doss peace and justice center's cookbook

Greetings!

2010-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our cookbook. Thanks for visiting, and please feel free to send your comments, questions, and corrections. Here's some information about this cookbook:

If you're like me you love to get in the kitchen and have fun. This is part of a collection of recipes I began for a dear friend of mine in Arkansas. We do this simply because we like to share. These are some of the dishes served in our household. Given in love to my dear friend Margaret.

May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

doss

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Corn, Tomato & Black Bean Salsa

2009-07-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed, freshly ground and lightly toasted
1 jalapeno, minced
2 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Red Chili Honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
3 large ripe Roma tomatoes
1 cup black beans, cooked

Directions

Lightly saute onion and garlic in the olive oil; placed chopped cilantro, cumin seed, jalapeno, vinegar, honey and salt in a mixing bowl, and combine well.

Add corn, tomatoes, beans, and sauted ingredients; stir to combine. Allow to stand 30-45 minutes before serving. Yields 2 1/2 cups

Red Chili Honey

1 cup honey
1 Tablespoon red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan; cook on low heat one minute - stirring constantly.

Note: (July 7, 2009): I made this today with lime juice instead of vinegar. And I substituted home-made fig preserves for the honey. Also, I added a chopped mango to the salad. Excellent.

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Shrimp Pilau #2

2009-07-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

My friend, Nikki Merritt, turned me on to Shrimp Pilau, and the recipe she gave me is excellent. I did some researching on "pilau," though, and saw that it's very much like a jambalaya I'm more accustomed to cooking, but using bacon instead of sausage, and with less in the way of Louisiana style seasonings. I've tried a couple of different variations of this and have had good results. As usual, feel free to experiment. We hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

3 pounds head-on wild Gulf shrimp (9-12 count)
2 pounds sliced bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, minced
1 green bell pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 red pepper, cleaned and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 14oz cans tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown rice
5 Bay leaves
salt & pepper (red, white, and black - about 1/4 tsp each)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dry basil (or a few leaves fresh)
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

Peel and de-vein shrim, placing heads and peels in a stock pot. Cover shells with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Cut shrimp into halves or thirds, and season up however you like. I prefer a good dose of garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, salt, etc. Be creative. Use a prepared Cajun seasoning like Cachere's if desired. Stir to coat, and hold in refrigerator until later.

While stock is cooking, place bacon in dutch oven and cook until nearly crisp. Set bacon aside on paper towels to drain. Remove most of the bacon fat, but reserve a few tablespoons in the pan for cooking the vegetables.

Into hot bacon fat, add onion. Then celery, then bell peppers and garlic. Cook for a few minutes; then add tomatoes, including juice. Bring to a simmer. Add bay leaves. And other seasonings.

Drain shrimp stock, discarding heads and peels. Measure remaining stock, and return to a boil, cooking down to 2 - 2 1/2 cups. Add stock to pot of vegetables. Stir in rice.

Bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 45 minutes. Or until liquid is absorbed, and rice is tender. It's okay if not all liquid is absorbed.

When rice is tender, stir in bacon and allow to heat through. Then, stir in the shrimp, folding constantly to distribute cooking heat evenly. Cook just until pink.

At this point, you may stir in some file powder if desired.

Remove from heat. Allow to rest for 10 minutes; then serve up in big bowl with plenty of your favorite hot sauce.

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Dwayne's Pork Ribs

2009-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dwayne does almost as good a job on ribs as Daddy did.

Ingredients

2 racks Pork ribs
2 cups Pineapple juice
Dry Rub for Ribs
Apple cider
Cooking Oil

Instructions

Rub ribs down with spicy BBQ rub and refrigerate over night.

When fire is ready mist ribs with a 50/50 mixture of apple cider and cooking oil, and place on indirect heat at about 220 degrees F. Allow to cook for three hours.

Make foil packets to wrap the ribs, and pour pineapple juice over them before sealing. Cook another 2 hours.

Unwrap ribs from foil packets and cook another hour. During the last 30 minutes, baste with your favorite tomato based BBQ sauce.

Corn, Tomato & Black Bean Salsa

2009-07-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Bacon & Kraut Casserole

2009-06-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

I created this one quite unintentionally. I had some fresh mushrooms I wanted to cook up before they got old, so I started throwing together things we had in the kitchen. This is what came out of that effort, and Sherry LOVES it.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup brown rice
2 2/3 cups chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, cleaned and chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
14 ounce can of sour kraut
2 cups mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, butter beans, etc.)
cooking oil
salt & pepper

Directions

Begin cooking rice in chicken stock, following package directions. Set aside when done. Place bacon in skillet and cook till nearly crisp. Set aside. Heat oil in Dutch oven and begin coooking onion. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic, celery and bell pepper. Add mushrooms. Continue cooking until tender. Stir in mixed vegetables, bacon and sour kraut. Mix well, and continue cooking until all is well-blended and the vegetables are tender. Season with salt & pepper.

Sherry's Apple Muffins

2009-06-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup salad oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated apple

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms of medium muffin cups. Beat egg; stir in milk and oil. Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Shrimp Pilau ala Nikki

2009-06-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Nikki Merritt, served this dish to the vestry. Once again, as we've come to expect from her, she hit a homer! Thank you, so much. (Nikki says this is from one of the Junior League of Charleston Cookbooks. When I read, "Receipts" in her email, I thought it was a typo. I've since learned, that's what they called recipes in Charleston in the 1800s. And who knows? Maybe they still do today.)

Ingredients

2 cups raw rice
1 cup mayo
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 lbs. shrimp, cooked & peeled
4 slices bacon, cut in small pieces

Directions

Cook rice in steamer.

Combine mayo, ketchup, salt and pepper; stir into warm rice to thoroughly moisten.

Add chopped onion, bell pepper and shrimp.

Pour into casserole dish and cover with pieces of bacon. Sprinkle top with pepper.

Cook covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove tinfoil and cook an additional 15 minutes to let the bacon crisp.

(Nikki uses more bacon and serves with Tobasco or some other hot sauce.)

Greek Tomatoes

2009-06-10T05:36:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 ounces ripe olives, pitted and sliced
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
Fresh or dried oregano, to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
In 9-by-13-inch glass dish, layer tomatoes, onions and olives.

Directions

Sprinkle with feta cheese and oregano. In a small bowl, combine vinegars and oil; pour over tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors.

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Tex-Mex Chunky Salsa Salad

2009-06-10T05:30:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

3 to 4 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded and cubed (3 cups)
1 large Texas 1015 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cucumbers, pared, halved lengthwise, seeded and cubed
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 jalapeños or other small hot chiles, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions
In medium bowl, mix tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, garlic, chiles if using, lemon juice and sugar, blending well. Chill until ready to serve. If possible, make ahead so flavors have a chance to blend.

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What Is the "peace and justice center"?

2009-06-08T17:16:00.001-07:00

This place was formerly called "dpjc's cookbook," but that led to a lot of confusion as to who or what "dpjc" is.

The "dpjc" stands for "doss peace and justice center," a "virtual" institution created by the author who uses the pseudonym, "doss." It's a long and colorful story. I invite those of you curious to know more about the "center" to write me. For now, in the interest of peace, justice, and loving our neighbors, I offer these recipes to the world.

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Potato, Corn & Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing

2009-06-07T06:28:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
6 ears fresh corn, cooked, kernels removed

Directions

Put the vinegar, olive oil, basil leaves, salt and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture is emulsified.

Place the potatoes in a large pot, add enough water to cover them and bring to a boil.

Cook until the potatoes are pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool until you can handle them but they are still warm. Cut into quarters but do not peel.

Put the potatoes, tomatoes and corn kernels in a large bowl. Pour in the basil dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

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History of This Cookbook

2009-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've been the head cook in our household since 1983, when I got laid off at the same time my wife returned to work from maternity leave. We soon discovered that I was a much better cook than she, and I enjoyed it much more than she.

I began writing notes and pasting recipes into a spiral bound "cookbook" my mother-in-law had hand written for my wife in 1971. By 1992, we'd joined the "computer age," and my younger brother gave me a DOS based cookbook program which I immediately began to populate with all the notes and recipes I'd collected over the years.

Then, shortly after that, I discovered the joys of HTML and the world wide web, and naturally began to publish my "cookbook" to the net.

The "book" went through several painful iterations, as I learned more about HTML, and more importantly, about the complex issues arising from trying to maintain a unified publication on the web. I learned the tedium of having to edit EVERY file on the website whenever I added ONE new recipe (I should NEVER have put a table of contents on EVERY recipe page.). I experimented with frames, but soon learned that frames were prone to show up great in one browser, and screwy in other browsers.

I went on for years, experimenting with different approaches, style sheets, etc., until one day it dawned on me that blogspot.com had done most of the hard work for me already. And that there was no need to re-invent the wheel.

In the meantime, I'd acquired a magnificent recipe manager program called Big Oven, that would automatically generate an HTML file for my recipes. I toyed with that for a while, and eventually settled on the simplified recipe format you see in this blog.

Many thanks to the good folks at blogspot, for making this so possible.

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How to Use This Cook Book

2009-06-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

Because this cookbook uses the Blogger format, it will work a bit differently than cookbooks you've encountered before.

The top row of hyperlinks in the header above ("bread, dessert, meats," etc.) contains links to tables of contents for each food grouping. When you click on one of them, that table of contents will replace this page (Or whatever page happens to be in this space). The second row of hyperlinks points to other elements that are not necessarily recipes, but are items you mind find of interest.

Included there is a section for external links to other sites I find interesting or useful. Plus, if you want to view my posts chronologically (I can't imagine why, but this is a feature offered by our friends at blogger.), you can view them by month and year by going to the archives.

You might also check out categories where recipes and posts are gathered according to a common element such as "Cajun," "smoker," Mexican," etc. As you "jump" or scroll down the sidebar, hopefully you'll notice strategically placed "Back to the Top" hyperlinks. These should zap you back to the top of the page where the table of contents menu is. (We hope.) You'll get the hang of it. We hope you have a good time.

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Basil Salad Dressing

2009-06-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup basil leaves, packed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor, and process until the mixture is emulsified.

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Latest Entries

2009-06-01T05:44:00.001-07:00

Shrimp Pilau #2 (July 7, 2009)
Corn, Tomato and Black Bean Salsa (July 4, 2009)
Bacon and Sour Kraut Casserole (June 30, 2009)
Sherry's Apple Muffins (June 18, 2009)
Shrimp Pilau (June 17, 2009)
Greek Tomatoes (June 10, 2009)
Tex-Mex Chunky Salsa Salad (June 10, 2009)
Potato, Corn & Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing (June 7, 2009)
History of this cookbook (June 6, 2009)
How to use this cookbook (June 5, 2009)
Basil Salad Dressing (June 5, 2009)

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No-oil Salad Dressing

2009-05-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

A little horseradish gives a lot of zip to this tart cooked dressing. Cornstarch offers a convenient way to thicken this tangy blend without oil.

