Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower

3-4 carrots cut abt 1-2" long. Halve if thick
1/2 head Cauliflower cut to 1 - 2" Florettes
4-6 TBS olive oil
1 - 2 TBS smoked paprika
1 - 2 TSP Bouquet Garni
Toss all ingredients in a baking dish

Roast at 400 or 425 (depending on main course) for 20-30 min.
Turn once or twice during roasting

chicken basics

Chicken Leg Quarters bake at 425 for 35-45 min. (180 internal)

Whole Chicken bake at 400 for 1 - 1.5 hours

Ham

Before there was Mac and Cheese with Ham or Ham Potato Corn Chowder there was...

Ham.

Slice an onion and place the slices under the ham face, to prevent burning. 
Place the ham front face down in a ceramic dish
add up to 1/4 C dry vermouth or dry white wine
Cover loosely with tin foil
bake at 325 20-25 min per LB of ham.
This can also be done on a grill over low heat if the oven is filled with other holiday dishes

Mac and Cheese

I have ruined my own children, they only like the Mac and Cheese in a box.
Because that is all I made for 10 years. May the culinary gods forgive me.

1 Box Pasta - Shells, Elbows etc.
1 8 oz. block SHARP cheddar, grated and DIVIDED
4 oz Swiss or other cheese... could be cheddar, american... check the ice box
1 - 2 C chopped leftover ham
1 egg
12 - 16 Ritz crackers, crushed or 1/2 C breadcrumbs

6x6 roux = 6 TBS butter 6 or 7 TBS flour
3 C milk or a combo of Milk and half and half or cream (using up ingredients here)

2 TBS butter
1/2-1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp pepper
1/2-1 tsp hot paprika or cayenne

grease (butter) a pyrex(r) brownie pan (8x11)

preheat oven to 375 (400 for a crispier crust?)

sautee crackers or beadcrumbs in remaining butter

make a roux by heating 6 tbs butter and blending in 6 tbs flour
add milk slowly, stirring
stir in 1/2 cheddar and other cheese + egg while stirring until thick and creamy
stir in spices
pour 1/2 noodles in pan
pour 1/2 sauce mixture over noodles
add all of ham, spreading over noodles
add other half of cheddar cheese, spreading over noodles
add remainder of sauce

top with cracker / breadcrumb mixture

bake for 30 min at 375.

Bottom Round Roast Beef

3-4 LB Bottom Round Roast
3-4 TBS Oil
3 C Beef Broth
1 Onion sliced
Seasoning to Taste - Essence of Emeril
Emeril recommends 3 sprigs of thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat Oven to 275
Coat roast in seasoning
Heat oil and brown roast in Dutch Oven
Remove roast, add sliced onions to bottom and add broth
Return roast, and place in oven for 1.25 - 1.5 Hours until 130 (Rare)

Make Gravy from remaining juices.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sunday-night-roast-beef-and-gravy-with-easy-rice-recipe/index.html

Hambone Soup With Potatoes and Corn

Hambone
8 C water
med onion chopped
1 carrot grated
1 stalk celery chopped (w/ leaves if possible)
bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 clove garlic smashed

6 med potatoes (yukon gold 1st try) peeled chopped into 1" cubes
3 - 4 carrots sliced
1/2 head cauliflower
1 can or small bag frozen corn

4x4 roux (Heat 4 TBS butter, cook in 4 TBS flour)
1 C half and half
+ 1 C milk

Bring 1st ingredients to boil, simmmer 1/2 hour
remove bay leaf, bone, de-meat and add additional ham as needed

Add vegetables, simmer 15 minutes, until veggies are cooked

make white sauce from roux, add dairy
gently combine white sauce into soup.

heat through, serve

Thanksgiving 2010

Kate just advised me that we are having her family for Thanksgiving. 8 adults, 6 kids and and infant. Cool. My mind immediately goes to menu planning. My family Holiday dishes are Zesty Carrots and Cheesy Cauliflower Head. Moose made them, they defined the Holidays of my youth.

Mashed Potatoes. My ex-wife wouldn't eat them with milk in them, so he kindly set aside some boring spuds for her. She never liked my cooking, either.

A Ham and a Turkey. Maybe that green bean casserole, the one with cream of mushroom soup and French's onions on top and perhaps pearl onions. How the hell can I cook all of this with four burners and one oven? Wait I have a grill. for the ham. My clever sister did an extra breast on the grill one year... I think her oven was broken too.

But I think can do the ham on the grill. And Vince down the street has the Turkey fryer, he did three or four last year. I'll have to inquire! And some Pillsbury rolls. But what about a soup? A squash soup would be nice, and seasonal too. And there's the crock pot for soup. But the first recipes I found have creme fraiche, which made me wonder what is Thanksgiving about? It's not about gourmet, it's a feast of thankfulness, and hopefulness that we survive another winter. So in my mind it should be hearty food, pack on the pounds, come February they'll be gone, and we'll be looking for the first greens of spring and to slaughter the lambs.

