Cookware key:

Notes : Crock Pot and Dutch oven can be interchanged provided you watch the heat in the Dutch oven over long cooking periods. When I refer to mixed mushrooms I usually use a variety of mushrooms commonly available at you grocery store. For more on mushrooms check out http://www.gmushrooms.com/ For salt, I like to substitute or supplement the salt with Mixed-Up Salt or some such salt and herb mixture. When removing lemon zest make sure that you don't go to deep into the lemon skin and get the bitter white part just under the zest.


Index:


Baked Mustard Haddock:

Ingredients:

2 pounds haddock
1/2 teaspoon paprika
juice of 1 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cups bread crumbs (about 2 slices of bread with crust removed and finely chopped)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

Prepare the bread crumbs by melting the butter in a small frying pan and adding the bread crumbs. Cook the bread crumbs until the butter is evenly incorporated and the crumbs start to toast. Cut the Haddock into serving size pieces and place in a buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the fish with the paprika and lemon juice. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small pan over low heat so you don't burn the butter. Increase the heat and add the flour and mustard whisking until completely mixed. Slowly add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and chopped parsley. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes until browned.


Beef Burgundy:

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon chopped
2 pounds sirloin tip steak cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic crushed and minced
1 beef bouillon cube
1 1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1/4 pound mixed mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional to thicken sauce)

Preperation:

Cook the bacon in a large skillet for several minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside. Coat the beef with flour and brown on all sides in the bacon drippings. Combine steak, bacon drippings, cooked bacon, seasonings, bouillon, and Burgundy in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender. Turn crock pot to high, add the mushrooms, and cook for another 15 minutes. To thicken the sauce, if desired, add cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water) with the mushrooms.

Serve over egg noodles and tossed salad on the side.


Beef Stroganoff:

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef tenderloin well trimmed.
2 cups beef broth
1/4 pound butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms ( Shiitakes are the best)
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup minced shallot
1/2 cup sherry
fresh thyme leaves or minced parsley for garnish

Preperation:

Slice the beef across the grain into 1/4 inch by 2 inch strips and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour and some salt. Continue stirring for a couple of minutes to cook the flour. Add the broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms in a skillet with another 3 tablespoons of butter until cooked and volume reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet shalland quickly sauté theot and beef until the beef is a golden brown over medium to high heat. Make sure you do not burn the shallot or the beef. Add the sherry and simmer for several minutes on high. Add the mushrooms and sauce, reheating over low heat until the mixture is hot.

Serve over egg noodles and tossed salad on the side.


Beef Tips:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour for coating
3 tablespoons flour for sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 pounds sirloin tips
1/2 pound mushrooms ( I like the baby portabella mushrooms for this dish) sliced
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1-1/4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon tomato paste or ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine

Preperation:

Combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper in a paper bag. Add the beef tips and shake coating thoroughly. Place them in a crock-pot and add the mushrooms and shallots. Combine the beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and pour over the beef and vegetables. Stir well. Cover and cook on low 8 to 12 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours. One hour before serving, turn to high. Make a smooth paste of the red wine and the 3 tablespoons of flour. Stir this into the crock-pot and mix well. Cover and cook until thickened.

Serve over egg noodles and tossed salad on the side.


Boiled Dinner: or

Ingredients:

Kielbasa
Boiling onions
Small red potatoes
Carrots (cut into 2 to 3 inch chunks)
Cabbage (cut into wedges)
Horse radish sauce:
2 to 4 Tablespoons butter
2 to 4 Tablespoons flour
Horse radish
Milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

The amounts of each item depends on how hungry you are and how many people you are going to serve. Place the Kielbasa, onions, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage in the Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the contents. Place over fire until the pot starts to boil. Move to a lower flame or reduce the heat and let simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

While the dinner is cooking make the horse radish sauce by combining equal portions of butter and flour in a pan and cooking them for several minutes. Slowly add milk until the mixture is completely incorporated and smooth. Place over medium heat and continue to stir adding more milk when the sauce starts to thicken. Do this until the white sauce starts to simmer and no longer thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste followed by the horse radish. Start by adding just a little and add until the level of hotness you like is achieved. Make sure you squeeze out the liquid from jar or canned horseradish as this will tend to thin the sauce.

When ready to eat, dig into the Dutch oven and get a little of each and serve with the horse radish sauce over the top.


