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Apple Pie
Ingredients:
Two 9 inch............Deep Dish Pie Crust
5 or 6 each...........Golden Delicious Apples
1/2 cup.................White and/or Brown Sugar
1/8 teaspoon.......Salt
1.5 tablespoons.....Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon.........Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon.........Nutmeg
1.5 tablespoons.....Butter
1 tablespoon.........Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon............Vanilla
Preparation:
Peel skin, remove the apple's core,
cut into thin pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the sugar, salt, cornstarch cinnamon and nutmeg.
Sprinkle the combination over the apple slices.
Mix the apples thoroughly, covering all pieces.
Melt the butter. Combine with vanilla and lemon juice.
Pour over apple slices and mix apples again.
If apples are dry add 2 tablespoons water.

If frozen, defrost Pie crust for 10 minutes.
Use a fork to poke several holes in bottom of crust.
Fill the pie crust with the apple pieces.
Use the second pie crust to cover the top.
Pinch shut the edges of the crust, try using a fork.
Be creative with the remaining crust to cover breaks
or write a happy message on top.
Poke several holes in the top crust with a fork.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake pie for ten minutes.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Continue baking for for 45 minutes to one hour.
If crust becomes to dark lightly cover with foil.
Allow the pie to cool to room temperature.

Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream!

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Banana Nut Bread -- 2 or 3 Loafs
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3 large eggs
6 teaspoons melted butter
1/4 cup milk
1.5 cups walnut pieces
1.5 cups mashed banana, about 3 bananas
Preparations:

Mix sugar in melted butter until syrupy.
Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
Stir into the syrup mixture and mix thoroughly.
Stir eggs and milk into the mixture.
Stir in banana, then stir in walnut pieces.
Divide mixture evenly into 2 or 3 greased 4 x 8 pans.
Cook in preheated 350 degree oven
for 45 minutes with 3 pans
or 50 to 60 minute in 2 pans
until a toothpick comes out of the bread clean.
Cool, slice and serve for desert

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Beans in a Lemon Basil Sauce
-- 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Garlic
6 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Oregano
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
3 tablespoons Basil
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon of Tequila or Vermouth
2 cups whole Beans, either / or / and
French, Wax, Chinese and / or String beans
1 cup chopped juicy Tomatoes (4 medium size)
Preparation:
In a large frying pan over medium heat
add garlic to a couple tablespoons of hot oil.
(The garlic is most attractive when used in thin slices
 but minced or powdered works just fine too.)
Lightly brown the garlic for about a minute.
Stir while adding the oregano, pepper,
and the remaining vinegar & oil.
(Instead of the vinegar & oil, you can substitute
 your favorite Italian salad dressing.)
Add the beans and stir,
the beans should be completely coated with oil.
Add the soy sauce and tequila and lemon juice.
Increase heat, stir mixture, and bring to boiling.
Add 1 cup sliced tomatoes or a 13.5 oz can of sliced tomatoes
(add some chicken broth and more lemon juice
 if the liquid mixture evaporates too quickly)
Again, bring to boiling (actually, more of a sizzle),
stir beans occasionally for about 5-10 minutes.
The beans should remain slightly crunchy,
beans shrivel up when overcooked.
Allow the natural basil and bean flavors to dominate,
DO NOT ADD any hot spices.
Top with diced grilled Ham or Chicken!
Tastes great hot of cold!

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Bedeviled Rack of Lamb
-- 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 racks of lamb (8 ribs each)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
4 teaspoons mustard
4 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
1 and 3/4 cups Italian bread crumb
Preparation:
Mix together oil, mustards, rosemary, salt & pepper
and generously coat the lamb with the mixture.
Save any extra sauce for later.
Separately blend garlic powder and bread crumbs.
Pat down the lamb with the bread crumbs
so the meat is completely covered with the breading.
Preheat your oven for broiling.
Place racks of lamb in a broiling pan
beginning with meat side down.
At medium distance from flame, broil the racks
for 10 - 15 minutes until breading begins to brown.
Remove from broiler and turn lamb over.
Patch any holes with leftover mustard oil and breading.
Return the racks to the broiler with meat side up
and broil at medium distance for 10 - 15 minutes longer
until the breading begins to brown.
20 minutes total cooking time for rare chops,
and 30 minutes to cook the lamb completely through.
Raise the lamb up close to the broiler flame
for a minute or two for a darker crisper crust.
Cut and separate the rack into individual chops.
Blend together the broiled drippings
with any leftover mustard mixture
and serve along side the lamb chops.