Update: First report in - this is good stuff according to the lady whose lunch box I helped pack this morning. (May 11, 2009)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Artificial sweetener equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch, mustard and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool completely. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Store in refrigerator. Stir before serving. Yield: about 1 cup.

Update: You better double this recipe. It's that good.

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Fool-Proof Boiled Eggs

2009-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to the American Egg Board for these instructions.

Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold eggs in a single layer. Cover with cold water to a depth of 1 inch over the eggs.

Bring just to a boil; remove from burner and cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large or 12 minutes for medium size eggs. (18 minutes for extra large)

Cool completely by immersing in ice water or by running cold water over them.

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Chicken Pot Pie

2009-03-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

I did this tonight, and it was GREAT! Don't be afraid to experiment. For one thing, we don't buy those gravy packets. I made my gravy from scratch, using the drippings from chicken I'd baked in the microwave. Just heat up a few tablespoons of the drippings and stir in an equal amount of flour. Add water, and seasonings (garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, etc.).

The beauty of this is you can mix the batter (no need to allow it to rise) and bake it all in one container.

Ingredients

(For the Batter)

Cooking Spray
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 envelopes rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm milk (120º to 130ºF)
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 egg

(For the filling)

2 packages (approximately 1 ounce each) chicken gravy mix
2 cups cold water
1-1/2 tablespoons minced onion
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked, diced chicken OR turkey

Directions

Mix chicken and vegetables into pan of gravy. Mix batter in an 8x8 baking pan that you've sprayed with cooking spray. Top batter with gravy, veggie, chicken mixture.

Place in cold oven and turn to 350 degrees. Bake about 35 or 40 minutes.

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Rice for 100

2009-02-25T05:38:00.001-08:00

Most of you will probably never have to cook rice for 100-120 or so, but I did it last night. Thanks to Ken Brown for this recipe.

Ingredients

1.5 gallons water + 1.5 cups
1 gallon rice
cup of butter or margerine

Directions

Stir together in deep hotel tray. Seal tightly with foil. Place in convection oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Carefully peel back the foil and fluff.

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No-Knead Bread

2009-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

A client gave me this recipe and swears it's top notch.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (more for dusting)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

Directions

In large bowl, mix flour, salt and yeast. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until well blended. Dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at least 12 hours (preferably about 18 hours).

When dough's surface is dotted with bubbles, turn out on to a lightly floured surface; sprinkle lightly with a dusting of flour; and turn in on itself a few times. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Using enough flour to prevent sticking, gently shape into a ball. Generously cover a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with corn meal or wheat bran. Place ball seam side down on towel; dust with more meal or bran; then cover with another kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 450. Place heavy duty 6-8 quart heavy covered pot into oven as it heats. When oven reaches 450, remove pot and place dough into it seam side up. Shake to level out a bit.

Cover with lid, and bake 18-30 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking another 20-30 minutes until browned. Cool on rack.

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Baked Apple Pancake

2009-02-11T19:12:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup peeled, sliced tart apples
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in heavy cast-iron skillet.

Add apples, pecans, sugar and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the apples begin to get tender.

While apples are cooking, place the eggs, flour, milk, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a blender or mixer. Blend for 1-2 minutes on high.

Pour the batter over the cooked apples in the skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes; then invert onto a plate.

Slice into 6-8 pie pieces and dust with powdered sugar.

Note: We did this one today (February 14 - for My Valentine), and it is superb!

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Bacon Explosion

2009-01-31T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sounds weird, eh? My little brother turned me on to this, and I'm thinking about trying it. The New York Times featured this recipe recently, as did Good Morning America

Update (February 1 - Super Bowl Sunday): I did it, and it wasn't nearly as tricky as it sounds. One tip. I constructed mine on a sheet of aluminum foil. When it came time to roll up the completed loaf, I lifted the back edge of the foil to start it rolling. Once rolled up, I transferred the "torpedo" to a 10" by 12" cooking grid and placed on the Weber which I'd set up for indirect hickory smoking at 225-250. It took about four hours to bring it up to 165 degrees. Pretty good stuff.

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Caribbean Chicken

2009-01-22T06:28:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this one on Food TV, and it looks like a winner. I'm thinking of doing these on the grill.

Ingredients

* 1 habanero, seeded and chopped
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons fennel seed
* 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons allspice
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 4 garlic cloves, chopped
* 4 green onions, chopped
* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 7 pounds chicken wings

Directions

In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

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Macaroni & Cheese with Lobster

2009-01-14T06:35:00.000-08:00

This recipe was adapted from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas. Use freshly steamed lobster meat or frozen, cooked lobster meat that has been thoroughly defrosted. A total of 3 1/2 pounds of live lobster ought to yield enough for this recipe, or about 3 packed cups of the cooked meat.

Ingredients

Salt
8 ounces dried elbow macaroni
2 medium garlic cloves
2 medium shallots
1 pound cooked lobster meat
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (divided use)
1 cup freshly grated Gruyère cheese
4 ounces low-fat (but not nonfat) cream cheese
2 cups low-fat milk (or substitute heavy cream)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs (may substitute fine plain dried bread crumbs)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a shallow, 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain; reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Mince garlic and shallots; they can be combined and should total about 1⁄3 cup. Coarsely chop lobster meat.

Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with about 2 inches water; heat over medium-high heat.

Combine Cheddar, 1 cup Parmesan, Gruyère and cream cheese in a stainless-steel (or heatproof) mixing bowl that will just fit over the top of the saucepan (so that water will not touch bottom of bowl). Once cheeses start to melt, add milk or cream and stir gently; this process will take about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Pour heated water out of saucepan, then add butter and melt it over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook 2 minutes, until softened, then add lobster meat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until just heated through.

Pour reserved pasta cooking water over macaroni to loosen it (still in the colander); drain, then add macaroni to saucepan and stir to coat with butter. Add cheese mixture and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. (If topping does not brown, run casserole under broiler for a few minutes; watch closely to see it does not burn.)

Makes 4 to 6 generous servings.

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Gnocchi (Potato Dumplings)

2009-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

We recently attended a delightful luncheon, where our friend, Paul Searle, served gnocchi. Here's a video that shows how to prepare them.

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Banana-Coconut Pie

2009-01-07T05:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

For crust:
2 1/4 cups dried dates pitted and soaked in water for an hour if too dry
1 1/2 cups almonds
2 cups walnuts
For filling:
2 coconuts
8 small, ripe bananas
2 tablespoons raw honey or agave nectar
1 cup pitted dates
6 to 8 strawberries

Directions

For crust: Blend dates, almonds and walnuts in a food processor until the consistency of chunky cookie dough.

Transfer to an 8-inch pie dish. Use your fingers to press and form a crust; set aside.

For filling: Cut tops off coconuts and drain juice into a container to enjoy later. Scoop out coconut meat and transfer to a food processor.

Add bananas, honey, dates and strawberries. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Pour into pie crust and cover lightly with plastic.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours to set or, for a frozen treat, put in freezer until ready to serve.

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Grill Medley

2008-12-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

I fired up the Weber tonight and added some hickory chunks. I banked the fire on two sides, placed an aluminum drip pan in the center, and prepared a vegetable medley for the grill.

Ingredients

purple onion, peeled and sliced 3/8 inch thick
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and dried
one thick carrot, cut into 1/2" by 3" sticks
2 sweet red peppers, cut into quarters and cleaned of seeds
1 green bell pepper, quartered and cleaned

Directions

Wash and cut vegetables. Lightly coat with canned olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle with Chef Paul's No-Salt Seasoning. Place on grill over indirect heat. Test veggies for doneness after about 20 minutes.

Wait a few, and test veggies again. Vary veggies as desired. Try calabasita squashes cut into spears, sliced egg plant, or anything else that's fresh and available. Have fun!

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Corn Pudding

2008-12-13T11:43:00.001-08:00

The food service people at the university did this one for a party at the president's house. It was such a hit, that they shared the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
½ cup of Cheddar Cheese (grated)
½ cup of red or green bell peppers
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper
1 cup of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
Garnish with chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine corn, eggs, and grated cheeses. In another bowl mix together flour, sugar, salt, chipotle pepper, bell pepper and add to egg mixture. Stir in milk, heavy cream and melted butter. Pour into a lightly oiled gratin dish. Place dish in a larger pan and add water to halfway up the side of dish. Place in oven and bake for one hour or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Garnish with chives. [See also Corn Souffle].

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Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

2008-12-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 1 prepared chocolate pie crust
• 1 (11.75 oz.) jar Smucker's® Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping, divided

Directions

1. BEAT together 1 cup peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, until well combined. Gently mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.

2. RESERVE 2 tablespoons of hot fudge topping into the corner of a resealable food storage bag; set aside. Microwave remaining topping on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Spread topping over pie, covering entire peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining whipped topping (1 1/2 cups), over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers.

3. CUT a small corner from bag containing topping. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Place remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a resealable food storage bag; cut bag corner and squeeze to drizzle in opposite direction from topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 pie (6-8 servings)

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Turkey Times - with Oven Bag

2008-12-06T08:50:00.001-08:00

If you lose the instructions that come with those oven cooking bags, this might come in handy. Click on image to enlarge.

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Turkey Times - with Oven Bag

2008-12-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

If you lose the instructions that come with those oven cooking bags, this might come in handy. Click on image to enlarge.

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Oyster Pie

2008-11-30T11:13:00.001-08:00

I asked my good friend, Nikki Merritt, for her "Oyster Pie" recipe. This is what she wrote.

"So tasty - It's a recipe from Will's side of the family and once I had it, it became a staple for our Thanksgiving dinners. You mix up some margarine and 2 cups crushed up oyster crackers & breadcrumbs and then sprinkle in the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of oysters, then more breadcrumbs, more oysters. Sprinkle with S&P [salt & pepper], then pour milk about 3/4 of the way up the oysters (not enough to cover them) and bake 350 until bubbly. Enjoy!"

She tells me that she uses a quart of oysters and does this in a 9" by 9" pan. Thank you, Nikki. :)

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Bobbie's Chess Pie

2008-11-19T18:44:00.001-08:00

Mother used to make this when we were children. I always loved this. By the way, the name supposedly is an adaptation of what ladies in the old south used to call "Just Pie."

