Black bean soup. Takes about 40 minutes to prepare. 4 servings. In a soup pot, cook onions and carrots in olive oil until the onions start to turn translucent (about 5-6 minutes) Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently Add serranos and red wine and bring to a boil Cook until the wine is reduced by half Add beans and chicken stock and cook on medium for about 20 minutes Add lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste Blend half of the soup and return it to the pot Bring soup back to a simmer and then serve with relish and sour cream Combine all ingredients and mix well Combine all ingredients and mix well Steakhouse-style cheese bread. I make a large batch of the cheese spread and then wrap it tightly in wax paper for storage in the refrigerator. Roughly 16 slices. Let butter sit until room temperature Combine all ingredients Mix well with an electric mixer Refrigerate Spread about 2 Tbsp of the cheese spread on each slice of bread Cover the bread and heat it at 350 for about 10 minutes Serve warm Mashed Potatoes. With cheese. And garlic. Side dish for 4 people. Cube potatoes, bring to a boil. Boil until fork-tender (about 15 minutes) Drain and mash Add cheese, milk, and sour cream Mix well In a small saute pan, sweat garlic in butter for about 5 minutes Add butter and garlic to potatoes Ciabatta is italian for "slipper" This bread gets its name from the shape of the loaf. It is a chewy bread that is great for dipping in soups or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The dough is too wet to knead by hand, you must use a mixer. This version is made with a sourdough starter. Three 10-inch loafs. Combine all ingredients and mix well Knead in mixer for 3 to 5 minutes Place biga in a greased bowl and allow to rise and fall (10 to 15 hours) Place biga and warm water in mixer bowl and mix with paddle Add milk and mix well Add flour gradually and mix until you need to put in the dough hook Continue adding flour with dough hook until all the flour is mixed in Knead with the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, scraping down the dough as needed Add olive oil and knead for one minute Add salt and knead for one minute Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled (1 to 2 hours) Carefully spoon the dough out onto baking sheets into three loaves, try to avoid deflating the dough as much as possible Allow loaves to proof for 30 to 40 minutes Spray or brush with water Bake at 425 F. for 25 to 30 minutes (light brown crust, internal temperature 190 F.) Chinese style fried rice. Side dish for 4 people. Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat Add eggs and scramble, with salt Remove eggs when firm Heat 2 Tbsp oil Add meat (if any) and cook through Add peas and carrots and cook through Break up cold rice into pan Re-introduce egg When rice heats through and is separated, add soy sauce and mix well Allow soy sauce to cook in for a few minutes Serve warm Cucumber-based salad with a lemon vinaigrette. Side dish for 6 people. Combine all ingredients except olive oil Whisk in olive oil slowly Cut cucumber into half moons Chop tomatoes, red onion, olives, and bell pepper Cut feta into small chunks Toss all ingredients with vinaigrette and serve Baked, seasoned potato chunks. Side dish for 2-4 people. Combine everything but potatoes in a bowl and mix well Cube potatoes (around 1 to 1.5 inch cubes) Stir cubed potatoes into mixture and coat well, let soak a bit if you have the time Spread on a cookie sheet Pour remaining mixture over potatoes Bake at 350 F. for about 35 minutes Use the broiler for the last 5-10 minutes to make the tops of the potatoes extra crispy Bruschetta with lemon, garlic, and parsley Side dish for 4 people. Grill bread for two minutes on each side Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, and salt together When bread is done, remove from grill and rub with garlic clove Brush with lemon/oil mixture Season with salt and pepper Sprinkle chopped parsley Sweet salsa, great with chicken and seafood. Side dish for 4 people. Cube Mango (about 1/3 inch) Combine all ingredients Refrigerate for 3-4 hours Mashed Potatoes. With parmesan cheese. Side dish for 4 people. Cube potatoes, bring to a boil. Boil until fork-tender (about 15 minutes) Drain and mash Add cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper Mix well Potato Salad with eggs, bacon, and dill pickles. Side dish for 4 people. Bring water to a boil. Add whole potatoes (with skins) and boil for 25 minutes Remove potatoes from water Remove potato skins and cube potatoes Mix mayo, parsley, pickles, pickle juice, bacon, worcestershire, mustard Add potato and egg and mix until well coated Season to taste with salt and pepper Soup made with roasted red bell peppers, tomatoes, and vegetables. 