Richard Eppinger Sweet Pepper Salsa 7 cups tomatoes, chopped with seeds and skin removed 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped with seeds removed 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped with seeds removed 1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped with seeds removed 1 tbsp chipotle pepper, minced ½ cup yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp cilantro, minced 1 tsp salt ½ cup vinegar 3 drops pepper sauce Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Stir mixture and bring to a boil; then simmer for 10 minutes. Follow normal procedures for canning, if canning. Makes approximately 3½ pints. I used NJ Beefsteak tomatoes with a couple of plum tomatoes thrown in. Rough estimate - 5 pounds of tomatoes yields 7 cups of chopped tomatoes. Chili Colorado with Pork Shoulder 5 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1½ chunks salt/pepper and cooking oil 1 can Beer (ale) 2 onions, chopped 3 tbsp Chili powder 2 tsp Chipotle peppers, minced 2 cups tomatoes, diced with seeds and skin removed 6 cloves Garlic, minced 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Oregano, ground 1 tsp Cumin, ground 1 tsp Coriander, ground Season meat and brown in skillet. Drain off fat. Transfer to crock pot. Combine rest of ingredients in a large bowl. Stir mixture and pour over meat in crock pot. Cover and cook for approximately 5½ to 6 hours at high or 11 to 12 hours at low. Draw off any floating fat and serve. I got the original recipe from Country Home magazine. It is intended to be slow cooked (crock pot).The original recipe did not call for tomatoes. I substituted jalapeno peppers and more cumin when I served this during our Saturday tying sessions. For TennClave, I doubled the recipe but only used 1 can of beer. Then I froze it to bring it down. When I heated it down there, I added another can of beer for ease of cooking. Top Dale and Linda Bonney Apple Walnut Bundt Cake Ingredients 2 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup orange juice 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. In a medium bowl, combine the diced apples, 1 tablespoon white sugar and 1-teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups white sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla and eggs. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts. 3. Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the apple mixture. Alternate layers of batter and filling, ending with batter 4. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Top Byard Miller Red Eggs 2 Doz Eggs 2 Cans Red Beets 1 Large Vidalia or Sweet Onion 2-3 Bay Leaves 2 Tbl Sugar Black Pepper White Vinegar Here's the deal...it took me awhile to figure out how to boil eggs...especially fresh ones...;^) If you know how to do it more successfully please pass along the method. I throw them (well gently) into a pan and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil and reduce heat so they simmer for about 10 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and run cold faucet water over them for a few minutes. Now pour off the water...put a cover on the pot...and shake those buggers hard! Fill the pot again with cold water and put then aside for a bit. The shells should almost fall off after that ordeal. Slice the onion(s) into fairly wide half circles. Put the juice from the beets into a sauce pan, add the sugar, and heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. In a gallon pickle jar layer the peeled eggs... beets... onions...etc. Add the sweetened beet juice, bay leaves and a tablespoon or two or three of black peppercorns (coarse crack is better)... cover the works with plain old white vinegar. Put the jug in the fridge and wait at least 24 hours before the first taste. They just get better after that! While we're on the Penna Dutch train, I might as well coax you into trying another favorite. Cucumber Slaw 3-4 regular old cukes 1-2 regular old onions 1 tablespoon sugar White vinegar Drizzle of milk Salt and pepper Peel and thinly slice the cukes. Salt them and squeeze them to bruise. Add thinly sliced onions, the sugar, 3 or 4 glurgs of vinegar and a drizzle of milk. Add lots of freshly ground pepper. Put the whole batch in the fridge for a few hours...and you will be amazed by the crispy concoction that results. Enjoy...byard Top Agust Gudmundsson Deep Fried Oreos A perfect dessert with no vitamins, plenty of calories and wonderfully decadent. Simple to make and the shock value of saying "Deep Fried Oreo" is enjoyable. Make a batter of pancake mix, I used Aunt Jemima complete so I only needed to add water. Keep it a little thick, but not lumpy. Heat oil (Crisco or similar) to around 300-350. Use a thermomoeter, and be careful some oils burn above 350. Dip Oreo in pancake batter, drop into oil, cook on each side until golden brown (use tongs to flip over). If your doing it at home, place on a rack to allow excess oil to drip off and cool. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar, eat warm, consult a cardiologist. Top Sheldon and Linda Seale Linda’s Quick Salmon Chowder 2 tbsp margarine or butter 2 medium leeks, sliced (2½-3 cups) 2 cups frozen hash-brown potatoes 2 cups frozen corn 1 cup water 3 cups milk ¼ cup all purpose flour 1 can (14½-oz.) salmon, bones and skin removed, flaked or 16 oz. fresh poached salmon, flaked 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish Melt margarine in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add leeks (note 1); cook and stir for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add potatoes, corn and water; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour; blend until smooth. Add to vegetable mixture; cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Add salmon, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Cook until thoroughly heated. If the chowder gets too thick, thin with a little more milk. Sprinkle each serving with parsley, if desired. Sheldon’s notes If desired, the chowder can be seasoned with your favourite hot sauce. Tobasco™ will serve but any red, green or yellow hot sauce may suffice. During NEC/X, I used about 4 oz. of Lottie’s authentic Bajan hot sauce, from Barbados. You will need to experiment a little to get the flavour you like best. Note 1 - Leeks are a member of the onion family and the national symbol of Wales. Wash them thoroughly and include some of the green part in your chowder. Top Scott Singleton Roasted Vidalia Onions On average I serve one onion per person, though I'm a huge onion fan so it may be overkill for some of you timid eaters. ) (per Onion) 1 Vidalia onion 3-4 tbsp. salted butter 1 tsp. Real beef base (paste type) 2 sheets of 2'x2' aluminum foil Follow these instructions for each onion to serve Peel and clean onion, then cut down into quarters making sure you do NOT cut all the way through the onion. Place the onion on two sheets of aluminum foil and cup the foil up and around the sides of the onion. The foil needs to be large enough to come over the top of the onion and be twisted into a small handle. For each onion I use approximately 3-4 Tbsp. of butter, softened. Slice the butter into thin slivers and force down between each of the quartered slices. Add the beef base evenly on top of the butter. Wrap up the rest of the onion making a handle out of top wrap. Place in charcoal fire, coals, or alternately on a gas grill. I prefer charcoal that's been burnt down quite a bit. The fire can't be too hot or the butter will burn. Roast approximately 30-40 minutes. When done the onions should be translucent and have no crunch to them. Be careful opening the aluminum wraps. Serve hot, great on Burgers as sides to steaks, etc. Top Ben and Betsy Benoit Chicken and Andouille Sausage Ragu (Serves 6) 9 Chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 4 pounds), well trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound Chicken Andouille sausage, hot Italian sausage or other fully cooked spicy smoked sausage, cut into 3/4 inch-thick rounds 3 medium carrots, peeled, diced 2 large onions, chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh marjoram (from about 2 large bunches) 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 cup dry white wine 2 14 -1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice 2 cups low-salt chicken broth Campanelle Pasta with Parsley Butter (see recipe below) Place chicken thighs, skin side down, on work surface. Using sharp knife, cut each thigh lengthwise along each side of bone, forming 2 pieces of meat (some meat may remain on bones) reserve bones. