Fresh From the Garden Pasta Salad

8 oz Rotini, cooked and cooled
8 oz diced ham
1/2 onion
1/2 lg Bell Pepper
8 oz Black olives, sliced
1 large clove garlic
2 T Fresh chopped Parsley
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Mix
1 T sweet pickle relish
3/4 cup mayo

Chop the garlic and then place into a large bowl.  Mash the garlic and the seasoning mix with the back of a spoon until well blended.  Mash in the pepper.  Add the ham, onion, bell pepper, olives, parsley, and relish.  Mix well.  Add mayo and pasta and stir until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Canning Pinto Beans With Sausage

No BBQ is complete at our house without some pinto beans. During deer season we brine and smoke the hocks for use in a pot of beans....it's better than salt pork or bacon! I can the seasoned beans with smoked sausage and onion for a quick side dish. To do this you will need:

a pressure canner

7 wide mouth quart jars, with lids & rings

5 pounds of dried pinto beans

2 smoked venison hocks

3 pounds smoked sausage (such as kielbasa)

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Place the hocks in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove the bones and bring the water and meat to a full boil. Add the beans, adding more water as needed to cover. Boil hard for 2 minutes, then simmer for 30 minutes. Slice the sausage and add it to the beans, taste for seasoning, and bring to a boil. Ladle into hot jars, topping them with a bit more water if needed. Fill the jars 2/3 with beans then top with water leaving 1" head room. Cap and seal the jars, process in a pressure canner for 90 minutes at the pressure recommended for your elevation. The beans will finish cooking during the canning process.

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

5# boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 large bell peppers

6 medium onions

Taco Seasoning

Wash 9 pint jars, then arrange on a roasting pan and place into a 250º oven. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place 9 lids into the pan of water and leave until ready to cap the jars.

While the jars and lids are heating, cut the chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips. Layer the jars by adding the meat, 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning, pepper strips, and onions. Add 2 Tablespoon of water to each jar and cap.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 10#

To use, simply open the jar and heat contents in a skillet until well heated through. Place in a flour tortilla and top with guacamole, sour cream, or cheese. Each jar makes about 3 fajitas.

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

5 cups Strawberries, crushed

7 cups Sugar

1 box Pectin

4 T Lemon Juice

1 large can Crushed Pineapple (20 oz)

2 T Vanilla extract

Place the pineapple (undrained) and strawberries in a heavy bottomed kettle and mash with a potato masher. Add the pectin, lemon juice, and vanilla. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once and stir. Bring mixture to a hard boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Ladle into hot sterile jars and cap. Process in BWB for 5 minutes.

Makes 5 pints.

Doughnuts

We made these this morning using our fresh milk and eggs. I love having fresh food again! We are all exhausted from all the work involved with this time of year, but this was a nice project for the girls and I to do this morning. This makes enough dough for a lot of nutz!

Doughnuts

4 1/2 tsp yeast

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

7-8 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and milk until the yeast is well dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, oil, and eggs; stir until well combined. Add the flour one cup at a time until a sticky dough is formed. The dough is very sticky and it's easiest to use a big silicone spatula to work with it.

Place the dough into a well greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down dough and allow to rise again until doubled.

Roll the dough out onto a well floured board. Incorporate just enough flour to the dough to make it manageable. If it gets too elastic, just cover with a damp towel and allow it to rest for 5 mins or so.

Cut with doughnut cutter (I use a reg size mason jar ring and a tiny cookie cutter)....or you can cut it into strips and braid the strips. Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and allow them to rise for a few minutes (this is the step that makes them light and fluffy).

Deep fry at 375º for about 3 mins per side (until golden brown) then dunk into the glaze before placing them on a parchment paper.

Glaze

1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Add the sugar to the boiling water and stir until combined. Use tongs to roll the doughnuts in the hot glaze, then sit on a sheet of parchment to cool.