Ingredients

1 stick of butter- melted
2 cups of sugar
2 Tablespoons of self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 cup of buttermilk
2 thawed pie crusts - any kind (Pet Ritz shallow pie shells -not deep dish)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a whisk or beat low with a mixer

Pour evenly into two pie shells and bake at 350 for 40 minutes - the top should be brown and crusted - serve hot or cold.

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Margaret's Turkey Chili

2008-10-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

My friend, Margaret Wallace, served this "chili" to our vestry. I saw several people going back for seconds. Thank you, Margaret, for sharing this recipe.

Ingredients

2 # ground turkey (Originally called for beef. Margaret also suggests buffalo.)
Large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can great white beans with liquid
1 can white corn with liquid
1 can saukraut WITHOUT the liquid
1 small can tomato sauce (or a good homemade spaghetti sauce)
1 canned chipotle in abodo sauce (add at the end)

Directions

Margaret didn't provide instructions, but I'm guessing it would go like this. Brown the ground turkey and set aside. Cook the onion and garlic until softened. Add the tomato sauce, beans, corn and sour kraut; then simmer for a while. Add browned turkey and blend well. Add the chipotle, and simmer a few more minutes.

Cook the day before to allow the flavors to marry. I suggest serving with tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, a green salad, and a cold Mexican beer.

Thank you, Margaret. I hope I got the instructions close to right.

[Update]

I don't drain the sour kraut; plus I make sure to use the "Bavarian Style" with caraway seeds. Also, I cut back on the meat to 1.5 pounds. Plus, I've used a can of diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. This is tasty and easy to prepare.

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Chapati Bread

2008-09-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mix flours in food processor; add salt and, with machine running, pour in one cup warm water. Process for about 30 seconds, then remove cover. Dough should be in a well-defined, barely sticky, easy-to-handle ball. If it is too dry, add warm water a tablespoon at a time and process for 5 to 10 seconds after each addition. If it is too wet, which is unlikely, add a tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly.

With floured hands, shape dough into a ball, cover with plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes. (At this point, you may wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate it for up to a day; bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

When ready to grill, pinch off a piece of dough and roll as thin as is practical. Dust lightly with flour to keep from sticking and cover with plastic or a damp cloth while you roll out remaining dough. (It is OK to overlap them a bit, but do not stack them.) Or just roll as you grill.

Grill chapatis until they start to blister, char and puff up a bit, about a minute or so. Turn and repeat. Serve immediately.

Consider adding garlic, chopped onion (add by hand), herbs, etc.

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More on Pizza

2008-08-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I admit it. I stole this directly from the Washington Post as a service to my loyal readers.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees), plus more as needed
1 small packet active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed and for the work surface
10 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Toppings (see related story)

Directions

Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl, stirring to mix well; let sit for 10 minutes to allow the top to foam and become frothy (indicating that the yeast is active). If it does not do that, discard and start again with more water, yeast and sugar.

Lightly flour a work surface; lightly grease a mixing bowl and a rimmed baking sheet with a little olive oil.

Combine the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Beat on low speed for 1 minute until well incorporated, then add the water-yeast mixture in a slow, steady stream. Beat for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until a dough forms and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water or flour if the dough is too dry or wet. Transfer the dough to the prepared work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour if it starts to stick, so the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

Transfer to the oiled bowl, cover with a clean, dry dish towel and let sit for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, until the mixture almost doubles in size. Form the dough into 4 equal-size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. (Alternatively, the dough may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

To roll out the dough balls, lightly flour a work surface. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and have ready additional large sheets of the paper for stacking the rounds of dough.

Shape or roll one of the balls into a thin round between 10 and 12 inches in diameter. Brush the top side with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and flip the oiled side over onto the lined baking sheet. Brush the new top side of the dough with 1 tablespoon of the oil and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining 3 doughs and the oil. They may be held at room temperature for about 1 hour in this manner (or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 3 hours. If the dough has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, so it will be easier to stretch).

When ready to grill, build a two-zone fire. Heat the back 2 burners on a gas grill on HIGH and the front burners on LOW, or light a large charcoal fire and push most of the coals to one side of the grill, leaving a sparse layer of coals on the other side. When it has reached the right temperature, the hot zone of the fire should be so hot that you can hold your hand a couple of inches above the grill for only about 3 seconds (about 500 degrees, if using a surface thermometer). Clean the grill grates well and oil them lightly with a wad of paper towels.

Using both hands to hold the top of one of the dough rounds (as if your hands were at 10 and 2 on a steering wheel), gently lay the bottom part of the hanging dough on the far side of the hot zone and stretch the top toward you to the other side. Cook, without touching, for 1 minute, so the dough bubbles and starts to get good grill marks. Rotate 90 degrees and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the dough is uniformly browned and crisp but has not burned.

Pull the dough to the cooler zone of the charcoal fire or to the front of the gas grill and reduce the heat on the middle zone of the gas grill to medium-low. Flip the dough over so the seared side faces up. Sprinkle toppings evenly over the pizza (remember, less is more; see related sidebar for topping suggestions).

Once the toppings are in place, cover the grill (with the vents open on a charcoal grill lid). Cook for 3 to 7 minutes, checking every minute or so to rotate the pie 90 degrees so it cooks evenly, until any cheese toppings melt. Transfer to a large cutting board to slice. Top and grill the remaining doughs in the same manner. Serve hot.

Recipe Source:

From food writer Tony Rosenfeld.

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How Hot Is That Fire?

2008-08-13T05:30:00.002-07:00

In The Barbecue! Bible, Steven Raichlen recommends the "Mississippi test" for those who don't have grill thermometers. Hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals or gas fire and count "one Mississippi, two Mississippi," etc., until the heat causes you to pull away. The number of seconds you can hold your hand above the heat roughly corresponds to these temperatures:

• High heat (650 degrees) = 1 to 2 seconds
• Medium-high (400-450) = 4 to 5 seconds
• Medium (350) = 6 to 7 seconds
• Medium-low (300) = 8 to 10 seconds
• Low (250-275) = 12 to 15 seconds

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Mike Kirkpatrick's Slaw Dressing

2008-08-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

Back in the old days, when we were working our way through college, we used to gather at friends' houses each Friday night for pot luck, music, and good old fashioned adult-dose partying. As Grace Slick used to say, . . . Well, on second thought, maybe I better not go there.

Anyhow, a good friend, Mike Kirkpatrick, had a real love and talent for cooking. This is a recipe he gave us. Mike, wherever you are, my friend, thanks.

Ingredients

1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute, then pour over slaw. Chill for 4 hours.

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Boudin Stuffed Bell-Peppers

2008-08-04T19:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know that we usually see it spelled "Boudin," but for some reason, Zummo's spells it "Boudain." I got this recipe off a package of their smoked "Boudain," and it's a real winner. Well, I modified it a bit by adding onion, chopped pepper parts, and egg. Plus, I smoke mine on the Weber rather than cooking in the oven. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

12 ounces good Boudin Sausage (I use Zummo's Smoked "Boudain.")
2 eggs beaten
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 pound shrimp (optional)
cayenne pepper
white pepper
black pepper
garlic powder
butter for pan frying shrimp
4 sweet bell peppers (Don't be afraid to experiment with Poblanos or other varieties.)

Instructions

Fire up the Weber. Stoke with hickory chunks.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out the seeds and membranes. Trim the tops, and then chop finely. Combine the chopped pepper tops, onion, and egg. Remove casings from sausages, and mince the sausages finely.

Peel and devein shrimp. Season with cayenne, white pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder. Pan fry the shrimp until barely done. Chop shrimp into bite size pieces. Stir into the sausage mixture. Fill the peppers with mixture. For a special touch, try topping with a couple of spoons of peppers and onions.

Place the peppers in a grill-safe pan (I use disposable aluminum pie pans.) with about an inch of water in the pan. At this stage, you can put the pans on the grill like I do, or you can pop in a 450 oven. Oh, and we're smoking these -- over indirect heat. That is, I bank the fire on two sides of the Weber, and place the peppers over the middle "cool" part.

Sometimes I top the stuffing with a pat of butter or with a couple of black olives. Bread crumbs might be a good touch too. Cook until the topping is browned, and the peppers are tender. Serve with a cold beverage.

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Shrimp Stock

2008-07-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it took me this long to get around to this. But I just discovered tonight how MUCH better this green sauce is when made from shrimp stock. Don't get me wrong - these enchiladas are delicious either way. But if you can get good "head-on" shrimp," make a stock, and use it instead of the chicken stock -- you'll be glad you did.

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Southwestern Cornbread Salad

2008-07-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Kathy, brought this to our vestry meeting in June. She got the recipe from Southern Living Magazine. It's delicious!

Indgreients

1 (6 ounce) package Mexican cornbread mix
1 (0.4 ounce) envelope Ranch-style buttermilk salad dressing mix
1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ¼ ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican four cheese blend
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
5 green onions, chopped

Directions

Prepare cornbread according to package directions; cool and crumble. Set aside.

Prepare salad dressing according to package directions.

Layer a large bowl with half each of cornbread, lettuce, and next 6 ingredients; spoon half of dressing evenly over top. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients and dressing.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

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Fig Preserves

2008-07-11T10:11:00.001-07:00

This fig tree is in our back yard. We cut it all the way down to the ground once, and it came back even bigger than ever. Each summer around late June, we begin racing the birds to get the figs. They get some, and we get some. [Click here for larger view.]

Ingredients

Fresh figs
Sugar

Instructions

When our figs start coming in, we pick them twice daily. We wash them and hold them in the refrigerator until we have a few quarts. Then, we can them in Mason jars.

We cut the stem off the figs and then slice each fig in half. You might prefer to cut them into quarters. Use 1/2 to one cup of sugar for each cup of cut figs. Place into a heavy dutch oven. Add a bit of water (1/2 cup or so) to prevent scorching. (The USDA recommends adding a bit of lemon juice. It's probably a good idea to follow their instructions.)

Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until well combined. Simmer for about 3 or 4 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the jars, lids, and bands. We use a 5 gallon stock pot. Place jars and lids in the pots and fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars by 1 or 2 inches. Bring to a near simmer and cover the pot. Allow the jars and lids to steam this way for at least 20 minutes.

We also sterilize our ladle and a canning funnel, as well as our tongs and a "mechanic's magnet*." When ready to can, carefully remove a jar to a dinner plate set next to the fig mixture.

Ladle preserves into the jar filling to about 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. With the mechanic's magnet, retrieve a lid and place in position on the jar. Tighten the band snugly. Set aside on a towel. Repeat until all the preserves are canned.