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Beef Stew -- 10 servings
Ingredients:
2-4 lbs Stewing Beef
6 Tablespoons Garlic
2-3 Large Chopped Onions
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1.5 Cups Water or Chicken Broth
3 Cups Blended Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Parsley
3 Tablespoons Oregano
3 Bay Leaves
2.5 cups Chopped Peeled Potatoes
2.5 cups Chopped Carrots
2.5 cups Chopped Celery
Preparations:

Brown the beef in a 8 quart greased pot over medium high heat.
When Beef has darkened and juices have formed,
add the garlic, stir and continue browning on high heat.
When the juices have nearly evaporated and garlic is browned,
add the chopped onions and stir
until all onions are coated with juices.
Before all the liquids have completely evaporated,
add the Soy Sauce and water (or broth) and stir.
Add 2 cups juicy blended tomatoes--(if you like
use two 15 oz cans of tomato sauce or cut peeled tomatoes).
Add the Parsley, Oregano and Bay Leaves.
Stir occasionally and bring to a full boil.
Cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
Stir the stew every 1/2 hour.
While Beef is stewing :
Chop potatoes, carrots and celery into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
After simmering the beef for 2 hours, add the vegetables.
Stir and bring to a boil.
If the sauce is below the level of the vegetables,
add more tomato juice or water so that
everything is just completely covered with sauce.
After reaching a full boil, cover, reduce heat to low,
and simmer for another hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
You can let contents continue to stew in it's own heat
for another half hour at room temperature.

Serve with white rice or plain pasta and an ear of corn!
Refrigerate the Stew and serve it the following day,
it tastes even better overnight!
Freeze the Stew and serve it in a couple weeks.
The flavor of this stew is deliciously mouthwatering,
however, you can easily ruin the taste.
DO NOT ADD any hot pepper spices.
DO NOT ADD Bell Peppers.
Only use a 1 or 2 finely chopped mushrooms for spice.
Cauliflower works well in the stew, also.
Broccoli will completely change the taste of the stew,
so experiment at your own risk.

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Blackened Red Snapper
-- 2 or 3 servings
(Depending on the size of the fillets)
Use only fresh fillets--never use frozen!
Ingredients:
4 lbs. fair sized fresh Pacific Red Snapper Fillets
1/2 cup of your favorite Italian Salad Dressing
--or any vinegar & oil spiced dressing (make your own!).
1/2 cup Lemon concentrate or freshly squeezed.
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (Progresso Italian)
8 tablespoons Powdered Garlic
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Red Pepper or Blackening Spice
Preparations:

Mix together the Lemon Concentrate and Italian Dressing.
Marinade fillets no less than 1 hour,
or preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.
Prepare a mixture of bread crumbs & garlic powder.
Spread enough of the mixture to cover a plate
and place each marinaded fillet onto the mixture.
Flip fillets over so the breading is face up
and place fillet on a broiling pan.
Sprinkle more garlic and bread crumbs,
completely cover the top of the fillet.
Lightly sprinkle red pepper or blackening spice on top.
--To much hot spice will dominate over the flavor of the fish.
Add more coloring by sprinkling paprika on top
The crumbs & spices should completely coat the fish,
just enough to absorb the dressing an stick to the fish.
Place in a broiler furthest from the flame for 10 minutes.
Lightly darken the breading in the final couple minutes
by raising the fish closer to the broiler flame.
Once crumbs darken, remove fish from broiler.
Flip fillets over on broiler pan with large flat spatula,
careful not to break apart the fillets or disturb the breading.
Use a spoon to pour more of the marinade
completely over the bare top of the fillets.
Sprinkle more of the bread crumbs,
then garlic, a little red pepper and paprika ,
again, enough to absorb dressing and stick to fish.
Place pan back into broiler,
a medium distance from the flame.
Cook 5-10 more minutes,
again raising fish closer to the broiler flame
in the final minutes to darken the breading.
Spread a couple spoonfuls of the marinade on a plate.
Place the fillets on top of the sauce.
Drip a couple more teaspoons of marinade around
the outside of the fillets.
Great with Beans in a lemon Basil Sauce,
or steamed vegetables and white rice.