Chicken Cacciatore:

Ingredients:

4 pounds chicken
2 to 4 cloves garlic crushed and minced
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1/2 to 1 pound assorted mushrooms
2 green bell peppers cut into 3/4 inch strips
1 large onion quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped basel
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 pounds plumb tomatoes
6 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar or brown sugar
2 chicken bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

Place chicken in a large bowl containing the garlic, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Turn chicken several times to make sure that it is completely coated. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours turning occasionally.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and return it to the refrigerator.

To make the sauce, place enough olive oil in a pot to cover the bottom. Add the onions, bell peppers and cook until the onions are transparent. Add the marinade, mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes start to fall apart. Add the tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basel, sugar, chicken bouillon and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens.

Place enough olive oil in a Dutch oven to cover the bottom and add the chicken once the olive oil is hot. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken and deglaze the Dutch oven with red wine. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and cover with the tomato sauce. Cook over a low heat for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick.

Serve over spaghetti with garlic bread and tossed salad on the side.


Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

1 potato per person being served
1 to 2 clove of garlic per potato crushed and diced
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter per potato
salt and pepper to taste (or mixed up salt)
milk

Preperation:

Peal and cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and place them into a pot with enough salted water to cover them by about an inch. Add the garlic and boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the water through a strainer making sure that you don't lose any of the garlic. Add back any garlic which the strainer catches and mash the potatoes adding the butter, salt, pepper and milk until the potatoes are creamy but not sloppy.

Options just for fun:
Sprinkle with little paprika to add a color.
Add some diced canned red beets for another color and added taste.


Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage or turkey sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
10 ounces mushrooms sliced (portabella are the best)
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preperation:

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, mushrooms, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.


Lobster Supreme:

Ingredients:

2 lobsters
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced onion
3 tomatoes, peeled,seeded and chopped
2 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sherry
3/4 cup cognac
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter

Sauce:

2 lobster shells and bodies
4 cups water
1 onion quartered
1 carrot cut in large pieces
1 parsnip cut into large pieces
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup dry white wine
1 large lemon juice and peal
2 bay leaves
hand full parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

Start by boiling / steaming the lobster in the 4 cups of unsalted water until done. Remove the meat form the tail and cut into bite size pieces. Remove the meat from the claws and as much other meat as you wish to go after. Place the meat in a covered bowl and refrigerate until needed. Remove the liver (the green stuff) and the roe (the red stuff) if you have a female lobster and set aside. Take the lobster shells and bodies and return them to the pot along with all the other ingredients from the sauce list. Simmer for 45 minutes. You should end up with about 1 cup of stock. After simmering, strain the stock through a cloth and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the frying pan and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add the tomatoes and parsley and stir until well coated. Add the stock, prepared above, sherry, and cognac. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat stirring occasionally. Place the ingredients from the frying pan into a food processor along with the butter, liver, and roe and blend until smooth. Be careful as hot liquids can be quite explosive in blenders. If you want to reduce the risk if this problem, you can let the liquid cool a bit before processing. Place the sauce back into the frying pan and simmer until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. At the last minute, add the lobster meat and simmer until the meat has been warmed.
Serve over spaghetti or I prefer linguini by placing the pasta on a large platter with the lobster meat centered on the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the lobster and set any left over sauce on the table in a gravy boat.


Marinated Salmon:

Ingredients:

3 pounds salmon
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons fresh finely shopped thyme
2 teaspoons ground mustard
2 teaspoon fresh finely chopped basil leaves
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preperation:

Combine the white whine, olive oil, thyme, mustard, garlic salt, basil, onion powder and pepper in a medium bowl or zip lock bag. Add the salmon and cover or seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat broiler or grill. Place fish on broiler pan or grill. Broil or grill until desired doneness. Baste the fish with some of the marinade, if you are grilling, once for each side as you turn the fish over.