Return jars to the water bath, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and process at least 45 minutes. Carefully remove jars and set on towel to cool. Do not re-tighten the bands. You will hear the lids make a "popping" sound as the jars cool, and the resulting vacuum pulls the lids tight.

When cool enough to touch, test each lid by pressing with your finger. Any lid that moves up and down under finger pressure is not sealed properly. Either use immediately, or reseal and re-process. Date each jar with a magic marker.

*We have a tool that is a telescoping car radio antenna with a strong magnet on one end and an alligator clip on the other. The magnet end is what you need. Check at kitchen specialty stores or at the local auto parts store for a similar tool. If you can't find one, you can use the long tongs to retrieve the lids.

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Desserts

2008-07-10T12:39:00.001-07:00

Banana-Coconut Pie

Bobbie's Chess Pie

Clara's Apple Custard Pie

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

Fig Preserves

Sherry's Apple Muffins

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Apple Custard Pie

2008-07-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Mother made this up from a bunch of apples we brought up on our visit to Tennessee. It's delicious. I'm not much on making desserts, but this one is so good, I thought I'd share it. Mother got this recipe from a cookbook published by First United Methodist Church of Munford, TN. Clara Fiveash contributed this recipe. She was crazy about Mother.

Ingredients

2 cups grated apples (peeled first)
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Mix and put in unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 until light brown or until done (about one hour).

Special Note: I emailed the good people of First United Methodist Church of Munford to let them know of their presence here. They thanked us and invited us to drop by anytime.

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More Figs

2008-06-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

We did another 8 pints of fig preserves today. That makes 25 for this season.

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Fish Tacos - with Corn Meal

2008-06-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know. Here we are blogging about fish tacos again. Well, it's like anything else that's good; it's worth revisiting. I may have hit on the "Power Taco" tonight.

Like before, I cut the fish into little-finger size strips (Thinner than that really. Let's say a SMALL little finger.) Instead of making up a beer batter, I seasoned the fish with onion & garlic powder, black pepper, Nu-Salt, Chef Paul's No-Salt Magic Seasoning, and some Old Bay. Then I sprinkled on corn meal, and stirred to coat the fish evenly.

Not satisfied with that, I decided to whip up an egg wash. I beat one egg. Then rather than dipping the fish in the egg wash, I just added the egg to the fish and stirred to evenly coat. Then I stirred in yet more cornmeal.

I fried the fish strips up in hot corn oil; drained on paper towels; then built tacos out of whole wheat tortillas spread with mayo, a dash of hot sauce, and a tablespoon of finely chopped cabbage.

I think I'm in love.

Oh, did I mention that I love music?

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Fig Preserves Again

2008-06-27T05:50:00.001-07:00

We did another 10 pints of figs last night. I'm getting pretty good at this. I didn't make nearly as big a mess as I did the first night. That makes 17 pints in 2 nights, and we still have a couple of dozen left over from last year. I'm thinking all the priests at church should get a pint. And an extra for Sharon T.

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Fish Tacos

2008-06-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Long ago in a small-town mission church in Arkansas a priest (who is now a bishop) told me about the CASE method: Copy And Steal Everything. The following is from the San Francisco Chronicle. For a look at how WE do Fish Tacos here in our household, go here and here.

SOUTH TO NORTH
South to North: Baja meets bayou in a fish taco

Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, Special to The Chronicle

Fish tacos, much like margaritas or salsa and chips, are one of those Mexican entities that changed as soon as they crossed borders and became popular.

A legend then developed that they had to be made a particular way to be authentic - or as authentic as mass marketing could make them. Part of the legend associated with fish tacos is that no one could get the recipe for the "secret sauce" always drizzled over the genuine dish.

The first time I ate a fish taco was during a snorkeling trip to Isla Mujeres off the Yucatan Peninsula 30 years ago with my husband. The two guys running our small boat caught a sea bass, and cooked it on a remote beach over an improvised grill made of crisscrossed green palmetto sticks.

Our fingers were our utensils as we broke off pieces of fish nicely charred around the edges, wrapped them in warm corn tortillas, squeezed on fresh limes, and even added droplets of the lethal-looking homemade hot sauce. I'll always remember this as one of the best meals of my life. Even the sand tasted good.

A few years after the beach-grilled fish, I was told in San Diego that the only fish taco to have must be deep-fried in a casing of beer-batter and doused with that infamous "secret sauce" that Baja vendors used and actually turned out to be mayonnaise thinned out with water or milk and maybe a tiny bit of vinegar.

Who would have expected the "secret sauce" to be more complex than plain old mayonesa? After all, the popular fish tacos were cooked in shanties and in makeshift deep fryers and then hawked along the beach.

Now I have come to a compromise with my fish tacos. I still love a grilled piece of fish and am always trying to approximate the Caribbean taste over a wood fire (lacking palmetto sticks) when we have the time.

But I have found that by dusting chunks of firm fish with corn flour (not cornmeal) and sauteing them in a small amount of oil, I can have golden pieces of fish to wrap in warm corn tortillas - a delicious alternative.

Using corn flour is a Cajun trick I learned in New Orleans. It adds more delicate crustiness to the fish without the mess of beer batter and deep frying.

Good salsas are a must. Aficionados of Baja-style fish tacos also insist that no lettuce is allowed inside fish tacos. Only shredded cabbage, seasoned or not. You need the crunch. This is one rule I agree with, but hold the "secret sauce."
Halibut Fish Tacos

Serves 4

Use any firm fish like rock cod or sea bass but halibut fillets are my favorite. Prepare the cabbage just before the fish is cooked so it does not become too wilted.

* 1 cup corn flour (Bob's Red Mill is good)
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon ground red chile
* -- Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/4 pounds halibut fillet, cut into 2-inch pieces to easily fit tacos
* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
* 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup minced cilantro
* 4 cups thinly sliced white cabbage
* 1/4 cup canola oil + more if needed
* -- Salsas (see recipes)
* 1 dozen corn tortillas, warmed just before serving

Instructions: Pour the corn flour out on a large sheet of waxed paper and combine with the salt, red chile and pepper. Dust the pieces of fish so all surfaces are coated. Let them sit on the remaining seasoned flour while you prepare the cabbage.

Just before you cook the fish, combine the mayonnaise with the vinegar and cilantro. Toss with the cabbage. You want the cabbage to be barely moistened but enough to be a slaw. Set aside.

Redust the fish pieces with the remaining corn flour mixture. The damp fish absorbs the coating, so a second coating will help create a better crust. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish pieces, a few at a time, and pan fry until golden on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add more oil, a tablespoon at a time, as needed. Remove the fish to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the rest of the fish pieces.

Bring the golden fish, cabbage, warm tortillas and salsas to your table, and let everyone assemble their own tacos.

Per serving: 515 calories, 36 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (3 g saturated), 47 mg cholesterol, 461 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.
Favorite Green Salsa

Makes 1 1/2 cups

This is the quickest green salsa I have in my repertoire but also my favorite. I even use it for sandwiches. This is not a chunky salsa; it should have a hot-sauce consistency.

* 1 pound tomatillos (about 10)
* 1 jalapeno
* 1 serrano
* 1/4 small yellow onion
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
* 1 tablespoon light-flavored olive oil

Instructions: Run warm water over tomatillos to help loosen the dry husks. Peel or rub them off and warm tomatillos with paper towel to help remove sticky residue. Place tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the jalapeno and serrano chiles. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for just 5 minutes.

Remove tomatillos and chiles to a blender jar (not a food processor). Add the onion and puree. Add the cilantro, salt, vinegar, 2 teaspoons water and the olive oil. Puree to a hot-sauce consistency.

Place in a bowl and serve with tacos. I like to store the remainder in clean, emptied clear olive oil bottles or even Corona beer bottles. I use a whole jalapeno chile (fresh) as a stopper for the bottle.

Per tablespoon: 10 calories, 0 protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, 0 fiber.
Favorite Red-Hot Salsa

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

This is the perfect salsa to add heat by dashes; it's not for dipping chips. I have cut the amount of arbol chiles to half of what is typically used in Mexico but it is still hot. Add by droplets to tacos and sandwiches. I even use it to add heat to freshly chopped pico de gallo if I cannot get it hot enough with the over-cultivated wimpy jalapenos now on the market.

* 10 arbol dried chiles, cut in half, stems removed
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 plum tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons white vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions: Heat up a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add chiles and toast for just a minute. Do not burn. Remove immediately and set aside. Add garlic and tomatoes to pan.

Toast for 5 minutes over medium heat until garlic is slightly softened and tomatoes are blackened in spots. Remove.

Place arbol chiles in blender jar. Add garlic, tomatoes, 1/3 cup water, vinegar and salt. Puree to hot-sauce consistency. Add more water by the tablespoon to thin to desired consistency.

Serve with your fish tacos.

Per tablespoon: 5 calories, 0 protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 46 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Jacqueline Higuera McMahan's family lived on one of the last Spanish land-grant ranchos in the Bay Area. She has lived in Mexico and now resides in Southern California, and is the author of "California Rancho Cooking" (Sasquatch Books, 2003). E-mail her at food@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page F - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Fig Preserves

2008-06-26T08:56:00.001-07:00

We have a fig tree in our back yard. It begins "coming in" around late June each year. A few years ago, while I was home visiting Mother, Sherry took a notion to make fig preserves. Between the Joy of Cooking and several phone calls back to west Tennessee for tips from Mother, Sherry did a great job. Her preserves were wonderful that year, and the next year, I helped her make another big batch.

Yesterday, we made our first batch of this year. We got 7 pints, and could have made more, but that was all we could fit in our big kettle. Harvesting figs twice daily, I'm sure we'll have enough for another 7 pints soon. [Making a mental note - don't fill the kettle to the brim next time.]

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Fish Tacos in Beer Batter

2008-06-25T05:41:00.001-07:00

Our neighbor brings us fresh caught sea trout now and then. They almost melt in your mouth when cooked this way. Other times I've used catfish or ocean perch.

Ingredients

1 lb catfish fillets or nuggets (or other fish if desired; ocean perch works nicely.)
1 cup flour (plus an extra 1/2 cup for coating fish)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup beer
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder (optional)
onion powder (optional)
Chef Paul's Salt-free Magic Seasoning (optional)
oil for frying
8 corn or flour tortillas (We like whole wheat.)
2 cups fresh garden salad (lettuce, tomatoes, jicama, fresh turnips, etc.)
mayo or salad dressing to taste

Instructions

Cut fish pieces into strips the size of a little finger. Season with salt & pepper and/or other seasonings if desired. Set aside.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium size bowl. Combine beer and egg; then add to flour mixture. Stir briefly; don't worry about lumps.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in heavy frying pan. When a pinch of flour dropped into the oil sizzles, the oil is ready. Roll fish pieces in flour; then dip in batter. Place a few pieces of battered fish into the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove to paper towel covered plate to drain. Continue until all of the fish is cooked.