4 Servings Brush bell peppers lightly with olive oil Roast bell peppers over flame until they start to char Place bell peppers in a plastic bag to sweat Chop onion, celery, and carrot finely Sweat onion, celery, carrot, and minced garlic Remove skin, stem, and seeds from bell peppers Puree bell pepper with other vegetables and canned tomatoes Heat puree mixture with tomato paste and chicken broth over medium low heat Add cumin, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper When soup is completely heated through, add basil and serve Roasted tomatillo salsa. To reduce the heat, remove the seeds and ribs the serrano chiles. About two cups. Remove tomatillo husks and rinse Coat tomatillos, onions, and chiles with olive oil and season with salt Place in an 8x8 baking dish Roast at 375 for one hour, stirring contents occasionally to prevent charring on top Remove from oven and allow to cool Add cilantro and puree to desired smoothness Refrigerate Home-made salsa (mild). Side dish with chips for up to 8 people. Dice Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Green onions. Put diced ingredients into bowl. Chop cilantro and add to bowl. Add crushed tomatoes, lime zest, and lime juice to bowl. Add fresh garlic (or garlic powder), cumin, ginger, salt, black pepper and chipotle chili powder to taste. Refrigerate for several hours (12 or more if possible) Cheesy potatoes. About 8-12 side servings. Slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick Layer half of potatoes in a baking dish Sprinkle salt, pepper, flour, and half of butter over potatoes Sprinkle half of cheese over potatoes Layer the rest of the potatoes Top with the rest of butter Simmer milk and pour over potatoes Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes at 400 F. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese Continue baking uncovered for 45 minutes. Rice with saffron, bacon, and bell pepper. Side dish for 4 people. In a large pot, cook onion, bell pepper, and bacon until bacon begins to crisp Add rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil Add saffron, salt, and pepper Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the broth (about 15-20 minutes) Sourdough bread made from sourdough starter. If you are planning to use yeast to make the dough rise, this is not the recipe for you. For information on what sourdough starter is and how to get it, see http://www.sourdoughhome.com/. For a guide to making your own starter, see http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm. Makes two loaves. Combine the stater and 1 cup of flour and mix well Add the olive oil, sugar, and salt; continue to mix Add flour until the dough can be handled without being sticky (the amount of flour varies greatly depending on the starter, among other factors) Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test (google it) Form dough into loaves, set in a warm place (if all else fails, turn your oven on for 1 minute and then off again) Cover dough with a damp towel and allow to double in size (about 3 hours for me, but time varies greatly depending on the starter) Place in cold oven (do not preheat), set oven to 350 F. and bake for 30-40 minutes Baked sweet potato chips seasoned with salt and paprika. Goes great with blackened chicken. Makes about 3 large baking sheets worth of chips, but they do not last long. Preheat oven to 450 F. degrees Scrub sweet potatoes to clean them Peel sweet potatoes (optional) Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise Slice as thinly as possible (with knife or food processor) Spread foil over large baking sheet and grease lightly Dip sweet potato slices in melted butter and arrange on baking sheet so that they do not overlap Sprinkle with salt and peanuts Bake at 450 F. for 15 to 20 minutes Sprinkle with paprika and let cool Moist, flavorful rolls--a Thanksgiving tradition. Makes about 24 rolls Set out two eggs until they are at room temperature. Dissolve yeast in warm water (around 110 F., see package directions). You may need to dissolve 1 tsp sugar with yeast and water to get the yeast to foam properly. Add shortening, sugar, sweet potatoes, eggs, and 2 cups of flour. Mix well with mixer. Add salt and continue to mix. Remove mix and stir in the other 5 cups of flour with a spoon. Place dough in a greased bowl and grease the top of the dough. Let dough sit for an hour. Pinch off dough and shape into rolls about the size of a large egg. Place rolls in greased, floured pan. Brush rolls with melted butter. Let rolls rise for 2 hours. Bake at 350 F. until golden brown (about 25 minutes).