Meatballs:

Ingredients:

For 100 meatballs:
6 slices of bread
2 cups beef stock or bouillon
3 lbs. ground lean hamburger
2 lbs. ground turkey
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups minced onion
1 cup finely chopped parsley
5 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon or 1 grated lemon rind
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or the juice from 1 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
olive oil

Preperation:

Mix the hamburger and ground turkey in a large bowl. Soak the bread in the beef stock and wring the liquid from the bread and add the bread to the meat mixture. Add the chopped parsley, salt, paprika, lemon rind, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the mix. This is the fun part. Combine the ingredients well using your hands but do not over work. Add some olive oil to a large skillet and heat. While the skillet is heating start making the meatballs by taking enough of the mixture to make a ball no larger than a golf ball. The size is up to you but I find that small meatballs cook better and you get more of them. Add the meatballs to the frying pan and cook on all sides until they are well browned and firm. I will rotate the meatballs in the pan once they have started to cook with new ones so that one half of the pan is finishing the first batch while I start the next batch. Add olive as needed until all the meat balls are cooked.

At this point you can let the meatballs cool and place the meatballs is a freezer bag for freezing or add them to a tomato sauce for spaghetti. If you wish, you can make a gravy and have the beat balls as a meal with mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side.


Pot Roast:

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pound pot roast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 to 6 stalks celery cut into 3 inch pieces
4 to 6 stalks celery cut into 1 inch pieces
4 to 6 carrots cut into 3 inch pieces
4 to 6 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small package parsnips cut into 3 inch pieces
1 large onion quartered
1 pound small boiling onions
2 to 3 potatoes cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
fresh parsley
2 to 3 bay leaves
4 to 5 cloves of garlic cut into slivers
olive oil
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 to 3 tablespoons of flour

Preperation:

Take a small knife and stick it into the pot roast and insert the garlic slivers. Do this at about 1 to 2 inch intervals until the pot roast is peppered with garlic. If the roast is thick, turn the roast over and stick the other side as well. Place the roast in the refrigerator for an hour to let the garlic to permeate the meat. Place enough olive oil in the bottom on the Dutch oven to cover the bottom and heat. Once hot, brown the pot roast on all sides. Add water to almost cover the pot roast along with the 3 inch pieces of celery, 3 inch pieces of carrots, the large onion, several twigs of the thyme, rosemary, and parsley, the bay leaf, the bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cover and bring to a boil Then turn down the heat and simmer for 2 to 4 hours or until the pot roast is tender. Remove the pot roast and set aside. Remove the vegetables and discard since all the flavors have been cooked out of them by now. Return the pot roast to the Dutch oven and add the 1 inch pieces of celery, the 1 inch pieces of carrot, potatoes, and boiling onions. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are done. Remove the pot roast and set aside to set up before carving. Remove the vegetables and keep warm. Add the flour to 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the remaining juices and bring back to a boil then simmer until the gravy becomes thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. When ready, slice (chunk) the pot roast and place on a large platter. Add the vegetables and potatoes around the pot roast and serve immediately with the gravy on the side.
Serve the a tossed salad and bread to sop up all that good gravy.


Sausage Stuffed Eggplant:

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet sausage or turkey sausage for a low fat but tasty version
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preperation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut eggplant in half length wise and place cut side down on a lightly greased roasting pan. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes and cook until tender. Remove them from the oven and let cool a bit so you can handle them. Once they have cooled, scoop out the eggplant leaving the shells which will be filled with the stuffing later and set aside. Cook the sausage in a large skillet until browned and broken up. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Pour off any remaining fat. In the same skillet, sauté the onions, peppers, celery and green onions in olive oil until soft and the onions are transparent. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch chunks and add it to the skillet along with the sausage and 1/2 of the bread crumbs. Stir to combine and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg and parmesan cheese. Spoon the mixture back into the eggplant shells. (Optionally, in a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add the remaining bread crumbs and cook until the bread crumbs are coated with the butter.) Sprinkle the stuffed eggplants with the bread crumbs. Place the stuffed eggplants in the roasting pan back into the 350 degree oven and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes until the bread crumbs are browned and the eggplants are heated through.


Scrambled Eggs a la Windy Top:

Ingredients:

This recipe is one where only your imagination is the limit of creativity. It's more a guide than an absolute but this is my favorite. The proportions are up to you.

1/2 pound bacon
4 eggs
2 mushrooms
1/2 small onion diced
2 tablespoons green pepper diced
dried mustard
mace
mixed up salt or salt
pepper
milk

Preperation:

Fry the bacon until desired doneness and set aside. Drain the grease into a container and wipe the pan to remove any remaining bacon bits. Return 1 to 2 tablespoons of grease to the frying pan and add the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until the onion turn transparent and starting to caramelize. I stir the mixture trying to clean any bacon bits and dark spots from the pan. This is where the flavor is. Remove from heat and add the eggs, a pinch or two of dried mustard, a dash or two of mace, salt and pepper to taste. I make sure that all is somewhat mixed before I return it to the heat but don't over beat the eggs. Once the eggs start to set for the first time, add some milk and finish off the eggs to whatever consistency you desire. Take a large plate and place the eggs across the center and divide the bacon on either side. Breakfast is ready for 2.