Warm tortillas either in the microwave or in a dry skillet. Spread a bit of mayo on a tortilla, and top with fish pieces and a bit of salad. Roll up like a burrito, and serve with plenty of cold beer.

This recipe is simple and delicious. Don't be afraid to experiment with different fish, different salad makings, or more exotic dressings or salsas. I recommend this piece I "borrowed" from the San Francisco Chronicle. Have fun with this delicious treat.

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Memphis Style Pulled Pork

2008-06-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

When I moved away from Memphis, finding real BBQ became a challenge. I stopped in a little roadside BBQ and ordered a chopped smoked pork shoulder sandwich, and they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. "You ain't from 'round here, are ya'?" said an old Gabby Hayes type seated at a picnic table near the counter. Well, I guess I gave myself away. This recipe reminds me of what we used to get at Top's BBQ back in Memphis - only better.

Ingredients

2 TBS Memphis Style dry rub *
4-6 lb Boston Butt pork roast
1 batch of Bobbie's BBQ Sauce

Directions

Rub roast well with dry rub. And allow roast to come to room temperature. Rub can be applied night before if desired.

Build fire on the grill. I do mine on a Weber, but use whatever you have. But whatever you use, you must be able to maintain a low temperature and arrange for indirect smoking. I use a method similar to this one. Have plenty of hickory chunks on hand (or chips, if you can't find chunks). My cooking grate has the hinged ends to make it easy to flip up and add fuel without disturbing the meat.

Bank the fire on the far side of the Weber, and position the drip pan on the near side. Place roast over the drip pan (with a bit of water in the drip pan). Sometimes, I put a can of water directly over the fire to maintain humidity in the cooker.

Cover grill so that the upper vents are opposite the fire. Adjust upper vents wide open and lower vents half open. Check every 30 minutes or so, adjusting the lower vents as needed to balance temperature at around 225-250 F. Once the heat has balanced out, you can relax a bit and check less frequently. Add hickory chunks or chips now and then as smoke diminishes.

It takes about 1.5 hours per pound to achieve the desired tenderness. Be patient. You might turn the roasts around every couple of hours if desired to evenly expose all sides to the hot side of the grill.

Continue cooking at 225-250 until interior temperature of meat reaches 180 for at least an hour. Remove from smoker and wrap in foil. Allow to rest for 30 minutes or until cool enough to "work" with either fingers or dinner forks.

[If it's getting late, and you just can't tend to the fire any more, you can move the meat to a crock pot or to a slow oven for finishing out. Here's an account of how I did just that.]

Pull the pork into shreds, and drizzle with BBQ sauce to moisten (several tablespoons - use the reserve at the table).

Serve on toasted hamburger buns with extra sauce and mayo if desired. Top with Memphis Style Cole Slaw. Get down with your bad self!

* We use Chef Paul's Salt Free Magic Seasoning since we're limiting our sodium intake. There are plenty of dry rub recipes out there. Here's an example.

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Vietnamese Southern-style Catfish in a Clay Pot

2008-06-20T08:14:00.001-07:00

I haven't tried this one yet, but I grew up on wild Tennessee River Blue Channel Catfish. We used to harvest them ourselves daily off the face of the Pickwick Dam near Savannah, TN. And I'm not so sure about this clay pot business. I'm thinking cast iron.

From Mai Pham's Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table (William Morrow, $27.50). Making caramel (burnt sugar and water) as a base for a savory dish is a classic Vietnamese technique. Although the dish is traditionally made in a clay pot, "it's also delicious cooked in a regular pot," Pham writes. For a spicier version, add red pepper flakes with the fish sauce.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2/3 pound fresh catfish fillets, cut in halves or thirds
1 green onion, cut in 1-inch lengths
4 sprigs cilantro, cut in 1-inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the sugar in a 1-quart clay pot and add just enough water to barely wet it. Heat over moderate heat until the sugar starts to turn brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir once, then add the oil and garlic. Stir for 1 minute, then add the boiling water, fish sauce and catfish pieces. Turn the pieces so they are evenly coated with sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the catfish is firm and almost done, about 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. (If the sauce is too thin, you may want to pour it off, boil it down in another pot, then pour it over the fish.)

To serve, garnish with the green onion and cilantro and season with pepper. Serve directly from the clay pot.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

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Nikki's Ravioli & Tortellini Salad

2008-06-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

My good friend, Nikki Merritt, served this at one of our vestry meetings. It was a hit! Thank you, Nikki.

Ingredients

1 (19 oz) pkg frozen cheese tortellini
1 (19 oz) pkg frozen cheese ravioli
1 ½ cups canola or olive oil
½ - ¾ cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 TBS oregano
1 ½ TBS basil
1 tsp Nature’s Seasoning
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 green onions, green parts only, finely chopped

Optional: mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red/yellow bell peppers (chopped), boiled shrimp or chicken (chopped)

Directions

Boil tortellini and ravioli according to package directions, less 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk oil and next 4 ingredients. Drain and cool pasta. Add tomatoes, onions and any optional ingredients to cooled pasta. Toss gently with dressing and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Note: Salad is best if made one day in advance. If prepared in advance, mix the salad well before serving. You may use fresh, whole tomatoes, broken apart well instead of canned tomatoes.

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Pizza Tales

2008-06-01T16:34:00.001-07:00

Well, finally I got around to it -- after four days of saying I was going to make a pizza, on the fifth day, I did it.

Next time, I'm going to make a smaller but thicker crust. I will NOT try to stretch a quarter of the recipe over one dinner plate. That results in a too-thin crust, which is also too wide to handle conveniently with a spatula on the grill.

Click on the image for a larger view.

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Pork Roast (Continued)

2008-05-25T23:26:00.001-07:00

The roast turned out great. I put it on at 6:45 am, and didn't look at it again until around 12:30 pm. In the meantime I decided to pick up two chickens for beer-can-chicken since I had a fire going.

So about 2:00pm, I checked the roast again. It wasn't yet done to the falling-off-the-bone stage. I wrapped it in foil and placed it on a steamer rack in a slow-cooker set to about 200 degrees F (with a couple of inches of water).

To the Weber, I added the two beer-can chickens.

Along about 10:00 pm, I checked the roast in the slow-cooker, and the meat literally fell off the bone when I pulled it. Perfect.

I made up Bobbie's BBQ Sauce to flavor it a bit. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

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Memorial Day Pork Roast

2008-05-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Just started a fire --- 6:13 am. For a 4 pound shoulder, bone-in butt roast. I banked the fire on the opposite side away from the top vent. For more on slow-smoking on a Weber Kettle, go here.

[To see how this turned out, go here.]

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Beer Can Chicken

2008-05-22T08:46:00.004-07:00

I did a beer-can chicken yesterday. Didn't have a beer can, so I used an empty mushroom can. I added water, and half of a lime. It turned out fantastic!

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Breads

2007-04-12T23:59:00.001-07:00

Baked Apple Pancake

Chapati Bread

Mexican Style Cornbread

Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers

O'Garlic's Cornbread & Oyster Dressing

Pizza Crust

Pizza Crust #2

Rachel's Cornbread

Sherry's Apple Muffins

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Meats

2007-04-12T23:55:00.001-07:00

Boudin Stuffed Bell Peppers

Dwayne's Pork Ribs

Flanagan's Ribs and Sour Kraut

Indonesian Style Satay

Italian Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

Italian Sausage and Spinach Meatballs

Lamb and Artichoke Stew

Maple Glazed Ham

Memphis Style Pulled Pork (on smoker/grill)

Pulled Pork (Oven)

Tamale Pie

Poultry

2007-04-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

Amy's BBQ Chicken Salad

Beer-Butt Chicken

Brine Grill-Roasted Chicken

Butterflied Whole Chicken

Caribbean Chicken Wings

Chicken Crepes

Chicken Salad

Chicken Tetrazinni

Chipotle Barbecue Chicken

Col. Benjamin's Curry Chicken

Enchiladas Rancheros

Grilled Duck "A L'Orange"

Joel's Jambalaya

Kung Pao Chicken

Margaret's Turkey Chile

Mediterranean Meatloaf

Oven Bag Turkey

Pacific Rim Chicken

Rachel's Chicken And Squash Casserole

Satay Chicken

Sharli's Chicken Wings

Smothered Chicken

Spatchcock Chicken

Spicy Hoisin Chicken

Turkey Sausage And Vegetable Casserole

Marinades for Poultry

Greek Marinade

Tequila -Citrus Marinade

Salads

2007-04-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Basil Salad Dressing

Cactus Salad

Corn, Tomato & Black Bean Salsa

Cucumbers and Onions

Greek Tomatoes

Memphis Style Coleslaw

Mike Kirkpatrick's Slaw Dressing

Nikki's Ravioli and Tortellini Salad

No-Oil Salad Dressing

Potato, Corn, & Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing

Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Tex-Mex Chunky Salad

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Sauces

2007-04-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

Bobbie's BBQ Sauce

Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing

Greek Poultry Marinade

Mike Kirkpatrick's Slaw Dressing

Mustard-based BBQ Sauce

No-Oil Salad Dressing

Quick Maple BBQ Sauce

Tequila Citrus Marinade for Poultry

Tipton's BBQ Sauce

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http://dpjc-cookbook.blogspot.com/2006/08/ginger-sesame-dressing.html

Seafood

2007-04-12T19:20:00.001-07:00

Baked Stuffed Flounder

Catfish Courtbouillon

Fish Tacos in Beer Batter

Fish Tacos with Cornmeal

Fish Tacos - San Francisco Chronicle

Ken Brown's Grilled Salmon

Kung Pao Shrimp

Macaroni & Cheese with Lobster

Ocean Perch with Creamed Corn

Oyster Pie

Scallops in Wine Sauce

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Enchildas Rancheros

Shrimp Pilau ala Nikki

Shrimp Pilau #2

Vietnamese Southern-style Catfish

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Veggies

2007-04-12T00:01:00.001-07:00

Boudin Stuffed Bell Peppers

Cabbage in Tomato Sauce

Garlic Idaho Potatoes

Garlic Creamed Spinach

Green Chile and Cabbage Soup

Grilled Portabello Mushrooms

Grilled Vegetable Medley

Mexican Style Cream Corn

Mike Kirkpatrick's Slaw Dressing

Onions Marinated with Feta

Penne Pasta with Garlic Roasted Tomatoes and White Beans

Peppers and Onions

Potato, Corn, & Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing

Spinach Tart

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

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Pizza Crust

2007-04-11T01:39:00.001-07:00

1 pk active dry yeast
1 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water(110-115 degrees F). Add 1 cup of the flour, the corn meal, salt and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon.

