Recipes 9 ===== HOMINY GRITS SOUFFLE 3/4 cup white hominy grits (not quick-cooking) 1 cup boiling water 2 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 6 large egg whites Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk grits into boiling water in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 15 minutes. Grits will be very thick. Remove bowl from heat and stir in remaining cup milk and butter. Return bowl to simmering water and cook, stirring, until smooth and heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in yolks, then cool to lukewarm. Beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into grits gently but thoroughly. Turn mixture into a buttered 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish and bake in middle of oven until browned and puffed, 40 to 45 minutes. Cooks' note: You can use a double boiler to cook grits, but we think it's easier to stir them in a metal bowl as they thicken. ===== Chocolate Raspberry Heaven Filling: 12 ounces cream cheese 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups raspberries Cake: 1 cup melted margarine 2 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 cup milk 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour 3/4 cup cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a bundt or tube pan. Cream cream cheese with sugar and vanilla. Mix in chocolate chips and set aside. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat the eggs, gradually beating in the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Beat in the melted margarine, then the milk, water and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Spread half the batter into the pan. Drop spoons of the cream cheese filling evenly over the batter. Sprinkle raspberries over top. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 375F for about 1 1/4 hours. ===== FEATHERWEIGHT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3/4 cup chilled buttermilk Preheat oven to 450F. Sift first 6 ingredients into large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth, about 8 turns. Roll out dough to 1-inch thickness. Using 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather scraps; roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut out additional biscuits. Transfer biscuits to large ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm. ===== Fudgy Chocolate Cookie Bars Makes about 2 dozen bars 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter or margarine 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped nuts Preheat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine flour, confectioners' sugar and cocoa; cut in butter (mixture will be dry). Press firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. In medium saucepan, over low heat, combine 1 cup chocolate chips, EAGLE BRAND and vanilla; stirring constantly until chips are melted. Pour chocolate mixture evenly over prepared crust. Top with nuts and remaining 1 cup chocolate chips; press down firmly. Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate if desired. Cut into bars. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature. ===== Blueberry Dessert Dumplings 2 pints fresh or frozen blueberries 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar (optional) 1/2 cup water, warm if using frozen blueberries 2 Tbs instant tapioca 2 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 4 Tbs unsalted butter; chilled 1/2 cup milk 1 large egg 2 Tbs light brown sugar In a 3-1/2 quart crockpot, combine blueberries, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the water and tapioca. Cover and slow-cook until the berries have formed a thick sauce, 5 to 6 hours on LOW. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, the remaining 2 Tbs granulated sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In small bowl, beat milk and egg together. Stir into flour mixture to form a soft dough. Turn your crockpot setting to HIGH. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls on top of the blueberries. Cover and slow-cook until the topping is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the dumplings with the brown sugar. Let the dumplings stand for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon into individual bowls. ===== CITRUS DUMPLINGS Yield: 2 servings 1/2 tsp. Finely Shredded Orange Peel 1/2 cup Orange Juice 2 tsp. Cornstarch 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon 11 oz. can Mandarin Orange Sect., Drain 1/2 cup Bisquick 2 Tbsp. Sugar 2 Tbsp. Milk 1 tsp. Sugar Dash Ground Cinnamon In a 1-quart casserole stir together orange juice, cornstarch and 1/4 t ground cinnamon. Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or till thickened and bubbly, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in drained mandarin orange sections and finely shredded orange peel. Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or till mixture is heated through. Meanwhile for dumplings, stir together Bisquick and 2 Tbsp. sugar. Add milk, stirring just till moistened. Drop mixture into four mound atop the hot orange mixture. Micro-cook, uncovered, at 50% power for 6 to 7 minutes or till dumplings are just set. Stir together the 1 tsp. sugar and dash of ground cinnamon. Sprinkle sugar mixture atop dumplings. ===== FLUFFY PINEAPPLE TORTE Crust: 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 tablespoons sugar Combine crumbs, butter and sugar; press into the bottom of a 9x13x2 baking dish. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes; cool. Filling: 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin 1 cup boiling water 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup chopped walnuts, divided Pour evaporated milk into a metal mixing bowl. Add the mixer beaters. Cover and chill bowl and beaters for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in water; chill until syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove milk from refrigerator and beat until stiff peaks form. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add gelatin; mix well. Stir in pineapple and 3/4 cup walnuts. Fold in milk. Pour over crust. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over the top before filling is completely firm. Yield: 12 servings. ===== Microwave Orange Cream Pie 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 28 cookies) 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons grated orange rind 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, at room temperature Whipped topping Combine gingersnap crumbs and butter; press firmly on bottom and up side to rim of microwaveable pie plate. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 2 minutes, rotating plate after 1 minutes. Cool. In 2-quart glass measure, mix EAGLE BRAND, orange juice, egg yolks and rind; cook on HIGH (100% power) 2 to 3 minutes; stirring after 2 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; stir in sour cream. Pour into prepared crust. Chill 3 hours or until set. Before serving spread whipped topping over pie; garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. ===== White Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies 1 box spice cake mix 2 eggs 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 2 Tbsp. flour 1 cup white chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil, set aside. In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, butter and flour. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop dough onto baking sheets by tablespoons. Bake 14 minutes. Cool. Repeat with remaining dough. MELT SOME WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS, PLACE IN A PLASTIC BAG, SNIP OFF CORNER, DRIZZLE OVER COOKIES. Makes 36 cookies. ===== Apple Cheese Muffins 1/2 cup margarine 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup grated sharp cheese 1/4 cup milk 1 cup apple pie filling, chopped apple or applesauce 1/2 cup nuts Preheat oven to 375. Prepare muffin tins by greasing them. Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, soda and salt and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in oats, apple cheese and nuts, mixing well. Add milk last. Spoon into pans and bake for 20-25 mins or until done. Makes 18 muffins. ===== Chocolate Chip Loaf 1/2 cup butter or margarine 2 eggs, beaten juice of 1 orange + milk to make 1 cup 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 pkg. (6oz) chocolate chips 1/2 cup marashino cherries (drained, chopped) 1/2 cup nuts, chopped 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour Mix all ingredients in order given. Put into 9" X 3" loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 1 hour, or till tests done. I find it's even better the next day. Note: Let bread cool completely in the pan before removing bread from pan. A lot of the chocolate chips went to the bottom. I took it out of the pan too soon (the bread was still warm) and some of the bottom of the bread stayed in the pan. ===== Macaroni Veggie Salad Dressing: 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 TB Dijon mustard 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup plain yogurt or dairy sour cream In a medium bowl whisk together lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in olive oil until thickened. Whisk in yogurt. Salad: 2 cups (8 oz.) dried elbow macaroni 2 cups (1/2 lb.) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces 1-1/4 cups (5 oz.) diced Cheddar cheese 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves 1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon, crumbled Cook macaroni according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Add green beans during last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Add cheese, spinach, tomato, onions, and tarragon to macaroni and green beans. Add dressing. Lightly toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Makes 20 (1/2 cup) servings. ===== Apple Pork Chops 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 4 pork chops, 1/2" thick 1/2 tsp. salt Ground black pepper, to taste 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 tsp. ground dry mustard 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 3/4 cup hot water Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onion in oil for 1 minute, or until tender. Remove onion and set aside. Brown pork chops on both sides in oil. Place chops in an 8" x 12" baking dish and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cover the chops with the apples and cooked onion. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard, cloves and water. Pour over chops. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Yield: 4 servings. ===== Creamy Chipotle Basting Sauce 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce 1 large clove garlic, minced Combine mayonnaise, TABASCO® Chipotle Sauce, and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Brush on chicken, burgers or sausage while grilling. ===== Mixed Bean Salad 1 can red beans-drained and rinsed 2 cans cut green beans-drained and rinsed 1 can garbanzo beans-drained and rinsed 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed 1 Tbsp. dried onion chips 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dried red chili flakes 2 tsp. dried chives (optional) Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Then make dressing: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup cooking oil 1/2 cup vinegar fresh ground pepper Put all dressing stuff in a bowl and mix well then add to beans and toss well, then place in the icebox for 24 hours to age, then serve. ===== Lazy Man Yeast Biscuits/Rolls Here is a very simple roll recipe that uses Baker's yeast, and storebought biscuit mix. While this doesn't compare with "from scratch" yeast roll recipes and bread flour, it does fill the bill with a fairly good yeast risen roll, that doesn't require a whole lot of work. This recipe was originally published in The Frugal Outdoorsman on-line magazine. http://www.castbullet.com/cooking/yeastb.htm 4 1/2 cups biscuit baking mix (any kind) 3 tbl white sugar 4 tsp dry (1 packet) baker's yeast 1 1/3 cups warm milk (not hot, about body temp) Mix all the dry stuff up, pour in the milk, stir til dough starts to thicken. Lay out on floured surface and start to gently knead the dough (dough will be wet and sticky) add more baking mix as you knead, til dough is non-sticky. Knead gently a total of about 20 times. Pat (do not roll) dough out about 1/2 inch thick, cut out biscuits with a 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter, or an empty pork and beans can. Place biscuits in lightly greased baking pan or Dutch Oven, cover with a cloth and let rise til double (about 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 400 American degrees til golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve! This recipe will make about 14 to 16 good sized biscuits, cut the recipe in half for smaller groups. For Sourdough Fans: If you would like sourdough biscuits: Reduce the milk by 1 cup Reduce the biscuit mix by 1 cup Add 1 1/4 cups sourdough starter Add 2 tbl dry skim milk powder Follow the recipe as written, do not forget the Baker's yeast, rising times and baking times remain the same. Copyright 2007 by Phil Mahan Cooking with Da Cap'n ===== Canning Poultry For filling your jars, dice the meat according to the size you like, stuff it in the jars, pour in boiling water (leaving one inch head space), add 1/2 teaspoon canning salt per pint (optional--people with low-sodium diets can omit the salt); wipe the jar rims; add the two-piece lids; and process according to the pressure for your altitude (I'm at 4800 feet, so I can everything at 15 pounds), 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. ===== Homemade Ground Beef Helper 2 cups nonfat dry "instant" milk 1 cup corn starch 1/4 cup unsalted chicken or beef bouillon powder 2 Tbsp. onion flakes 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbsp. dried parsley 1 Tbsp. garlic powder Mix the ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Use the above "Helper" mix as a base for the following dinners. (Each serves four to six people.) Chili Tomato Mac Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add one cup water, one and one-half cups of uncooked macaroni, two cans chopped tomatoes, one tablespoon chili powder and one-half cup of the "Helper" mix. Simmer covered 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Ground Beef Stroganoff Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add 2 cups water, one-half cup "Helper" mix and two cups uncooked egg noodles and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Top with one-half cup "light" sour cream or plain yogurt. Serve immediately. Hearty Potato Casserole Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add three-fourth cup water, six peeled potatoes (sliced very thin), one cup of frozen mixed peas and carrots and one-half cup plus 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Simmer covered 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir, uncover and cook until excess water is evaporated. Skillet Lasagna In a large skillet, brown one pound of lean ground beef, crumble. Drain off the fat and add: one-half cup of the Homemade Ground Beef Helper Mix, one chopped onion, two cups water, 16 ounces of tomato sauce, three cups dry noodles and one-fourth cup Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring until thickened. Top with two cups of mozzarella cheese five minutes before serving; turn off heat, stop stirring and allow cheese to melt. ===== JELL-O JELLY This is an amazing fruit-flavored jelly to use as a spread on bread or biscuits! 