating, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking.

Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 minutes.

Add wine and simmer until alcohol aroma has cooked off and wine is slightly reduced, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Beat eggs, cheeses, and garlic together with fork in small bowl set aside.

3. When water comes to boil, add pasta and 1 tablespoon table salt stir to separate pasta.

Cook until al dente

reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta for about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet.

Transfer drained pasta to warm serving bowl if pasta is dry, add some reserved cooking water and toss to moisten.

Immediately pour egg mixture over hot pasta, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or 3/4 teaspoon table salt toss well to combine.

Pour bacon mixture over pasta, season generously with black pepper, and toss well to combine.

Serve immediately.

Aunt Melba's Ham Loaf with Orange Sauce
Ham Loaf Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground ham

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup milk

Sauce Ingredients:

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

1t. dry mustard

1 T flour

2 T Vinegar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

6 whole cloves

Mix the Ham loaf ingredients well.

Shape into a loaf and bake 45min at 325 - 350.

Drain excess grease and pour Orange sauce over top and bake another hour.

This is simple, easy, unusual and really good.

Jeff's Texas Style Chili

For 9 Tblsps Chili Powder:
4+ Tblsp Ancho Chili Powder

2+ Tblsp Guajillo Chili Powder

1+ Tblsp Cascabel Chili Powder

1+ Tblsp New Mexico Chili powder

Mix the above ingredients well to be used as your chili powder in the recipe.

FOR SPICE BLEND NO. 1:

1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon MSG (Accent)

1/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons ground chili powder

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

FOR SPICE BLEND NO.2:

1/4 teaspoon MSG

6 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/2 teaspoon marjoram1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Chili pepper

1 bay leaf

FOR SPICE BLEND NO. 3:

1 tablespoon ground chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

FOR THE CHILI:

3 pounds beef chuck or sirloin tri-tip and/or chili meat,(sirloin cut in 3/8-to-1/2-inch cubes)

1 tblsp bacon fat

2 Tblsp Beef fat

14.5-ounce can chicken broth

1 teaspoon red hot sauce (Tabasco)

1 teaspoon green Jalapeno hot sauce

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilis - pureed

Spring water as needed

8-ounce mild tomato sauce

14.5-ounce can beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

2 pinches brown sugar

Assemble the three spice mixtures in separate small bowls and set aside.

For the chili:

In a medium skillet, brown the meat in three batches, using 1 teaspoon of mixed bacon/beef fat for each.

As each batch cooks, sprinkle with 1/3 of spice blend No. 1.

Add the cooked meat to a large chili pot, along with the chicken broth, hot sauces and Rotel.

Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat, adding spring water as needed, for 1 hour, or until the meat is almost tender.

While the meat is cooking, combine in a saucepan all of spice blend No. 2 with the mild tomato sauce, 1/2 can beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and enough of the remaining beef broth to make a medium-thick sauce.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Cover and remove from the heat.

After the meat has cooked, add the contents of saucepan to the chili pot.

Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let the pot rest, covered, for an hour or so.

Then bring the pot back to a boil and add all of spice blend No. 3.

Adjust the consistency of the chili with spring water, taste for salt and add brown sugar as needed.

Cook for 30 minutes longer, stir well and serve.

Chicken Cacciatore with Portobellos and Sage

8 bone in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

Table salt and ground black pepper

teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 ounces portobello mushroom caps (about 3 medium), wiped clean and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

4-6 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 - 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili spice

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 piece Parmesan cheese rind (2 inches, about 1 ounce), optional

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes.

Add four chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, not moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes

using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer browned chicken to large plate brown remaining chicken thighs, transfer to plate, and set aside.

2. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
Add onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt
sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until moisture evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from browned chicken thighs.

Add garlic to pot and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Add wine, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen brown bits.

Stir in stock, tomatoes, thyme, cheese rind (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit salt if using cheese rind), and pepper to taste.

Submerge chicken pieces in liquid and bring to boil
cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 45 minutes, turning chicken pieces with tongs halfway through cooking.

Discard cheese rind, stir in sage, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

If your Dutch oven is large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding, brown all the pieces at once instead of in batches to save time.

The Parmesan cheese rind is optional, but adds a wonderful flavor. An equal amount of minced fresh rosemary can be substituted for the sage.