Other variations include adding diced tomato (outer part only seeds removed), using scallions or chives instead of onion, or adding broccoli flowers finely chopped. We have even added walnuts from time to time. Most anything goes so have fun with this one.


Seafood Chowder:

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh haddock cut into bite-size pieces
1 to 1-1/2 pounds clams in the shell washed
1 to 1-1/2 pounds mussels in the shell washed
1 pint fresh oysters shucked
1 cup salt pork or bacon diced
2 8-oz. cans of corn nibblets drained
2 cups celery diced
4 medium potatoes cubed
2 cups carrots diced
1 medium zucchini cubed
2 cups onions chopped
6 cups milk
1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
8 tablespoons of flour ( 4 for a thinner chowder)
Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste

Preperation:

In the Dutch oven, render the salt pork or bacon. Remove some of the fat but leave enough to cook the celery and onions. Cook the onions and celery until the onions are transparent. Add the flour and mix well. You may have to add some olive oil to keep the flour from caking to much. Turn the heat to low so you don't burn the flower. In a separate pot, start cooking the carrots. Boil for 3 minutes then add the potatoes and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally add the zucchini and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pot and reserve the liquid. Remove or add water to the pot making a total of 4 cups of liquid. Add the clams and muscles to the pot and cook until all the shells have opened. Remove the clams and muscles and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells and set aside. Strain the liquid through several layers of cheese cloth to remove any grit. Check again and make sure that you have 4 cups of liquid in the pot reserving any extra. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the haddock and and immediately turn off the heat. Leave the fish in the liquid for just a few minutes. Do not overcook the fish. Remove the fish from the liquid and set aside. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven with the onions, celery and flour and bring to a boil stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the clams, muscles and oysters and bring to a simmer. Add the vegetables to the Dutch oven and again bring back to a simmer. At the last minute add the haddock and 6 cups of milk. Reduce the heat and heat until the chowder is hot. Add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce to taste. If the chowder is to thick add some of the reserved liquid or water if needed.


Shrimp with Marinara Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp pealed and cleaned

Sauce:

1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon corn starch
juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
chopped rosemary to taste
brown sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste (cayenne pepper if you want a spicier sauce)

Preperation:

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are transparent. Add 1/2 the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, stock, and thicken with the cornstarch. Dissolve the corn starch in a little cold water before adding. Add more tomato paste for a thicker richer sauce. Add the lemon juice, zest, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Cook at a slow boil until the flavors are blended. Add the shrimp and cook until tender done but do not over cook or they will get tough.

Serve over linguini with stir fried vegetables.


Sour Dough Starter

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preperation:

In large non-metallic bowl, mix together dry yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all purpose flour and cover loosely.

Leave in a warm place to ferment, 4 to 8 days. Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary. Place on cookie sheet in case of overflow. Check on occasionally.

When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink, orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to bake.

When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture with a pinch of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix well and leave out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful sourdough flavor remains! Sourdough starters improve with age, they used to be passed down generation to generation!

Also, the starter must be maintained by feeding it every few days. Refresh by removing 1 cup of the starter (give to a friend or discard it) and adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water. Whisk until blended but not smooth and leave out on the counter until bubbly again. Cover loosely and return to the refrigerator.

If you plan to be away longer than a week, freeze the starter in a sterilized, airtight freezer container. Thaw the starter 2 days before you plan to bake with it. Refresh as indicated above with 1 cup each of flour and warm water. Cover and leave at room temperature 12 hours or overnight before using.

CAUTION: Never keep your starter tightly closed! The gasses expelled by the yeast will build up pressure and may cause the container (such as a glass jar) to burst!