4 cups granulated sugar 3 cups water 1 box sure-Jell fruit pectin 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 sm box Jell-O (any red flavor) Measure sugar and set aside. Measure water into a lg saucepan. Add Sure-Jell and baking soda, and mix well. Place over high heat and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Boil hard 1 min. At once stir in sugar, then Jell-O. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Pour quickly into glasses, cover jelly at once with 1/8 inch hot paraffin. Makes 7 medium glasses jelly. ===== Banana Dump Cobbler 1 package yellow cake mix 1 pound brown sugar 1/2 pound margarine 5 pounds bananas 3 Tbsp. white sugar 1 Tbsp. cinnamon Heat Dutch oven and cover with coals for 15 minutes. Slice bananas lengthwise and set aside. Prepare cake mix, with or without eggs, and set aside. Remove preheated oven from coals and melt butter in the bottom. Add brown sugar and mix well with butter. Add bananas and sauté for three minutes over fire. Pour cake mixture over bananas. Fold banana-sugar mixture up over cake mixture a few times. Sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar. Bake 35 minutes. For the first 10 minutes use coals on the bottom only. Then add coals to oven top and continue baking until done. ===== Apricot Chicken 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 cup apricot preserves 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar 1 Tbsp. brown sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the apricot preserves, vinegar and brown sugar. Place the chicken breasts in Dutch oven. Pour the preserve mixture over the chicken, cover and bake for 50 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes. ===== Hash Brown Casserole Serving Size: 12 1 2 lb. pkg. frozen hash browns 16 oz sour cream 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 stick butter 1/2 cup green onions, chopped 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded Place potatoes in greased 12" Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Melt butter, combine with onions, sour cream, and soup. Mix together well. Pour over potatoes; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, until completely warm and cheese melts. ===== Aparagus Supreme 3 cups cooked rice 1 tsp. salt, divided 3/4 tsp. pepper, divided 1 package (12 ounce) frozen cut aparagus, thawed and drained 4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 6 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper 1 can (10-3/4-oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Spread rice in a greased 11x7x2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cover with the thawed and drained cut asparagus. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and place over asparagus. Add mushrooms, onions and red pepper to skillet; saute until tender. Spoon over chicken. Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning blend; spread over vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Yield: 6 servings. ===== Stuffed French Toast 16 slices white bread 4 oz. cream cheese, softened and divided 1/2 Cup strawberry jelly, divided 5 eggs 3 Tbsp. milk 2 Tbsp. butter, divided Spread 1 t. of the cream cheese onto each slice of bread, then spread 1 t. of jelly over the cream cheese. Put the bread together making 8 sandwiches. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and milk and beat with a fork. On a griddle or in a large skillet, heat one quarter of the butter over medium heat. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, coating both sides evenly. Place on the griddle and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown adding more butter if necessary. ===== Sausage Casserole 1 lb. pork sausage cooked 1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup 3/4 Cup evaporated milk 1/4 Cup diced onion 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 Cups thinly sliced potatoes or hash browns 1 Cups shredded Cheddar cheese Mix soup and milk together. Layer soup, onion, cooked sausage and seasonings in a greased casserole dish. Pour soup mixture over top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. ===== Potato Corn Bake 2 lb. frozen hash browns thawed 2 cans creamed corn 1 C. half & half 1/2 t. seasoned salt 1/2 t. onion powder 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 1/4 C. seasoned bread crumbs Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the bread crumbs; mix well. Pour the mixture into a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and heated through. ===== Pizza Tot Casserole 1 lb. ground beef 1 green pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 can Italian tomato soup, undiluted 1 can mushrooms drained (4 1/2 oz) 2 Cups shredded Mozzarella cheese 1 pkg. frozen tater tots In a skillet, cook the ground beef, pepper and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add soup and mushrooms. Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with cheese and tater tots. Bake uncovered at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. ===== Impossible Cheeseburger Pie 1 lb. ground beef 1 Cup chopped onion 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 Cup milk 1/2 Cup Bisquick 2 eggs Cook ground beef and onion; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in greased 9” pie plate, sprinkle with cheese. Stir remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into plate. Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. ===== Blueberry Upside-down Cake Sweet juicy blueberries are the crowning glory on this yummy cake. 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 cups fresh blueberries, about 1 pint 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. almond extract 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1/3 cup milk Preheat oven lid to 350F. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round cake pan or divide butter among 8 muffin cups, placing about 3/4 teaspoon butter in each cup, or use a 10 inch Dutch oven well greased. Place pan or muffin tin in oven until butter is melted, from 1 to 2 minutes. Place on a heatproof countertop. Brush bottom and sides of pan or muffin cups with melted butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brown sugar into butter on bottom of pan or about 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar into each muffin cup. Stir brown sugar into butter to evenly distribute. Evenly scatter blueberries over brown sugar mixture. They will form a thick layer. In a medium-size bowl, using a fork, stir flour with baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high, beat 1/2 cup butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until mixture is pale and texture resembles creamy whipped butter, at least 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions and scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in almond extract and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture, beating just until blended. Batter will be quite thick. Spoon evenly over berries. If using muffin cups, divide batter evenly among them. Gently smooth batter to completely cover berries. Bake in oven at 350F until cake edge begins to pull away from side of pan and cake springs back when lightly touched in centre, from 40 to 45 minutes for cake and 20 to 25 minutes for muffins. Remove from oven and let stand in pan or muffin cups for just 5 minutes, then run a knife around outside edge of cake. Invert onto a large cake plate or flat surface for muffin cups. Serve warm or at room temperature. If making more than 1 day ahead, cover with a tent of foil and refrigerate. Briefly warm in microwave or bring to room temperature before serving, if you can make it last longer than freshly baked. ===== Molasses Cookies 1/2 cup soft butter 1/2 cup Crisco shortening 1/2 tsp. salt 3 tsp. soda 3 tsp. ground ginger 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground cloves 1 cup sugar 1 cup unsulphured molasses 1 large egg 4-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 3/4 cup water or milk Raspberry or strawberry jam for center Combine first 6 ingredients. Gradually blend in sugar and molasses. Beat in egg. Add the flour alternately with the water or milk. Beat the batter 1/2 minute. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets, being careful to keep the cookies round. Bake 15 minutes or until done in a preheated moderate oven (375 degrees). While still hot and soft, put 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each cookie. Cool. Store airtight. Yield: 5 dozen large cookies ===== Onion Seasoning Mix 1 bag equals a package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix Yield: 1 bag 2 tsp beef bouillon granules 3 Tbsp dry minced onion 2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp Bon Appetite seasoning (or BON APPETITO MIX) Bon Appetito Mix Use in place of Bon Appetite, without the MSG! Yield: 6 Tbsp 2 Tbsp salt 2 Tbsp celery seed 2 Tbsp onion powder ===== Strawberry Freezer Jam 70% less sugar than most jam recipes! Yield: 3 pints 6 c strawberries, chopped 2 c granulated sugar 4 Tbsp Instant ClearJel® 1 tsp strawberry Kool-Aid® (recommended) 1 Tbsp corn syrup Prepare strawberries (pulsed in a food processor). Empty into a large bowl; adding corn syrup. In another bowl, combine sugar with the Instant ClearJel* add the Kool-Aid® and stir into the strawberries. Divide into jars (I like 6 little wide-mouth half pints jars, or I'll do bigger batches in 1 quart zip bags). Store in freezer. To Thaw: Place an open jar in a bowl, microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time, stir at intervals until thawed. It's okay if it cooks a little bit, chill to serve. Defrost bags on defrost or level 3. Or simply slowly defrost the jam in the fridge. The recipe can be double, tripled or MORE! ICJ is wonderful for making LARGE or small batches of jam (it's very forgiving!). You CAN'T do that (increase recipes) with pectin or Sure Jell®! Best of all... You don't have to make up a lot, during the summer season! DOLE offers just wonderful HUGE strawberries, all year round, at Sam's Club. Simply partially thaw (chop 'em up) and add the other ingredients in a saucepan. Heat barely through, just so the sugar begins to melt, but don't continue to cook (you can, but I prefer the fresh taste). Ladle into small 1/2 pint jars and freeze. I'll also use frozen mixed berries at times, which don't need as much chopping. ===== Christmas Salad 1 can cherry pie filling 1 can Eagle Brand milk 1 can mandarin oranges 1 can crushed pineapple, drained 1 Cup. chopped pecans 1 (8 oz) Cool Whip Mix all together. Cover top. Chill until ready to serve. ===== Best Banana Pudding 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 2 cups milk (whole or 2%) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 Tbsp. butter (not margarine) 4 egg yolks (large eggs or better) 1 box of Vanilla wafers 4-5 ripe bananas Meringue: 4 egg whites, at room temperature 5 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Line the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish with a layer of vanilla wafers. This recipe will not use the whole box, so you may snack, but dont get carried away. Peel the bananas and slice into 3/8-inch rounds; use a ruler (Im kidding). Cover the banana slices with plastic wrap to keep them from darkening and quickly make your pudding. Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl, and stir well to mix. Mash out any flour lumps with the back of your spoon. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, beat the egg yolks well (just use a fork or whisk, but beat them well). Over medium heat, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks, alternately with the milk and vanilla, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil and, when the mixture begins to thicken, add the butter, continuing to stir. Keep boiling and stirring until mixture reaches a nice pudding consistency. [Note: If youre working with an electric cooktop, adjust the heat so that its hot enough to boil, but not so hot that the pudding scorches.] Remove from heat. Place a layer of banana slices in the baking dish on top of the vanilla wafers. Dont stint and put one slice of banana per wafer. Line those banana slices up edge-to-edge. Pour, spreading as necessary, half of the pudding over the banana layer. Put down another layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of banana slices, and cover with the remaining pudding. Beat the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar. At high speed, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the vanilla into the meringue, and spread the meringue over the pudding, sealing it at the sides of the dish. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until meringue browns, 12 to 15 minutes, depending upon your oven. The size and shape of the baking dish are important. If you dont have a 9" x 9" baking dish, you really should. Its a handy size to have. You can get this baking dish from Amazon by clicking here. Ive made this banana pudding in a round casserole dish, and it just doesnt turn out as well. Another thing to wonder about. This recipe makes 6 or 8 servings, and you can count on people asking for seconds. Any leftovers should be covered and refrigerated. And, yes, its hard to cover anything with a meringue top and anyway, banana pudding is not as attractive after it has been refrigerated. But its still just as delicious. Give this old favorite a try. ===== Banana Pudding You simply cannot find a family-style restaurant in the South that doesn't serve banana pudding. For good reason — it is everything a dessert should be, plus it has the advantage of being easy. 3 cups milk 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/2 tsp. salt 8 large egg yolks 3 Tbsp. butter 12 ounces vanilla wafers 5 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp. confectioner's sugar Bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk well. Gradually whisk in about half of the hot milk, then pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover the pudding with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and pierce a few holes in the wrap with the tip of a knife. Let stand until tepid, about 30 minutes. Spoon about 1 cup of the pudding into a 2- to 2 1/2-quart glass bowl. Layer the cookies, bananas and pudding in the bowl, ending with the pudding. Cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Whip the cream and confectioners sugar in a chilled medium bowl until stiff. Spread the whipped cream over the pudding. Serve chilled, spooned into bowls. ===== Chicken and Rice 1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups rice 2 Tbsp. onion flakes 2 tsp. salt 4 cups water 2 cans golden mushroom soup 2 cans chunked chicken (or 4-5 boneless breasts, cubed) dash of pepper For a 12" DO, prepare about 26 coals. Place dutch over approximately 14 and melt butter. Stir in rice, onion flakes, soup and water. (Some people prefer to brown the rice before adding the soup and water.) Cover and place remaining coals on top. Bake about 20 minutes and stir to keep rice from sticking to bottom. If using fresh chicken, add it now. With canned chicken, bake another 20 minutes and stir in chicken. Sprinkle with pepper, and bake another 10-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Cooking Time: Approx. 60 minutes ===== Smoked Carnitas 6 pounds pork butt 1 large onion, diced 4 tablespoons ground New Mexican chile 1 tablespoon cumin seed, roasted and ground 2 tsp. granulated garlic 1 tsp. dry oregano 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper to cover water Smoke the pork butt with your favorite wood at a low temperature for about three hours. You might even consider boning it and cutting it in two pieces. The idea here is to get the smoke flavor and not to cook it till it is tender. Once you think you have plenty of smoke on the butt, transfer it to a large pot. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a hard simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. When stirring, stir hard, trying to break the pork up. When the water is gone, but there is still plenty of moisture, the pork is done. This is excellent meat for use in tacos. To make tacos, heat two small corn tortillas on a hot plate. Fill hot tortilla with some of the carnitas. Add a big spoonful of freshly made Pico De Gallo and your favorite salsa or hot sauce. The tacos should be eaten on a double tortilla. The inside tortilla soaks up all the juices, while the outside tortilla stays dry so you can handle it without making a mess. The smoked carnitas would also be great as a filling for taquitos. ===== Ranch House Butter Rolls Recipe courtesy of Phil Mahan (aka Captain Midnight) Ever now and then, the Cap shares a recipe that I make at home, this roll recipe is one of them.. 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups white bread flour 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup dry skim milk 1/2 stick real butter 1 cup water 1 large egg-beaten 4 tsp. dry yeast By the way-buy your dry yeast in the commercial packs at Sam's club-they sell two 1 lb bags of yeast for about 3 bucks-can't beat the price-keep yeast in the freezer till you need some. mix dry stuff-mix wet stuff add dry to wet by the cup full-when too hard to hand mix-flop out on drain board and knead till you have a smooth dough ball. flop in a greased bowl and let rise till about twice the size it started-this is called doubled in the baking business. grease a baking pan-put some grease on your fingers and pinch off chunks of dough about the size of a jumbo sized egg-make into a ball and place in baking pan about an inch apart on all sides. let this rise till doubled again-the sides of roll will be touching and it will be puffing up high. place in a 400 American degree oven-bake about 12 to 15 min-till golden brown. EAT These rolls will have a nice yellow inside from the butter and egg-they are mighty good! CAP ===== Mandarin Cheesecake Bread Pudding 1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained, juice reserved 4 cups dried white bread cubes (6-7 slices) 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup mandarin orange juice 1 cup half n half 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla Drain oranges, reserving juice for use. In a large bowl, combine oranges with bread cubes. In a bowl, soften cream cheese by stirring well; add eggs and beat until combined. Slowly add orange juice and half n half, mixing well after each addition. Add melted butter, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla and mix well. Pour over bread cubes, and gently combine. Pour into greased 10" dutch oven. Cook at 350 degrees (14 top, 7 bottom) for about 50 minutes. Watch at the end of cooking time that it does not burn. Remove coals and lid and allow to cool. Mandarin Orange Sauce 1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments 1 cup sugar 2 Tbl cornstarch 1/4 cup butter 2 teaspoons vanilla In blender, blend orange segments and juice until liquified. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil. In another saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Slowly stir in boiling orange liquid and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool, then pour over bread pudding. Notes: I used french bread but an egg bread like challah might be good too. I cut up the bread and left it out on a tray to dry. Then I put it in a ziploc bag until I needed it. The cream cheese and eggs really need to be room temp (70 degrees). If you are camping and it is cold, try putting it in your pocket to warm up. I also have put eggs in a warm drink to warm up. For the batch I made, I used low fat cream cheese and nonfat half n half, (which seems like an oxymoron to me) and it still tasted good. I think it would be creamier and better with the full fat stuff. And only use REAL butter...it just tastes so much better. I used a whole nutmeg and grated it myself...again, tastes much better. ===== Chewy Applesauce & Peanut Butter Cookies 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 2-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed 2 egg whites 2 tsp. vanilla In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Thoroughly mix together the remaining ingredients. Add dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets coated with no-stick cooking spray (or lined with parchment paper.) Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on wire racks. YIELD: 5 dozen cookies, 2-1/2 inches in diameter. ===== Apricot-Honey Baked Ham 1 (12-pound) smoked ham, partially boned 1/2 pound dried apricots 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1/4 cup honey 1-1/2 cups water 2 (8-ounce) cans apricot nectar 1/4 cup melted apricot preserves 2 Tbsp. melted butter Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham, fat-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. With a sharp knife, cut semicircle pockets (1-inch deep) in rows. Continue until all fat is cut into pockets. Place apricots within, anchoring with toothpicks. In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar and honey. Brush over ham and apricots. Pour 1-1/2 cups water into roasting pan and loosely cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue baking, basting ham with apricot nectar and pan juices every 20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (about 2 hours). Remove ham from oven and place on a carving board. Combine apricot preserves with melted butter and 2 tablespoons basting liquid. Brush ham with glaze, then let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve warm or at room temperature. SERVES: 8-10 ===== Spaghetti Pie 6 ounces spaghetti 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 well-beaten eggs 1 cup cottage cheese (8-oz.) 1 lb. ground beef or bulk pork sausage 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1 can (8-oz.) tomatoes, cut up 1 6-oz. can tomato paste 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces) Cook the spaghetti according to package directions; drain (should have about 3 cups spaghetti). Stir butter or margarine into the hot spaghetti. Stir in the parmesan cheese and eggs. Form spaghetti mixture into a "crust"' in a buttered 10-inch pie plate. Spread cottage chees over bottom of spaghetti crust. In a skillet cook ground beef or pork sausage, onion and green pepper until vegetables are tender and meat is browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt; heat through. Turn meat mixture into spaghetti crust. Bake, uncovered, in 350 oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese atop. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Makes 6 servings. ===== German Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies recipe 1 (18.25 ounce) box German chocolate cake mix 1/4 cup water 1 egg 1 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 cups oatmeal Mix together cake mix, butter, water, oil and egg. Add chocolate chips and oatmeal. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 13 minutes. ===== Berry Lemon Scones These scones are really good, they are like biscuits, and they go great with butter on them. They are a cinch to bake and make. 3 1/4 cups flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1 Tbsp. lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1 cup 1 cup blueberries 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 1 egg, beaten 1 egg white 2 Tbsp. sugar Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread a sheet of parchment paper on countertop. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add butter, mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir lemon juice milk mixture into dough, along with blueberries, lemon peel and egg until combined. Pat half of the dough into a 7 inch circle on one end of parchment paper. Repeat, with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar. Cut halfway down but not through each circle, 6 wedges for each round. Slide paper with dough onto baking sheet. Bake 18 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Pull apart at cut lines. Serve warm or at room temp. MAKES 12 SCONES. ===== CHICKEN CORDON BLEU 8 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) 8 thin slices cooked ham 8 slices Swiss cheese Salt Pepper Thyme or rosemary 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs 2 tablespoons oil Place each breast between sheet of plastic wrap and pound with meat mallet. On each ham slice, place a slice of cheese. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings. Roll ham and cheese jelly-roll style, then roll each chicken breast with ham and cheese inside. Tuck in ends and seal well; use toothpicks if necessary. Dip each roll in melted butter, then roll in cornflake crumbs, turning to thoroughly coat each roll. Place chicken rolls in a plastic food container, then place the container in an ice-filled cooler to keep chilled until ready to use. Line a 12-inch Dutch oven with aluminum foil. Add oil to the oven. Place 8-10 briquets under oven to preheat. Add chicken. Cover with lid and place 14-16 briquets on lid. Cook 45 minutes turning the chicken occasionally until chicken is golden brown. Serve with Cordon Bleu Sauce. Makes 8 servings. Cordon Bleu Sauce: 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon lemon juice Blend ingredients and heat. Serve over chicken rolls. Makes about 2 cups. ===== MILKY WAY CAKE 8 Milky Way bars 1/2 cup melted butter 2 cups sugar 1/2 cups butter, soft 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups flour 1 cup chopped pecans In a pan melt Milky Way bars and 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Set aside. In a bowl, cream the sugar and 1/2 cup softened butter until light. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Combine buttermilk and baking soda, then add to creamed mixture. Add flour until blended. Add pecans. Stir in candy bar mixture last. Bake in Dutch oven (325 degrees) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Frost with chocolate frosting. ===== MISSISSIPPI SWAMP CAKE 12 inch Dutch Oven 1 21 ounce can cherry pie filling 1 box chocolate cake mix 1 12 ounce can "Dr.Pepper" 2 cups coconut 1 cup chopped pecans 1 stick margarine or butter cooking spray aluminum foil Line Dutch oven with aluminum foil. Spray foil with a light coat of cooking spray. Put in cherry pie filling and spread over bottom. Pour dry cake mix in and spread. Pour "Dr. Pepper" over top of cake mix and use a spoon to mix in soda. Stir enough to moisten cake mix. Cover top with coconut and then pecans. Arrange over cake 5 small slices of butter or margarine. Cover and cook for about one hour. Put 17 coals on top and 8 on bottom. This will make oven 350 degrees. ===== Earthquake Cake 14 inch Dutch Oven 1 1/2 cups coconut 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped 1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix 1 pound box powder sugar 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cups margarine melted 1 teaspoon vanilla PAM cooking spray Spray Dutch oven with PAM. Mix pecans and coconut together. Spread in bottom of oven. Mix cake according to package direction and pour over pecans and coconut. Mix other ingredients and heat on a low emperature. Pour over top of cake mixture. Bake at 350 degrees. Place 18 coals on top and 10 on bottom. Cook for about 40 to 45 minutes. ===== Nacho Pie 12 inch Dutch Oven 2 pounds ground chuck 1 large onion, chopped 2 16 ounce cans chili beans 2 10 ounce cans rotel tomatoes,milder 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce 1 package taco seasoning 2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese 1 bag tortilla chips aluminum foil cooking oil spray Line oven with foil then take lining out and set aside. Brown ground beef, onion, and add taco seasoning. When meat is brown, remove and place in another bowl. Wipe out Dutch oven with paper towel and put foil lining in oven. Spray bottom of foil with cooking spray. Cover bottom of oven with chips. Break some of them up or I like using the small round chips. Add in this order over chips, ground beef, chili beans, rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce and cover it with cheese. Place lid on top and put 17 coals on top and 9 around oven on bottom. This will be at 375 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes. Serve with chips. ===== Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins 2-1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples Streusel Toppping (Recipe follows) In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and the oil. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon just to moisten. Gently stir in the apples. Spoon batter into greased and floured or paper-lined muffin cups. Fill to 3/4 full. Sprinkle the Streusel Topping over the batter. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of each muffin comes out clean. Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine 2 TBSP flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Cut in 2 TBSP butter and mix with fork until the topping is crumbly. YIELD: 18 muffins ===== MOLASSES CAKE 1 cup butter 1 cup molasses 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup coffee OR water 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon cloves 1/2 package (about 1/2 lb) raisins Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Mix well. Add molasses and coffee, mix well. Add flour, baking soda and spices. Mix. Last of all add raisins (I usually mix the raisins with a little of the dry flour). Bake in a greased tube pan, in a 350ºF for about 1-1/2 hours. ===== Meatball Surprise 12” dutch oven using 8-9 coals below and 16-18 coals above 2 lbs ground beef 1 egg 2 medium onions, chopped 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce A bunch of sprinkles of cayenne hot sauce (about 2 tsp) 2 Tbsp minced garlic Seasonings (I used salt, pepper, seasoning salt, some mixed dried chopped veggie thing I had (sorta like mrs Dash, but not chopped as fine) 1 8oz brick of cream cheese 2-3 small-med potatoes, quartered and sliced 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 Cup rice 2 Cups water or chicken broth Start by mixing everything in the first set all together, stirring with a wooden spoon and getting it all blended really nice. Then grab up a fistful and make a ball, about the size of a tennis ball, maybe a tich smaller. Make a hollow in the middle, and slice off a little bit of cream cheese. Put that in the middle of the ball and fold the meat mixture around it. Reform it into a ball, and put it in the dutch oven. In my 12” oven, I made a ring of about seven or eight meatballs, and two in the middle. Then take the potato slices and scatter them in between the meatballs. Finally, ladle on and spread the Cream of Mushroom soups over the top of it all. After that, I salted and peppered on top (I love coarse ground pepper). Set it out on and under the coals. Turn it every 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, in a smaller oven cook the rice. I cooked it for about 1 hr, 20 minutes, until the meat was done, the sauce was bubbling, and the potatoes were soft. If desired, sprinkle on some grated cheddar cheese just as it is finishing, and then set the lid back on to melt the cheese. When it’s all done, serve the meatballs on top of the rice. Spoon a bunch of the sauce over the meatballs and rice. It’s delicious! ===== Grape Nuts Custard 1/2 cup Grape-Nuts 2 cups milk 3 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Soak Grape-Nuts in 2 cups milk for 30 minutes. Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Set dish in a basin of hot water. Slide the basin into the oven. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F. Oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Chill. Yield:6 servings. ===== Lemon Cookies recipe 1 (18.25 ounce) yellow cake mix 1 small box instant lemon pudding mix 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 Tbsp. water 2 eggs 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup flaked coconut Heat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Blend well. Drop batter by teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. DO NOT OVER-BAKE. Cool on rack. Yields 6 dozen. ===== Pumpkin Pancakes 2 cups biscuit mix 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 1-1/2 cups (12-oz. can) evaporated milk 1 tsp. ground allspice 1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla In a large mixer bowl, combine biscuit mix, sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Add evaporated milk, pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter (depending on size of pancake desired) onto heated and lightly greased griddle. Cook until top surface is bubbly and edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden. Keep pancakes warm. Serve with syrup or honey. ===== Crockpot Macaroni Bake 1 pkg. elbow macaroni, cooked & drained 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck, browned & drained 1 onion chopped 1 Cup chopped celery 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 cans condensed tomato soup 1 Cup water 1 tsp. sugar salt & pepper to taste 1 1/2 Cup grated cheese cooking spray Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray. Cook macaroni according to package directions & drain. Cook ground chuck, onion and celery in a nonstick skillet with 1 T. oil until done. Combine browned meat mixture, noodles, soup, water, sugar, 1 C. grated cheese, salt & pepper. Mix well & place in crock pot. Top with remaining 1/2 C. grated cheese. Cook on high 2-3 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. ===== Crockpot Creamy Golden Chicken 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1/4 Cup butter 2 envelopes dry Italian Dressing Mix 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 cup water 1 8oz. pkg cream cheese 1/3 oz. chopped chives 1 pkg. bowtie pasta Place chicken in crock pot. In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat on top of the stove. Add the dressing mix and stir well. Mix in the soups and water and stir well. Add the cream cheese in small pieces and allow them to melt in. Once it is all mixed, stir in the chives. Pour mixture over chicken and cook on low heat setting for 5 hours. Serve on top of bowtie pasta and drizzle with sauce. ===== Crockpot Creamy Ranch Potatoes 2 lb. small red potatoes, peeled & quartered ( I use about 8 regular potatoes) 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 envelope buttermilk ranch dry salad dressing mix 1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of potato soup Place potatoes in crock pot. In a small bowl combine cream cheese and salad dressing mix. Stir in soup and add to potatoes. Cover. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Stir to blend before serving. ===== Cap's Homemade Breakfast Sausage This is a spice mix for breakfast sausage-add 1 tbl and 2 tsp of spice mix for each pound of meat. 2 tbl salt* 2 tbl black pepper 3 tbl hand rubbed sage 2 tsp thyme powder 1 tsp dark brown sugar 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes-use 1 tsp if you like hot sausage mix it all up well-and store in Mason jar with good lid--(this will easilly store over a year) Note: A lot of people have different ideas concerning nitrates in foood products. If you wish the color of this sausage to hold better, and increase it's storage time in the freezer or frige, add 1 tsp Morton's Tender Quick per pound of sausage meat.(add this to the spice mix you are planning on using-do not store(pre-mixed in your basic spice mix in jar) I wait for Boston butt pork roast to go on sale to make my sausage, if you use this cut, you will have a nice lean sausage. cut roast into pieces that will fit your grinder-put meat on kitchen scale to find out how many pounds you have-in a small bowl put 1 tbl and 2 tsp of sausage spice for each pound of meat you have. run all your meat through grinder with big hole plate-put in mixing bowl and add spice-hand mix well-then run through grinder again using small hole plate. At this time you may make either sausage patties, or breakfast links. for links--use the small tube for your stuffer (approx 8mm) and natural small casings(available from butcher's supply) attach casing over stuffing tube and knot or tie off end--start stuffing casing-and give the casing a couple twists about every 4 inches of sausage stuffed. If you use Boston butt-do not trim any fat off roast-it will make lean sausage the way it is-I usually have to add a little corn oil to the pan when I cook them. * note: If you are using the Morton's tender quick, reduce salt in recipe to 1 tbl. Copyright 1998 by Phil Mahan Cooking with Da Cap'n ===== Homemade Chorizo Use this if you can't find authentic chorizo in your area. INGREDIENTS: 2 cloves garlic, mashed 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 pounds ground pork PREPARATION: Mash garlic with salt; add remaining ingredients. Mix together and fry until brown. Use in any recipe in place of chorizo. ===== Creole Sausage (Chaurice) 4 pounds lean fresh pork 2 pounds fat fresh pork 2 large onions, minced very fine 1 clove garlic, minced very fine 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and chile pepper (very hot) 1 teaspoon red pepper 3 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons black pepper, finely ground 1 sprig thyme, well minced 3 sprigs parsley, finely minced 2 bay leaves, chopped 1/2 teaspoon allspice, finely ground Hash the pork as fine as possible and mix together. Season highly with salt, black pepper, cayenne, chile and red peppers (pimento). Mince the onion and garlic as fine as possible, then add to the Chaurice. Mince the herbs as fine as possible and add, and then mix the finely ground spices thoroughly with the Chaurice. Hash all together, and when well mixed, stuff into casings, tying them in the lengths you desire ===== Sun-Dried Tomato and Jalapeño Cornbread I've got a really good spoonbread recipe that is cornbread based -- it's so good that people fight over it when I bring it to a dinner so I show up with copies of the recipe already printed in my bag. You will need an 11x15" glass baking dish for this. 2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix 2 15-16oz can of creamed corn 2 sticks melted BUTTER 2 8oz boxes softened cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 4 TBS finely chopped jalepenos (opt) I love the sweet/hot bite) Preheat oven to 375. Mix the melted butter and cream cheese with the corn muffin mix until smooth. Add sugar, creamed corn and jalepenos (if using) and mix until smooth. Spread batter in glass pan (doesn't HAVE to be greased) and bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cut into squares and serve. If you are serving less than 6, cut recipe in half and bake in a 9x13 glass dish--but they will eat it all and beg for more. I don't know if the leftovers freeze because I've never had any left over. ===== Sweet Potato Cobbler FILLING: 4 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick (about 8 cups) Lightly Salted Water to Cover 2 cups Sugar 4 Tbsp. Flour 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg 1/2 cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter Place Sweet Potato slices in a large saucepan with lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer about 7-8 minutes, or until slices are just tender but still firm. Drain all but 2 cups cooking liquid from pan. Reserve Sweet Potato slices. To liquid in pan, add sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add butter. Place pan over medium heat and stir until sugar and flour dissolve and butter melts. Return Sweet Potato slices to pan and let syrup bubble up. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 400° F. PASTRY: 2 cups flour 2 tbsp. sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 cup shortening 4 tbsp. ice water 1/3 cup melted butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans, optional Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut shortening into the flour until it is the consistency of cornmeal. Gradually add ice water until the dough holds its shape. Roll out on a floured board and cut into strips. Layer Sweet Potato slices in the bottom of an 8×10-inch glass baking dish. Pour syrup over. Criss-cross dough strips over the filling (like latticework) and brush pastry with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Scatter pecans over top, if desired. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until pastry lightly browns and juices bubble up. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. ===== PUMPKIN BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1 cup oil 2 cups pumpkin 4 eggs 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tbsp. cinnamon Mix all ingredients well with a mixer. Pour into a greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 350°, 25 minutes. Let cool. Frosting: 3 cups powdered sugar 1 stick butter. softened 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 tsp. vanilla Combine ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost bars when cool. ===== Pineapple Upside Down Cake 1 can pineapple (6 slices) 1/2 Cup Pecans 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Square Butter 2 Yellow cake mixes, or 3 golden pound cakes 1 14" Dutch Oven Place oven on the heat, level it, and melt the butter in the oven. When melted, add the brown sugar, then the pineapple slices, then the pecans. This will be the glaze. In a separate bowl, you should have the cake all mixed and ready while the butter is melting in the oven. This dessert doesn't require much heat on the bottom, just enough to brown the glaze -- about 8 briquets should be plenty. As with all baking, most of the heat should be on top. As this cake has no filling, it will cook faster than the cobblers do, in about 25 minutes. Also, remember because there is no filling, it will only serve 10-12 people so you may have to make two. Check it every 15 minutes and when golden brown, test it to see if it is done. If it is, take off the heat and lift the cake out of the oven by the aluminum foil. Put the DO lid on it and turn it over quickly. Remove the foil to reveal the pineapples on the bottom---err top of the cake. Serve with Cool Whip or ice cream. Note: I use a 12" DO and cut the cake mix down a tad. Works good. ===== Tips on Making Biscuits Making biscuits is something all camp cooks get judged on. You make hockey pucks, you ain't gonna be popular! Family outings are not too bad, but at fish and deer camp it can be down right dangerous when them hockey puck biscuits start flying your way from the guys! Has Cap ever made hockey puck biscuits? Sure I have, and I paid for it too! You get your lumps and learn, just like everything else in life. Some tips: Do NOT use store bought biscuit mixes! Why? Because store bought mixes have shortening in them designed for a long shelf life. This shortening has it's own little "Bisquick" taste, no matter what brand it is. Do not play with the dough! The cause of most hard biscuits is playing with the dough too much. Wheat flour has something called gluten in it, this gluten when well kneaded develops and makes the dough elastic, this is great for yeast risen breads, it's bad for quick breads like biscuits, it makes them hard. The less you knead a baking powder biscuit, the better off you are. Cut the shortening into the flour very good! You can do this by hand but it's labor intensive. A heavy duty stand mixer, food processor, or chopper, will do a better job than you will. One thing Cap does for short stays at camp, is make my own baking mix at home! For every 2 cups of self-rising flour*, I add 1/2 cup of pork lard and use my KitchenAid stand mixer to cut it in, I'll make a 5 pound sack of flour into biscuit mix and drag that along with me. It will not taste like Bisquick, it will make great biscuits, dumplings, cobbler crust, and you can still use it for breading round steak or venison back strap for chicken fried steak and gravy! This mix is just mighty handy for a camp cook and baker. Do not roll out your biscuit dough! I know what Betty Crocker says, but Cap can whoop Betty Crocker at biscuit baking! Pat your dough down by hand, don't roll it. Rolling dough makes it tough too! *note: self-rising flour is flour that has the baking powder and salt already in it. It's the way to go for biscuit making, if you make ready made biscuit mix at home DO NOT use Oleo (it has water in it) or butter (it does not keep well without refrigeration) use pork lard or if ya got a death wish, hydrogenated vegetable oil shortening. That's it! Copyright 1998-2007 by Phil Mahan Cooking with Da Cap'n ===== Bagels These days, every supermarket, country store and corner deli seems to have a ready supply of top-flight bagels, as do shops that are devoted exclusively to bagels, their accompanying spreads, and bagel sandwiches with all sorts of interesting fillings. So, with all kinds of good bagels available just about wherever you turn, why make your own? First, so you know what's in 'em; who wants azodicarbonmide in their pumpernickel bagel? Second, so you can customize them to your taste, as in pesto bagels with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts; and third, it's easy and fun! If you can make bread dough, you can easily make bagels. These are a great treat to make with the young baker in your life. Dough 1 tablespoon instant yeast 4 cups (17 ounces) Bread Flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water, lukewarm Water Bath 2 quarts (64 ounces) water 2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Manual/Mixer Method: To make this dough by hand or in a mixer, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously, by hand for 10 to 15 minutes, or by machine on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Since we're using a high-protein bread flour here, it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. The dough will be quite stiff; if you're using an electric mixer it will "thwap" the sides of the bowl, and hold its shape (without spreading at all) when you stop the mixer. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and set it aside to rise till noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won't have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then complete bagels as instructed below. Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water, malt and sugar to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole till it's about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 4 inches across). Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels. Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like, turning them over about 15 minutes into the baking time (this will help them remain tall and round). Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 8 bagels. Variations: To make sesame seed or poppy seed (or other seed) bagels, brush each bagel, just before baking, with a glaze made of 1 egg white beaten till frothy with 1 tablespoon of water. Glaze each bagel, and sprinkle heavily with seeds. To make onion-topped bagels, bake bagels for 20 to 22 minutes (or until they're almost as brown as you like), and remove the pan from the oven, keeping the oven turned on. Working with one bagel at a time, glaze as instructed above, and sprinkle with minced, dried onion. Return the bagels to the oven for no more than 2 minutes (the onions will burn if the bagels are left in longer than that). Want to make cinnamon-raisin bagels? Knead about 2/3 cup of raisins into the dough toward the end of the kneading process. Just before you're done kneading, sprinkle your work surface heavily with cinnamon-sugar, and give the dough a few more turns; it'll pick up the cinnamon-sugar in irregular swirls. Divide the dough into eight pieces, form each piece into a ball, and roll each ball in additional cinnamon-sugar. Proceed to let rest and shape as directed above. We've seen bagel-store bagels in varieties as diverse as jalapeno pepper, spinach and cheese, and marbled rye. You can make bagels with just about any kind of bread dough. To retain the characteristic chewy texture, just be sure to make a dough that's low in fat, and follow the shaping, rising, boiling and baking techniques. Nutritional information per serving (1 plain bagel, 111g): 211 cal, .5g fat, 7g protein, 43g complex carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 2g dietary fiber, 536mg sodium, 101mg potassium, 3mg iron, 106mg calcium, 67mg phosphorus. ©2006 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ===== POPCORN COOKIES 1/2 cup Butter or Margarine, softened 1 cup Sugar 1 egg 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1-1/4 cups all-purpose Flour 1/2 tsp Baking soda Pinch of Salt 2 cups popped Popcorn, slightly crushed 1 cup (6oz) Semisweet Chocolate Chips 1/2 cup chopped Pecans In a mixing bowl, cream the Butter and sugar. Beat in Egg and Vanilla. Combine Flour, Baking Soda and Salt; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in Popcorn, Chocolate Chips and Pecans. Drop by Tbsp 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for13-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. YIELD: 2 1/2 Dozen. ===== Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/4 cup water 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg 3 cups quick-cooking oats 1 1/4 cups flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, water, vanilla and egg in 2 1/2 quart bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Makes 6 dozen cookies. ===== STRAWBERRY PRETZEL GELATIN Crust: (bottom layer) 2 c pretzel sticks, crushed but not too fine (divided) 3 Tbsp granulated sugar 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted Gelatin: (top layer) 2 (3-oz) pkg strawberry gelatin 2 c boiling water 1 pint frozen strawberries in syrup (unthawed) Cream Cheese: (middle layer) 1 (8-oz) pkg Neufchatel cream cheese, softened 1 c powdered sugar 1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained 1 (12-oz) tub light whipped topping Crust: Crush pretzels, reserving 1/3-cup; mix together with remaining ingredients; Spread evenly, without patting down, into a 9x13-inch pan. Bake in a 400°F preheated oven for 5 minutes. Gelatin: Completely dissolve gelatin into boiling water; fold in frozen berries. Reserve and chill mixture until thickened to uncooked, egg whites consistency. Cream Cheese Layer: Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese and sugar, stir in drained pineapple. Fold in whipped topping and spread over the cooled pretzel crust. Spread the thickened gelatin over top the cream cheese layer; sprinkle with 1/3-cup reserved pretzels. Chill for 4 hours or until firm. Per Serving: 202 Calories; 9g Fat (40.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 154mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates. 24 servings / 400°F preheated oven ===== AMISH CHICKEN CASSEROLE 8 oz broad egg noodles 1/2 cup butter 8 oz fresh mushrooms, slice 1/3 cup flour 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk salt and pepper, to taste 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups cooked chicken, cut in cubes generous pinch of rubbed sage Cook noodles as directed on package. Melt butter and cook mushrooms in a large skillet until lightly browned. Stir in flour and blend in with a fork or slotted spoon. Stir in milk and broth and seasonings; whisk sauce constantly until thickened. Combine sauce, noodles and chicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Place in a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. ===== Cinnamon Bread with Apple Spread 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup oil 2 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs Streusel: 2 tbls. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. margarine Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom of 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan. In large bowl combine all ingredients; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour into pan. Combine streusel items until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter and swirl with knife to marble. Bake 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove. Serve with spread below. Apple Spread 8 ounce package cream cheese 2/3 cup apple, peeled and finely diced 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. milk 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Process until mixed, scraping down sides. Makes 1 1/2 cups. ===== Plum Raspberry Cobbler 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 2/3 cup water 3 lbs. fresh plums, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices 4 cups fresh raspberries 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 cups buttermilk baking mix 1/2 cup milk 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1-3/4 cups sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in water until well blended. Add plums and raspberries. Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Boil 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice. Turn filling into two 9 inch square baking pans. Keep hot. Combine baking mix, remaining sugar, milk and melted butter in a bowl until a soft dough forms. Drop spoonfuls of topping to cover filling. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is bubbly. Serve warm in shallow bowls with vanilla ice cream. This recipe serves 12 people. There are enough ingredients to prepare two 9x9 inch pans or use 9x13 or larger pan. For one 9x9 pan cut the recipe in half. Serves 12. ===== FARMHOUSE COUNTRY BREAD In a bowl or container combine: 3 cups of good quality all purpose flour mixed with the following... 1/2 cup Carnation low fat powdered milk 1T sugar 1 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (can be found in flour aisle or health food store) 2 tsp. instant yeast (I use Red Star Quick Rise) Set aside. 4 T corn oil In a 2 cup measure mix 1 whole egg with enough wholemilk to measure 2/3 of a cup, then add 1/2 cup hot water and the oil. Mix.... For Bread Machine: In the dough bucket of your bread machine, put in all the liquid, add all the dry ingredients, and set your bread machine to "Dough" setting.......when it's finished kneading, reset your machine to have it go through the dough kneading cycle again, remove the bucket and place in the microwave (without turning it on) to rise or a draft free place...for about 60 min- 90 min. Remove from the dough bucket, sprinkle a little flour on your board, and shape into a loaf to fit an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pan. I then put it in my microwave to rise for 60- 90 min. (I find the microwave a good place, I don't have to cover the dough...) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 22-25 min, OR to internal temperature of 190 degrees. Remove from pan, place on a rack, sprinkle with a pinch or two of flour and let coolat least an hour before slicing. MIXER: If using a mixer, put the liquid ingredients, followed by the dry ingredients, and mix with a dough hook until smooth and satiny about 20 min, depending on your machine. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and let rise as above, and proceed as above. BY HAND: Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour to use on your board.... put all the dry ingredients on your board, make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix and knead until smooth and satiny, this can take about 20 minutes.. then transfer to a greased bowl...and continue as above... I have not made this bread bake in bread machine as of yet. It goes quickly and the bread is wonderful.. we finished one loaf today and I have another rising at the moment to bake and be ready for tomorrow. *s* It doesn't take all that long so putting it in the oven is no biggie. Sometimes I add a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds to the batter. ===== ORANGE CAKE For the cake: 2 cups flour, plus some for dusting 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar, sifted 1/2 cup water 5 egg yolks 2 tsp. grated orange zest 4 Tbsp. orange juice 1/4 cup butter, melted 4 egg whites Set oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-cup tube pan with vegetable spray or butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to line the bottom of the pan. Insert the liner, coat it with vegetable spray and dust the pan with flour. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat sugar and water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add orange zest and juice. Add sifted dry ingredients and combine until mixture is smooth. Add butter. Place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (If you do not have 2 bowls, transfer the mixture in Step 3 into another bowl and thoroughly wash the mixer bowl before using it to beat whites.) Beat whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Pour batter into tube pan. Bake 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool on rack for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Cake will have pulled away from the sides of the pan. For the glaze: 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted 2 tsp. grated orange zest 1/4 cup orange juice, as needed 1/8 tsp. salt Mix together confectioners sugar, orange zest, orange juice and salt to a glaze consistency. Slip a sheet of wax paper under rack to catch drips. Poke tiny holes in the top of the cake with a cake tester or a skewer and liberally spoon glaze over the cake. Let glaze harden before serving. ===== DOROTHY BRASS'S PINEAPPLE PIE For the crust: pastry for double-crust pie, divided in half and chilled 1 egg, beaten Set oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch ovenproof glass pie plate with vegetable spray. Cover a 14-by-16-inch baking sheet with foil, shiny side up. Coat the foil with vegetable spray or use a silicone liner. Roll out pastry dough. Fit half of dough into bottom of pie plate and trim off excess. Sprinkle bottom of pastry with flour. Chill. For the filling: 2 20-ounce cans unsweetened crushed pineapple 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 Tbsp. juice from canned pineapple 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp. grated lemon zest 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla 1/8 tsp. salt To make filling, place pineapple in a sieve set over a bowl. Press gently with the palm of your hand to remove as much juice as possible. Drain 30 minutes. Reserve and measure juice. Place 2 1/2 tablespoons of the reserved juice in a large bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until dissolved. Add remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add pineapple and stir until evenly coated. Add pineapple mixture to pie shell. Roll out top crust. If making a decorative pattern on top, do so before placing crust on pie. Add top crust, seal and crimp edges and cut decorative slits. Brush top crust and edges with beaten egg. Place pie on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes and check crust for browning. If crust is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Bake another 15 minutes, or until top crust is evenly browned. Bottom crust should be light brown when completely baked. Cool pie on rack at least 2 hours before serving. Store loosely covered with wax paper at room temperature. ===== Peach-Orange Dump Cobbler 2 (30 oz.) cans sliced peaches, drained 1 yellow cake mix, dry 2 (8 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained 1 can Orange soda 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces 3/4 cup brown sugar vanilla ice cream Line a 12" Dutch oven with heavy duty foil. To Dutch oven add peaches, oranges, and cinnamon. Stir to mix. Sprinkle brown sugar over fruit. Dump cake mix in a large pile over center of fruit. Make a well in the center of the cake mix. Pour orange soda into the well then stir cake mix in to moisten. Spread mixture evenly over fruit. Dot top with butter. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45-60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves: 8-10 ===== Fruit Cobbler Delight 1 (30 oz.) can fruit cocktail 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 (30 oz.) can sliced peaches 1 yellow or lemon cake mix, dry 1 (12 oz.) can crushed pineapple 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup instant tapioca 1/4 lb. butter, cut into pieces 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Into a 12" Dutch oven add canned fruit (juice included), tapioca, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to mix. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top of fruit. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of cake mix. Dab butter all over top of brown sugar. Place lid on oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour using 12 briquettes top and 12 briquettes bottom heat. Cobbler is done when top is brown and cake has absorbed fruit juices and is no longer dry. Variation: Combine 1 cup of crushed pecan halves with the brown sugar for a crunchier topping. Serves: 8-10 ===== Fruit Cobbler Deluxe 1 (30 oz.) can sliced peaches, drained 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 (30 oz.) can sliced apricots, drained 1 box white cake mix 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple 1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 tsp. almond extract 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds Line a 12" Dutch oven with heavy duty foil. To lined Dutch oven add fruit, almond extract, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the dry cake mix; stir to mix. In a separate bowl mix together the remaining cake mix and the sweetened condensed milk to form a batter. Pour batter over the top of the fruit and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Cover and bake for 45 to 60 minutes using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top until topping is golden brown. Serve topped with whipped cream or serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves: 8-10 ===== Pineapple Upside Down Cake Topping: 4 Tbsp. butter 1 cup brown sugar 8 pineapple rings 8 maraschino cherries Melt butter in bottom of a 12" Dutch oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter being careful not to touch the sugar once it has begun to dissolve into the butter. Carefully place pineapple rings on top of the brown sugar, 7 around the outside and 1 in the center. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. Cake Batter: 1 yellow cake mix 1 cup pineapple juice 1/3 cup water 3 eggs 1/3 cup oil In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pineapple juice, water, eggs and oil; mix well. Spoon cake batter carefully over the top of pineapple rings. Spread batter evenly to edges. Cover Dutch oven and bake usinge 10-12 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes or so in the oven with the lid cracked. Next run a rubber spatula around the inside edge of the oven to loosen the cake. To turn the cake out, first lay a piece of parchment paper across the top of the oven so it lays flat and replace the lid so that it holds the paper in place. Make sure you have an available lid stand resting on your table for the next step. Using gloved hands place one hand on the lid and the other hand under the oven and carefully lift and flip the oven over so the cake falls onto the lid. Rest the oven upside down on the lid stand and tap the bottom and sides of the oven lightly with your hand to make sure the cake didn't stick. Then lift the oven off the lid. The cake will be resting on the parchment lined lid and can be cooled this way or slid off the lid using the parchment paper. Allow cake to cool slightly before service. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as topping. Serves: 8-10 ===== Cherry Chocolate Surprise Cake 1 chocolate cake mix, prepared as directed 1 egg 1 can cherry pie filling 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla Pour prepared cake batter into a greased 12" Dutch oven. Spoon cherry pie filling into clumps over cake batter. In a small mixing bowl mix together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Drop by tablespoons over top of cake. Place lid on oven. Bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 1 hour or until top center of cake springs back when touched. Serve warm with whip cream as topping. Serves: 10-12 ===== Chocolate Lovers Delight 1 1/2 cup water 1 (10 oz.) bag miniature marshmallows 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 chocolate cake mix, prepared as directed 1 cup light brown sugar 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips Line the bottom and sides of a 12" Dutch oven with heavy foil. Mix the water, cocoa powder, and brown sugar together and pour into the Dutch oven. Add marshmallows and spread them out evenly. Pour prepared chocolate cake mix over marshmallows. Sprinkle chocolate chips over cake batter. Cover oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 60 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream. Serves: 10-12 ===== Mississippi Mud Cake 1 yellow cake mix - prepared as directed Topping: 10 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup chopped pecans powdered sugar Mud: 1/2 cup cocoa powder 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup hot water 2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon Line the bottom and sides of a 12" Dutch oven with heavy foil. To the oven add prepared cake mix. Prepare The Mud: In a separate bowl combine all "Mud" ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour mud mixture over the cake batter. Bake: Cover Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 60-90 minutes replenishing coals after 60 minutes if cake is not done. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over top of cake about 5 minutes before cake is done. Dust top of cake with powdered sugar just before service. Serve warm with whipped cream. Note: For an "Over-the-Top" chocolate experience, use a chocolate or fudge cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix. Serves: 10-12 ===== Banana Crumble 10 ripe bananas; peeled 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups orange juice 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. salt 1 cup flour 1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into pieces 1 cup instant oats Slice bananas into 1/4" slices and place in a lightly buttered 12" Dutch oven. Combine orange juice and vanilla and pour over bananas. In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, nutmeg and salt; stir to mix. Cut in the butter until mixture is about the size of small peas. Spoon crumble mixture over fruit. Cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top until crumble is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves: 8-10 ===== Cherry Crisp Cobbler 2 (30 oz.) cans cherry pie filling 1/2 cup chopped pecans 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter 2 cups flour 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup oatmeal Line a 12" Dutch oven with heavy duty foil. Pour cherry pie filling into oven and spread evenly. In a separate bowl combine sugar, flour, oatmeal, and pecans; stir to mix. Add vanilla. Cut butter into 1 Tbsp. size pieces then using your fingers work butter into the crumb mixture until coarse pea sized crumbs form. Spread topping evenly over cherries. Cover Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45-60 minutes until crisp is golden brown and fruit is bubbly. Serve topped with whipped cream. Variation: Stir in one 30 oz. can of drained sliced peaches or diced pears to the cherry pie filling. Serves: 12-14 ===== Dutch Apple Crisp Filling: 10 cups granny smith apple slices, cored and sliced 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup flour 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 tsp. grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 3/4 tsp. salt Topping: 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups flour 1 cup oatmeal 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1 cup butter, melted In a 12" Dutch oven add apples and lemon juice; stir to coat apples. In a separate dish combine remaining filling ingredients and stir to mix. Pour dry ingredients over apples and stir until apples are well coated. In a separate bowl combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and walnuts; stir to mix. Using a fork, mix in butter. Spread topping evenly over apples. Cover Dutch oven and bake using 12-14 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 60 minutes. Serve topped with whipped cream. Serves: 12-14 ===== Sourdough Banana Bread 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. butter; room temp. 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 3 eggs 6 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups active sourdough starter 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder 3 cups sugar 2 Tbsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana 3 cups coarse chopped nuts In a mixing bowl cream together butter, eggs, sourdough starter, sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine bananas and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately mix flour mixture and bananas into wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in chopped nuts. Pour batter into a well greased 12" Dutch oven. Place lid on oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Serves: 15-20. ===== Sourdough Cornbread 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter 3 eggs; beaten 2 1/4 cups canned milk 6 tsp. butter, melted 2 1/4 cups yellow corn meal 1 tsp. baking soda 3 Tbsp. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt Mix sourdough starter, milk, corn meal, sugar, and eggs; stir well. Add melted butter, soda, and salt; stir until well mixed. Turn mixture into a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and spread evenly. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake using 12-14 briquettes bottom and 18-20 briquettes top for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread turns golden brown. NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes. Serve hot with honey butter. Serves: 10-12 ===== Old Time Sourdough Starter 2 cups unsifted flour 1 1/2 cups warm water 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1 Tbsp. salt 1/4 tsp. dry yeast Prepare Starter: Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a stone crock or bowl. Stir to mix well. Add water and beat to a smooth batter. Add vinegar. Cover with cheesecloth and set in a warm place until thoroughly sour. (Determine this by the yeasty smell.) Takes about 12 hours. Pour starter into a quart jar, cover jar, and refrigerate. For best results the start should be used once per week, however, starter can be frozen indefinately. To Use Start: Pour starter into a clean glass bowl. Add 2 cups warm water (90° F.) and 2 1/2 cups flour. Stir to mix (don't worry about lumps). Batter will be thick but will thin as it ferments. Cover bowl with cheesecloth and place in a warm spot to rest for 12 hours. Pour 3 cups of the sourdough into a quart jar, cover the jar, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks for use as the next starter. This leaves about 4 1/2 cups of sourdough for use in your recipe. NOTE: Never add anything but warm water and flour to the start. This recipe is courtesy of Karen Bills of Price, UT. ===== Emeril's Southwest Spice This is the recipe for Emeril Lagasse's "Southwest Spice" seasoning as found on the Food Network recipe pages. 