Red Beans and Rice

If you want to make this you need to start the day before you want to serve it as you need to soak the beans.
NEED:
1 pound dried red beans
3 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup oil
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
3 tablespoon fresh or canned parsley, chopped
salt, pepper and hot sauce (preferably Tabasco) to taste
2 cup steamed rice

Wash beans, remove any bad beans or objects like leaves or stems, and soak overnight according to package directions.
Drain beans and place in large pot with 3 cups of water. Add garlic, celery, onion, bay leaves and oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed.
Add sausage and parsley and continue cooking for about an hour. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce as desired.
Serve over a bed of rice.

Enjoy!

Paczki

You pronounce that "punch-key" . No matter how you say it, they are great. These Polish based treats are tradionally made and eaten for Fat Tuesday. Normally, I buy mine but there is nothing like a fresh made donut, no matter what you call it. A bit of work but a mouthful of flavor.
NEED:
3 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1 cup melted butter
6 cups flour
fruit or custard for filling
1 cup milk, scalded & cooled
oil for deep frying
2 teaspoons salt powdered sugar for sprinkling
20 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk for 5 minutes. Stir flour into the scalded milk gradually. Add the yeast mixture, stirring until smooth. Let rise for 1/2 hour. Beat the salt into the egg yolks; add to flour mixture, mix well. Add the sugar and mix well. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the sides. Gradually knead in the butter. Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again. Cut the dough in half, set one half aside and roll out the second half about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter cut as many rounds as possible. Place a dab of jam or filling on one round, cover jam with another round and seal edges. Place the filled paczki on greased sheets, allowing room between each for rising. Repeat the process until all the dough is used. Let the paczki rise for about 1 hour or until doubled. Pour the oil into deep fryer or deep pan (about 5 inches). Heat the oil until it is about 360 to 370 degrees. Deep fry the paczki in oil for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides. Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Sugar Free Fudge

You are probably wondering why eat fudge if there's no sugar. You will never even notice the difference. Great for those who must watch their sugar intake and anyone looking to cut back calories.
NEED:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1ounce each) melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar substitute of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients, except pecans, until smooth. Spread in a greased or sprayed 8 inch pan and top with pecans. Place in fridge overnight.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits

NEED:
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups buttermilk ( set out to warm to room temperature)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in Crisco (place Crisco in mixture and using two table knives, cut through it to make small pieces.) then work it into the dry ingredients. You can use a large spatula or spoon, but I preferr using my hands. Do not over work. Add buttermilk and mix..once again...DO NOT OVER WORK.
Turn mixture out onto a floured surface. Flour palms of hands and fold ( knead) mixture no more than 3 times and then pat out to desired thickness and cut with floured biscuit cutter or floured drinking glass.
Oven at 450 degrees. Bake approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until a nice brown. Do not over bake.

Enjoy!

Leftover Biscuits

My family is all about biscuits. My mother made the best ones, but by sight not by measurements..so my brother and I always trying to make them to be just like hers. We get close but so far no winner.
I sometimes use a baking mix, like Bisquick, or make them from scratch. I double the recipe as I like them BIG so cutting them with the usual cutter is out. I pat them into a circle that is large enough to cut about 9 but because I have doubled the recipe it is thick so I cut them with a drinking glass that has been dipped in flour.
Usually there will be 1 or 2 left over. I place them in sandwich bags and tuck them in the bread box. Hopefully, someone will eat them. Before, if they sat there long enough, I just tossed them out by my bird feeder. One day I was thinking, there must be something I can do with these. I sliced them in half and dropped them in the toaster. GREAT! Hot and toasty on the edges. Sort of like a muffin now..but with a different taste. Spread with butter, jam or add honey. A great little snack and a way to use the leftover ones.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Pork Roast

NEED:
1 (3 pound) boneless pork roast
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 1/2 cups chopped dried cranberries


Rub the pork roast on all sides with salt and pepper, and place in a slow cooker. Pour in the pineapple chunks and juice, and sprinkle in the cranberries.
Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pizza

NEED:
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 (12-inch) prebaked refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup shopped sweet red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow bell pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped

Combine tomato paste and water in a small bowl, stir well. Spread on pizza crust. Top evenly with cheese. Arrange peppers and onion evenly over cheese.

Oven at 450 degrees. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese melts.

Enjoy!