Some of My Favorite Recipes

Last modified:  14-Feb-10 17:27

Creating varied and healthful sustenance for my family is my passion!  I've gone down many paths over the years looking for "the-right-thing-to-do".  Finally, now, I've found it.  And an important part of that is my baking...especially my sourdough bread making.

Those that know me, know how I cook.  I use only fresh, natural, minimally processed ingredients and do most everything "by hand."  That having been said, I welcome good or favorite recipes from anybody.  You're all welcome to send or submit your favorite recipes to me.  But any recipe that starts out with, "Take a box of <whatever> mix...", or, "Open 3 cans of prepared ...", will never qualify.  Nothing goes into my cooking unless I can say and write (without reference to a chemistry dictionary) the names of all of the ingredients.

Further, don't preach to me about "low-fat" or "cholesterol reducing", etc...  By and large, all of that garbage was one huge fraud!  You can read about some of that here.  Our "grandcestors" didn't have any of that, and by-and-large, they were healthier (medical advances not withstanding) than we are.  A growing body of research is showing us everyday that this entire range of nonsense was and is just that.  Nonsense!  And if I'm wrong, I'd be most interested in having you, gentle reader, send me some verifiable PROOF to the contrary.

NB:  Someone's OPINION does NOT constitute proof!  I want peer-reviewed scientific studies.  Absent those, until otherwise contradicted by hard facts, my statement stands.

I was the widely acclaimed master of low-fat, low salt, high-carbohydrate, and related cooking.  The most recent information available today belies those badly flawed "theories".  Unfortunately, all of those "junk science" theories became so ingrained in our culture and so ubiquitously used and referenced that folks think they're real and have merit.  I spent more than 2-decades faithfully cooking and eating that garbage.  I got to eat nearly flavor and characterless foods, exercised regularly, and still packed on the pounds!  When we went back to "normal" foods, nothing happened...except that we all felt better, and enjoyed life and a good butter-fried egg with bacon again!

Look!  I'm not writing these pages to change or alter your way of life.  I could care less what *you* do to and with yourself or your family.  I've learned a thing or two over the years, and now cook towards the best benefit for my family and myself.  Make your stuff either with or without anything you like.  But when you've spent 20 years cooking very low-fat, and you still strain at your belt, there's gotta be another reason.  When several family members had to have their gall bladders removed (the organ that stores bile for "fats processing") I started to research fats and their related lipids a bit more intently.  Obviously I can't say that these are cause-and-effect related.  It could certainly be simple hereditary.  OTOH; perhaps a hereditary proclivity to gall bladder disease was aggravated by our low-fat diet.  Who can say for sure?  I certainly can't say, and nobody with any qualifications has had the "brass pair" to say it for me either!  So we've reverted back to an old-fashioned diet.  I do my best to do things like my grandparents used to do them.  They all lived into their 70's, 80's, and a few even into their 90's; so they must have done at least something right... 

If you really care to find out what's really "so" in nutrition, start with:  "Eat, Drink, and be Merry", by Dr. Dean Adel.  Read.  Analyze.  Think.  Then apply what you learned to yourself--TV pundits and other self-styled experts be damned!

The recipes that follow, don't care about your personal health and nutrition peccadilloes, they are only here to serve as examples of excellent cooking--as far as I'm concerned.  The rest of you can find your own diamonds to mine...

A guide for getting around in my various recipes.


A variety of bread recipes:

My princess, my dearest granddaughter Kristine's most favorite recipe:  How to bake a Dutch Baby.  If that's too much work, you can always make pancakes or waffles!


Meats:

How to "Brine" meats, or how to "Corn" meats (two different processes).  Use some of that knowledge to make your own Corned Beef, or, if that's not spiffy enough for you, how about some slow-cooked Juniper Beef?  And, as long as you have that Corned Beef or Pastrami, you might want to make The PERFECT Reuben Sandwich!

In general, I grill my meats (all kinds) with my "Fire-Spice".  See: Salmon, chicken, or beef for unique specifics.  Ever have Cajun Style Blackened Fish?

Make a unique and different Spicy Pork in Clay roast, or this simple Honey-mustard Pork Loin.

My old fashioned Sausage Gravy...and what would that gravy be without my famous Buttermilk Biscuits?

Do you like Barbecue?  If yes, try this traditional Carolina Pulled-Pork Barbecue.  Or, you could learn how to make and/or grill "Brats"!

Need a change of pace, perhaps an intimate dinner for two?  Try my Beef Wellington with Madeira sauce.

Enjoy Bob's Killer Pork Chops!

For a different treat, try my Mediterranean Chicken Salad.

The fall/winter blues got you down?  Make some of my delicious Pork Medallions in orange to bring some sunshine into your day.

Delicious Sticky Beef Ribs.