2 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 2 Tbsp. paprika 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 Tbsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. black pepper 1 Tbsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp. salt 1 tsp. crushed red pepper Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container Yields about 1/2 cup. ===== Emeril's Rustic Rub This is the recipe for Emeril Lagasse's "Rustic Rub" seasoning as found on the Food Network recipe pages. 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. paprika 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper 2 Tbsp. garlic powder 1 Tbsp. onion powder 2 Tbsp. salt 2 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 1/2 tsp. dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container Yields 3/4 cup. ===== Sourdough Oatmeal Bread 1 1/2 cup scalded milk 1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast 2 Tbsp. butter 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar 3 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. salt 3 cups sourdough starter 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cup white flour 1 1/2 cup oatmeal Stir butter and honey into scalded milk, then add to sourdough starter. Stir in wheat flour, oatmeal, and yeast. Blend together sugar, salt and soda; sprinkle over top of dough and stir in gently. Cover dough with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining flour until dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon. Knead dough with heel of hand 100 times only or bread will be too dry. Dough should not be heavy and feel a bit tacky. Add dough to a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and press flat. Using your fingers, lightly grease the top of the dough. Place lid on Dutch oven and let rise in warm place for 30-45 minutes. Bake bread using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 18-20 briquettes top for 20 minutes then remove 4 briquettes from the lid and 2 from below and continue baking until bread shrinks from the side of the oven or gives a hollow sound when thumped on top, about 15-20 minutes. Tip bread out onto a wire rack and butter top. Serves: 10-12. ===== French Apple Cobbler Filling: 9 granny smith apples, sliced 2 1/4 cup sugar 6 Tbsp. flour 3/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla 2 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 cup cold water Batter: 3 eggs; slightly beaten 6 Tbsp. butter, melted 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt Prepare Filling: In a large bowl combine all filling ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour filling into a well oiled 12" Dutch oven. Prepare Batter: Beat together eggs and butter. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt then mix into wet ingredients. Pour batter evenly over apples. Bake: Place lid on Dutch oven and bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 45-60 minutes. Serve topped with whipped cream. Serves: 10-12 ===== Sour Cream Banana Bread 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. butter, room temp. 6 cups all-purpose flour 3 eggs 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder 1 1/2 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. baking soda 3 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana 3 cups coarse chopped nuts 3 Tbsp. lemon juice In a mixing bowl cream together butter, eggs, sour cream, and sugar. In a separate bowl combine bananas and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately mix flour mixture and bananas into wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in chopped nuts. Pour batter into a well greased 12" Dutch oven. Place lid on oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Serves: 15-20. ===== Orange Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops Meat: (10) 8 oz. pork chops w/pockets cut salt and pepper to taste 4 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup hot water Glaze: 4 oranges; juice & zest 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. cornstarch 10 whole cloves Stuffing: 1 1/2 cup yellow onion; diced 1 cup celery, diced 12 Tbsp. butter 2 cups bread cubes, 1/2" cubes 1 large apple; cored, peeled, and diced 1/4 cup slivered almonds 2 Tbsp. parsley flakes 1 tsp. rosemary 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. allspice 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 1/2 cup water Heat a 14" deep Dutch oven using 20-22 briquettes bottom heat. When oven is hot add butter, onions, and celery. Saute until tender. Return oven to the heat to stay hot. In a large bowl combine bread cubes, apple, almonds, parsley, rosemary, and seasonings. Mix in the onions and celery. Add enough water to moisten the dressing. Stuff the mixture into the pork chops. Seal the pockets with toothpicks and tie with butcher string. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the 14" deep Dutch oven. Place chops in oven and brown both sides. Stand chops on end so they rest on the bone. Add HOT water to the oven. Cover and simmer using 14 briquettes bottom and 14 briquettes top for 45 to 60 minutes or until internal meat temperature reads 175° F. In an 8" dutch oven add juice and zest from 4 oranges and the remainder of the glaze ingredients. Stir to mix. Heat using 12 briquettes bottom stirring frequently until mixture boils. Reduce briquettes on bottom to 4 and let simmer 15 minutes. Remove chops from the Dutch oven, dip in glaze, and place on a serving platter. Serves: 10 (Recipe courtesy of Chuck Peppler of Fruit Heights, UT). ===== Byron's Garlic Herb Rolls 5 1/2 cups bread flour 1/4 cup butter; melted 2 Tbsp. yeast 3/4 tsp. seasoned salt 1/3 cup non-fat dry milk 10 cloves roasted garlic; chopped 1/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. salt 3 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. dried basil leaves 1 Tbsp. dried thyme leaves 2 cups warm water; 120° F. 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs; beaten Toppings: 2 Tbsp. whipping cream 2 Tbsp. melted butter 1/4 cup parmesan cheese In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, dry milk, sugar, salt, and herbs; blend well. Stir in water, eggs, and oil. Mix thoroughly. Stir in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for 5 minutes until dough becomes elastic and sticky. Roll dough generously in flour, then cover and place in a warm area free from drafts to raise until double in size. Place raised dough on a floured board and punch down. Seperate dough into 16 pieces. Form a ball from each piece and pat down into a round. Brush melted butter over tops of round and sprinkle with chopped garlic and seasoned salt. Pull rounds into an oval and fold in half so the garlic is on the inside. Place the folds of 10 rolls against the side of a warm lightly oiled 12" Dutch oven. Place 5 rolls in the inner circle and 1 roll in the center. Cover and let raise in a warm area for 15-20 minutes. Brush tops of rolls with whipping cream then bake using 10-12 coals bottom and 16-18 coals top until rolls turn a light brown color. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and continue baking until rolls turn golden brown. Total baking time should be between 20-25 minutes. For even browning make sure to rotate the top and bottom of the oven 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes. Yield: 16 rolls. Note: Tina and I served these rolls at the World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off in 1998 where we took 3rd place. ===== Hawaiian Braided Bread 5 1/2 cups bread flour 2 Tbsp. yeast 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup instant potato flakes 1 Tbsp. salt 1/2 cup butter; melted 1 3/4 cups scalded milk, 125° F. 3/4 tsp. lemon extract 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts 2 Tbsp. melted butter poppy seeds In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, potato flakes, and salt; blend well. Stir in milk, melted butter, extracts, and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Stir in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for 5 minutes until dough becomes elastic and sticky. Roll dough generously in flour, then cover and place in a warm area free from drafts to raise until double in size. Place raised dough on a floured board and divide into thirds. Roll each piece of dough into equal length ropes about 3/4" in diameter. Roll each rope in chopped macadamia nuts pressing nuts lightly into the surface of the dough. Make a braid out of the 3 ropes leaving enough length on each end so you can braid them together. In a warm greased 12" Dutch Oven make a ring out of the braid and finish braiding the ends together. Cover the oven and let bread raise until double in size (about 30-45 minutes). Brush top of bread with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake using 10 coals bottom and 16 coals top for 30-40 minutes. When top of bread starts to brown, remove the Dutch Oven from all heat and let rest with the lid on for about 5 minutes. The residual heat from the oven will finish baking the bread. Serve bread warm with fresh honey butter. Serves: 14 ===== Parmesan Herb Rolls 1 1/2 cups warm water 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk 1/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. yeast 1 egg, beaten 4-5 cups bread flour 3 Tbsp. dried onion 1 tsp. dried dill weed 1 tsp. dried rosemary 1 tsp. dried thyme 3 Tbsp. parsley 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. salt Topping: 2 Tbsp. whipping cream 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano cheese In a mixing bowl add water, dry milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit until mixture bubbles. Add egg, 2 1/2 cups flour, dried onion, dill weed, rosemary, and parsley. Beat until well blended. Let sit until batter bubbles. Mix in oil, salt, and the remaining flour (1 cup at a time) until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for 5-7 minutes until dough becomes elastic and sticky. Roll dough generously in flour, then cover and place in a warm area free from drafts to raise until double in size. Place raised dough on a lightly floured board and punch down. Form into 13 balls. Place in a greased 12" Dutch oven. Cover oven and let raise for 10 minutes. Bake using 8-10 coals bottom and 16-18 coals top until rolls are lightly browned. Brush with whipping cream and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and bake until golden brown. Total baking time is 20-25 minutes. Yield: 13 rolls. (Recipe by Ruth Kendrick and Janet Froh.) Note: These rolls helped Ruth and Janet win the 1998 World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off. ===== Calico Chicken 6 chicken breast halves; boneless, skinless 1 packet taco seasoning 8 oz. pepper jack cheese 1/4 cup melted butter 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup corn flakes; crushed (1) 4 oz. can diced green chiles; drained (1) 11 oz. can mexicorn; drained (1) 15 oz. can black beans; drained 1/2 cup black olives; sliced 1/2 cup green onions; sliced Place 1 chicken breast between 2 pieces of waxed paper and gently pound with a meat mallet until about 1/8" thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of taco seasoning on the boned side of each breast. Place a 1/2" x 1 1/2" slice of pepper jack cheese on each chicken breast then roll up jelly roll fashion. Tuck in ends and seal well with a toothpick. Dip each chicken roll in melted butter then roll in corn flake crumbs, turning to thoroughly coat each roll. Place in a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven. Bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Remove chicken from oven and remove toothpicks. Wipe the oven clean with a paper towel. In a large bowl mix together green chiles, mexicorn, black beans, tomato, olives, green olives and 2 Tbsp. of the taco seasoning. Spoon vegetables into Dutch oven. Place chicken rolls on top of the vegetable mixture. Grate the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the chicken rolls. Cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until vegetables are warmed thru and the cheese has melted. Serves: 6 (This recipe is courtesy of Chuck Peppler from Fruit Heigts, UT.) ===== Bumble Berry Hazel Nut Crumb Pie Crust: 2 1/2 cups roasted hazel nuts; peeled & chopped 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 3 Tbsp. butter 1 1/2 cups butter; chilled In a mixing bowl combine all but 1/2 cup of the chopped hazel nuts, flour, and sugar; stir to mix well. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Filling: 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup raspberries 1 cup blueberries 1 cup strawberries; sliced 1 cup chopped apple 1 cup rhubarb; sliced 2 Tbsp. lemon juice In a large mixing bowl add flour and sugar; stir to mix. Cut in butter. Add fruit and lemon juice; stir to coat all fruit pieces. Cover and set aside. Press 2/3 of the crumb mixture into the bottom and 2" up sides of a 12" Dutch oven. Spoon in fruit filling and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top of filling. Sprinkle reserved hazel nuts over top of crust. Place lid on oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 60-75 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly. Note: Due to the amount of sugar in the crumb crust it is important to rotate the oven and lid every 10 minutes to avoid generating hot spots which cause uneven browning. Allow pie to cool for 2 hours prior to serving. Serves: 8-10 ===== Old Home Apple Pie With Buttered Rum Sauce No Fail Pie Crust: 4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup chilled butter; cut into pieces 1/2 cup chilled lard; cut into pieces 1/4 cup cold milk 1 egg; beaten 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 3/4 tsp. salt In a large mixing bowl add flour and salt and stir to mix. Cut butter and lard into flour until large course crumbs form. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients and mix well. Mix wet ingredients into flour mixture a little at a time until dough forms a ball. Cut 1/3 of the dough off, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. Wrap remainging dough in plastic and refrigerate. Apple Filling: 1 cup dried currants 1/4 cup spiced dark rum 8-10 large granny smith apples; peeled, cored, and sliced 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/3 cup instant tapioca 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 tsp. grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 3/4 tsp. salt In a large mixing bowl soak currants in 1/4 cup rum for 30 minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour until juices run. Egg Wash: 1 Egg Wash 1 Tbsp. heavy cream Buttered Rum Sauce* as desired Assemble Pie: On a floured board or pastry cloth gently roll the larger piece of dough to 1/8" thickness. Lay dough into bottom of a cool 12" Dutch oven so that it fits snugly on bottom and 3 inches up the sides. In a small bowl stir together egg yolk and cream to prepare wash. Brush entire surface of bottom crust with egg wash. Pour apple filling into pie shell pressing apples down gently. Gently roll out remaining pie dough to 1/8" thickness. Dampen edges of bottom crust with water. Place top crust over filling and seal edges by gently pressing top and bottom crust together. Trim excess dough with a knife then flute edges. Using a paring knife cut a 1/2" hole in the center of the top crust. Cut 5-6 more slits in a spoke pattern. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. sugar over top of pie crust. Bake pie using 12 coals bottom and 18 coals top for about 1 hour until top crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. For even browning make sure to rotate the base and lid of the oven a 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes. Serve with warm Buttered Rum Sauce spooned over the top of each piece. Serves: 12-14 The Buttered Rum Sauce recipe can be found below. Note: Tina and I served this dish as our dessert at the World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off in 1998. This dish was voted the first place dessert that year. I know you will enjoy it! Buttered Rum Sauce 3/4 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter 3 Tbsp. Captain Morgans Spiced Dark Rum 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cinnamon stick Combine cream and sugar in an 8" Dutch oven; stir to mix. Add cinnamon stick. Cook using 10-12 briquettes bottom until mixture comes to a low boil, then reduce briquettes to 6 on bottom. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove sauce from heat and stir in butter, rum, and vanilla. Use sauce warm. Yield: About 1 cup ===== Raspberry Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens 5 Cornish hens 1 can apricot nectar 1 cup raspberry vinaigrette 1 cup apricot jam 1 Tbsp. Volcano seasoning or seasoned salt salt and pepper to taste rosemary sprigs Inject nectar into hens the night before cooking. Mix vinaigrette, and jam together and set aside. Heat a 16" Dutch oven using 22-24 briquettes top and bottom. Wash Corning hens and season with Volcano seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place 1 or 2 sprigs of rosemary inside each hen. Place hens in pre-heated Dutch oven. Cover and cook 45 to 60 minutes. As the hens brown reduce the heat to prevent burning. Glaze hens with dressing mixture about 20 minutes before they are finished cooking. Remove the rosemary from the hens and discard. Glaze hens again before serving. Serves: 5-10 (Recipe courtesy of Jeff Currier (Riverton, UT) and Dick Hill (Riverton, UT). Note: Jeff and Dick placed second at the 1998 World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off with help from these beautiful hens. ===== Bavarian Apple Tort Crust: 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 cup flour In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients and cut together to make a soft dough. Press dough into the bottom of a 12" Dutch oven making sure the dough comes up the sides of the oven about 1 1/2". Filling: 12 oz. cream cheese 6 Tbsp. sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 3/4 tsp. vanilla In a small bowl cream together all ingredients until smooth. Spoon filling into crust and spread evenly. Topping: 4 cups thinly sliced apples 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup sliced almonds In a bowl add apples, cinnamon, and sugar and mix until apples are well coated. Spread apples over top of filling. Sprinkle almonds over the apples. Replace the lid and bake using 8-9 briquettes bottom and 16 briquettes top for about 45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Make sure to rotate the oven and lid every 10 minutes to keep from developing brown spots on the crust. Serves: 8-10 (Recipe courtesy of Chuck Peppler of Fruit Heights, UT). ===== Pineapple Glazed Standing Rib Roast (2) 6-rib pork loin roasts; bones frenched 3 Tbs. olive oil 1 Tbs. sweet hungarian paprika 2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. celery seed 1 Tbs. salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. thyme 1 1/2 cups Pineapple Glaze* Combine all herbs and seasonings in a small bowl and mix. Pat roasts dry of all excess moisture. Rub roasts all over with olive oil then apply seasoning mix and work into the meat. Place roasts in large ziploc bags and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Let roasts stand at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking. Heat a 14" deep Dutch oven with 14 coals bottom and 16 coals top. Place roasts fat side up in the hot oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours or until internal meat temperature of thickest part of meat reaches 160° F. Brush roasts generously with pineapple glaze the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove roasts from Dutch oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes then carve into chops and brush with additional glaze. Serves: 12 * The pineapple glaze recipe can be found below. Note: Tina and I served this dish accompanied by Harvest Pilaf at the World Dutch Oven Championship cook-off in 1999 where we placed second. Pineapple Glaze 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar 1 cup pineapple juice 2/3 cup water 1/4 cup Kikoman Teriyaki Sauce 2 tsp. mashed roasted garlic 3 Tbs. minced white onion 2 Tbs. crushed pineapple 1 Tbs. Jack Daniels Whiskey 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper In an 8" Dutch oven combine brown sugar, pineapple juice, water, Teriyaki sauce, and lemon juice. Cook using 12-14 briquettes bottom stirring occasionally until mixture boils. Reduce briquettes on bottom to 7. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Let mixture simmer for 35-45 minutes or until sauce has reduced by about half and is thick and syrupy. Yield: 1 cup glaze ===== Harvest Pilaf 7 cups chicken stock 1 cup wild rice 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves 1 Tbs. dried parsley flakes 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 cup brown rice 1 cup long grain white rice 3 cloves garlic; minced 3/4 cup dried currants 3/4 cup chopped green onion 3/4 cup sliced almonds; toasted 3/4 cup pine nuts; toasted Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 12" Dutch oven using 24 briquettes bottom heat. Add wild rice, herbs, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, then add remaining ingredients. Return to a boil then reduce briquettes on bottom to 14 and let simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 40 minutes. Serves: 12 Note: Tina and I served this dish as an accompaniment to our Pineapple Glazed Standing Rib Roast at the World Dutch Oven Championship cook-off in 1999 where we placed second. ===== Sweet Potatoes And Onions 2 yellow onions; thinly sliced 4 Tbs. brown sugar salt and pepper to taste 4 lbs. sweet potatoes; peeled & thinly sliced 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup butter; melted 4 tsp. dried thyme Arrange onion slices in bottom of a well oiled 12" Dutch oven. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Layer sweet potato slices over onions, overlapping. In a small bowl combine maple syrup, melted butter, and thyme. Pour over sweet potatoes and onions. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top for 1 hour or until sweet potatoes and onions are tender. Serves: 10-12 ===== Meatloaf Flower Dinner 4 lbs. extra lean ground beef 1 large yellow onion, finely diced 2 cups bread cubes 1 cup milk 3 eggs 1 small carrot, shredded 1/2 cup catsup 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese 2 tsp. thyme 2 tsp. marjoram 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. rosemary 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 tsp. cumin 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 6-8 carrots 6 medium potatoes 10-20 asparagus spears additional catsup as needed In a small bowl add bread cubes and pack down. Add milk to bread cubes and allow to absorb. To a large mixing bowl add beef, onions, bread and milk, eggs, grated carrot, catsup, cheese, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Place mixture in a 12" deep Dutch oven and spread it into a ring against the sides of the oven leaving a cavity in the center for vegetables. Cover the top of the meatloaf ring evenly with catsup. Cut the carrots into halves lengthwise and the potatoes into quarters lengthwise. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus. Line the inside of the mealoaf ring with carrot halves. Inside the carrots stand potato quarters in a ring. Stand the asparagus spears in the center. Roast using 12-14 briquettes top and bottom for 90 minutes. Rotate the Dutch oven and lid every 15 minutes. Serves: 6-8 (This recipe courtesy of Len and Jerrye Stillman of Salt Lake City, UT). ===== Wild Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin Roast: 3 lb. beef tenderloin roast 2 Tbs. olive oil Stuffing: 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup red onion; diced 1 cup chanterelle mushrooms; diced 1/4 cup pinenuts 4 cups dried bread cubes 1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary; chopped 1 1/2 tsp. fresh sage leaves; rubbed 3 Tbs. fresh parsley; chopped 2 eggs; beaten 3/4 cup chicken broth salt and black pepper to taste Marinade: 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbs. molasses 5 cloves garlic 2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger 3/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 Tbs. fresh thyme; rubbed 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary; chopped 1 Tbs. fresh sage leaves; rubbed 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper 1 tsp. salt Prepare the marinade in a blender by adding vinegars, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, garlic and ginger; blend to puree. Continue blending while adding olive oil slowly until oil is completely emulsified. Add herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Put tenderloin in a large ziploc bag and add marinade. Seal the bag and shake to completely coat loin. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours turning meat twice. Heat a 12" deep Dutch Oven using 14-16 briquettes bottom. To the oven add butter, onions, pinenuts, and mushrooms to saute. In separate bowl combine bread cubes, and herbs. Mix in egg and chicken broth. Add sauteed vegetables and stir until well mixed. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside. Reheat original oven using 18-20 briquettes bottom. When oven is hot add olive oil. Remove tenderloin from marinade and place in preheated oven. Sear on all sides 3 minutes per side until meat turns a nice dark brown. Remove from oven, cover, and allow to cool. Cut a deep pocket lengthwise down the narrow side of the loin and put as much stuffing as you can inside. Be careful not to rip the ends while stuffing. Tie with cotton string to hold together if necessary. Place roast back in oven and roast using 12-14 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 40-50 minutes basting meat once with leftover marinade, until internal temperature of thickest part of meat reaches 145° F. (Medium rare). Remove roast from Dutch Oven and let stand for 5 minutes before service. Serves: 6 Note: Tina and I served this dish as our main entree at the World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off in 1998. This dish finished in a tie as the first place entree that year. I know you will enjoy it! ===== Piña Colada Cake Cake: 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour (1) 3.4 oz. box vanilla instant pudding 1 Tbs. baking powder 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup + 2 Tbs. butter; softened 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest 2 2/3 cup sugar 5 Egg yolks; room temperature 1 1/4 cup pineapple juice 1 1/4 cup water 8 egg whites; room temperature 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar Sift together flour, pudding, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, vanilla, and orange zest until soft. Gradually mix in 2 cups sugar until light. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Combine pineapple juice and water in a measuring cup. Alternately mix dry and wet ingredients into the butter and egg yolk mixture starting and ending with dry ingredients. DO NOT overbeat the batter. In a separate bowl whip egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually mix in the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into batter one half at a time. Batter will be thick. Grease the bottom and sides of a 12" Dutch Oven. Pour batter into Dutch Oven and spread evenly to sides. Bake using 10-12 coals bottom and 14-16 coals top until lightly golden and top springs back when touched, about 90 minutes. For best results rotate oven and lid 90° in opposite directions every 15 minutes while baking. Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a rack and finish cooling. Cut cake in half horizontally. Separate halves. Place in icebox until chilled. Glaze: 1/2 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Dark Rum 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Bring pineapple juice, coconut milk, rum, and powdered sugar to boil over medium high heat stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly. Be careful not to burn! Rremove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Frosting: 8 oz. brick cream cheese; softened 1/2 cup butter; softened 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 tsp. coconut extract (2) 16 oz. boxes powdered sugar 2 Tbs. Captain Morgan's Spiced Dark Rum 1/2 cup crushed pineapple; well drained 12 oz. flaked coconut In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, coconut extract, and rum. Slowly mix in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Transfer 1 cup frosting to another bowl and stir in pineapple. Assemble Cake: Brush all of the glaze over the cut sides of both halves of cake. Set 1 cake layer on a plate cut side face up. Spread with pineapple frosting. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Press coconut into frosting on top and sides of cake. Return to icebox and chill for 1 hour. Garnish with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Serves: 18 Note: Tina and I served this dish as our dessert at the World Championship Dutch Oven cook-off in 1999. This dish was voted the number 1 dessert that year. I know you will enjoy it! =====