Serves 6

Vegan Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

For the "Chicken Meat"

1 cup vital wheat gluten

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp Himalayan salt

½ tsp poultry seasoning

¾ cup vegetable broth, (enough to cover), for cooking

2 tbsp tahini

Marinade

pickle juice, enough to cover seitan chicken

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Binder

¾ cup plain, unsweetened soy milk - or 5 eggs worth of egg replacer, prepared

¼ cup pickle juice

Breading

2 cups organic white unbleached flour

⅓ cup powdered sugar

3 tsp paprika

2tsp cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp garlic powder
Peanut oil for frying

Toppings

Burger buns,

Pickles, cut into medallions

Your favorite Vegan cheese

Instructions

Chicken "Meat"
1. In a mixing bowl, mix together wheat gluten, salt, nutritional yeast, onion powder and poultry seasoning.

2. In a larger bowl, combine ¾ broth and tahini and whisk until smooth.

3. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet and stir until well combined.

4. Knead the dough until it is elastic but not dry. Sprinkle some additional gluten flour if you find you have made your dough too sticky.

5. Divide the dough into small little burgers. Keep in mind they will grow to about twice their size, so make them smaller then you would normally. Place in a casserole dish, covering them completely with vegetable broth.

6. Cook burgers in broth for 1 hour at 350 degrees, flipping at 45 minutes. Allow to cool

7. Mix together the marinade in a plastic bag or shallow bowl and allow the seitan to soak for an hour.

Binder
1. Mix together pickle juice and almond milk or egg replacer and set aside.

Breading
1. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, salt, bakingpowder, and garlic powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Warm the peanut oil in a deep fryer, frying pan or pot over medium heat until you reach 325F.

3. Toss the seitan “chicken” cutlet into the dry mixture and coat completely, then toss it into the wet, again coating evenly on all sides. Toss into the flour mixture again and coat generously. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and set aside.

4. Place cutlets into the hot oil using a pair of tongs. Flip occasionally to ensure even cooking. Allow to cookfor about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and golden brown. Allow to drain on a paper towel.

Repeat with the remaining cutlets and sprinkle with cayenne pepper to achieve ultimate spicy perfection.

Building your burger
1. Place your buns in a frying pan over low heat until slightly toasted.
2. Place vegan cheese on the bottom half of each bun, then top with the fried seitan chicken and top with 4-5pickle medallions.
Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Mash
1 head cauliflower diced

4 T butter

3/4 t salt

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven at 325F.

Spread diced cauliflower on oiled foil on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. They will just be starting to turn a light brown in areas.

Pull from oven and let cool/dry out a bit (30 minutes)

Add cooled cauliflower to a dutch oven on the stove at medium heat.

Macerate/mash with potato masher for about 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and cook for 3-5 minutes until blended.

Nana's Sour Cream Swedish Pancakes
2 eggs.

5 t vanilla

7 T flour

2 T sugar

1 t baking soda.

5 t salt

1 cup sour cream.

Mix eggs and vanilla.

Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt.

Add sour cream to dry ingredients & mix until barely combined.

Whisk in eggs until just combined.

Batter done. Sear on hot griddle

Portobello Mushroom Marinade
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1T EVOO

1T soy sauce1t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t dried Rosemary (1T fresh minced)

Mix ingredients. Marinate mushrooms. Grill or broil.


Janee’s Roast Turkey Tenderloins
1 pkg turkey tenderloins (2 per pkg)

2 T honey mustard (or mix 1T honey & 1T mustard

2T Garlic salt seasoning (Lawrey's or Cavender's)

2T olive oil

Preheat oven to 425

Heat oil in iron skillet at medium heat

Season tenderloins with 1/2 garlic seasoning.

Add tenderloins to hot skillet.

Baste tenderloins with honey mustard

Season tenderloins with the last of the garlic seasoning.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes (until 165 internal)



The Feldman's Roast Chicken With Schmaltzy Cabbage
1 large head (2 1/2 pounds) green cabbage

Splash of oil,

any kindKosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 whole chicken

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

A lemon, if you wish, for serving

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Halve your cabbage and slice each half into 1 to 1.5-inch thick slabs.

Very thinly coat the bottom of a 12-inch ovensafe skillet or an equivalent roasting pan with oil, just to keep the cabbage from sticking before juices trickle down.

Arrange cabbage slices in the pan as if you were making a mosaic, cutting pieces down as needed to get them to fit tightly.

Season cabbage with salt and pepper.

Pat your chicken dry and rub or brush it with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Generously salt and pepper the chicken all over (I use a full tablespoon of Diamond kosher salt on my 3-pound bird use half of another brand).

Place chicken breast side-up over the cabbage and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, spooning the bird and cabbage around it with butter a few times throughout.

Chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 155 degrees, or 165 degrees for the thigh.

If your chicken is much larger and you find it’s getting too dark for your tastes, reduce the heat to 425.

