Crisco shortening

Temperature: 350

Crisco shortening is very highly refined, and perfect for seasoning as it won't leave a sticky residue like vegetable oil will.

Drop a small spoonful of it into the cast iron pan then place it in the preheated oven until the shortening melts.  Extract said vessel, and use a paper towel or brush to smear the fat all over the pan, handle and everything.

Return it to the oven for an hour — do not drop it at any point during this process!  Turn the oven off, let the pan cool down, wipe off the excess oil, and put it away.  For new pans, you should do this process several time before its initial use.

Never use sharp or metal utensils when cooking in cast iron.  Clean with hot water and gentle scrubbing, but avoid dish detergent, and never put it in the dishwasher or allow to soak in the sink (and if you do, just re-season from scratch).  Scrub stubborn areas with salt.  Dish detergent can be used, sparingly, for special needs.

3 to 4 LB beef roast (rump or sirloin tip)
6 cloves garlic (minimum)
1 large onion (sliced into half-rings)
20 OZ Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 PKG Lipton's Beefy Onion dry soup mix
2 bay leaves
¼ C dried parsley flakes
20 OZ water
Salt and pepper
Kitchen Bouquet
Vegetable oil (olive, canola, etc)

Optional Veggies

16 OZ baby carrots
3 medium Idaho potatoes (cut large) (or the equivalent of red new potatoes)
16 OZ mushrooms (sliced if large)
Pearl onions

Temperature:

Trim any excess fat or skin from the roast.  Cut narrow, deep, evenly spaced slits in the roast (one for each clove of garlic), sprinkle in salt and pepper, and insert one whole garlic clove in each.  Brush the roast all over lightly with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, water, Lipton's Beefy Onion dry soup mix, bay leaves and parsley.  Set aside.

Put your slow cooker's pot — or a heavy 6 QT pot if the cooker's pot is ceramic or otherwise not able to go over direct heat — over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot.  Sear the roast on all sides (approximately 1½ — 2 minutes per side).  Add the onions, and sautee until soft and lightly browned.  Lower the heat to medium.

Pour in the wet mixture and stir thoroughly.  Bring to a simmer.  Check the consistency of the gravy and add water as needed — you should get it to the thickness you desire, as it will not reduce much during the cooking phase.  Better to be too thin than too thick… you can always thicken it later by adding a flour and water paste, or by cooking on your slow cooker's "high" setting with the lid off.  

Taste and add salt and pepper seasoning as necessary.  Usually at this point a TSP or so of salt, and a TSP of pepper are enough, if at all.  The gravy will also not get any darker as the roast cooks, so if you desire it darker, add Kitchen Bouquet, ½ TSP at a time until you reach the color you like.

At this point, if you are preparing the roast the night before, take it off the heat and allow to cool (if you are using a separate pot to sear and simmer, transfer the meat and gravy to the slow cooker's pot).  Once cool, cover tightly with foil and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Place the pot into the cooker base.  Add your vegetables, and stir them in well.  Most of the contents of the pot should be submerged, but it is not necessary for everything to be completely under.  If you have a reasonable amount of liquid and keep the lid on, the steam and simmering action will keep everything evenly cooked and moist

Set the heat level on the slow cooker and cook according the following chart:

HIGH (from stove top): 4 hours
HIGH (from fridge): 4½ hours
LOW (from stove top): 8 hours
LOW (from fridge): 9 hours

Do not lift the lid during cooking or you may need to adjust your cook time for longer.  Avoid stirring the gravy, especially toward the end of the cook time, as you may cause the perfectly cooked veggies to break up and disintegrate.

Serve with rice, egg noodles, spiral pasta, etc.

NOTE: This is the basic recipe for most meat dishes.  Variations such as soup and stew substitute 12 OZ of stewed tomatoes for the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup and require much more water, and as many vegetables as you like (green onions, celery, green beans, corn, lima beans, squash etc).  Stew will also require a bit of a roux to thicken — soup does not.  You can use this basic pot roast recipe for pork loin roast or chops, chicken, ribs, etc — even meatloaf.