Gradually stir in more flour until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead till it is no longer sticky. Place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and allow to rise for an hour.

Knead briefly, then roll out to cover oiled 15" pizza pan. I just use my hands to spread it on pan.

Dress with desired toppings; bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 400 and bake another 25-30 minutes.

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Sweet and Sour Cabbage

2007-04-11T01:33:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed living around the corner from a public library when we lived in Memphis. I found an interesting Chinese cookbook there. Each recipe was given in English on one page, and in Chinese on the facing page. When I cook this one, the family leaves the house until the steam clears. Be forewarned. It can be painful. But it's worth it.

Ingredients

2 pounds cabbage
6 dried red chiles
5 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions

Tear cabbage into bite size pieces about 2" by 1 1/2"; cut leaf spines into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Clean the red chiles and cut into 1" pieces. Remove the seeds.

In a wok, heat the oil over a very hot flame. Add the chiles and cook quickly. As soon as they turn dark, add the whole peppercorns and the cabbage, stirring briskly. Cook about 3 minutes.

When the cabbage has begun to soften, add the salt, sugar and soysauce. Stir for one minute. Add the brown vinegar and the sesame oil. Mix well.

Chill well and serve cold.

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Spinach Tart

2007-04-11T01:26:00.001-07:00

Kate Hampton is a member of the cooking guild at our church. She brought this to the kitchen to serve to guild members who were cooking dinner for 120. She made hers with a combination of turnip greens and spinach.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion ; chopped
1 jalapeno ; minced
5 garlic ; minced
1 pound collard greens
20 ounces frozen spinach ; thawed
3 egg
salt and pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1 pie crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Place cookie sheet in oven to heat up.

Thaw spinach. Squeeze water out and chop the spinach. (I prefer to buy the "leaf" style spinach, as it's easier to manage than the already chopped variety. I've also done this with fresh spinach, but this is quite labor intensive.) Set aside. Altogether, you need about 2 cups of spinach.

Heat olive oil in large pan. Cook onion for a few minutes over medium heat; add garlic and jalapeno. Continue cooking until the onion is soft.

Combine eggs, sour cream, and cumin. Blend well.

Add spinach to onions, mixing to blend well. Add the sour cream mixture. Stir until uniformly incorporated. Pour mixture into frozen pie crust. Place on the pre-heated cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350; then reduce heat to 325. Cook another 15 minutes or more until pie is set and crust is done to your satisfaction.

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Peppers and Onions

2007-04-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

3 yellow onion ; thinly sliced.
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic ; minced
2 sweet green pepper ; thinly sliced
2 sweet red pepper ; thinly sliced
2 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper
3 tablespoon red wine
1 teaspoon oregano
1 dash Tabasco pepper sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese ; grated

Saute the onions in the olive oil until just barely tender. Add the garlic after the onions have been in the pan a few minutes.

Remove seeds and membranes from the peppers, and slice into thin strips. Add the peppers and cook a few more minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Mix well and cook till heated through.

Place in a baking dish and top with the grated Parmesan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour. Do not allow the cheese to burn.

Make up plenty of this and use it as a topping on a pizza.

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Eggplant Parmesan

2007-04-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 eggplant ; pared
3 egg
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese
3 ounces canned tomato sauce

Instructions

Heat oven to 350. Cut egglplant into 1/4 inch slices.

Slice pared eggplant about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in large skillet.

Dip eggplant slices into the beaten eggs then dredge in the bread crumbs. (I put my crumbs in a flour shaker and shake the crumbs onto both sides of each egg-soaked piece. This seems to be not nearly as messy.)

Cook in the olive oil until just golden brown on both sides. Place browned slices in bottom of a casserole dish.

Sprinkle with some of the Parmesan, oregano, and Mozzarella. Then top with a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat with additional layers until all eggplant is used.

Top last layer with Mozzarella. Bake uncovered 1/2 hour, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is meltd.

Note: Be prepared with extra eggs, bread crumbs, Mozzarella, oregano, Parmesan, and tomato sauce. Amounts of these ingredients will vary depending on the size of your eggplant.

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Dilled Carrots

2007-04-01T01:10:00.001-07:00

4 carrots
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup beer
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Julienne the carrots. Saute in butter until lightly browned. Stir in the beer and dill weed. Cover and cook slowly until tender (about 15 minutes).

Season with salt and sugar, and cook for just a few minutes more.

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Shrimp Enchildas Rancheros

2007-03-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

Your friends will love you for preparing this.

Ingredients

2 pounds wild shrimp with heads (You probably won't need this much.)
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
black pepper
white pepper
1 pound Poblano Chile
1 pound tomatillo
1 onion diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
3 cups shrimp broth *
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 cup black olive sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
10 flour tortilla

Instructions

Peel, remove heads, and devein shrimp. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, red, white, and black pepper. Set aside until sauce is ready. Make a stock from the peels and heads. I use a potato masher to squeeze fats, brains, etc., out of them. Go for it. This is your flavor base.

Roast chiles over open flame one at a time until blackened all over. Place in plastic bag and allow to steam in their own heat for about 15 minutes. Peel and clean out the seeds and membranes. Cut into a large dice.

Peel and wash tomatillos and parboil for about 5 minutes. Cut up onion and garlic. Place onion, garlic, tomatillos, salt, and chiles into a blender and add a bit of broth. Blend until a coarse consitency is achieved - - about like the consistency of a regular red salsa you'd find on the store shelf. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.

Place in a pot along with the rest of the broth and bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Blend cornstarch with equal amount of water and add to sauce. Set aside and cover. Let sit for about 15 minutes or so.

To assemble enchiladas get cheeses and shrimp ready to go. Pan fry the shrimp in butter until just barely done.

Heat up a dry skillet over low to medium heat. Place a flour tortilla in skillet and turn frequently until warmed up and softened a bit. (Or to make this easier, just zap a tortilla for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)

Drop into green sauce and use spoon to ladle sauce on top of tortilla. You want to get the tortilla coated with the sauce on both sides.

Carefully transfer tortilla to a plate where you'll build the enchilada. It helps if you have an extra set of hands. One to do the clean work, and one to do the messy part.

The messy partner then places three or four shrimp across the middle of the enchilada and then a bit of both cheeses. Roll up the enchilada and place seam side down in a baking pan or shallow Corningware.

Continue until pan is filled with rolled enchiladas. Ladle green sauce over all making sure to cover ends of the enchiladas. Garnish with some black olives and a bit of grated cheese. Bake uncovered in a medium oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Be careful not to scorch.

Serve up with sour cream if desired. Good with Spanish rice and refried beans and a salad. Be sure and have some good cold beer and some Mexican music on hand.

Enjoy!!

*For years I made this sauce with chicken broth. It works just fine. But believe me -- once you do this with real home-made shrimp stock, you will never want to go back to the chicken stock.

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Ocean Perch with Creamed Corn

2007-03-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 pound ocean perch
14 ounces corn
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Swiss cheese ; grated
butter
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a baking dish. Lay the perch filets in the buttered baking pan. To a sauce pan, add the corn, sour cream and grated cheese. Heat, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and well blended.

Pour sauce over fish filets. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

The original recipe, which I got from a package of frozen ocean perch filets, called for 3/4 cup of creamed corn and for 3/4 cup of swiss cheese. I upped it for convenience, and it's fine.

A bit soupy, perhaps, but someone will want to finish off the soup. I guarantee it.

Enjoy!

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Ocean Perch with Creamed Corn

2007-03-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

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Kung Pao Shrimp

2007-03-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds shrimp ; peeled and deveined
8 dried red chiles; seeds removed
1/2 cup peanuts
1 teaspoon ginger ; minced
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 red bell pepper; cleaned and cut into 1" pieces
1 yellow bell pepper; cleaned and cut into 1" pieces
1 large carrot; cut into 1/8" slices on the bias
1 cup snow peas cut in half
1 stick celery; sliced in 1/4 inch slices on the bias

Instructions

Combine sherry, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch. Pour over shrimp and stir to coat. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes

Wipe the chiles clean; remove seeds, and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch long pieces. Heat the oil in the wok. Add chiles and cook briefly; then add peanuts.

Add carrots to wok and stir-fry briefly. Add remaining vegetables and stir-fry until they're tender-crisp.

Stir in shrimp, and stir-fry until they turn pink.

Serve over rice.

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Ken Brown's Grilled Salmon

2007-03-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
juice of 1 lemon
5 garlic ; minced
salt and pepper ; to taste
2 pounds Salmon fillets

Instructions

Combine marinade ingredients and place in a zip lock bag. This can be done with only one pound if desired. Squeeze the air out, and refrigerate 6-8 hours or over night. Turn it over from time to time.

Remove the salmon from the zip lock, pepper with a pepper mill and salt with sea salt to taste, and let come to room temperature.

Cook on a very hot grill (Ken uses a fish grilling basket sprayed with Pam) or a stove top griddle. It should be brown on the outside and pink on the inside.

Works great with garlic mash potatoes and sautéed spinach. Ken recommends cooking twice what's needed for one meal. Refrigerate the left over and later pull it out for a cold snack.

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Catfish Courtbouillon

2007-03-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 pound catfish
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper
1 cup Flour ; or corn meal
1 tablespoon corn oil ; for frying
2 cup onion ; chopped
1 tablespoon garlic ; minced
1 1/2 cup green bell pepper ; chopped
1 cup celery ; chopped
1/2 cup green onion ; chopped
2 tablespoon parsley
14 ounce tomato ; canned - no salt
1 cup water
salt and pepper

Instructions

Allow 1/2 pound catfish per adult. I use nuggests. Season well with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper . Dust with either corn meal or flour.

Heat the oil and saute all the vegetables.Season with salt and pepper. I like to
Catfish Courtbouillone red, black, and white peppers. Lower the heat; add water, and bring to a mild simmer. Cook thoroughly for at least 15 - 20 minutes.

In a seperate pan, heat some oil over medium high heat. Shake off excess flour or meal from fish pieces and brown the fish in the oil. Move fish from frying pan into the sauce pan.

Carefully ladle sauce on each piece of fish. Be careful not to agitate too much so as to avoid breaking up the fish. Allow to cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. More or less depending on the size of the fish pieces.

When ready to serve, spoon the fish pieces and the sauce over hot rice and enjoy!