Lift the chicken off the cabbage and set on a plate (or warmed tray) to rest.

Flip each section of cabbage over carefully in the pan, nestling them back in, and return the pan to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees, until the edges are very dark brown.

Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Laura’s Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds ground beef1 onion finely chopped

1 ½ tsp salt

1 can tomato sauce

1 tbsp dry mustard

1 c cornflakes (omit if making keto)

1 egg¼ tsp pepper

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

honey

Preparation

Preheat oven at 350.

Mix everything together reserving ⅓ can of tomato sauce.

Form loaf, add to a casserole dish, create a small indented channel on top of the loaf.

Pour reserved tomato sauce into the channel.

Bake at 350° for one hour.

Baste with honey on top and bake for 30 more minutes.


Uncle Marty’s Chicken Marinade
2 parts pineapple juice1 part soy sauce

1 part cooking sherry (red wine for beef)

Marinate.

Grill chicken.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole
1 large head broccoli

1 head cauliflower

6 tbsp. butter, plus 1 tbsp. melted butter, divided

1/2 medium onion, diced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp. paprika, plus more for sprinkling

1/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs

1 1/2 c. grated montery jack cheese, plus more to taste

1 Break the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, cutting off the thick stalks as you go. Steam them for 3 to 4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green, then remove them from the heat. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the top, whisk to combine, and cook for 45 seconds more.

Pour in the broth, whisking constantly, then cook until the sauce thickens.

Reduce the heat to low and add the cream cheese, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and paprika.

Stir to combine until the sauce is nice and smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings, making sure it's nice and flavorful!

Keep warm.

3 In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.

4 Layer half the broccoli and cauliflower in a small casserole dish.

Pour on half of the cream sauce, then sprinkle on half the cheese.

Sprinkle a little paprika on the cheese, then repeat with another layer of broccoli, sauce, and cheese.

End with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.

Bake in a 375°F oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

KETO SWEDISH MEATBALLS
2 lbs ground meatloaf blend

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 large egg

1 tbsp water

1/4 cup diced onions

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

4 tbsp salted butter

1.5 cups chicken broth

1.5 cups heavy (whipping) cream

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and preheat a slow cooker to low.

Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, cheddar cheese, egg, onion, water, nutmeg, and allspice.

Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs and arrange them on the lined baking pan (may require two depending on how large your pan is — makes about 24 meatballs)

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 140 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the butter, chicken broth, and heavy cream over medium heat.

Once it begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and let continue simmering for about 20 minutes until it reduces in half (stir frequently, especially toward the end).

Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour the sauce into a slow cooker and add the meatballs when they’re ready.

Cook on low for about 2 hours so the meatballs can marinate.

Stir every half hour or so, covering all the meatballs, and don’t cook in the slow cooker longer than two hours, or the sauce may start to separate.

That last instruction is key. If you don’t mix and if you cook too long, the cream in the sauce will begin to separate

Michael’s Southern Style Collard Greens
2 bunches collard greens, de-stemmed

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 lb bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

3 Tblsp minced garlic

64 oz chicken broth

Smoked pork neck/shank

Fill the sink with 90 degree water and a cup of apple cider vinegar and soak the stemmed greens for about 90 minutes.

In a large soup pot, take 1/2 pound of bacon cut into small pieces and render it down.

When close to completing, add a medium diced onion and sauté until translucent.

As that nears completion, throw in 3 T of minced garlic and sauté for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add chicken stock (about 64 oz.).

Chop the collards into bite size pieces and add to the stock. Ensure enough stock in the pot to cover the greens.

Also add smoked pork neck/ shank.

Simmer covered on the stove for about 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Take neck/shank out after an hour or so.

Let it cool and remove the meat and add it back.

Serve with Hot pepper sauce.

Keto Cole Slaw
1 10 oz pkg of angel hair Cole slaw mix

4 packets of erythritol sweetener (1T)

2T apple cider vinegar

1 t celery seed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients to make sauce.

Pour over cole slaw mix.

Put in baggie.

Let sit in fridge for several hours.

4 small servings.

Lori's Bread pudding
10 Croissants

2 Cups

3 oz Heavy whipping cream

2 cups whole milk2

12 oz bag white chocolate chips

2 eggs

8 yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Tear up croissants. Stale/toast

2 cups cream, 1 cup milk 1 cup/bag chips heat on low in sauce pan til blended. Set aside.

Mix 2 eggs, 8 yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup milk.

Heat long enough on low to melt sugar.

Add both mixtures, stir.

Add all to bread in 9x13 pan

Let sit 15 minutes.