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Brisket of Beef
-- 6 servings
Ingredients:
2.5-3 lb Brisket Beef (flat cut)
3 large Onions
6 tablespoons crushed Garlic
4 tablespoons Vermouth
4 tablespoons Vinegar
5 tablespoon Paprika
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Cilantro
1 teaspoon Basil
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 Bay Leaves
Preparations:
Peel and chop the onions into large pieces.
Cut the fat off the beef brisket.
Put two tablespoons oil in a 24 quart pot over medium heat.
Lightly brown two tablespoon crushed garlic.
Put beef in pot. While browning,
rub one tablespoon of garlic into top of beef.
Flip browned beef over and
rub one more tablespoon of garlic into the beef.
Remove beef brisket from pot and set aside.
Add two tablespoons of oil to the pot.
Add chopped onions over medium heat,
continuously stirring to completely coat the onions
with the oil and garlic in the pot until lightly burnt.
Remove onions from pot and set aside.
Place beef back into the pot and increase heat.
Coat each side of beef with two tablespoons vermouth,
one tablespoon vinegar and one tablespoon paprika.
Boil and brown both sides of brisket until slightly burnt.
Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, two cups chicken broth,
one teaspoon cilantro, one teaspoon basil,
two bay leaves, two teaspoons sugar,
along with the remaining paprika and garlic.
Add the onions to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Cover pot, reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.
Flip brisket over and simmer for another hour.
If beef is not completely covered with liquid
add one cup of water and bring to a boil.
Carefully remove the beef from the pot.
Cool the brisket in the refrigerator.
Strain the brisket gravy with a sieve.
Discard the separated onion and spice residue.
After the brisket is thoroughly refrigerated,
use an electric carving knife to cut the beef.
Prevent stringy brisket of beef :
Cut thin pieces of brisket,
slicing the meat against the grain.
Cover the slices of beef with the brisket gravy.
Reheat brisket and gravy before serving.
Serve with sliced potatoes boiled in leftover gravy!

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Curry Chicken -- 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons........Mild Red Curry Powder
1.5 teaspoons........Basil
3 tablespoons........White or Brown Sugar
13.5 fl. oz..............Coconut Milk
1/4 cup..................Fish or Soy / Oyster Sauce
1 - 1.5 lb...............Chicken
1 - 2 cups..............String/Wax/French/Chinese Beans
1 each....................Red Chili Peppers (optional)
Preparation:
Cut the Beans and thinly slice the chicken
about 4 centimeters ( 1.5 inches) in length.
Stir the remaining ingredients in a large frying pan
over a medium low flame until the sauce is smooth.
Add the chicken and increase the heat.
When the sauce begins to boil,
add the beans and bring the sauce to a boil again.
Continue to cook at a low boil for 5 to 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally,
until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
(Note that some beans cook faster than others
 and should be added at the appropriate time,
especially if using a combinations of bean types.)
If you prefer it spicy,
add red chili peppers when cooking.
Serve with white rice and pan fried vegetables.

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Green Bean Casserole
-- 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb. green beans, cut into 2 inch strips
6 oz can French fried onions
10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 large white mushroom
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon grain mustard
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat
3/4 cups diced ham or bacon bits
Preparations:
In a large pot, heat oil or bacon fat.
Stir in garlic and onions until translucent.
Reduce heat and stir in mushrooms and beans.
Turn off heat.
Add cream of chicken soup and cold milk.
Stir in mustard, ham and cheeses.
Mix flour with chicken broth and add to pot.
Stir eggs into the cool mixture.
Stir in 4 ounces French fried onions.
Pour into a 12 x 9 x 3 inch greased pan.
Evenly spread the remaining French fried onions
over the top of the casserole.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes.

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Meat loaf
Meat loaf Ingredients:
1 medium chopped onion
1 small chopped green bell pepper
2 Anaheim chopped green chilies
1 cup chopped juicy tomatoes
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 small eggs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups beef bouillon
2 cups chopped juicy tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon mustard
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Meat loaf Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly mix all dry ingredients--the oats, flour,
bread crumbs, oregano, parsley, basil and paprika.
Mix together the chopped vegetables--onions,
green chilies, bell pepper and tomatoes.
Thoroughly combine vegetables and dry ingredients.
Mix in molasses, ketchup, mustard, and soy sauce.
Add eggs and thoroughly mix ingredients
Break apart and add pieces of ground beef and pork.
Thoroughly combine meat with all ingredients.
Mold mixture into a bread size loaf
in a  2 x 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake for 2 hours.
Internal temperature using a meat thermometer
should exceed 160 degrees.

Baste with sauce after 90 minutes if too dry.
Loosely cover with foil if top begins to burn.
Add 15 minutes cooking time each time oven is opened.

Sauce Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except for cornstarch.
Bring to a boil in a 4 quart pot.
Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer while loaf bakes.
Liquefy cornstarch with some water.
After one hour add liquid cornstarch to sauce.
Bring to a boil, constantly stirring.
Reduce heat, cover pot and continue to simmer.
Add some meat drippings to sauce
for thinning and flavor.