Sour Dough Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preperation:

In an electric mixer with the dough hook, combine the flour, starter and salt, and knead until it no longer sticks to the sides or bottom of the mixing bowl.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Sprinkle lightly with flour and knead gently, removing any large air bubbles. Knead into a small circle, and then shape into a tight ball, pinching the seams together underneath. Place on a well-floured board or baking peel, seam-side down. Cover with a kitchen towels and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat a baking stone, if available, on the bottom rack of an oven at 400 degrees F. With a sharp, serrated knife cut a large "X" or cross-hatch pattern into the top of the dough.

Spray lightly with a mister and transfer to the baking stone (or place on a heavy baking sheet lightly dusted with cornmeal) and bake until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, about 60 minutes. (Sourdough should have a darker crust than other breads, so leave in the oven 5 minutes after you think it is done.)

Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.


Spaghetti Sauce: or

Ingredients:

1 to 2 heads of garlic crushed and finely diced
1 large onion (Spanish or sweet) coarsely chopped
2 green peppers diced coarsely chopped
6 - 15oz. cans tomato sauce
2 - 28 oz. cans crushed or whole tomatoes
2 - 12 oz. cans tomato paste
4 cups beef stock or bouillon
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh finely chopped oregano
2 to 4 teaspoons fresh finely chopped basil
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh finely chopped parsley
4 to 6 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

Crushing the garlic before finely dicing it serves two purposes. First it helps remove the outer shell from each clove and secondly it mixes the 2 oils in the garlic together to get a stronger flavor.

Place the garlic, onion, and green pepper in a large pot (2 gallon) with some olive oil. Cook the onions until they are transparent. Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, and herbs and simmer over a low heat for 1 to 2 hours or until the sauce thickens to desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and brown sugar last to taste.

For a meat sauce brown 2 lbs. of lean hamburger and 1 lb. of sausage or ground turkey before cooking the garlic, onions and peppers.

For those who like mushrooms, add 1 to 2 pounds of sliced mushrooms at the end and cook until done and the sauce is back to the consistency you desire. The mushrooms will thin the sauce down a bit when the cook since the water in them will be extracted during the cooking process.

If you have meatballs, add them to some of the sauce and heat over a low heat for another hour to allow the flavors to combine.


Stuffed Pork Chops:

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread (preferably not white)
4 thick pork chops with a single bone
3 to 4 shallots minced
1/4 cup dried apples diced for stuffing
1/4 cup dried apples diced for sauce
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream for stuffing
1/2 cup heavy cream for sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preperation:

Break bread into small pieces and set aside to dry but don't let the bread to become hard. Cut pockets into the pork chops making a 2-inch slit opposite the bone. Try to make the pocket as large as possible. Combine the bread, shallots, dried apples, pecans, parsley, allspice, thyme leaves, and 2 tablespoons of the cream in a bowl and mix until all ingredient are well incorporated and holds together when lightly compressed. Do not over work the mix. Take 1/4 of the stuffing and fill each pork chop pocket. Flatten the pork chops a bit to make sure that the stuffing get pushed into the entire pocket. Use a toothpick to close the opening. In a large skillet, melt the butter but do not let it burn. Add the pork chops and brown on both sides. Add 1 cup of apple cider to the pan, cover and turn down the heat and let the chops braise for 1/2 hour. Check the pork pork chops periodically to make sure that there is still some cider in the pan. The cider will become dark and sticky towards the end. That is how I tell when the chops are done. At this point remove the chops from the pan and place on a heated platter. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider to the pan along with the remaining 1/2 cup of dried apples and boil the mixture while scraping the pad to make sure that you get all the caramelized juices mixed into the sauce. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream along with the chives and reduce the sauce until it is nicely thickened. Pour the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately.

I like serving the chops along with garlic mashed potatoes, butternut squash with a little butter and brown sugar mixed in, and a steamed green vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli.


Sweet-Sour Spareribs:

Ingredients:

4 to 5 pounds spareribs
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken bouillon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (11-oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 medium green pepper cut into chunks
10 to 20 snow peas (optional)
1 broccoli crown cut into pieces (optional)

Preperation:

Cut spareribs into pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the ribs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Roast at 400° F. for 15 minutes. Turn and brown other side. Remove the bone from the ribs and cut them into 1 inch chunks. Place the ribs in the crock pot along with chicken bouillon, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Turn crock pot to high and add the onions along with the corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the juice from the mandarin oranges. Cook on high another 10 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in oranges and green pepper (snow peas and broccoli). Cover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve over wild rice


Turkey Sausage:

Ingredients:

1-1/4 pounds turkey meat, diced or ground
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder

Preperation:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the turkey, together and mix well. Add the turkey to the mixture and again mix well until the seasoning is completely incorporated. You can make sausage patties or stuff casings if you wish.