Bake at 350 1 hour. (325 less than hour on convection).

When top browns and custard domes, it’s done.

Sauce: 3 oz cream, 1 bag chips. Melt together.

Helen's Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 green pepper chopped

1 jar (4.5 oz) mushrooms, drained (or fresh mushrooms sautéed)

1 onion chopped

1 lb Kraft Deluxe American Cheese

2 cans Chicken broth + 1/4 cup water

3 whole chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

10 oz spaghetti cooked in broth - do not drain

1 jar (4oz) pimentos, drained

1Tblsp chili powder

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cook spaghetti in broth and water until done.

Do not drain.

Sauté onion and green pepper (& mushrooms).

Add all ingredients together in casserole dish.

Cover.

Heat in 350 degree oven until warm.

Hooters Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:4 - 5 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened (room temp. is best) 1 12 oz. jar Hooters Hot Wing Sauce

1 cup Ranch dressing

1 bag tortilla chips

celery sticks

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat sauce over medium heat and slowly add cream cheese and ranch dressing.

Stir thoroughly until well blended.

Pour sauce into a large bowl, and add shredded chicken along with shredded cheddar cheese.

Mix well.

Add mixture to a serving dish or bowl.

Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.

*Dip can remain heated for up to 4 hours. If mixture begins separate, whisk in hot water or more cream cheese.

Houston's Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients

1/2 cup grated Parmagiano Regiano cheese ( 2 oz)

2 clove garlic, peeled

7 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

33 OZ JAR marinated artichoke hearts, drained

8 ounces soft garlic-chive cream cheese

1 large egg

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place Parmesan cheese in a food processor.

While running, drop garlic in the feed tube.

Start the machine and add spinach, 1/2 artichokes, cream cheese and egg, process until thoroughly blended.

Turn into a casserole dish and fold in Mozzarela & remaining artichokes.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through.


Iron Skillet Beans
Liquid Smoke – 1.25 Tablespoons

Chuck Stew Meat – 5 oz.

Salt – 3/4 teaspoon

Onion, chopped – 3/4 Cup

Dark Brown Sugar – 3 oz. wt.

Black Pepper - 3/4 teaspoon

Yellow Mustard – 3/4 teaspoon

Ketchup - 3/4 Cup

Bean Liquid – 1/2 Cup

Bacon Pieces – 2 oz.

Ranch Style Beans (drained, reserve liquid) – 26 fl. oz.

Cut meat into small pieces.

Sauté meat until med-rare.

Place meat, onions & liquid smoke in a processor and dice.

Place meat in skillet and re-brown, adding salt & pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes & remove from heat

Cool meat for 1 hour.

Mix the bean liquid with mustard, ketchup & sugar.

Fold bean mix, beef mix & ketchup together, mix well and place in skillet.

Lightly sauté bacon & sprinkle bacon & bacon grease on top of mixture in skillet.

DO NOT MIX.

Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees

Seven Layer Salad

Fresh, raw spinach, torn into pieces
salt, pepper, sugar
½ lb. crumbled, fried bacon
4-6 chopped, hard-boiled, chopped eggs
chopped lettuce
salt, pepper, sugar
thawed, uncooked peas
thinly sliced red or sweet onion
mayonnaise
grated Swiss cheese

Layer ingredients in order given.

Sprinkle the salt, pepper and sugar over the spinach and lettuce.

The mayonnaise layer should coat the top like frosting.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving (this is really good if you refrigerate it overnight.)


Papa Doc’s Reuben Poppers

1/3 lb corned beef, diced small (1 1/2 cups)
2/3 lb grated Swiss (2 cup)
½ lb Sauerkraut, drained and diced small (1 ½ cup)
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup rye bread crumbs (Rye Bread dried @ 250 & crumbed)
Egg Wash (5 eggs beaten, 1tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper)
Frying Mix (“Shore Lunch”, etc)

Mix all top 5 ingredients together.

Refrigerate the mixture long enough to get it cold and help it bind together.

Pack together bite sized amounts – preferably in a mold like a small ice cube mold and put in freezer until solid.

Remove bites from freezer and mold.

Dip into egg wash, roll in breadcrumbs, put on tray and refreeze.

Fry poppers at 340-350 degrees for about 4 minutes or until done.

Serve with 1000 Island Dressing for dipping.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen large bite-sized poppers


Cane's Sauce For Chicken Tenders

3/4 c. Mayo
1/4 c. Ketchup
5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder

One of the reasons that everyone claims that every recipe they try is not quite it is that they make the sauce then eat it. Cane's won't use it until it has sat for 24 hrs. to let the flavors meld.