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken and bones with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sauté in pot until brown, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to bowl. Add sausage to pot and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with chicken. Add carrots and onions to pot and sauté until onions are tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup marjoram, garlic, lemon peel and crushed red pepper; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juices and broth; bring to boil. Add chicken, bones, sausage, and any accumulated juices from bowl. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken and sausage to bowl; discard bones. Boil liquid in pot until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup of marjoram. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken and sausage to pot. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Re-warm over medium heat before serving.) Spoon Ragu over Campanelle Pasta with Parsley Butter. Campanelle Pasta with Parsley Butter Parsley Butter 1 cup (packed) coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature Finely chop parsley, lemon peel and garlic in processor. Add butter and process until well blended. (Alternate method) Melt butter on low heat; add lemon peel, parsley and garlic. Keep warm. Season parsley butter to taste with salt and pepper. (It too can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using or better yet, heat on low heat.) Pasta Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl. Add parsley butter; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bon Apettito! Top Dianne Ray DIANNE'S WAFFLES 1/2 cup warm water 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet 2 cups milk 1 stick butter 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 to 3 cups plain flour (it depends on altitude, higher needs more flour) Pinch of soda 2 eggs, beaten Pour warm water into large bowl. Add yeast, but do not stir. Warm milk, and add butter till melted. Let milk mixture come to room temperature. Whisk water and yeast together after yeast has had time to activate. about 10 minutes. Add milk and butter mixture to yeast mixture and mix well. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, mix well. Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups sifted flour. I use 2 1/2 in Atlanta, but 3 cups is needed in Cashiers because of the higher altitude. You might just have to experiment on the first batch to see what works in your area. After adding flour, mix well and cover loosely with a towel. Let sit overnight. The next morning, add a pinch of salt and 2 beaten eggs. Mix well. Heat waffle iron and add waffle mix to waffle iron. Serve with real maple syrup, dust with powered sugar, top with fresh fruit in season - or all of the above. Bon Appetit Top Kathy Johnson Corn Chip Tacos 1lb ground beef 1t sugar 1t salt 1-3 T chili powder 1/4 t pepper 3 dashes of Tobasco Sauce 1t oregano 1/2 cup precooked rice 1t cumin 1t garlic powder 1 8oz can tomato sauce 1 6oz can tomato paste 3 6oz cans of water 1/2 chopped onion Fry ground beef, add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 30min on low, stiring occasionally. Serve over Frito's Corn Chips. Top with grated cheese, lettuce, chopped onion, sliced olives, sour cream, chopped tomatos or anything else you might like as a topper. Dump Cake 1 can of pie cherries 1 can of crushed pineapple 1 boxed white or yellow cake mix 1 cup of butter melted In an oblong baking pan mix the cherries and the pineapple, pour the cake mix over the top of the fruit. Melt the butter and pour it over the top of the cake mix. Bake in 350* oven for about an hour, or until the top is nice and brown. Spoon onto plates. Top Marty Seldon Marty's Kosher Pickles Get an empty 1 gallon plastic or glass mayonnaise jug or jar fom your friendly local restaurant. 2 TBLSP Pickling Spice 1 Small Bunch, Fresh Dill 4 TBLSP Coarse Kosher Salt 4 Cups Water (About) 5 Pounds Pickling Cucumbers, small, wash and drain 16-20 Cloves Fresh Garlic, smash a litle and peel and slice the large cloves Make up a brine in the jug with 4 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt and about 4 cups of water. Put the pickles in the jug in vertical rows. At each row and on top add some dill, pickling spices and garlic. Fill the jug. Run a dull knife around to remove air bubbles. Cover the top with the lid and a layer of plastic wrap. Close tightly. Store in a cool place for two weeks rotating the jug/jar every few days. Can also turn it upside down. May get some expansion liquid. Wipe off and turn the jar. Pickles get better as they age a bit. Top Donald Yelton JAMBALAYA (from the French 'jambon' meaning Ham, The African 'ya' meaning rice and the Acadian where everything is 'a la'. Pronounced djum-buh-'lie'-yuh.) SPICES 1 BAY LEAF ½ t THYME ¼ t CUMIN ¼ t ALL SPICE ½ t CAYENNE 1 t SALT 1 t PEPPER (*see below*) ½ c PARSLEY (fresh) 2 T GARLIC (fresh) MEAT 1 LB HAM 1 LB ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE (KIELBASA) 2 LB CHICKEN (cooked) 1 LB POPCORN SHRIMP OTHER ¼ STICK BUTTER 4 T FLOUR 2 C RICE 2 CAN BEEF BROTH 1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH 2 C ONION MIX (*see below*) 1 CAN CREOLE TOMATOES (or Mexican) 1 C CELERY 2 C BELL PEPPER (*see below*) Prep: This is how I make it for 'claving, if you do it at home you don't need to put it in baggies or freeze it. Dice the Meat (except shrimp) into bite sized pieces and put seperate ziplock bags. Clean the Shrimp and bag. Finely chop the Peppers, Onions, and Celery and put with the Parsley and Garlic in a ziplock bag. Put in all bags in the freezer till needed. Mix the all the Dry spices and put in a container. Pre-measure the Flour, Butter, and Rice and store seperately. Cooking: In a large pot, brown the sausage. Add the ham. When the ham is heated, add the butter and melt it then add the flour and cook till it turns light brown (light roux). Add the Broth and Rice and bring to a simmer. Add all the other ingredients EXCEPT the Shrimp. Cook till the rice is done. Add the shrimp and cook about 3-5 minutes more, till they are done. Eat. Lagniappe:(Cajun for a 'a little something extra') Onion mix: 1 each Yellow, Vidialia, Red, and White onions, each about the smae size. Add one bunch of green onions. Finely chop all and then mix together. Use the amount the reciept calls for and freeze the rest for other stuff. Pepper Corns: The pepper I use is