Beef in a mushroom sauce over noodles or rice. About 4 servings. Brown meat While browning beef, add chopped onion In a separate sauce pan, saute sliced mushrooms in olive oil Add butter and garlic to mushrooms Sprinkle kosher salt on garlic to help bring out garlic flavor (be careful not to burn garlic) Add flour and cook through When meat is browned, combine meat, mushrooms, and beef broth Add worcestershire sauce, sour cream, and cream of mushroom soup Season with salt and pepper to taste Simmer, simmer, simmer Serve over noodles or rice Seasoning for spicy cajun-seasoned chicken. Increase or decrease cayenne powder to taste. Try this recipe along with sweet potato chips. At least 12 8-oz chicken breasts (seasoning keeps well so you can store it in a dry place for later use). Mix seasoning ingredients Coat chicken breasts (or sprinkle lightly for less spiciness) Grill (or saute in heavy skillet) Spicy cajun-seasoned salmon. Increase or decrease cayenne powder to taste. 4 salmon fillets Mix seasoning ingredients (Saute only) Brush salmon fillets on both sides with 1/4 cup butter Sprinkle seasoning over both sides of salmon (Grill only) grill until done (Saute only) Drizzle half of remaining butter (1/8 cup) over one side of fillets (Saute only) In large, heavey skillet over high heat, cook salmon butter side down for 2-5 minutes. (Saute only) Turn fillets, drizzle remaining butter (Saute only) Cook until fish is blackened and easily flaked with a fork. Tender pork ribs with BBQ sauce. About 2 servings. Rinse and dry ribs Place ribs on aluminum foil Sprinkle ribs with salt Combine other ingredients and coat ribs liberally Fold foil around ribs, leaving one end loose Place on baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 6 hours Mix orange juice, water, and lime Open one end of foil and pour orange/lime mixture into foil pouch Bake for one hour at 350 Reduce heat to 250 and bake for another two hours Remove from oven and drain orange juice mixture from ribs Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a sauce pan over low heat Separate ribs into serving portion sizes (half rack, quarter rack, whatever) Arrange ribs on foil on the baking sheet, meat side down Glaze ribs with BBQ sauce and place under broiler for one to three minutes Turn ribs meat side up, glaze and broil Glaze and broil the meat side two to three more times Serve (we keep baby wipes handy for finger clean-up) Fried chicken. About 3-4 servings. Cut chicken into 8 pieces (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts, you may want to cut each breast in half) Refrigerate chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least 8 hours Mix all ingredients thoroughly Drain buttermilk off of chicken Sprinkle seasoning over both sides of chicken Dredge seasoned chicken in flour Fry at 360 in batches, turning once to cook evenly Fry until cooked through and golden brown (about 8-10 minutes) Dry on a rack and serve warm Great in tacos with tomatillo salsa and red bell pepper. 6 servings Cut pork into cubes (1 to 2 inches) Season pork with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano Place pork in slow cooker, place onions on top of pork Cook for 6 hours on low During the last hour, toss in crushed garlic Remove pork from slow cooker with a slotted spoon (leaving onion and garlic) Shred pork with a fork Serve on tortillas with bell pepper, sour cream, cheese, and tomatillo salsa Catfish with onion and bell pepper. 2 servings Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat Season catfish fillets with salt and pepper, plus a canjun seasoning of your choice (see blackened salmon recipe) Saute catfish on one side for about 4 minutes Flip and continue saute until cooked through Remove catfish from pan and drain Cook bell pepper and onion in pan until onion turns translucent (two to three minutes) Serve catfish with bell pepper and onion Baked chicken with a spicy peanut rub. 3 servings Combine all ingredients into a rub and coat chicken breasts Bake at 350 F. for 35 minutes Baked chicken with a cashew coating. 2 servings Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper Blend all other ingredients Coat chicken and refrigerate for about 2 hours Remove chicken from fridge and bring to room temperature Bake at 350 F. (or grill) until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Chicken prepared with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. 4 servings Cut each chicken breast in half Season chicken with salt and pepper Dredge chicken in flour Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat Brown chicken and remove from pan Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, bell peppers, and garlic Add white wine and reduce for about 3-5 minutes Add tomatoes, broth, and oregano Re-add chicken Simmer for about 30 minutes Add basil at the end Chicken with noodles, mushrooms, onions, etc. Everyone prepares this dish a little differently. This was pretty close to my ideal version, but I'm still working on it. Prepare the sauce and chop all the vegetables before you begin. 4 servings Combine all ingredients in a bag Refrigerate for 4-6 hours Cube chicken breasts Dredge chicken in flour Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat Brown chicken and remove from pan Combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and sesame oil Whisk in corn starch until disolved After removing chicken from the pan, add celery and onion Cook until onion is softened Add mushrooms, bamboo, and bean sprouts Cook until mushrooms and bean sprouts soften Add garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute Re-introduce chicken and add sauce Add cooked noodles Mix until sauce coats chicken and noodles Serve Breaded chicken, stuffed with ham and swiss cheese. Includes an optional mornay sauce (think alfredo). 