Raccoon Stew

In February, this article in the Charleston City Paper had lots of people stewing.  Check it out. 

Are you brave enough to try the recipe?
Raccoon Stew Recipe

• 2 raccoons, deboned (should be about 5 lbs.)
• ½ lb. fatback or salt pork, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ½ cup flour
• 1 bag baby carrots
• 2 bags peeled pearl onions
• 1 lb. white mushroom caps

For the marinade:

• 1 bottle good Burgundy
• 1 large finely chopped onion
• 3 finely chopped carrots
• 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• 4 stems of thyme
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 6 whole black peppercorns

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Put the cut raccoon meat in the marinade and mix together by hand. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
For the stew: Strain the raccoon from the marinade in a colander, reserving the liquid and thoroughly dry the raccoon meat out on paper towels. (If the meat is wet, it will not brown.) Fry out (brown and crispy) in a big skillet at medium heat fat back or salt pork (minus the skin). Set aside on paper towels. Drain off some of the fat and hold in reserve if needed.
In manageable doses, salt and pepper and then add the raccoon meat to the fat and brown all over at medium heat. Set aside on paper towels until all is done. Add more fat if necessary. When finished, add flour to the pan and stir until flour has browned. Add a little more fat to this if necessary. When flour has browned, add the strained marinade and stir well. Add the browned raccoon meat and browned fat back. Reduce heat to medium low to low, cover and cook until tender (about 3–4 hours.) Then add carrots, pearl onions, and white mushroom caps, and cook for a half hour longer at medium heat. Serve over rice.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Crock Pot Corn Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 3 lbs corned beef brisket ( with spices)
• 8 small white potatoes or 8 small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
• 1 head cabbage, cored and cut into 10 wedges ( about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 -5 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. Combine the water vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.
2. Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture.
3. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
4. Cover and cook on high heat setting 4 hours.
5. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top.
6. Cover and continue cooking on high 3-4 hours longer, or until beef is tender.
7. To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Egg Salad Escapade

Middle school. Most likely 6th grade. 1972.

I was making egg salad for lunch the next day. The time was about 7pm. I was very tired. I had put 2 eggs on to boil. My father was finishing up the dinner dishes at the sink. Mom was in their bedroom getting ready for work the next day.



All I know is that I am tired. So...so tired that I tell myself I will just go lie down on my bed and rest my eyes for just a minute. My father leaves the kitchen. I leave the kitchen table and collapse on my canopy bed just to rest my eyes. I will get up in just a few minutes and make my egg salad. Just a minute...

My eyes open to pitch blackness with a hand covering my mouth tighly so that I could not scream. It is my mother.
She is whispering. What I do not know. I just woke up and do not know what is going on. She whispers some more and will not remove her hand until I understand the whispers.

The whispers are orders... over and over again orders--to get up, to not speak, to tiptoe and come with her. I get up and follow her out my room into the hallway. There is my father with the shotgun aimed ahead of him. There is my brother as well. My mother places us in the correct order. She gets behind my father, I am behind her and my younger brother is behind me. We all tiptoe down the hall toward the kitchen.

I hear sounds now and we are all terrified. Sounds like someone is moving in the kitchen and looking for something. It was a burglar. Why else would my father have the shot gun and why else would the four of us be tip toeing in the pitch blackness toward the kitchen. Why did'nt my parents simply call the police? That was the only thing I could think. We were going to die or get shot with that gun or would have to fight for our lives.

We continued to tip. The sounds got louder. Popping sounds like a gun going off in the kitchen. We got to the entrance of the kitchen and my father fired that shotgun blindly into the night. I think my father fired all the bullets. I heard a click and no more firing from his gun.


We only heard silence from the kitchen. We all stood frozen in the hallway for what seemed like an eternity. We still only heard silence. My mother whispered for my father to turn on the light. He did. I was expecting to see dead bodies. There were no dead people in the kitchen.

The only thing of any great notice in the kitchen was just my pot sitting on the stove, black from heat. It was devoid of all water and had been for quite some time. It was also devoid of eggs. The burglar sounds we thought we heard was the sound of eggs exploding right out of their shells. They had burst wide open and yoke and egg white was strewn all over the cabinets and the floor.