a blend of White, Green, Pink, and Black peppercorns that can be found in most cooking stores. It adds a lot of flavor without making the dish too hot for the wimps. :) Bell Peppers: I use equal portions of Green Red and any other types of bell pepper just like the onions and peppercorns. Each has a distinctly different flavor that enhances any dish. Try them in your favorite food. You'll be quite pleased. Top John "Salty" Stines Chicken Florentine Ingredients Main Dish Chicken Breasts Small pack of Frozen Greens (I prefer mustard greens, but you can use spinach, turnip greens, etc.) Nutmeg Salt and Pepper Olive Oil Lemon Juice Sauce 1 Cup Whipping Cream 1 Cup Chicken Stock 1/3 Cup White Wine 1 Large Shallot chopped fine ¼ tsp. Coarse Ground Pepper 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tablespoon Dry Tarragon ¼ tsp. Dry Thyme ¼ tsp. chives (optional) 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cold water 1 tsp. sugar Directions Defrost frozen greens and squeeze out excess water. Salt and set aside. Pound chicken breasts until very thin use your hand or a smooth meat pounder. Sprinkle the inside of the breasts with salt, pepper, and a very tiny amount of nutmeg (just a dash). Spread a thin layer of the greens over the breasts. Fold the breasts over and pound edges to seal. If you have pounded incredibly thin, you could also roll the breasts, jelly-role style. Preheat some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add a few drops of lemon juice and immediately place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook on each side until brown. Before turning the chicken breasts to cook the other side, add a few more drops of lemon juice. Once the chicken breasts are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside on a warm platter. Now, make the sauce. Add the wine to de-glaze the pan, scraping up all the brown bits. Add the shallots and simmer in the wine. In a couple of minutes, the wine will be reduced to about two tablespoons. Add the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and all of the herbs and spices. Boil until the liquid has been reduced by half. Now, add the cream and stir until well blended. Add the two tablespoons of butter and stir until dissolved. Add the teaspoon of sugar and stir well. At this point, the sauce may be thick enough. If so, skip the next section. If the sauce needs to be thickened, add the cornstarch that has been dissolved in cold water. (if you add cornstarch directly to a hot sauce, it will lump, so be sure to dissolve it in cold water). Try not to let the sauce boil. Stir until the sauce has thickened and remove it from the heat as necessary. Finally, place the chicken breasts on a plate and pour the sauce over the top. DISCLAIMER: This dish has been found to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, create unsightly cellulite, produce beer guts, and promote a hedonistic lifestyle. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Salty's Chicken Ingredients 1 Lb of Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast 6-8 Strips of Bacon 2 Packages of Thin-sliced Beef (Carl Budding) -- for more authentic recipe, use Armor dried beef that comes in glass jar (large) 1 Can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 Small Container of Sour Cream (about the size of the soup can) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut chicken into medium-sized pieces, about the size of an egg. One pound of chicken usually contains about four breast halves. This will generally make from 8 to 10 pieces. Wrap a strip or half-strip of bacon around each chicken breast piece. Place one slice of beef on top, and one on bottom of each chicken breast piece, wrapping the chicken. Note, if you are using the Armor beef, you may wash the beef first under cold water to reduce the saltiness. The Armor dried beef is extremely salty, similar to county ham. Mix the soup and sour cream until you have a well blended, creamy sauce. Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish, aluminum pan, or whatever you have available, just be certain it has sides to support the sauce, as it will liquefy. Place a dollop of the sauce over each chicken piece. If you have any sauce left over, simply spread it over the top of each piece of chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling. You may need to baste some sauce over the chicken pieces half-way through the cooking process to prevent the top of the chicken from drying out. This dish is naturally salty, and does not require any seasoning. Also, the bacon will cause some oil to be present in the sauce; this is normal. Simply stir the sauce well before serving over the chicken pieces. Salty's Gumbo Ingredients Large Onion Cup of Frozen Okra 1 Can of Tomato Sauce (small) 2-3 Cans of Chicken Stock 2 Tablespoons of Worstershire Sauce 1 Cup of chopped Celery, including tops 1 Lg. Can of White and Dark Chunk Chicken 1/4 Cup of Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup of All-Purpose Flour Stick of butter 1 Cup of Kielbosa Sausage 1/2 Cup of Instant Minute Rice 1 teaspoon of Thyme 2 Tablespoons of File Salt and Pepper to taste Directions Heat flour over dry heat (med-low) until it reaches the desired darkness. Set aside to cool. Heat half of the butter until melted. Add finely chopped onion and celery and cook until tender. Add flour and file and cook until smooth, then add thyme. At this point, you will gave a green, sticky paste. Slowly add one can of chicken stock. Add chicken and sausage. Cook for five minutes. Add tomato sauce and second can of chicken stock. Add Worstershire Sauce. Microwave frozen okra for 2-3 minutes, then add to gumbo. Add brown sugar. Now, the gumbo will have a dark brown appearance. Add rice, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more chicken stock if too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may notice that this recipe uses many canned ingredients, and you might think that it would be better with fresh ingredients. Oddly enough, I once used all fresh ingredients, made my own chicken stock, etc., and it was actually inferior to this recipe. This is a great gumbo, and it's quick. Roasting the flour, dry, yields a unique taste to the roux. Try it, I think you'll like it. Top David McFall Lake Placid Clave Dip 1 8 oz cream cheese - soft (room temperature) 1/2 cup sour cream - 1/4 cup mayonnaise (Miracle Whip) 2 small cans Cocktail Shrimp 1 cup shrimp cocktail sauce 2 cups grated mozzarella 1 whole green pepper 3 chopped shallots 1 diced tomato Cream cheese with sour cream and mayonnaise Spread on bottom of pie plan then put shrimp on top and cover with cocktail sauce then put mozzarella on top, mix chopped onion, green pepper and tomato and put on top of mozzarella. This will fill one pie pan. Top Claude and Ellen Freaner Ellen's Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 dash vanilla extract 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 2 1/2 cups of flour 1 12 ounce package chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts Cream together the butter and the two sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Dump in the soda and flour and mix just until all together - don't over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Place in walnut sized lumps on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes (until lightly browned). Test by baking only a couple of cookies the first time through. Adjust your time accordingly. If the cookies spread out all over the cookie sheet, it's probably because your eggs are too big, the air is real humid, the flour isn't dry enough, or you're up the creek without a paddle; add another 1/2 cup of flour, mix, and test again. CLAUDE'S CRANBERRY COOKIES 1 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp soda 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 2 cups chopped cranberries 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 tsp orange zest Mix butter and sugars together. Stir in rest of ingredients, except walnuts and cranberries. After mixture is barely mixed, fold in walnuts and cranberries. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 12 minutes, or until just barely browned. I also like to make it with dried cranberries - use one package (about 1 or 1 1/2 cups - with these, I double the orange juice. Using the dried berries will result in cookies that last longer. Alternative: use dried blackberries, dried raspberries, dried blueberries, or some combination of these. Probably the best thing about a Dutch oven for a single family campout is the fact that it's low-maintenance cooking. Example: Fix a good beef stew, let it cook all afternoon, and just go over and tend it for a few minutes every half hour or so. Dutch oven Beef Stew Recipe: two to four pound chuck roast or seven bone roast - something cheap 4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 6 or 8 big carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 6 or 8 big stalks of celery, cut into chunks 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks (optional, depending on taste: a few rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, half a head of cabbage, canned tomatoes, etc.), peeled and cut into chunks salt to taste black pepper to taste (optional, depending on taste: teaspoon or two of sage, rosemary, thyme,cumin, or other herbs that you like) 3 or 4 tablespoons of flour water olive oil Start some charcoal - when it's glowing nicely, put 10 or 12 briquets under the dutch oven and preheat a minute or two. Pour in the olive oil, when it's hot in a minute or so, add the cut up beef chunks and brown a bit on all sides, stirring occasionally. When the beef is browned a bit, add a couple quarts of water - enough to cover the meat about one inch - when it comes to a good rapid boil, pick up the dutch oven (careful, it's heavy),and remove all except 4 or 5 briquets from underneath. Add all the spices, and a LITTLE salt and pepper. Let it sit for a half hour, then add 2 or 3 more new briquets underneath every half hour or so for the next 3 or 4 hours... The idea is to keep no more than just enough briquets under it to simmer it - don't worry if any of the meat was stuck - just remove a couple briquets from underneath to lower the heat, and it'll come loose all by itself. About an hour and a half before you want to eat, put the cut up celery, carrots, onion, and optional veggies in. Add several hot briquets underneath until it returns to a boil - then remove them to lower the heat back to a simmer...About half hour or so before time to eat, add the peeled and cut up potatoes - quartered or smaller - bring back to a boil, and simmer for a half hour...when you can easily stick a fork all the way through a large potato chunk, it's done. Mix the flour with a half cup or so of cold water and stir gently into the stew to thicken the gravy. When it returns to a boil, remove from the heat and serve in a decent sized bowl with dutch oven cornbread on the side, a cold beverage of choice, and hearty appetites. Oh - while you're lazing away the afternoon, take advantage of the opportunity to read a good book, teach your kids to play cribbage, let them teach you how to play a hand-held video game, etc. Fettucini with White Clam Sauce Ok - this is for two - and it can easily take care of three, especially if you have a couple of hors d'oeuvre before you eat dinner... Two tablespoons butter/margarine Two tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 can chopped or minced clams 2 sprigs fresh parsley 1 package fresh or dried fettucini pasta 1 sizable chunk of fresh broccoli salt and pepper to taste Put a big pot on and start water boiling to cook the pasta. Cut up the broccoli into flowerets and dump in the pasta water. When it comes back to a boil, add the pasta. In a saucepan, melt the butter/margarine and stir in the flour until it gets bubbly. Don't overcook as it will turn brown - we're making white sauce, not a roux.. Add the milk and stir constantly over the heat until it thickens. Depending on how you like your broccoli (al dente or mushy), you may need to wait a few minutes before putting the pasta into the boiling water. The fresh pasta only needs to cook a couple minutes, but the dried stuff will have to simmer for several minutes. Once the pasta is nearly done, drain the clams and put them into the white sauce. Keep heating until it comes back to almost a boil, stirring frequently - and be careful as it will boil over... To serve, drain the pasta/broccoli, place the pasta on the center of the plate, and the broccoli along the side. Pour some of the clam sauce over the pasta. Some like to put the clam sauce on the broccoli also, or you can just put a bit of butter on it. Put a sprig of parsley in the center of the pasta and sauce for a little garnish. Options: fresh or canned mushrooms and/or a little finely chopped onions can be added to the white sauce during its preparation, depending on your tastes. At home, you can cook the broccoli in a separate, third, pan - but when cooking on a two-burner campstove, it's easiest to do it along with the pasta. Another option: Make TWO cups worth of the white sauce, and split it into two different saucepans, with 1 and a half cups for the clam sauce. Follow the above for the clam sauce. In the other pot, add a half cup of grated cheddar cheese and stir until it melts. Mild cheddar is best so it doesn't overpower the clam sauce. This is poured over the broccoli. For those of you who are still trying to decide on an accompanying dish for the turkey, here's one we've been fixing for years. Baked Onions Package of "boiling onions" - small white ones, usually less than 1.5 in. (38mm) diameter Peel the onions, cut off both ends, and then run a skewer through them from the side in two different places - this allows the internal pressure to release so that the onion stays whole and doesn't end up as a pile of big "rings". Simmer these in water until quite soft - 45 min or so. Place into a baking dish of some sort - we use an oval ceramic one. Make a white sauce two tablespoons (33ml) butter two tablespoons (33ml) flour melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and let cook a few minutes on low heat - be careful to not let it brown - as you're making white sauce, not roux for gravy. Mix in two cups (~ 0.5L) of milk. Continue to stir until it begins to bubble and thickens. Now add in two cups (~ 0.5L) of grated cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the onions in the baking dish, sprinkle a touch of paprika on top (only a touch - this is for looks, not taste), and then bake in a 350F (175C) oven for 20 minutes or so - just enough to heat all thoroughly. Just before serving, place a green onion on top for decoration (split the green onion about half way up a couple of times, and soak in ice water for a half hour - this will make it curl and look fancy)... OFFC: This recipe could even be cooked in a dutch oven at a Clave Top Chris Knight Chicken and Sausage Creole, TennClave IX Edition Ingredients: This is served