2 servings Butterfly chicken, then tenderize to about 1/4 inch Season the inside of the chicken with garlic powder, kosher salt, and oregano Add slices of ham and swiss cheese to each chicken breast Fold chicken so that ham and swiss is wrapped inside Mix egg and milk in a bowl with a whisk Mix bread crumbs and parmesan and place in a bowl or on a plate Mix flour and black pepper in a bowl or on a plate Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish Coat the outside of each chicken breast in flour, then egg/milk, then bread crumbs/parmesan Place chicken in oiled baking dish Bake chicken in oven at 350 F. for about 25 minutes Turn chicken over and bake for another 20 minutes When fully baked, remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes Serve with Mornay sauce if desired Mix butter and flour with a whisk over medium low heat until it begins to bubble Add milk and heat Add parmesan when milk is warm Add garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper Stir constantly to avoid bubbling/boiling When the sauce has thickened and is well mixed you can reduce the heat to very low until ready to serve Chicken gumbo, serve with rice. About 4 servings. Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper Coat in flour Put olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat Brown chicken, about 10 minutes Remove chicken and set aside Pour off excess fat from the large pot Combine flour and butter to make a roux Cook roux to a dark brown (about 30 minutes) Add vegetables and cook for about 2-3 minutes Return the chicken to the pot Add chicken stock and simmer for about 30 minutes Add sausage and garlic and simmer until sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes Add file powder and allow to thicken for a few minutes Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste Serve with rice Italian breaded chicken, baked, and covered with red sauce and cheese. I prefer to make my own red sauce (see my spaghetti sauce recipe). The quality of the red sauce will make a big difference in the taste of the meal. 2 chicken breasts, easy to increase recipe for more servings. You need enough red sauce (marinara, spaghetti sauce, whatever) to cover all the chicken breasts in a baking dish. You need enough cheese to cover each chicken breast. Start red sauce on medium heat, reduce to low when it is hot Tenderize chicken breasts (should be about half an inch thick) Sprinkle garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt on both sides of chicken Whisk the egg and milk together Dip each chicken breast in flour, remove excess flour Dip each chicked breast in egg mixture, let excess egg drip off Coat each chicken breast with bread crumbs Heat olive oil in a skillet with medium heat Brown each side of the chicken breasts in skillet (chicken should be mostly cooked by the time you are done with this step) Place browned chicken breasts in the baking dish Sprinkly cheese liberally over chicken breasts Bake at 350 F. for 15 minutes Pour the red sauce over the chicken breasts and serve Penne pasta served in a red bell pepper tomato sauce, topped with grilled chicken and italian sausage. I have never measured ingredients for this recipe. 4-6 Servings Season chicken on both sides and start grilling Start grilling italian sausage Start boiling pasta and heating sauce Chicken and sausage should finish grilling a few minutes before pasta is ready Cut sausage into chunks Cut chicken into chunks or strips Serve pasta covered with sauce, topped with chicken and sausage Heat spaghetti sauce Add chopped tomato, olives, bell pepper, and chili powder Let simmer Pan fried crab with bell peppers and other seasonings. The crab cakes fall apart very easily. The recipe uses egg and mayo to bind, but this is generally insufficient. So expect the crab cakes to fall apart. More importantly, expect them to be yummy. The cayenne powder and chili powder is not as hot as it sounds. I like to serve this with steamed rice and vegetables. About 4 servings for entre, about 8 for appetizer. Chop red and yellow bell pepper very fine (can use food processor with low pulse) Saute red and yellow bell pepper in 1 Tbsp of the vegetable oil Combine garlic with red and yellow bell pepper, sprinkle a bit of Kosher salt on the garlic to bring out flavor Reduce heat and add crab meat Mix crab and bell pepper and then place in a mixing bowl Add mayo, old bay, egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, marjoram, parsley, cayenne powder, and chili powder Mix well Refrigerate for about 20 minutes Shape crab mixture into 4 or 8 cakes and refrigerate for at least an hour Pan fry cakes in about 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil Remove from pan and place on paper towels to dry Serve with creole mayo Heat mayo over low heat Add all other ingredients and mix well Remove from heat when well mixed Sandwiches with roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, and dill pickles. The brine adds flavor to the pork and helps to keep it moist while roasting. 