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Baked Stuffed Flounder

2007-03-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

I watched an episode of Good Eats on Food TV and decided to try this recipe. It was easy to make and tasted awesome! There were no leftovers and everybody had seconds including my 7 year old! It also works well with Tilapia and boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts although you do have to pound them out to flatten.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion ; chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ; plus extra for the sweat and for seasoning fillets
1 clove garlic ; minced
1 10 oz. Frozen spinach ; thawed and squeezed dry
1 lemon, zested
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ; plus extra for seasoning fillets
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup White wine
10 ounces Cheddar ; grated
1 1/2 lbs to 2 pounds flounder fillets
3 cups leftover cooked rice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan over low heat, melt the butter; add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the spinach and lemon zest and cook until just heated through. Season with the salt and pepper, add the parsley, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Place the heavy cream and wine into a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to simmer, gradually add the cheese and stir until melted. Set aside and keep warm.

If the fillets are large, cut in half. Season each filet on both sides with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach mixture evenly among the fillets and roll the fish around the mixture. Place the rice into a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish and spread evenly. Place each roll on top of the rice, seam side down. Pour over the cheese sauce and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Shrimp and Sausage Creole

2007-03-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

Back in Memphis, we had a cooking team called "Boogie-T-Roux & the Mempho Crew." We cooked gumbo along side teams from Louisiana, Mississippi, and even some self-proclaimed Gar enthusiasts from Arkansas. The best we ever managed was a third place finish, but considering we were going up against some of the best reastaurants in town, we thought that was pretty good. This recipe isn't really a gumbo, but is a "Creole." I adapted this recipe from Patout's Cajun Home Cooking by Alex Patout (Random House, 1986).

Ingredients

2 pounds shrimp ; head on
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon White pepper ; ground
1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper ; ground
1 tablespoon Corn oil
1 pound Andouille sausage ; diced (or any good smoked sausage)
1 onion ; chopped
4 garlic ; minced
2 stalks Celery ; chopped
1 pound okra, sliced (frozen is fine)
1 sweet pepper ; chopped
28 ounces canned tomatoes
5 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Basil ; dried
1/2 teaspoon Thyme

Instructions

Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving heads and shells. Season shrimp with red, white, and black peppers, some garlic powder, and onion powder too. Set aside.

Throw shrimp heads and peels into a stock pot. Cover with water and begin heating. Simmer for at least a half hour.

In large pot, heat up a bit of oil; add sausage pieces and cook until nicely browned. Remove sausage and set aside.

Add onions to the pot and cook for a couple of minutes. Add okra, stirring constantly until most of the "strings of slime" disappear. Add celery, green peppers and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through, and all the vegetables are tender.

Add the shrimp stock, Add basil, thyme, sugar, and bay leaf. Correct the seasoning with additional red, white, and black pepper if needed. Stir in the cooked sausage. Continue simmering about 20 minutes or so. Bring to a high simmer, and add shrimp. Cook just until shrimp turn pink.

Serve over rice with file powder as a garnish.

Enjoy!

Amy's BBQ Chicken Salad

2007-03-13T11:14:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 head red leaf lettuce ; rinsed and torn
1 head green leaf lettuce ; rinsed and torn
1 fresh tomato ; chopped
1 bunch cilantro ; chopped
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn ; drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans ; drained
1 (2.8 ounce) can French fried onions
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup barbeque sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.

2. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and cook 6 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice.

3. In a large bowl, mix the red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, tomato, cilantro, corn, and black beans. Top with the grilled chicken slices and French fried onions.

4. In a small bowl, mix the Ranch dressing and barbeque sauce.
Serve on the side as a dipping sauce, or toss with the salad to coat.

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Chicken Crepes

2007-03-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

I used to make this from scratch. That is I made crepes the traditional French way. Now, I just use a good flour tortilla. Not as delicate, but very delicious.

Ingredients

1/2 pound Mushrooms ; sliced
2 cups Chicken breast ; cooked, and diced
1 cup frozen green peas ; thawed
1 tablespoon sweet green pepper ; minced
1/4 cup tomato ; diced
8 flour tortilla
1 cup Swiss cheese ; grated
1 cup white sauce

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients except the tortillas and the white sauce, and the Swiss cheese. Stuff the crepes with the chicken mixture and place seam side down in a baking dish.

Stir the cheese into the white sauce and blend until
melted. Pour the sauce over the crepes and bake at 350 until heated through (about 20 minutes).

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Chicken Tetrazinni

2007-03-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken leg quarters ; skinned
8 ounces Spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan cheese ; grated
1 pound Mushrooms ; sliced
1/2 pound Bacon
1 Onion ; chopped
4 Garlic ; minced
1 cup Chicken broth
3 tablespoon Butter
3 tablespoon Flour
1 cup 2% lowfat milk
1 ounce Pimento ; diced
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare to cook spaghetti according to package instructions.

Place bacon in dutch oven and cook until crisp and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. Set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and discard.

In the remaining drippings begin cooking the onion. After it has cooked for a couple of minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion softens. Do not brown.

Meanwhile prepare spaghetti according to package instructions. Do not overcook. Drain well and do not rinse.

After the onions are cooked, add the butter and stir it into the onion mixture to melt it. Then gradually add in the flour stirring constantly to incorporate the flour into the mixture and cook it. Do not allow it to burn or brown.

After this roux is done, gradually stir in the milk to make a creamy sauce. Adjust the amount of milk if needed to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When all is well incorporated, add the grated cheese blending until smooth.

Add the mushrooms and stir till well blended. After the mushrooms have been in the pot for a few minutes, add the chopped chicken pieces, the bacon, and the pimiento. Blend well.

Lightly grease a baking dish and pour the noodles and the cheese/chicken sauce into it. Stir until well blended.

Place in oven and bake about 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Do not allow to scorch.

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Chipotle BBQ Chicken

2007-03-13T11:11:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

Reynolds ; Wrap® Release® Non-Stick Foil
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
6 chicken pieces

Instructions
HEAT grill to medium (350° to 400°F). Make drainage holes in sheet of Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Foil with a large grilling fork; set aside. Combine barbecue sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and chipotle peppers.

PLACE foil sheet on grill grate with non-stick (dull) side towards food; immediately place chicken, skin side up, on foil.

GRILL covered 15 minutes. Turn chicken; brush chicken with half of sauce. Grill 10 minutes; turn chicken. Brush with remaining sauce; continue grilling 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear or meat thermometer reads 170°F for breasts, 180°F for other pieces.

*REYNOLDS KITCHENS TIP: For drainage holes, lay a sheet of foil over a cold grill grate, broiler pan or cooling rack. Make holes in the foil with a large fork.

Col. Benjamin's Curry Chicken

2007-03-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 cups onion ; chopped
2 cloves garlic ; minced
3 1/2 cups tomato ; chopped
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 pounds chicken leg quarters ; diced
1 1/2 pounds baking potato
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cups rice

Instructions

Combine 1 teaspoon of the salt with the coriander, cumin, chili powder, ginger, and turmeric, and set aside.

Heat oil in the dutch oven and cook onion and garlic till tender.Add seasoning mix, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes.

Sprinkly chicken with remaining salt and add to pot along with the potatoes. Stir in cilantro. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is done (maybe 50 minutes).

Serve over rice garnished with extra cilantro sprigs.

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Enchiladas Rancheros

2007-03-13T11:09:00.001-07:00

Ingredients
3 pounds chicken leg quarters ; skinned
1 pound Poblano Chile
1 pound tomatillo
1 onion ; diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken broth
3 cloves garlic ; minced
1 cups cheddar cheese ; grated
1 Swiss cheese
1 cup black olive ; sliced
4 tablespoon cornstarch
10 flour tortilla

Instructions

Cook chicken. I like to grill or smoke mine. Debone and set aside.

Roast chiles over open flame one at a time until blacked all over. Place in plastic bag and allow to steam in their own heat for about 15 minutes. Peel and clean out the seeds and membranes. Cut into a large dice.

Peel and wash tomatillos and parboil for about 5 minutes. Cut up onion and garlic. Place onion, garlic, tomatillos, salt, and chiles into a blender and add a bit of broth. Blend until a course consitency is achieved - - about like the consistency of a regular red salsa you'd find on the store shelf.

Place in a pot along with the rest of the broth and bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.Blend cornstarch with equal amount of water and add to sauce. Set aside and cover. Let sit for about 15 minutes or so.

To assemble enchiladas get cheeses and deboned chicken ready to go. Heat up a dry skillet over medium to low heat. Place a flour tortilla in skillet and turn frequently until warmed up and softed a bit.

Drop into green sauce and use spoon to ladle sauce on top of tortilla. You want to get the torilla coated with the sauce on both sides.

Carefully transfer tortilla to a plate where you'll build the enchilda. It helps if you have an extra set of hands. One to do the clean work, and one to do the messy part.

The messy partner then places a tablespoon or two of chicken across the middle of the enchilda and then a bit of both cheeses. Roll up the enchilda and place seam side down in a baking pan or shallow corningware.

Continue until pan is filled with rolled enchiladas. Ladle green sauce over all making sure to cover ends of the enchiladas. Garnish with some black olives and a bit of grated cheese. Bake uncovered in a medium oven for arout 20 minutes or until heated through. Be careful not to scorch.

Serve up with sour cream if desired. Good with spanish rice and refried beans and a salad.

Be sure and have some good cold beer and some Mexican music on hand.

Enjoy!!

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Grilled Duck "A L'Orange"

2007-03-13T11:08:00.001-07:00

They say that in Paris, duckling à l’orange was the highest test of a chef’s mettle. The duck had to be roasted just so-skin crackling crisp, meat tender and juicy-and the orange sauce had to strike a perfect balance between the sweetness of the caramelized sugar, the acidity of the fresh orange juice, and the bitterness of the orange peel and marmalade. The garnish involved all sorts of surgical legerdemain, from decoratively fluting orange rinds to placing candles in the hollowed fruit like a jack-o’-lantern. It’s a lot easier, and just as tasty, to cook duck on the grill-especially upright on an open beer can. So, here’s an orange duck that a bubba can relate to (after all, it’s made with orange soda) but that would do a Frenchman proud.

Ingredients

1 duck ; (about 5 pounds), thawed in the refrigerator if frozen
1 can ; (16 ounces) beer (see Note)
1 can ; (12 ounces) orange soda
Coarse ; salt
2 strips orange zest ; (1/2 by 11/2 inches each, removed with a vegetable peeler)
1 orange, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 batch Apricot-Orange Sauce ; (See Sauces recipe box.)