Turkey Soup:

Ingredients:

2 -3 turkey bones with lots of meat left on them
2 small bags carrots
1 small bag parsnips
2 small bags celery
1-1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
1/2 to 1 lb mushrooms ( I like baby portabella for this dish)
2 large Spanish onions
2 heads of garlic
olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3- 5 sprigs fresh sage
3 - 5 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
14" deep Dutch oven for about 1-1/2 to 2 gallons soup

Preperation:

The first step in making the soup is to make the stock. This is done by coarsely chopping 1 large Spanish onion, 1 bag of celery, the bag of parsnips and crushing the 2 heads of garlic. No deed to peal any of this just place all in the Dutch oven with some olive oil and sauté until the onions start to caramelize and stick to the bottom on the Dutch oven. While waiting for this or before you start, remove as much of the meat from the turkey bones as you can and set aside in a cool place. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the turkey bones to the Dutch oven along with enough water to fill the Dutch oven to within an inch or so from the top. Add a little salt at this point but not to much as the water will cook down and might get to salty later. Bring this to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer on a low heat for 4 to 6 hours or until the bones are clean. At this point, I let the Dutch oven cool over night. Once the broth has cooled you can easily remove any excess fat form the top of the stock. Reheat slightly to dissolve any turkey jelly. Remove the bones and vegetables from the broth picking through the bones for any remaining meat which can be added to the meat already set aside. By now you should have about 1/2 gallon of turkey meat for a good rich thick soup. You should also have about 1 gallon or so of stock in the Dutch oven. Discard the turkey bones and vegetables.

The second step is to bring the stock back to a boil and add the wild rice and cook at a simmer until done (1 to 2 hours). I also add the rosemary, sage, and thyme at this point. If you don't want the herbs to remain in the soup then place them in a piece of cheese cloth so they may be removed with ease otherwise you may want to chop the sage and remove the thyme leaves from the stem before you add them. Leaving the herbs in the soup will add a stronger herbal taste to the soup so you might want to experiment with the amounts depending on which method you use. You could also used dried herbs for convenience but I think fresh is better. After the rice is done, remove the herbs and or stems if desired and discard.

The final step is building the soup. Start by reheating the stock while you cut the second bag of carrots and celery into 1/8 inch slices more or less and chop the second large Spanish onion into 1/4 inch slices and then into 1/2 inch sections. Add them to the stock along with the parsley and cook until tender crisp. Add the turkey (I hand pull the meat apart into bite size pieces) and the mushrooms which are cut to your liking. I just slice the mushrooms into 1/4 " pieces. While the soup is heating for the final time, add salt and pepper to taste a little at a time until it tastes just right. By now you are full and don't need to eat any more if you cook and taste like I do.

Any leftovers can be packaged and frozen for the future and reheated.


Whoopee Pies:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup hot water
2 2/3 cup flour

Filling:

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 heaping cup of fluff
3 drops vanilla to taste

Preperation:

Cream sugar and shortening. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour milk. Make a paste of the cocoa and water and add it to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mix. Mix together to make a stiff dough. Drop form a tablespoon on to a cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350 deg f. Remove from the cookie sheet and set aside to cool.

Make the filling by combining the shortening, sugar,fluff and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

To make the whoopee pies take one of the cakes and apply the filling to one side then place the second cake on top and call the kids.


Zesty Butternut Squash:

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small lemon
2-4 tablespoons butter as desired
2-4 tablespoons brown sugar as desired

Preperation:

Boil the butternut squash until tender. While the squash is boiling, remove the zest from the lemon and finely chop. When the squash is, drain and mash over a low heat adding the butter, brown sugar, and the lemon zest.


Zesty Red Potatoes:

Ingredients:

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1 small lemon
1 cup (loosely packed) Italian parsley leaves chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed and chopped
1/4 pound soft butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation:

Boil the potatoes until tender in salted water. While the potatoes are boiling, remove the zest from the lemon. Add the parsley and garlic to the zest and chop the three together to make a gremolata. When the potatoes are done, drain and coarsely mash over a low heat adding the butter, 1/2 the gremolata, salt and pepper. Gently stir until mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining gremolata.