4 Servings Heat water to simmering Dissolve salt and brown sugar in water Allow water to cool completely Add lime juice Refrigerate tenderloin in brine for about 12 hours Combine dry ingredients to form a rub Remove pork from brine Coat pork with olive oil and then apply rub Roast at 425 F. until it reaches 140 degrees (about 20-25 minutes) Allow pork to rest for 10 minutes before carving Butter sandwich rolls and toast them (under broiler, or on a grill or griddle) Apply mayo and mustard to toasted rolls Add 1/4 of pork, 2 ham slices, 2 cheese slices, and 2 pickle slices to each sandwich Slice diagonally and serve A one-pan pork chop dish with a dijon mustard cream sauce. 4 Servings Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat Season pork chops with salt and pepper Brown pork chops on both sides Remove pork chops to a platter Pour off excess fat from the pan Add onion to pan and cook for about one minute Deglaze the pan with white wine Add chicken stock Return pork chops to the pan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, the sauce should reduce by half Add cream After about two minutes add mustard and parsley Serve Fried catfish with lemon and garlic. 2 Servings Combine lemon juice, parsley, and garlic Marinate fillets for about 15 minutes Combine all breading ingredients Dredge catfish fillets in breading Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side Serve immediately Faux-chinese dish, breaded chicken in a soy sauce glaze. The general in question is called Tso, Tzo, Cho, etc. This dish can be spicy or mild depending on how the peppers are used. For mild, remove the seeds and white membranes from the peppers before cooking them. You can increase or decrease the amount of egg and cornstarch to adjust the breading to taste. About 3 servings. Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk Set aside until needed for chicken Combine eggs and corn starch with a wire whisk Cube chicken breast Coat chicken cubes in egg mixture Heat about half an inch of oil in skillet or wok Cook chicken until just cooked through (move constantly for the first couple minutes or chicken may stick to skillet) Remove chicken and place on paper towels Chop peppers (remove seeds and white membrane to reduce spiciness) Remove all but about a tablespoon of oil from the skillet Cook peppers, but do not burn Re-introduce chicken and cook until golden brown Add sauce Sauce will combine with oil, carmelize, and thicken after a few minutes of cooking Serve when sauce has thickened to a glaze Beef and pasta in a paprika tomato sauce. About 4 servings. Coat beef in flour, discard excess Brown beef in olive oil over medium heat (just to carmelize, not to cook through) Add beef and all other ingredients except pasta to a crock pot Cook on high for 3 hours Cook pasta until it is a bit underdone Add pasta to the crock pot and cook for 5-10 minutes Grilled chicken. Mango salsa. Together. It's good. Serves two. Bring water to a simmer, add salt, and cool Add orange juice, lime juice, black pepper Refrigerate chicken in brine for 4-6 hours Remove chicken from brine and season with salt and pepper Grill chicken Serve with Mango Salsa (see recipe) Grilled pork tenderloin with an apricot soy sauce glaze. Three to four servings. Combine preserves, honey, soy sauce, cider vinegar, and pepper flakes Bring glaze to a simmer, then let cool Separate glaze in half Soak pork tenderloin in glaze for at least an hour, up to four hours Grill tenderloin for about 6-8 minutes, then flip and grill for around another 6-8 minutes Remove when the internal temperature reaches 140 Let pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving Lamb burgers. Four quarter pound burgers. We serve with ranch dressing, but you could make a tzatziki sauce. Mix all ingredients Form four patties Grill Serve Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat Saute onion and red bell pepper until softened Serve onion, bell pepper, and (uncooked) tomato with burgers Garlic-seasoned chicken stuffed with cheese and tomatoes and covered in a tastey marinara sauce. Try it with red bell peppers at least once (I don't generally like them myself, but it really makes the dish complete). I have never measured ingredients for this recipe. 