Instructions

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the duck and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the duck, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp fork, like a carving fork, taking care not to pierce the meat. Place the duck on a wire rack on a tray in the refrigerator and let dry out, uncovered, overnight (this is optional, but it will help give you crisper skin).

Pop the tab off the beer can, pour out three quarters of the beer (1 1/2 cups), and reserve for another use. If cooking the duck on the can, using a church key-style opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the beer can. Using a funnel, add 1/2 cup orange soda to the beer can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up a bit: This is normal. Reserve the remaining orange soda for the sauce.

Season the body and neck cavities of the duck very generously with salt and pepper. Place a strip of orange zest in the body cavity and in the neck cavity. Rub the outside of the duck all over with the cut orange. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over the duck and rub it all over the skin. Very generously season the outside of the duck with salt and pepper.

If cooking on a can: Hold the duck upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. You’ll need to do some twisting. Pull the duck legs forward to form a sort of tripod so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the can. If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with1/2 cup beer and 1/2 cup orange soda and position the duck on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Tuck the tips of the wings behind the duck’s back.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. When ready to cook, carefully stand the duck up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the duck until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 11/2 to 2 hours. After 1 hour, prick the duck skin again with a sharp fork, taking care not to pierce the meat. This helps release the fat. Baste the duck with the remaining 11/2 teaspoons of olive oil, taking care not to knock the bird over. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the duck skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the duck by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the duck from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.

Present the duck to your guests. Let the duck rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Carve the duck or cut it in half or quarters and serve with Apricot-Orange Sauce.

Serves 2

Note: Because of the duck’s elongated shape, you’ll need a “tall boy”-a 16-ounce can of beer.

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Joel's Jambalaya

2007-03-13T11:07:00.002-07:00

Our neighbor, Joel, is a chef by profession. Now and then he delights us by bringing something he's just whipped up or by inviting us to his house to dine. This is not Joel's recipe, but is my version of how to copy the flavor of his.

Ingredients

4 chicken leg quarters ; skinned
1 1/2 tablespoon corn oil
1 onion ; chopped
3 celery ; chopped
2 Poblano Chile ; chopped
1 pound Andouille sausage ; diced
1 1/2 cups rice
28 ounces canned tomatoes ; chopped
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 bay leaf
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
6 ounces tomato paste
salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Season the leg quarters with salt and garlic powder, red, white, and black pepper and some onion powder. Grill until done. Remove to platter, debone and chop into a dice when cooled.

Begin heating cooking oil in cast iron dutch oven. Add onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add celery and poblano peppers. Continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften.

In the meantime, in a separate pan, saute the sausage until lightly browned. Drain and set aside.

To the main pot, add tomatoes, reserving their juice in a large measuring cup.Pour can of tomato paste over into reserve juice. To vegetables, add seasonings to taste. Continue cooking and stirring the vegetables until well blended and soft. Add a bit of water or juice if necessary to prevent sticking.

Add enough water to the tomato juice - tomato paste mixture to make up 3 cups of total liquid. Stir into the vegetable mixture and bring to a light simmer.

Then add the liquid and stir to blend. Add the cooked chicken and sausages. Cover pot and bake for 45 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

This can be finished out on the stove top if the heat
is very low and you stir occasionally to prevent sticking. It may require the
addition of some boiling stock along the way if done on the stove top.

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Kung Pao Chicken

2007-03-13T11:06:00.002-07:00

Hot and spicy! I fixed this for Mary Ann Murphy and she almost turned Chinese!

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless chicken ; cubed
8 dried red chiles
1/2 cup peanuts
1 teaspoon ginger ; minced
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Combine chicken pieces with water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, minced ginger, and 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir and allow to soak for at least 1/2 hour.

Seasoning Sauce: Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sherry wine, sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, salt, and sesame oil. Blend well, and set aside.

Wipe the chiles clean; remove seeds, and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch long pieces. Heat the oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until golden, and then remove.

Add the chicken and cook for 1/2 minute. Remove chicken and place aside to drain. Add the dried chiles to the oil and stir fry until they turn black. Add the ginger and chicken pieces stirring quickly. Then add the seasoning sauce, stirring until thickened and heated through.

Remove from the fire and add the cooked peanuts. Mix well and serve over rice.

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Mediterranean Meatloaf

2007-03-13T11:04:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
10 ounces frozen spinach ; thawed and drained
1/2 cup onion ; chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese ; crumbled
1 1/2 pounds Ground turkey
1 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup skim milk

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Soften tomatoes according to package directions. Coarsely chop and set aside.

In a small skillet, cook spinach and onion until onion is tender. Remove from heat. Cool a bit; stir in cheese; set aside.

In large bowl, combine turkey, oats, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, milk, and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape 2/3 of the mixture into a 9 by 6 inch loaf in a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Make a deep indentation down the center of the loaf; fill with the spinach mixture.

Top the loaf with the remaining meat mixture to completly cover the filling. Pinch edges to seal.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

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Pacific Rim Chicken

2007-03-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 onion
1 sweet green pepper
5 chicken breast
1 ounce canned pineapple
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/3 cups rice

Instructions

In crock-pot, combine onion and green pepper. Place chicken pieces over the vegetables. In separate bowl, combine pineapple, juice, broth, sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, salt and black pepper. Pour this mixture over the chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, stir and cook an additional 5 to 6 hours.

Remove and place chicken to the side.
Remove liquid and vegetables to anotehr pan and boil down the sauce a bit,
stirring frequently. Meanwhile, slice the chicken meat and arrange over bed
of rice. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

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Rachel's Chicken And Squash Casserole

2007-03-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups squash
2 cups cornbread
1/2 stick of butter
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups Cooked chicken thigh meat
1 onion ; chopped
salt and pepper

Instructions

Spread chicken in bottom of buttered backing dish.Combine other ingredients.

Pour over chicken and bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Satay Chicken

2007-03-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 tablespoon Garlic ; minced
4 teaspoon coriander ; ground
4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 1/2 pounds chicken breast
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoon ginger ; minced
2 tablespoon lime juice
6 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup cilantro
2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine garlic, corieander, brown sugar, pepper and salt in mixing bowl. Rub chicken pieces with mixture and placeon tray or large plate to marinate 45 minutes.

Combine soy sauce, ginger root, lime juice and oil in a nonaluminum pan. Add chicken pieces and marinate cvoered in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight. Turn several times during the process.

Put chicken on skewers and grill over hot coals 8 to 10 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of grill and intensity of heat. Also, if you prefer, you can use legs or drummies.

Serve with Peanut Sauce.

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Sharli's Chicken Wings

2007-03-13T11:01:00.001-07:00

Sharli's Chicken Wings

Sharli is a gal I knew in Arkansas. As country as the day is long.
But she knew a thing or two about wings.

Ingredients

5 pounds chicken wings
5 cloves garlic ; minced
5 1/2 inches ginger ; slices, peeled
1 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Heat soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar just to boiling point.
Add chicken wings. Cover and cook for 1/2 hour. Remove lid and
continue cooking for another 1/2 hour. During entire cooking time,
stir frequently.

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Smothered Chicken

2007-03-13T11:00:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken leg quarters ; skinned
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion ; chopped
1 can mushroom
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup cooking oil

Instructions

Cut chicken into serving pieces and remove skin. (I do this dish with whatever chicken I happen to have on hand. Sometimes I use leg quarters; sometimes I use the big baking hens.) Season evenly with the salt and the peppers.

These measures are approximates.I like mine spicy hot. Adjust the seasonings to your own taste. For variety, add other herbs, e.g., thyme, basil, oregano, etc.

Coat the pieces with flour. I just sprinkle mine with a shaker of flour.
In the meantime, heat oil (I use corn oil) in a heavy pot. Brown the pieces a few at a time, turning to cook on both sides. I continue to sprinkle more flour into the pot during this time.

When all the pieces have been browned, add the wine to the pot and scrape loose all the browned bits on the pan bottom. Return the chicken to the pot and add the mushrooms and onions. I sometimes add whole black olives and chopped bell pepper.

Cover the pot and cook in a medium oven until done. You can simmer on the top of the stove if desired.

When done, you might want to skim off some of the grease before serving.
Thicken the gravy if you like. Serve over rice.

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Spicy Hoisin Chicken

2007-03-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon ginger ; minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
4 cloves garlic ; minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
8 chicken thighs ; skinned

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Whisk together all ingredients except chicken, then coat chicken all over with sauce.

Arrange thighs, skin sides up in 1 layer without crowding, in a foil-lined large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Roast in upper third of oven until chicken is cooked through and glaze is brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

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Turkey Sausage and Vegetable Casserole

2007-03-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 pound turkey sausage
4 cups cooked rice
2 chayote
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion ; chopped
1 sweet green pepper ; chopped
14 1/2 ounces canned tomatoes
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup
16 ounces mixed vegetables
2 cups broccoli ; cut into flowerettes
2 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

Brown turkey sausage until done. Crumble and set aside.

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set it aside to cool. Make at least 3 or maybe 4 cups. Whatever you don't use now, you can use later.

Cook chayotes whole and set aside to cool. (I do mine in the microwave on the automatic vegetable setting.) In a soup pot, saute onion in oil for a few minutes. Add bell pepper.

When the vegetables are softened, add the can of tomatoes to the sauce. Add the canned soup, frozen mixed vegetables, broccoli, powdered bouillon, garlic powder, and thyme. Stir to blend well. Add the cooked turkey sausage. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

Peel the chayotes and dice the squash. Add to the pot. And stir.Simmer gently until the flavors are well blended - maybe 10 - 20 more minutes. It's up to you.

In a large mixing bowl. combine the can of soup with 2 cups of rice. Add a couple of cups of the vegetable/turkey sausage mixture. Blend well. Mix up enough to fill an 8 x 8 casserole. Cover and microwave 10 minutes at a power level of 3 (depends on your microwave.)

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Tamale Pie

2007-03-13T10:41:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

12 ounces ground round burger
1 onion ; chopped
1 1/4 cups salsa
1/2 cup black olive ; sliced
1 cup frozen corn ; whole kernel, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 cups cornbread ; crumbled
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese ; grated
1/2 cup Light sour cream

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a 10-inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat and onions. Cook about 5 minutes and then drain off the fat. Stir in the salsa, olives, corn kernels and cumin. Mix until thoroughly blended, then set aside in a separate bowl.

Wipe out the skillet to remove excess oil. Place the cornbread crumbs in the skillet and press to form a crust covering the bottom of the skillet and moving about an inch up the sides. Sprinkle on about one cup of the grated cheese. Fill the pie with the meat mixture, then sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges, top with dollops of sour cream and lift out with a spatula!

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