And an olive tray: Gherkins, green olives and black and a fourth I can't remember what - pickle chips?

So methinks simple food it will be:

savory roasted squash soup - crock pot
mashed potatoes, perhaps with garlic and onion - stovetop 1
cauliflower with cheese and mustard - oven Y
zesty carrots - oven b
sting bean casserole with pearl onions - oven c
brined turkey - deep fry / oven X
roasted ham - BBQ
Beans with carrots - Microwave
Stuffing w /sausage - stovetop 2
Rolls - oven Z

Buy takeaway containers!
level the stove!
buy a brining bucket!
buy a turkey fryer?

Bourbon Marinade

1/4 cup Bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

http://recipes.certifiedangusbeef.com/recipedetail.aspx?id=288

You may only use this with selected Certified Angus Beef® brand cut, or it will explode!

Sources - Blogs and pages I like.

Southern Food. This is my first go to place for recipes basics. I can finding the ratios of meat and vegetables to liquids, and ideas for what seasonings to use.

The other "about.com" cooking sites are not nearly as good. I pass on a lot of the recipes here, especially anything that calls for a can of soda.

http://southernfood.about.com/ - edited by Diana Rattray

I just found this site, looking for a use for an abundance of tomatoes. A well designed blog, well written and illustrated with recipes that sound like my kind of cooking. Coming soon, home made marina sauce.

http://www.formerchef.com/

I also just found this, looking for a jambalaya recipe. It appears to be a lot of work to make it the old fashioned way. Another well written website, with lots of interesting information.

http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html - Chuck Taggart

Jambalaya - more uses for tomatoes

1.5 LBS Chicken
1/2 LB Andouille sausage (1)
1/2 - 1 LB Shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined (2)
2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Olive Oil
3 C Trinity: Onion, Celery, Pepper abt 2:1:1 Diced
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 QT Chicken Stock
1 - 1.5 C long grain Rice (I use Basmati)
3-4 Large fresh tomatoes (3)
Essence of Emril / Cajun Seasoning (4)
Paprika

Cut up Chicken to bite size pieces, coat in sweet Paprika (5)
Slice up sausage in bite size pieces (1)
Heat Butter, brown chicken and sausage in dutch oven set aside meat
sautee trinity in oils for about 8 minutes, add garlic sautee another 3 min
Add broth, tomatoes, meat, bay leaves and seasoning
simmer for 30 minutes
Add shrimp, simmer 3-5 min more and serve


(1) Many recipes call for smoked sausage, do not brown, add with garlic.
(2) have shrimp steamed at the store, without seasoning.
I spent 20 minutes cooking, peeling and deveining the shrimp myself.
(3) Trying to use up garden tomatoes. Had already peeled and seeded them.
Recipe should work with 1.5 or 2 x 14.5 oz cans
(4) http://www.gumbopages.com/food/creole.html
(5) Limit use of paprika to 3 TBS or less - sweet and overpowering otherwise.

Creamy Cheddar Zucchini

Zuchhini everywhere. Must find a way to overcome them...

1 Large Zuchinni, sliced if gone to seed, scoop and toss.
1 Large Tomato or two regular, sliced
2 Eggs
1 C. Sour Cream
1/2 Stick (4 oz. abt 1.5 cups) Grated cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic
tsp salt
1/2 Tsp pepper
handful of fresh basil chopped
breadcrumbs

Slice the zuke into thin slices
grease a casserole dish
layer to about 1/2 full with sliced zukes
layer tomatoes
mix Sour cream, eggs, 3/4 of cheddar, spices (but not basil)
pour about 1/2 mixture over 1st layer
layer with basil
continue layering zukes
cover with rest of mixture
sprinkle breadcrumbs and reserved cheddar over top

preheat oven and bake at 350 for 45 min.


I forgot to add onion. Probably should have been sliced and layered at the bottom.

Kartofeln Salat (Potato Salad - German Style)

6-8 Potatoes cut into one inch pieces an boiled until just tender
Drain Potatoes, cover with colander (not lid) to allow to cool.

5-6 pieces bacon - cut up small and fried crispy
1/2 lg red onion diced and sauteed until tender
1/2 C cider vinegar
1/2 C H2O
1 TBS flour
1-2 TBS sugar to taste
1-2 TBS Mustard to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Fry bacon and onion.
whisk all other ingredients
add potatoes to bacon and onion or vice versa, depending on which pot/pan will hold it all.
over low heat stir in mixture, until it thickens
serve hot or cold (or in our house both)

Insalta Bella di Paulo

A simple tomato and cucumber salad, in Neuman's Own Basalmic

1 dry qt tomatoes or 3 med / 2 lg tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1/2 red onion
1/2 red orange or yellow bell pepper
2 cloves garlic diced
handful fresh basil torn
1/2 tsp paprika (hot or sweet as desired)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 cup Neuman's Baslamic Vinegarette dressing
- there is no substitute. seriously. I've tried many. When it goes on sale,
I buy a case.