2 chicken breasts, easy to increase recipe for more servings. If making 2 servings you'll need enough marinara sauce for 4 spaghetti servings (enough for chicken and pasta for each serving). Butterfly the chicken breasts (slice nearly in half, leaving connected on one side so that it can open horizontally) Open chicken breast and lay flat, tenderize with meat tenderizer Season each inside and outside with garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt (to taste) Fill inside of chicken breast with cheese, sliced tomatoes, red bell pepper, olives, and minced garlic Season inside with italian seasonings Sprinkle cheese in the bottom of a glass baking dish Place folded chicken breasts in baking dish Garnish chicken breasts with tomatoes, bell peppers, and olives Sprinkle cheese over chicken breasts Season with italian seasonings Bake at 375 until chicken is done (about 35 to 40 minutes) Start sauce and noodles about 15 minutes before chicken should be done Serve covered in marinara sauce with spaghetti noodles (or other pasta) Heat spaghetti sauce Add chopped tomato, olives, and diced bell pepper Let simmer Beef and mushroom Lasagna. Prepare beef, sauce, and cheese mixture, then assemble. About 4-6 people. Brown ground beef Add onion and cook until onion begins to turn clear Mix all ingredients thoroughly Mix all ingredients over medium heat When sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish Place four noodles over sauce Spread half of cheese mixture over noodles, then all of the beef mixture, and more sauce Place four noodles over sauce Spread half of cheese mixture over noodles, then the sliced mushrooms, and more sauce Place four noodles over sauce Add a final layer of sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the top Cover and bake at 375 F. for 40 minutes (put foil or a cookie sheet under the dish to catch anything that spills out) Uncover and bake at 400 F. for 20 minutes (until cheese browns) Italian style meatballs. About 18 meatballs, 1 1/2 oz each. Mix all ingredients well with fingers (do not squeeze meat mixture) Chill for about two hours (up to 24) Separate meat into 1 1/2 oz meatballs Shape into round meatballs Coat meatballs with bread crumbs Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F. A moist and flavorful meatloaf. Bakes for about 1 1/2 hours total. About 8 to 10 servings. Saute onion and red bell pepper in olive oil Add chopped garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt Remove onions, bell pepper, and garlic from heat and allow to cool Mix all other ingredients, adding the sauted mixture after it has cooled Bake at 350 F. for about an hour Prepare sauce (below) Pour half the sauce over meatloaf Bake for another 15 minutes Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf Bake until center is at 160 F. (about 15 more minutes) Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve Combine all ingredients Heat on stovetop over low heat You can let the sauce cool between the first and second pourings Minestrone. About 6 servings. Heat celery, carrot, potato, and onion in olive oil over medium heat until onions turn clear Combine vegetables and chicken stock over medium heat until it begins to boil Add remaining ingredients Cook pasta until just underdone Drain pasta and add to soup Heat for about 3 more minutes, then serve Chicken smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce. Add egg noodles or rice. About 4 servings (or 2 without noodles). Season chicken with salt and pepper (or other poultry seasoning) Coat chicken with flour Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat Brown chicken in skillet Place chicken in a greased baking dish Pour chicken broth over chicken Cover and bake at 350 F. for about 40 minutes (until juices run clear) Coat bottom of a skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat Cook onion until translucent Add mushrooms, garlic, and wine Cook until mushrooms are softened Reduce heat and add sour cream, then heavy cream Simmer Serve over chicken with egg noodles or rice Baked chicken with BBQ sauce. 3-6 Servings Heat water to a simmer to dissolve salt Add cold water to salt solution Brine chicken in salty water in the fridge for 4-6 hours Mix all ingredients and heat gently Place chicken in a baking dish Bake chicken at 400 F. for 25 minutes Pour liquid from the pan Coat the chicken with BBQ Sauce Bake the chicken for another 20-25 minutes Home-made pizza. Recipe includes pizza dough and sauce. The crust is medium thickness. Two 12-inch pizzas, or one cookie-sheet sized pizza. Serves four. Dissolve sugar and yeast in half of warm water (propably around 100 F., check yeast directions) Let sit for 5-10 minutes; if yeast does not bubble and start to froth, toss it out and start over Dissolve garlic powder in the other half of the warm water Combine dissolved yeast and garlic powder Mix in 2 cups of flour, should form a thick batter Add salt and olive oil Mix in remaining flour until batter forms a dough that can be kneaded by hand (may be slightly sticky, but easy to handle), you may need more or less flour Knead dough for about 15-20 minutes Roll dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl Grease