My parents turned to look at me. My legs turned to jelly. My father had shot up the kitchen for the love of egg salad!  I did not make egg salad again for a long time.



You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Dinner: Wilted Kale and Asian Chicken

Deciding what to cook day in and out can be a chore but I have decided to really let the spices do the talking.  Simple meals with lots of flavor are what I am trying to make now.  Quick, easy with lots of flavor.  Today I will be making this exact meal except for the meat.  Pictured here is shark steak seasoned with Asian spices.  Today I am making it with baked, Asian chicken instead. 

My most favorite thing on this plate is the wilted kale.  I use the same recipe whether it is for kale or chard.  It always turns out great and my child loves it!  She even asks for seconds when it comes to the vegetables. 

To make wilted greens all I do is first sauté onions and sweet peppers until they begin to sweat. I use either olive or coconut oil.  Then I put in the greens and strip as needed until they are wilted and they shrink down.  It is amazing how a large bag wilts down to just a few cups.  If there are a lot of stems which sometimes occurs with the plastic bags of kale, I may even add about 1/2 of water and let them simmer for about 15 minutes until they get tender.  I do let the water all simmer away because I want the wilted flavor of the greens to be there.  About 25 minutes later, a great wilted green dish. 

The rice is the jade pearl rice.  It is green because it is infused with bamboo juice.  So, the rice, wilted greens and Asian chicken....it's what's for dinner today! Happy eating!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Japanese Salad

Japanese Salad

1 package prepared slaw
4 scallions, chopped
1 package Ramen noodle soup
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 tablespoons sesame seeds or 1 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup or 1/2 cup slivered almonds 

Dressing:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar or Equal

Smash noodles in the package, the smaller the better. Melt the margarine or butter in a skillet. Add noodles with flavor pack, seeds or kernels and almonds. Brown mixture well. The browner the mixture, the crunchier the salad. Cool and put in airtight container. Add noodle mixture and dressing before serving.

This salad is the best!  Healthy and full of flavor!  

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes

For the Crust

12 Oreo Cookies, crushed into crumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the Garnish

whipped topping, optional
chocolate shavings, optional
toasted, chopped hazelnuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended and no streaks remain.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

4. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Deviled Eggs

I had the pleasure of eating some sun dried pesto deviled eggs on Saturday and what a treat they were. They were the best eggs I have ever tasted! I had about 6. Now I have searched on line for a basic recipe to try at home. I will be trying the one below and doctoring it up to suit my tastes! Never again will I eat a plain deviled egg. Or make one, that is!!


2 dozen large eggs (preferably several days old)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade is best)2 or 3 dashes chili pepper sauce (DeFrance prefers Tabasco)
Dash Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 drops fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika to taste

Basic Eggs:1 1/2 teaspoons Durkee Famous Sauce or Dijon mustard1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, drainedChopped fresh chives for garnishPesto Eggs:1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted2 tablespoons prepared basil pestoChiffonade of fresh basil, for garnish

Sun-Dried Tomato Eggs:2 teaspoons sun-dried tomato pesto1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, blotted dry and patted dry, finely choppedAdditional sun-dried tomatoes, blotted and cut into strips for garnish

1. Cover eggs with cold water in a large pot and bring to a rapid boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Run cold water over eggs to cool. Peel and cut each egg in half lengthwise. Place egg yolks in bowl and mash. Add Chile Pepper Sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to yolks and mash to desired consistency. Divide mixture among 3 bowls.
3. To make basic eggs: Mix Durkee sauce, or Dijon mustard, and sweet pickle relish into one bowl of yolk mixture. Fill 16 egg white halves with the mixture. Garnish with chopped chives.
4. To make pesto eggs: Mix all but 2 tablespoons pine nut and the pesto into second bowl of yolk mixture. Fill 16 egg white halves with mixture. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts and basil.
5. To make sun-dried tomato eggs: Mix tomato pesto and chopped sun-dried tomatoes into remaining bowl of yolk mixture. Fill 16 halved eggs whites with the mixture. Garnish with strips of sun-dried tomatoes.
Yield: Makes 8 servings.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Mayan Chicken Fricassee

My lunch today is something really good. I will be having Mayan Chicken Fricassee or Pollo en Pepian Dulce. It is good. I cooked it about a month ago and the recipe makes quite a bit. I froze some for later and last night I remembered it was in the freezer. Here is the recipe. It is easy and with the rasins and nuts, it is a different taste sensation. It is very good. Try it out. You will enjoy it!