After 90 minutes, if the meat appears too dry,
baste meat loaf with some sauce.
Allow an additional 15 minutes cooking time
every time oven is opened.

Cut meat loaf into slices.
Allow meat loaf to cool for easier cutting.
Serve slices covered with sauce.

Serve with potatoes for an all American meal!

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Matza Meat Pie -- 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef
2 medium chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 pound fresh chopped spinach
6 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 ounces Ricotta or Farmers cheese
10 extra large eggs
2 cups chicken broth
Parmesan cheese
Pepper
8 Matza crackers
Preparation:
Brown ground beef, drain fat and remove from heat.
Using fat drippings from the beef,
sate the garlic and onion until translucent
and the onion begins to brown.
Mix in spinach and cooked beef then turn off the heat.
Allow pie filling mixture to cool.
Combine four ounces of each of the cheeses.
Mix and fold six beaten eggs into the cool mixture.
Prepare a flat pan with one cup chicken broth
and another flat pan with six beaten eggs.
Soak Matzas for 30 to 60 seconds in chicken broth
then coat each side with the beaten egg mixture.
Line the bottoms of two 9 x 13 inch greased baking pans
with the egg coated Matzas, about 1.75 matzas per pan.
Pour the filling over top of the Matza in the pans
and spread it around to level it out.
Again, soak more Matzas in chicken broth
then coat soaked Matzas with eggs
and cover the top of the pies with the Matzas.
Pour the remaining chicken broth over top of the pies
but only enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan.
Leftover eggs should be poured over the pies.
Sprinkle feta, gruyere and Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake uncovered in a 375° oven for 45 minutes.
Cover each pan with another greased pan
Flip the pies over.
Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the inverted pies.
Heat for another 20 minutes until the cheese melts.

Allow pies to cool so the pies will hold together better.
Cut into four inch squares and reheat pies for serving.

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Orzo Pasta -- 12 Servings
Ingredients:
2 cups Orzo Pasta
3/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
7 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
Preparations:
Heat olive oil in a large pan on high.  
Add garlic and onion.
Stir until completely coated with oil.  
Add orzo pasta stirring every couple minutes
so the pasta browns actually burning somewhat.
Add mushroom, pepper and soy sauce
and stir until mixed thoroughly.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Cover pan and lower heat.
Simmer until liquid is absorbed.
Store excess pasta in the refrigerator.
Reheat and serve as a side dish for several days.

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Pork Chops in Apple Sauce
-- 6 servings
Ingredients:
6 Pork Chops
1 Medium sliced Onion
2 large Apples
1.25 cups Apple Juice or Cider
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chick broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 tablespoons flour
3-6 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation:
Peel and core 2 large apples.
Thinly slice the apples about 1/8 - 1/4 inches wide.
Tenderize the pork chops with a tenderizing mallet.
Preheat a large frying pan on high
with 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Briefly brown both sides of the pork chops.
remove browned chops from pan and set aside.
Sate the remaining garlic and minced onion
in the drippings until the onion becomes translucent.
Add apples and stir until apples are coated with oil.
Add more butter or oil if needed.
Add apple juice, wine, salt & pepper
and bring mixture to a boil.
Turn off heat.
Mix flour with the chicken broth until smooth
and stir it into the apple mixture in the frying pan.
Just cover the bottom of a casserole dish
with some of the apple mixture
before adding the pork chops.
Pour the remaining apple mixture over the chops.
Cover the casserole and bake for one hour
in an oven at 350 degrees.
After the casserole comes to a boil
you can remove the cover to brown the top.

Serve with roasted potatoes
or angel hair pasta and vegetables
sated in oil with garlic and basil.

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Potato Salad -- 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs. red potato
1 cup finely diced green onion
1 cup finely sliced Celery
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
2 cups Mayonnaise
6 slices of bacon, crumbled
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
1.5 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
Preparations:

Cook 12 pieces of bacon in a large pan.
Collect the bacon drippings for later.
Boil the potatoes for 18 minutes.
Drain and let the potatoes cool.
Cut the cool potatoes into quarters,
about half to a full square inch in size.
Heat the bacon drippings in a large pan.
Add the garlic, diced onion, and chopped celery.
Stir for a couple minutes on high.
Turn heat to simmer, add potatoes and stir
Add Balsamic Vinegar and stir
Add bacon bits, stir and turn off the heat
Add mayonnaise until all ingredients are fully coated.

Serve warm immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.
Tastes good warm or cold, best at room temperature.

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last update 02-03-2006