top of the dough and cover Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours Knock dough down and knead until it is at room temperature Flatten dough into two 12-inch pans or one large cookie sheet, leaving the edges slightly thicker than the rest of the dough Cover dough and let it rise in pans while preparing pizza sauce and toppings Prepare sauce Brush edges of crust with olive oil (optional) Spread sauce over pizza dough Add any vegetables and mushrooms (anything that might dry out in the oven heat) Add cheese blend (I prefer cheddar and jack with a bit of parmesan) Add meats (anything that needs to carmelize in the oven heat) Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes (crust should be golden brown, cheese should be melted and slightly browned in some spots) Mix all ingredients over medium heat until it begins to bubble Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least 15 minutes Smoked pork shoulder with BBQ sauce. The pork needs to be brined overnight, and cooks the next day for around 5-6 hours. I don't bother with a dry rub before smoking since the pork, smoke, and BBQ sauce tend to dominate the flavor either way. The BBQ sauce is a work in progress and all measurements are approximate. About 6 servings. Heat 1/2 c. of water to dissolve salt Remove from heat and add 2 c. of cold apple cider Refrigerate pork in cider/salt liquid over night, add more water if necessary to completely cover the pork Soak wood chips for several hours Bring charcoal up to temperature in a grill Arrange hot coals on one side of the grill and place foil under the grate on the other side Adjust the grill vents to get the internal temperature between 150 and 225 (lower is better) Place wood chips over coals and the pork over the foil Smoke the pork with indirect heat for about 4 hours Add brickets and wood chips as necessary--I start with twelve brickets, adding wood chips and six brickets every hour or so When you are nearly ready to remove the pork from the grill, reserve 1/2 c. of the apple cider for the sauce and pour the remainder of the apple cider into a large pot, bringing it to a simmer Remove the pork from the grill and place it in the pot, adding water as necessary to cover the pork Cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour until the pork pulls away easly with a fork Remove the pork from the pot, cover with foil and let sit for about 20 minutes Pull the pork with a fork and serve (no sauce, in sauce or sauce on the side) Combine all ingredients over low heat Simmer for about 15 minutes Creamy rice dish. Add shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, or whatever else sounds good. It takes about an hour to prepare. Four servings Heat chicken broth and white wine to a simmer In a four quart pan, sweat shallots in butter Add rice and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium low heat, stirring frequently Add enough hot chicken broth to cover the rice completely Stir frequently until the broth is almost completely absorbed Repeat adding broth and stirring until all the broth is in the rice pan When nearly all the broth is absorbed, add any other ingredients that need to be heated through (veggies or whatever) Add parmesan, lemon zest, and nutmeg Serve Cornish game hens, oven roasted with a mustard rosemary flavor. Two Make sure game hens are well thawed (so that they will absorb the mustard and rosemary flavor) Combine all ingredients (except hens) in a bowl and mix well Rub mixture over hens Bake at 375 for 75 minutes (cover with foil if they start to brown too much before they are done cooking) Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes Eat with your bare hands A hearty sweet potato soup with linguica and spinach. About 3 servings. In a large soup pot, brown sausage in olive oil Remove sausage and add onion Mince garlic with salt Add garlic/salt to the pot, cook for about 1 minute, stirring often Add chicken stock, sliced sweet potato, potato, and garlic to the pot Cover and bring to a boil Simmer until potatoes are soft (about 20-30 minutes) Use a masher or immersion blender to mash up the potatoes in the soup Return the sausage to the soup and add spinach Simmer for about 5 minutes Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve Scallops seared in butter and olive oil. Serve with pasta and the lemon garlic sauce. 4 servings. Prepare lemon garlic sauce and let simmer Start heating water for pasta Pat scallops dry Season scallops with salt and pepper When the water is boiling, add pasta Heat olive oil and butter in a skill over medium high heat When butter starts to smoke add the scallops Cook scallops on each side for about two minutes (there should be a golden brown ring around the edges of the scallops) The pasta should finish cooking right about the same time that the scallops are ready Serve scallops immediately with pasta and lemon garlic sauce Shrimp and sausage in a sauce, served over rice. Serves 4