over rice, so don't forget to make rice. The Stuff: 3 lbs boneless chicken thighs, chunked 2 lbs Italian link sausage, cut into 1" slices 3 Steigerwald's dried pepper sausages, chopped 1 chunk Gary Wiles's venison jerky, diced 1 32 oz can diced tomatoes 1 bunch scallions, sliced 2 red bell peppers, chunked 2 green bell peppers, chunked 2 poblano chiles, chunked 2 large onions, chunked (used 1 red, 1 yellow) 1 lb bag frozen chopped okra (couldn't find fresh...) The Sauce: 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1 can anchovies, minced 1 small can tomato paste 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1 tbsp Tabasco Sauce 1 tsp Tabasco Jalapeno Sauce 1 tsp Mace Fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley, minced 2 shallots, minced 8 cloves garlic, minced juice of 1 lime salt, pepper to taste Destructions: In large cast iron pot brown the meats, then add the rest of The Stuff. Cook the mess, covered, over medium heat until the meat's done. Stir often. Start your rice now if you haven't already. When the mixture is thoroughly cooked and looking like a stew, add The Sauce ingredients (except butter). Stir often and cook uncovered as sauce thickens. When you take it off the heat at the end, add the butter, let it melt, then stir it in. Don't count on having leftovers for breakfast. 8^( Breakfast Grits Ingredients: 8 cups water 2 cups Quaker grits (not instant) 1 dozen eggs 1 lb hot Italian sausage 1 poblano chile, chopped 1 jalapeno, minced 2 shallots, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp Parmesan regianno salt, pepper, Tabasco etc to taste Destructions: (1) Mix water and grits in large saucepan. Put over medium flame, Bring to a simmer stirring frequently then lower flame to low. (2) In cast skillet cook Italian sausage with chiles, shallots, and garlic Add this to the thickening grits. (3) When the grits are about done, add the cheese and season to taste. (4) Add the dozen eggs, stir until eggs are thoroughly mixed into the grits (5) Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Serve with all the great stuff other folks cooked up, then waddle off to the river to fish. -- Note that the Italian sausage did a _lot_ of the seasoning work in this dish; if you use regular pan sausage add some fennel, thyme, and cayenne to the pot for good measure. -- Mushroom Risotto Ingredients: 3 cups assorted chopped 'shrooms (chanterelles, morels, shitakes, etc) 1 stick butter 4 cups Arborio rice 3 qts stock (I combined chicken, beef, and veggie stocks) 2 shallots, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup Parmesan Regianno, grated salt, pepper, Tabasco to taste Destructions: Simmer the stock on a side burner. In large saucepan melt all but 2 tbsp of the butter. Saute the shallot, garlic, and shrooms in the butter for 5-8 minutes. Add the rice, stir thoroughly. Add the wine, stir. Add a few ladles of stock until mixture gets soupy. Lower heat to simmer. From this point onward you'll add a ladle or two of stock and cook the rice slowly, stirring constantly, until the stock is absorbed. Then you'll add more, gradually, and keep doing that until it's done. When the stock's all gone and the rice is creamy, add the cheese and the remaining butter. Stir and serve. -- Goes best with sausage beef and potato appetizers in jalapeno mustard glaze, barley soup, tossed greens, jambalaya, roast lamb, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, Elgin (TX) sausages, fried turkey, chipped beef with pasta and sauce, cole slaw, cocktail smokies in apple butter, smoked lake trout, home-brewed ale, and Lawn Mower Scotch, and a godless commie cigar. Christ, I just gained another 5 lbs typing that last paragraph... =8^O --- While I'm at it: the leftover risotto became pancakes on Sunday morning. Make patties, dust with seasoned flower, cook on griddle with some oil, serve with chipotle salsa. Burp, Dirty Rice w/ Oysters Ingredients: 2 qts stock (I boiled down a leftover BBQ pork shoulder. About a pound of pork scraps went into the pot and JJ got the bones.) 4 cups perverted (oops, converted) rice. 1 bunch scallions, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 onions, chopped 1 lb chicken livers 1 qt oysters cilantro, parsley, garlic salt, pepper, Tobasco, cayenne to taste Directions: Cook stock in large pot, clean and remove the bone. Dredge the chicken livers with corn flour and brown them in a hot oiled skillet, making a dark roux with the corn flour bits. (you can use regular flour, that's all I had handy) Remove skillet from heat, add onions to the skillet, stir it all up and then transfer that whole mess to the stock pot. Cook everything except the oysters until the stock is rich and the meat's tender. Season to taste. Add the shucked oysters, bring pot to a boil, stir in the rice, return to a boil, then lower the heat and cover tightly. When the liquid is almost gone turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 10 minutes, then serve. Chipotle Salsa Recipe I don't do it the same way every time, think of this as a foundation garment you can add to if the occasion demands... Toss into food processor: 1 4 oz can chipotle chiles in Adobo sauce 7-8 ripe plum tomatoes 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed 3 cloves fresh garlic 1 splash cider vinegar (maybe 1-2 tbsp?) 3 tbsp lime juice black pepper, salt to taste Pulse until coarsely mixed. Serve with danged near anything in the universe, including ice cream. 8^) Keeps well in a Mason jar in the fridge, too. Variation: substitute a large can of serranos for the chipotles, and 7-8 tomatillas for the plum tomatoes, and you get an equally interesting green salsa. Enjoy! Chris Rainmaker's Chili, NECIV Edition Here's an approximation of the recipe that won the NECIV Chili Cook-Off: Ingredients: o 1 well-seasoned Dutch oven o 3 lbs. lean stew meat (deer, cow, or road kill), cubed o 1/4 cup vinegar o 2 large onions o lots of tomatoes, chopped, or 2 jars of homemade tomato sauce or canned tomatoes) o large green bell pepper, chopped o ground cumin seeds, small handful o fresh green chiles, dozen or more roasted and skinned o fresh serano chiles, dozen or so roasted and skinned o any other fresh chiles you can (preferably Poblano, jalapeno, even italian if necessary) roasted and skinned o [Optional for hotter stew: habanero, pequin, and cayenne chiles.] o At least a dozen dried ancho and pasilla chiles, reconstituted with boiling water after they are cleaned and seeded. Scrape the meat from the inside of the chiles after they are reconstituted. That is your chili paste. o splash of dark beer, preferably brewed by Claude Freaner or Chris Bersted. 