Fishes:

For a change of pace, try my Grilled Salmon with Spinach, or my Spinach & Shrimp Salad. 

Or you could make Salmon, Bouillabaisse, or my scrumptious Seafood with Saffron.  You might also find my Orange-Chili Fish to your liking. 

For something different yet easy, try my Shrimp Scampi

Making crab or other shell-fish?  Do you like Zatarains® "Crab Boil"?  Then you'll love my seafood boil, or my Spicy Seafood Boil for a crowd!


Soups:

Hot, hearty soups!  One of my favorite things to make--especially in the winter:


Salads:

Salads!  Something we eat a lot of...


Vegetables:

One of our very favorites!  Simple, easy, and delightful to eat:  Braised vegetables, or for those that can stand a few more carbs, maybe some Scalloped Potatoes; YUMMY!  Or you can treat yourself to some Fried Tomatoes and Gravy.

Old country Onion and Cabbage cakes.  And speaking of onions, how about some lovely caramelized onions?

Various Tapenade recipes, as well as my favorite mother in law's Pepper Relish.

You can also enjoy my Green Beans in Cream Cheese, Green Beans w/Lemon & Pine Nuts, Green Beans with Mushrooms, as well as my Potatoes Au Gratin, Bratkartoffeln (German Fried Potatoes) or Iron Skillet Potatoes with your meal.

For a real treat, try Susan's Spicy Pickled Green Beans or my Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage.


Cookies & treats:

What's not to like about cookies?  Oma's Christmas cookies, or you can try my Spicy Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, or Lemon Cookies.

Well, not exactly cookies and most certainly **NOT** low-carb.  Fortunately, I only make them once in a while...mostly for my dear granddaughter:  my private recipe cheese cake.

Got a sweet tooth?  Try my Lemon Curd, or this Plum Kissed Pear Jam, or my favorite Pear Compote.

For something really easy AND tasty, try some Apple Crisp 1, Apple Crisp 2, Apple Crisp 3, Apple Crisp 4; my banana bread; or maybe a lovely Blueberry Crumb Cake or Blueberry Cobbler is more to your liking?

Tammy's Pumpkin Pie (starts with:  Obtain 1 small pumpkin) and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Like Biscotti?  Then you'll love my holiday colored Orange, Cranberry, Pistachio Biscotti with your coffee or cappuccino.

Into making your own jams & jellies?  How about some fresh, delicious Strawberry Freezer Jam?


Drink:


Meals:

This is a new section that still needs to be fleshed out.  I've added it for a friend...and will fill it out as and when I can.

Our favorite chicken meal with beans, salsa, and fire-roasted tortillas.  Or maybe you'll enjoy my Mexican style Pot Roast Tacos.

Or perhaps you'd care for my easy, delicious seafood with saffron over pasta?  Not in the mood for seafood tonight?  Then try my simple and easy Auzzy out-back inspired Alice Springs Chicken recipe.


Other Things:

Do you like Mexican food as much as I do?  Then you'll love learning how to cook perfect Mexican beans or Chipotle Black Beans, or make Kica's wonderful salsa, my famous pico de gallo, Chili Verde, Chili Colorado, Spanish Rice, or regular rice.

You say you want beans but you're not into Mexican today?  Then try my scrumptious Boston Baked Beans.

My Neapolitan Spaghetti Sauce, as well as another quick and easy spaghetti sauce.

Garam Masala is as integral to southeast Asian cooking as Worcestershire Sauce is to European cooking.

Make your own Barbeque or seafood sauce; each of those recipes are derived from this basic Ketchup recipe.  Make absolutely smashing BBQ ribs, and BBQ beef sandwiches.  And speaking of Barbeque, here's how to test your steak to check how "done" it is.

My tante Gerda's spaetzle.

How to make Phyllo Dough.

Delicious, easy to make Spinach Quiche or just a plain, delicious, soft-cooked egg.

Working out?  How about some Wheat-berries and Cream?

Enjoy a fine Madeira sauce, Rossini Sauce, or Red Wine Sauce with your meats; or this Sherry Mushroom Cream Sauce over your fish.

Eggs!  Every which way you might want them:  Deviled, Pickled, or just plain how to cook 'em.

Ever wonder how to properly season your cast iron pan?

All about ovens...


Coming soon:

My Fettuccini Verde

Beef Stroganoff

A few wonderful fish recipes from Patty McDuffy, the lady that runs REC.FOOD.RECIPES.  A delightful resource and a wonderful source of recipe inspiration...

Finally, here's a link to an interesting page about foods and their value to the human digestion.

Replacement for "Crystallized Ginger" for my dear mother-in-law.

How to make Amish Friendship bread...and other things that will delight and amaze you...

Test-Recipe#1,


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