Dice tomatoes.
slice cukes to about same size.
coarsly cut onion and peppers - 1/2 x 1/2 inch size
combine all ingredients and marinade in dressing for 1 hr.
serve cooled.

Carolina Style BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork.

I prefer Carolina style, with it's vinegary tartness and sweetness on pulled pork. It complements, rather than overpowers the pork. Oh yeah, I like kraut to cause I'm part kraut. Und kann Deutsche sprechen. Stimmt.
Anyway, I always thought that flavor was in the cooking, and only just realized ...
(duh) the flavor is in the sauce. So today I did this:

1 C Prepared brown mustard (mostly Guldens)
3/4 C Cider Vinegar
1/2 C White Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Pork crock pot juice (see below)
2 TBS chili powder
1-2 TBS Ground black Pepper
1 TBS Hot Szeged Hungarian Paprika >not regular sweet<
You can also use another ground hot pepper in smaller quantities

1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Combine all except the last 2 ingredients, simmer for 30 minutes.
stir in the last 2, heat for 10 more minutes.

Which is a mod from this:
http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesaucerecipes/r/blb00114.htm

but... It was too sweet, and not tangy enough. Ergo batch #2 will be:
Fresher vinegar. I don't know how old my vinegar is. Probably beyond vintage.
Brown sugar not white.
Called for 1/2 C white AND 1/4 brown. less than 1/2 C light brown next.

Oh and Crock Pot Pork Juice...

Boneless Pork Loin, abt 5 LBS
1 Can Progresso French Onion Soup (18.5 oz 524g)
1 med onion sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
fresh basil, torn
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp HOT Szeged Hungarian Paprika
1/2 tsp salt
(I'm not a big sodium fan, there's plenty in the soup, and you can always add at the table)

Place the onion slices on the bottom of a crock pot
lay garlic, basil on top.
place the pork on top
pour in the soup
sprinkle with seasonings
Low for 8-12 hours.
shred with forks, using bubba style.
*** reserve leftover juice for sauce - see above ***

serve on hamburger buns with sauce - see above.

Mustard Herbed Pork Tenderloin

2.5- 3 LBS pork tenderloins pack
2 TBS whole grain Mustard (Grey Poupon)
1 TBS Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon)
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 TBS dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
1.5 Tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375
Place pork in crinkled aluminum foil "bowl" in pyrex baking dish
splash with wine
mix other ingredients
spread over all sides of tenderloin

Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until internal temp = 155 degrees
remove from oven let sit for 10 minutes and carve.
Use pan (foil) drippings to make a gravy

Serve with Ten Minute Mushrooms, Mustard Potato Salad* and Knox Asparagus*


* Recipies to follow

Ten Minute Mushrooms

Abt 1 Lb Mushrooms.
4 TBS Olive oil
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Tsp Salt
1 TBS ground pepper
1/2 Tsp Wostershire
1 TBS dry Sherry Manzanilla

2 TBS grated Asiago (or Parm or aged Provolone)

Clean Mushrooms
Mix all ingredients except cheese and mushrooms
Toss Mushrooms (or mix in a plastic bag container)
place in Foil lined baking dish/ broiler pan

Bake at 350 or 375 for 10 minutes

grate cheese over mushrooms, serve as app or side

London Broil Asian Variation

Marianade for 2 London Broils Abt 3lbs

1/4 c ginger BEER not ale
1/4 c OJ
1/4 c oil (cannola)
1/8-1/4 c soy to taste
1 - 2" grated fresh glnger
4 cloves garlic pressed
1-1.5 tbs coarse grnd pepper
0.5-1 tsp hot pepper (Hung.)

blend -marianate - grill

Pork Tenderloin (small)

375 for about 35 min. to 160 degrees - Will continue to cook when removed
In a foil lined baking dish

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbs soy sauce
1" grated ginger
1 garlic clove per loin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 TBS orange marmalade

How I think this should work:
mix all ingredients except marmalade
marinate for 1/2 hour or more
>> if unable to marinate, pierce meat with fork
place in foil lined baking dish, coat up side with marmalade

bake at 375 for 35 - 45 minutes until thermometer reads 160.
remove from oven let stand for 10 minutes before carving

Grill - wrap in foil cook to 150, then remove foil and sear.

Chili - General directions

Apparently my chili does not qualify as "true chili"
I guess it's really a tomato based stew with beans and meat.

2 cans of diced tomatoes - in toto
2 cans of beans or the equivalent of dried beans - *drain the liquid*
dried beans are much crispier than canned beans
1/2 - 1 lb meat - usually beef - but whatever is available: pork, turkey, meatloaf
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
red or green pepper
1 carrot, shaved
1 stalk celery
2 tbs butter
sautee vegetables in butter,
add beef and brown beef with ground black pepper, salt, sweet paprika
add tomatoes and beans
1/2 can beer (optional)
splash of red wine (o)
1/4 cup coffee (o)
chocolate - 1 square (o)

Chili Seasoning:
3 TBS Chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cilantro
2 tsp basil