8^) o corn flour to thicken, if necessary o fresh cilantro, lots of garlic, salt, pepper, Tobasco sauce to taste Assembly Instructions: Make as if you are making a stew, since that's what you're doing. Brown the meat in the Dutch oven, then stew it with a little bit of water, the vinegar, and the onions until the meat gets tender. Then stew it more with the tomatoes and the other ingredients added (except the corn flour, garlic, and cilantro. Add those near the end). Adjust the liquidity by either adding beer if it's too thick or thickening it w/ corn flour if it's too thin. Cooking time should be around 4 hours, basically it's done when people can't stand waiting for it anymore. Rainmaker's Lake Placid Clave Etouffee Ingredients: (This is served over rice, so don't forget to make plenty of rice.) o 1 lb. slab bacon o 4 or more links dried venison pepper sausage o 1 lb smoked sausage o 1 lb. or more shrimp, peeled o 2 pints or more raw oysters o 2 large onions, chopped o 1 large green bell pepper, chopped o 2 stalks celery, chopped o 1 bunch scallions, chopped o several cloves garlic, chopped Sauce: (approximate measurements) o .5 cup bacon grease o .5 cup flour o 16 oz tomato sauce, or canned tomatoes o.25 cup Worchester sauce o 2 tsp. Tobasco sauce o 2 tbsp. Vietnamese chili sauce o 1 tbsp. mustard powder o 1 tbsp. dried oregano o 1 tbsp. dried basil, or a handful of fresh chopped basil o salt, pepper, cayenne, anything else to taste o 1 handful fresh chopped cilantro, lots of chopped garlic o splash of good bitter stout or porter (drink the rest) In a Dutch oven cook the bacon. Remove bacon when cooked, pour off all but 1/2 cup of the bacon grease. Add the flour to remaining grease, stirring constantly until you get a dark roux. As soon as the roux is done, add the onions and celery, stir madly, and as soon as the mixture settles down add the rest of the vegetables and sausages and that splash of beer. Cook for a short bit, then add all the other ingredients except the seafood and the finishing ingredients. Stew it for a spell, and when the rice (remember the rice? I told you to cook some) is almost done add the seafood, cilantro, garlic, and seasonings to taste. Serves as many people as you have on hand, just get the portions right. 8^) Rainmaker's Chicken in Mole Negro, campground edition (measurements are mostly approximate....) 1 stick butter 5 fresh poblano chiles, seeded and diced 1/2 cup almonds handful of pine nuts 1/2 cup raisins juice of 2 not-very-juicy limes 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 Vidalia onion, diced 1 red onion, diced 3 cups puree of reconstituted ancho, mulatto, pequin, and pasilla chiles (Use what you have, that's what I do. Soak chiles in boiled water, then blend.) 2 tbsp ancho chile powder 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate 1/2 tsp mace 1 stick cinnamon 2 cups chicken stock bunch of fresh cilantro salt, pepper, cayenne, Tabasco to taste ---- 5 lbs boneless chicken thighs 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, diced ---- In saucepan melt 3/4 of the butter. Toast the nut meats in it until they darken a bit, then add the poblanos, onions, and half the garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or so, then add the chile puree, chicken stock, lime juice, powdered seasonings, raisins, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cut up the chocolate and stir it into the sauce, then puree it all with a sexy cordless hand blender (remove the cinnamon stick before pureeing, return it to pot afterwards...). Return to simmer, let it cook down slowly, over an hour. Once you have the sauce well under way, cook the chicken In large cast iron pot heat olive oil, saute the chicken pieces with the onion. Cook until done. Drain most of the resulting liquid. Time it right and the sauce will be done when the chicken is fully cooked. Add the mole sauce to the chicken pot, add remaining garlic, simmer together. The chicken should be near the point of shredding by dinnertime. Add remaining 1/4 stick butter just before serving and stir well. Serve with Jason's Tacos al Pastor, a good wine, and a whole bunch of other great food. Or if you're doing it at home, serve with warm tortillas and rice. Top Raven Wing Smoked steelhead/sturgeon/whitefish recipe I "butterfly" small fish like whitefish, larger fish like steelhead I fillet with skin on. Use an inert container (plastic, glass or stainless steel) big enough to lay fillets flat in brine. In inert container mix until dissolved, 2 quarts warm water with: 1 cup non-iodized salt 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup honey 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 cup lemon juice Soak fish in brine for 12 hours, in fridge ( I do overnight). Put plates on fillets to keep them submerged in brine if necessary. After 12 hours rinse fish lightly and pat dry each fillet. Lay fish out on greased (vegetable spray works well) smoker racks, skin side down. Preferably wait for fillets to dry until sticky to touch, then place in smoker. Use three pans of alder chips during smoking time. I usually smoke them all day. I then place the smoker racks in the oven at lowest heat possible and prop the door open, leaving it overnight. This will produce the dry "squaw candy" I prefer. Once cool package well and refrigerate, freeze if it will not be eaten within 3 weeks. Top Bruce Matthews (dutch oven cooking) Enchilada PIE 2 lbs. ground beef 1 onion diced 1 green bell pepper diced season salt to taste 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 4 tbsp ground cumin ground black pepper to taste 1 can (29oz) tomato sauce 1 can (12 oz) tomato paste 1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce (medium-hot) 2 dozen or so corn tortillas (8 - 10 inch) 10 fresh mushrooms, sliced 3-4 fresh tomatoes, sliced 2 pounds grated cheddar cheese 8 oz sour cream small can green chillies small can black olives 1 can refried beans Brown beef with onion and green pepper. Drain and season with seasoned salt, 1-1/2 tbsp cumin and pepper. In a seperate pan, heat tomato sauce, tomato paste, enchilada sauce and 4 tbsp cumin. Simmer for 5 minutes. Grease the inside of the Dutch Oven and line the bottom and sides with tortillas. Layer in about 1/3 of the beef, add mushrooms, tomatoes, chillies, black olives,refried beans, sour cream and 1/4 of the cheese and pour on about 1/4 of the souce. Add another layer of tortillas, cover as above. One more layer of tortillas and mix. cover with more tiortillas and cheese and sauce. Heat for about 45 minutes. Stove top heating is good for 30 minutes then add charcoal to top. Green Bean Casserole 4 cans french cut green beans 1 can cheddar cheese soup 1 can/jar nacho cheese dip green chillies large can fried onion rings some bacon bits. Reserve 1/3 of the onion rings and combine everything else in DO. Crumble balance of onion rings on top and heat till bubbly. Tenn Clave: Friday night - TAMALE PIE 1 pound graound beef (I think we had more) 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped green pepper 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce 1 12-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained 1 12-ounce can black beans 1 small can ripe olives 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon salt 2 to 3 teaspoons chili power some pepper 6 ounces grated cheese 1 or 2 Jiffy cornbread mixes As cooked at camp, we had 2 large onions that were more than 1 cup. Two green peppers that were probably less. We added a can of the DelMonte diced tomatoes and a small can of Old Elpaso green chillis. Additionally, we added about one teaspoon of cumin. I think a can of black beans would also be good. I like the Jiffy brand CornBread mix because its sweet - your favorite would also work. Saute the oinons and green pepper until the onion softens some (not till its clear) then add the ground beef. If you are camping, you should have started some charcoal (about 18 brickettes) as soon as you added the ground beef. The amount of ground beef and be adjusted to the number to feed or the size of the pot. Brown the ground beef the add all but the cheese and cornbread. Get this hot and simmer for about 10 minutes then add the cheese. Note - so far we are still on the stove top. The Dutch oven was used as a frying pan so far. After adding the cheese, mix up the cronbread and amke it a little runny. Pour the cornbread over the