MAYAN CHICKEN FRICASSEE
(Pollo en Pepian Dulce)Mexican

3 1/2 to 4-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 cups chicken stock,
about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds)
3 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped, or 5 canned pimientos, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1/4 cup Seville (bitter) orange juice, or use two-thirds orange juice and one-third lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup seedless raisins
butter
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Put the chicken pieces into a heavy casserole, pour in the stock, adding a little more to cover, if necessary. Cover and simmer until almost tender, about 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor grind the sesame and pumpkin seeds as fine as possible and shake through a sieve. Set aside. Put the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender or food processor and reduce to a coarse puree. Mix the puree with the ground sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a skillet, add the puree, and cook, over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Drain the chicken, reserve the stock, and return the chicken to the casserole. Add to the puree 1 cup of the stock, the Seville (bitter) orange juice, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix, and pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little more stock if necessary. The sauce should be thick. Soak the raisins in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Heat a little butter in a skillet and saute the almonds until they are golden. Drain. Transfer the chicken and sauce to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the raisins and almonds. Serve over white rice. Servings 6

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Multiple Thanksgivings

Well tonight was the first of several thanksgivings that I will have this year. Fried turkey and all the fixings was so yummy tonight. It was our annual Thanksgiving dinner at the church. There were some really good recipes there. Things I had never tried before. Cranberry applesauce was one. That was heavenly!

We supposed to go to my brothers house for Thanksgiving this yuear. So we will making that 6 hour hike to North Carolina. I dread the drive as I am the driver! It will be good to see him and the kids and the sister in law. I have not seen them in a while. They normally put up their christmas tree at Thanksgiving so it will be very festive there.

Cranberry applesauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 6 ounces unsweetened apple juice concentrate

1. In a saucepan cook cranberries and apple juice concentrate over medium heat until cranberries have burst. Chill and serve. You may also add some white sugar if the recipe isn't sweet enough for you. Only add the extra sugar one tablespoon at a time to avoid over sweetening.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Alligator Sausages

Have you every had alligator sausages? I have and love them. My local organic health food store sells fresh Cajun alligator sausages. They are a little gamey but that is what makes them great. I have been buying them for about a year now and about 2 months ago, I went in and they did not have them. They would have to special order them and they would come frozen. What happened to fresh? That is a little disappointing. I asked the butcher there to order some for me and I will see how they are.

8-10
servings
1½ hours 20 min prep
1 lb alligator sausage, crumble,brown,drain
1 lb crayfish tails
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2 cups converted rice
1 (10 ounce) can rotelle tomatoes and green chilies
1 can onion soup
1 can beef consomme
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
10 ml garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 lb butter or margarine
Mix alligator sausage with remaining ingredients.
Place in a covered casserole or pan and cook in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
After 30 minutes, stir well and continue cooking for the remaining time.
Let cool, uncovered, for a few minutes and serve.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Watermelon Milkshakes

This is a recipe that you most likely will not think will be good. It is the watermelon milkshake. When I tell people that I am making some they go what? Whoever heard of that? Well it is a simple recipe and it is so easy. You will not believe how good it is. I have been making these for the last 14 years. Eveyone who has ever had one just loves them.

Mix about 2 scoops of your favorite vanilla icecream in a blender with several large chunks of watermelon. Blend well. Pour the frothy, pink milkshake into a tall glass and enjoy! It does not get any better than that!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Food From Eras Gone

Do you ever think about what it might mean to eat a dinner from a time past? I bet that most of us to not think about it. We are so happy with the food we have right now. And what will people in the future think about some of the foods that we eat right now? I bet some will be foreign and downright gross to them, yet appealing to us. I began to look for past eras and some of the foods eaten and decided to start with the Elizabethan period. I bet these might just be things that we could eat today if we could get used to the taste. Check out a little about the period, then check out the recipes!

The Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan Era is the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. It was the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the flowering of English literature and poetry. This was also the time during which Elizabethan theatre flourished and William Shakespeare, among others, composed plays that broke away from England's past style of plays and theatre. It was an age of expansion and exploration abroad, while at home the Protestant Reformation became entrenched in the national mindset.

The Elizabethan Age is viewed so highly because of the contrasts with the periods before and after. It was a brief period of largely internal peace between the English Reformation and the battles between Protestants and Catholics and the battles between parliament and the monarchy that would engulf the seventeenth century. The Protestant/Catholic divide was settled, for a time, by the Elizabethan Religious Settlement and parliament was still not strong enough to challenge royal absolutism.

Brave enough to try a few recipes. Check these out. I might go for teh cubed milk but the others I would really have to consider. Hard. EEEEEK!

Roasted Cow Udder

Take a cow’s udder and first boil it well. Then stick it thick all over with cloves. Then when it is cold, spit it and lay it to the fire and apply it very well with basting of sweet butter.

When it is sufficiently roasted and brown, then dredge it. Draw it from the fire, take vinegar and butter, and put it on a chafing dish and coals, and boil it with White-bread crumbs till it be thick.

Then put to it a good store of sugar and cinnamon, and putting it in a clean dish, lay the cow’s udder therein, and trim the sides of the dish with sugar, and so serve it up.

Sweet Cubes of Jellied Milk

Original recipe: (translation is below)
A white leach: Take a quart of newe milke, and three ounces weight of Isinglasse, half a pounde of beaten suger, and stirre them together, and let it boile half a quarter of an hower till it be thicke, stirring it with three sponfull of Rosewater, then put it into a platter and let it coole, and cut it in squares. Lay it faire in dishes, and lay golde upon it.

Modern version:
1 pint of milk
5 teaspoons of gelatin
8 tablespoons of sugar
1.5 tablespoons of rosewater

Put 4 tablespoons of the milk in a cup and sprinkle the gelatine on top of it. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Then stand the cup in hot water and stir the gelatin into it until it is completely dissolved.

Warm the remaining milk. Stir in the gelatin-milk and the sugar.

Simmer, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater.

Rinse a 7-inch square (or so) shallow baking dish with cold water and then pour the milk mixture into it. Allow it to set firmly in a cool place before cutting into squares with a sharp knife. The squares may then be either arranged in a regular pattern or stacked as a pyramid on a flat plate, ready for the table. Cut and lay pieces of gold leaf on chosen squares.

Or instead of squares, cut and arrange the pieces into a fabulous artistic arrangement and decorate with the gold leaf.

Roasted Calf Head

Make a little hole in the head and pluck out all the brains, and lay the head to soak. [Don't throw away the bone from the hole because you'll need it later.]

Then to make a pudding in it, take White bread and lay it to soak in milk. Strain it thick, then take four yolks of eggs, cloves, mace, pepper, saffron, corrans, dates, and a good quantity of butter. Mix with the Brains to make a good Pudding, and fill the head full.

Then take the bone and stop the hole. When it is almost cooked enough, cast crumbs of bread on it.

Then clean it and make sauce to it with cinnamon, sugar, ginger, and vinegar, and boil them all together. Then you may serve it forth.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Chicken Marsala

Today I went to the Olive Garden for lunch. Everytime I go there, the food is always good. I have never had a bad meal there. I had the Manicotti and my friends had the Chicken Marsala. I love Chicken Marsala and have been a big fan of it for many years. Here is the recipe that is listed on the Olive Garden site. You can get all sorts of good recipes there. Check it out!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/2 cup flour
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Dried oregano to taste
4 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine

Procedures

1. POUND chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until about 1/4" thickness.
2. COMBINE flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a mixing bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.
3. HEAT oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 2 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned. Turn breasts over to cook other side, then add mushrooms to skillet. Cook breasts about 2 more minutes, until both sides are lightly browned. Continue to stir mushrooms. Add Marsala wine around chicken pieces.
4. COVER and simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. TRANSFER to serving plate.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~