Rebekah's Competition Venison Black Bean Chili

Rebekah entered a chili cook off at the church and her chili was a big hit. Here's what she made:

Black Bean Venison Chili

5 pounds venison, cut into 1" cubes

1 onion, diced

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 pints ro-tel tomatoes

1 quart whole tomatoes

2 pints black beans

1/4 cup chili powder

3 jalapeno peppers (she used home canned peppers, so they could just be smooshed into the pot)

Sautee the onions in olive oil just until tender, add garlic and simmer for just a minute. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic. Add the other ingredients and stir well. Simmer for at least 6 hours, until the meat is tender.

Chinese Food East Texas Style!

When the kids were little, one of their chores was to plan and create one meal for the family each week. For me, this was extra work for 4 meals each week...but oh my were the rewards great! We had such great fun doing this, and we created some great recipes as a result. Some of these meals turned into a "theme" night, complete with decorations and props...and usually a short study on the region we were basing the meal on.

Anyway, tonight's dinner reminds me of those days. We haven't gone all out like that in a long time. I think we need to start our kid cooking night again for the new year. Even though it's just the girls, I think we'll have a lot of fun....and who knows, we might learn something!

Our recipes for the evening include:
Sweet N Sour Chicken
Steamed rice
Steamed pork dumplings
Egg Rolls

Sunset Cocktail - it's pretty and the kids love them


Sweet N Sour Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 cup self-rising flour
1 egg, beaten and add a tablespoon water
Soy Sauce
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin at an angle
1 8 oz can pineapple chunks, drained but reserve the juice
1 clove garlic
Oil for frying

Sprinkle the chicken breast with soy sauce. Mix the egg/water and place in a bowl. Roll each chicken strip in flour, then the egg wash, then flour again. Place on a rack and let stand while the oil is heated (5-10 minutes). Heat oil to 375. Fry the meat a few pieces at a time until brown and crisp, set aside on paper towels.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the wok or skillet and add a clove of garlic. Stir garlic in oil until browned, then discard. Add green pepper and carrot to oil. Stir fry for about a minute. Pour in ½ cup of water. Cover and steam for about 3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Add sweet and sour sauce. Add pork and pineapple, stirring gently until the meat is reheated. Serve with rice.

The sauce:
¾ cup white vinegar
¾ cup sugar
½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon catsup
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch

In a pan, combine vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice, and catsup. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Add the soy sauce. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir it into sauce. Stir over low heat until thickened.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

For filling:
½ pound ground pork
2 green onions, minced
¼ cup mushroom paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp rice vinegar
1T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
Salt & pepper (to taste)

20 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten

Combine all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir with hands until well mixed.
Place a small spoonful of filling onto the wrapper. Brush any exposed wrapper with the egg, then fold and seal the wrapper. Be sure to squeeze out any air pockets.
Place the dumplings in a prepared bamboo steamer and steam for 15 minutes.

Egg Rolls

For filling:
½ pound ground pork
2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ pound mushrooms, chopped fine
½ cup bamboo shoots, chopped fine
3 cups cabbage, chopped fine
1 can water chestnuts, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 pkg frozen egg roll wrappers

In a small bowl combine pork, cornstarch, soy sauce, and ginger. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Stir fry mushrooms about a minute, then add the pork mixture and stir fry until cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry until cabbage is crisp tender. Cool thoroughly.

To make:
Thaw the wrappers until pliable. Use about ¼ cup filling per eggroll, placing the filling diagonally across the center of the wrapper. Fold the eggroll and use cold water to seal. Keep the wrapped eggrolls covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
Deep fry at 375 for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Here's how they look when they are ready to fry....

Sunset Cocktail

3 parts sparkling cider (fill the glass about halfway)
2 parts apricot nectar (fill until nearly to the top)
1/2 part grenadine (just enough to add the color)
Pour cider into a pretty glass, add the nectar and top with the grenadine. The grenadine will sink to the bottom and you will have something that looks like this....