mixture in the Dutch Oven and palce the oven on the coals. About 5 on the bottom and 12-15 on the top. In about 20 minutes the cornbread will be done. At home you might have to cook every thing in a frying pan then add it to a casserole dish and pour the cornbread over this. Bake at home at whatever temp is needed for the cornbread. I use the cast iron Dutch Ovens at home in the gas oven and serve directly to the table with it. You need to bake uncovered at home to brown the Cornbread. Saturday night: MAMA'S MEATLOAF Thanks to my mother-in-law 1-1/2 to 2 pounds ground Beef 1 carrot grated 1 egg 1 cup corn/frosted flakes 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 Teaspoon Worchester Sauce 1 onion chopped 1 cup celery chopped 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons barbque sauce (I used Honey Mustard) cover the top with catsup Blend all ingrediants together. Bake in a loaf pan at 375 for 1 hour and 15 min. At the clave I had 4 pounds ground beef and doubled every thing else except I probably had 2 cups of onion. In the standard #12 D.O. this fills up about 3/4 of the volume. We cooked it about 2 hours. You could use a meat thermometer and cook to beef well. CHICKEN PIE Here's what went into the ones at the clave: 3 pounds chicken pre cooked and shredded 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 16oz sour cream several cups of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken a cup or so of milk 2 pound bag of frozen mixed veggies topping of stove top stuffing mix or canned biscuits All of this is stirred up and simmered for maybe an hour. You can use any of your favorite cream of something soups and I intended to add 8 oz. of sour cream but in the scramble I forgot it. The pies were topped with Stove Top Stuffing. You should make the stuffing kinda of dry and cover the pie about 2 inches deep. I have made this with canned biscuits on top but I think I like the stuffing best. This essentially cooks stove top except for a little last minute top heat. You can cook it in a conventional oven at about 375 for 35-50 minutes with the top off. Top Brenda and Blair Sharpe Green Tomatoes Rovia (A Lake Placid Clave favourite) You will need 12 pint (or 500 ML) mason jars and two-part rings/lids (USE NEW LIDS ONLY) to can this recipe. The recipe can be halved. 30 green tomatoes (the size of small apples), sliced (with skins on but cut off flower ends and any nasty bits) 6 onions, peeled and sliced or chopped 1/2 cup pickling (coarse, non-iodized) salt Slice tomatoes and onions (a food processor is great for this) and layer in a non-reactive large pot with salt. Let stand overnight. In the morning, drain well. Add: 16 apples (hard and sour), peeled and sliced 4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup pickling spices, tied up in a cheesecloth bag (leave a long string on for taking out later!) White Vinegar (must be at least 5% acidic) Add vinegar until three-quarters (3/4) of ingredients are covered (DO NOT COVER COMPLETELY). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer; simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours until apples are transparent and everything is well cooked and fragrant. To can: While mixture is cooking, sterilize clean pint-sized (c. 500 mL) mason jars by putting them in a cold oven and putting the temperature to 225 degrees F. They should be at 225 for at least 15 minutes. Put on a pot of water to boil; lids and rings should be soaked in boiling water for at least five minutes to soften sealing compound on lids and sterilize them. Fill a boiling water bath canner (the kind with a rack) and have water simmering and ready. When GTR is ready, use a ladle to fill jars to 1/4 inch of tops; wipe rims clean and seal. Rings should be fingertip tight. Place immediately in canner rack. When canner is full, submerge jars and bring back to a boil. Process for 10 minutes. Place on cloth and let cool. You should hear the lids pop. Leave undisturbed at least 24 hours. Any extra that will not fill a jar can be kept in the fridge and used immediately, but it is better when allowed to age awhile. For more information of=n safe home canning, go to http://www.homecanning.com/ Goan Vinegar Curry (aka Blair's Chicken "Vindaloo") (quantities are approximate) 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled & chopped 3 green chiles, chopped 3 or more (I generally use about 6) garlic cloves, crushed & chopped 4 or 5 lbs chicken parts, in serving pieces (or pork, turkey, bear, rattlesnake, etc.) 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1 Tbs ground coriander 1 tsp hot chile powder (not pseudo-mexican but any pure chile) 1 cup vinegar (cider is good) 4 large onions, sliced 1/2 cup of water or so 1 tsp salt Heat oil in saucepan & add the ginger, chillis & garlic. Fry 2 minutes. Add the chicken & fry until browned & remove from pot. Mix the spices with enough vinegar to make a smooth paste & set aside. Add onions to the pan & fry til golden brown. Add the spice paste, fry eight minutes, adding a little water if the mixture gets too dry or sticks. Return the chicken to the pot & add remaining vinegar, water & salt. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat & simmer 1 hour. Serve with rice. Beer, like a good Czech pilsener, goes well with this. Top J.P. Chaintreuil As served at NEC VI (Cedar Run, PA): Peach cobbler, serves 10-16: Peaches, 2 cans Apricots, 1 can Yellow cake mix Butter Cinnamon 1. Empty all cans of the peaches and apricots into a cast iron dutch oven. 2. Peaches and apricots should be cut or chopped into small pieces. 3. Spread the yellow cake mix on top of the peaches and apricots. Keep cake mix off of the sides of the dutch oven (easier clean-up). 4. Using the handle end of a spoon or a knife blade, mix only enough to break the bond between the mix and the liquid. 'Kinda like two quick zig-zags through the mix; no more. 5. Next drop some pats of butter on top of the cake mix. Perhaps about 10-12 pats. 6. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon. No cinnamon? Use sugar! 7. Place dutch oven on the hot coals, put hot coals on the lid. 8. Allow the liquid to boil lightly for no more than 8-10 minutes and remove from the direct heat. 9. Continue to bake with hot coals on the top lid of the dutch oven only. 10. Remove all heat when cake mix is golden brown. Keep lid on, but allow heat to escape, with the lid "ajar". 11. Enjoy! Clean up is usually easy --- there is never anything left! Top William Bernard Was introduced to a recipe recently that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was developed for salmon but I intend to try it on two rainbows that I caught and filleted yesterday during an ant hatch. Per serving: 3 cups of chopped swiss chard salmon filet 2 tablespoons of chopped scallion 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon of soy sauce Put the swiss chard in a baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam or oiled. Set the salmon atop the chard. Sprinkle the cilantro and scallions on the salmon. Pour soy sause on top of the fish and herbs. Seal with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Top Glen Spackman Julies Desert (qty for 6) 1 * 16 oz can apricot halves in juice 1* Pint of cream (runny) 1* pint natural yoghurt 1* pint Boysenberry yoghurt 1* pkt marshmallows (small to med mm) 1* pkt pineapple chunks Open the apricot can into a big bowl, chop apricots smaller without spearing a hole in the bowl. Pour in everything else, stir well. Consume. Join Weight Watchers Top Jim Tefft Homefries While Camping In a cast iron skillet fry up 6 slices of bacon Remove bacon when done In bacon grease add one medium chopped onion Add 2 cans of boiled potatoes well drained and dried on paper towel (you can precook and cool your own potatoes but this is easier) Sprinkle with Paparika Fry until brown to your liking Season with salt and pepper Now the kicker, In a sauce pan warm up one can of brown gravey To a healthy serving homefries laddle on a healthy dose of gravey to your liking....ooooooh! mouth is watering and the arteries are starting to setup already. Top Danny Walls Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Ingredients (serves about 6 to 8) ** all measurements are ' about ', i.e. I never actually measure anything except in my hand. All ingredients can be adjusted to your taste. 1lb box of Capalleni (or the thinnest spaghetti you can find) 2 lbs Italian sausage (not hot) . Bob Evans brand is the best I have ever used. 4 or 5 16oz cans Contidina tomato sauce ( no other brand I have used is as good) * don't use any of the flavored sauces! 1 small can Contidina tomato paste (possibly a little more, depending on desired thickness) 1 large white onion chopped 1 large green bell pepper chopped 6 or 8 cloves of garlic chopped 2 Tbs dried parsley 1 Tbs + 1 tsp dried sweet basil 1 Tbs dried oregano (adjust the above 3 accordingly if using fresh herbs instead of dried) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 3 or 4 bay leaves 2 Tbs olive oil * optional sliced mushrooms (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) added the last 30 minutes of cooking. Slice the sausage into 1 inch rounds and heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown. Sprinkle a tsp of basil over the sausage as it is browning, the oil really brings out the flavor of the herb, which really enhances the taste of the sausage. Also a little black pepper is good then too. When the sausage is completely browned, remove it from the skillet and drain on paper towels, pour off most of the oil and grease reserving about 2 Tbs. (This is critical, if you don't remove the excess oil, the spaghetti will be greasy). Return the skillet to the heat and saute the onions and peppers until soft and translucent, add the garlic and saute a couple of minutes more. Transfer the veggies to a large sauce pan deep enough to hold everything, add the sausage, the tomato sauce, tomato paste and the remaining ingredients . Bring up to a boil slowly so as not to burn the sauce, then reduce heat and simmer for at least two hours, 3 or more is better. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, a little sticking is normal and nothing to worry about, but if it begins to stick very much you must reduce the heat more. You can adjust the seasonings anytime after the first hour and a half. This sauce should not be thin, it should have some body to it, watery is definitely not good! If it is too thin, add some more tomato paste and simmer a little longer. However if it is too thick, add some more tomato sauce, or a little bit of water. When the sauce has simmered to your satisfaction, you can cook the pasta. Fresh pasta is, of course the very best, but boxed is ok. I prefer the smallest spaghetti I can find which is Capalleni, but you can use your own choice. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the box and drain. Put on a plate and cover with sauce . I usually make enough so that there are always leftovers (it gets better the next day), so after all diners have been served, I add the remainder of the pasta in with the sauce so it doesn't get hard. A good hot loaf of garlic bread and a full bodied red wine don't hurt either. Top Jason Tinling NEC X Recipe - Tacos al Pastor (sorta) For those who require "authenticity" in their cooking, this ain't it. Real tacos al pastor are the Mexican equivalent of gyros, thin slices of pork are skewered together in a mass, cooked upright with a bunch of pineapple on the top to baste the pork in juice as it cooks. I went with my own twist. Shredded pork Pork shoulder 5-8 pounds 1 can chipotles in adobo 3-4 cloves garlic 2 ancho chiles, reconstituted I can (15 oz?) crushed pineapple in its own juice half dozen annato seeds, crushed A couple shakes crushed red pepper Water Combine all, whirl around in blender, food processr, etc. Score skin of pork with long diagonals. Pour sauce into ziploc, add water to get enough marinade to immerse meat. Marinate piggy for a day or so. You can cook low and slow ala traditional pulled pork, or you can cheat (see below) Place shoulder on baking rack, fat side up, support rack over baking dish (to catch drippings). Preheat oven to 250 F, cook pork for 12-15 hours or until done. Done = 190 F internal temp in center of pork, thermometer not touching bone. Wrap shoulder in foil, place in cooler fo an hour or two. Grab two forks, pull pork, snack, try to keep family from eating too much of it. "Al Pastor" sauce 3 T butter 1/2 red onion, diced 1 jalapeno, diced granulated garlic cumin oregano 1 can chippotles in adobo 1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple in its own juice Melt butter in saucepan, add onions and cook to translucent. Add jalapeno a saute 2-3 minutes. Drain juice from pineapple and reserve. Add pineapple to pan, cook until pineapple begins to carmelize slightly. Add pineaple juice, squeeze adobo sauce from can of chipotles into pan. Simmer. Add seasonings to taste. For more heat, chop up a couple of chipotles and add. Simmer 30-40 minutes to concentrate flavors. Mix with lightly steamed(to reheat) pork. Serve with corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, and your favorite taco toppings (cheese, onions, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.) Turn leftover pork into chilaquilles at the next morning's breakfast. Top Blake (and darling wife) Werner TACO's IN A BAG meat of choice, (this recipe will use ground beef) taco mix those little personal bags of dorito or taco chips, any flavor you desire onion lettuce tomaters shredded cheese (we used monteray jack and chedar) taco sauce hot sauce of choice sour cream, olives, chopped chilis, etc (optional) prepare the followin at home 1. make up the apropriate sized mix of browned meat with the taco flavorins. if you buy the box jobs just follow the rules on the box. freeze in large ziplock bags. this will double as a cold pack for the cooler. we use gal size and double the bag if it will be storred down in wet ice. 2. shred the cheese (or purchase pre-shredded) and pack in ziplocks. tomatoes, lettuce and onion can be cut at camp. at camp. while heating the meat mix up, finish out the chopping of the various components and assemble in a line. at the front end of the deal place a bucket of those little bags of doritos, (fritos are acceptable as well) when serving it is suggested that each participent _slightly_ crumbles the bags contents before opening. not much mind you, just enough to make them bite size. open the bag carefuly from the top to allow a pouch for a full load. add yer components as you wish, close top and gently mix contents if desired. you may then pour onto a plate or the genius of this is plateless, eat out of the bag. with or without a spoon. figure a couple bags per crew member if they eat anywhere near hardy at camp. you can get a good meat to "bread" ratio with this procedure, much more satisfying than trying to load up a brittle taco and having it collapse on you chinside. 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