2 C cake flour
2 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
½ TSP salt
4 TBS sugar
2 TBS cornstarch (optional — for extra crispiness if desired)                             
4 TBS melted butter (½ stick)
1 C whole milk
1 C sour cream
4 eggs (separated)
½ TSP vanilla extract

Temperature:

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and the cornstarch (if used).  Whisk egg yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the yolks are pale yellow.  Mix the butter, vanilla, sour cream and whole milk, then add the wet ingredients to the dry until just incorporated — do not over mix.  Fold the egg whites into the main mixture.

Bake in a waffle iron set to high.  Cool on a rack.  Freeze leftovers and reheat in a toaster.

If adding berries or nuts, sprinkle into the batter after it has been poured onto the iron, but before baking.  If using other fruits, add directly to the batter.

2 C cake flour
2 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
½ TSP salt
¼ to ⅓ C sugar
2 TBS cornstarch (optional — for extra crispiness if desired)                             
4 eggs (separated)
4 TBS melted butter (½ stick)
1 C buttermilk
1 C whole milk
½ TSP vanilla extract

Temperature:

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and the cornstarch (if used).  Whisk egg yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the yolks are pale yellow.  Mix the butter, vanilla, buttermilk and whole milk, then add the wet ingredients to the dry until just incorporated — do not over mix.  Fold the egg whites into the main mixture.

Bake in a waffle iron set to high.  Cool on a rack.  Freeze leftovers and reheat in a toaster.

If adding berries or nuts, sprinkle into the batter after it has been poured onto the iron, but before baking.  If using other fruits, add directly to the batter.

1 city style (brined) ham, hock end *
¼ C brown mustard
2 C dark brown sugar
1 OZ bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
2 C crushed ginger snap cookies

Temperature: 250

Remove ham from the bag, rinse and drain thoroughly.  Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan.  Using a small paring knife, or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut (if you're using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat).  Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than 2-inches across.  Once you've made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counter clockwise.  The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham (don't worry too much about precision here).

Tent the ham with heavy duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130°F.  Remove and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Dab dry with paper towels, then brush on a liberal coat of mustard, using either a basting brush or a clean paint brush (clean as in never-touched paint).  Sprinkle on the brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated.  Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can.

Insert the thermometer (don't use the old hole) and return to the oven uncovered.  Cook until interior temperature reaches 140°F — approximately 1 hour.

Let the roast rest for ½ hour before carving.

* NOTE: A city ham is basically any brined ham that's packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve".  Better city hams are also labeled "ham in natural juices".

1½ C (~3) ripe bananas (mashed by hand with a fork)
½ C butter or margarine (1 stick)
1 C sugar
1 TSP baking soda
⅓ TSP salt
2 eggs
1 TSP vanilla
½ C walnuts or pecans (chopped)
1¼ C all-purpose (or unbleached) flour

Temperature: 350

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  With your mixer, cream the butter and eggs until light, adding the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.  Fold in the bananas and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.  Bake on the middle rack for 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

2 to 2½ LB boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs
3 TBS cooking oil
½ TSP pepper
½ TSP marjoram leaves
2 bay leaves
Water
Salt
10 OZ carrots (shredded, sliced, or baby whole)
2 sticks of celery (minced)
1 large onion (diced), or ¾ LB pearl onions (peeled)
6 garlic cloves
All-purpose flour
2¾ C half-and-half
¼ C white wine
10 OZ green peas
10 OZ corn
1 LB small mushrooms (sliced)
1 egg yolk

Crust:
3 C (450 GR) all-purpose flour
1½ TSP salt
½ C (112 GR) shortening
½ C (112 GR) butter
7 – 9 TBS cold water

Temperature: 350

Make the crust first:

In a medium bowl, with a fork lightly stir together the all-purpose flour and salt.  With a pastry blender (or 2 knives used scissor-fashion) cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle in cold water, a TBS at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until the pastry just holds together.  With your hands, shape the pastry into a ball.

Heat the cooking oil in a 5 QT pot. Salt and pepper the chicken, then brown over high heat for 2 minutes a side. Add 4 C water, marjoram and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.

When the chicken is done remove it, reserve 1 C of the broth, and add the white wine to it.  Cool the chicken slightly, and cut the meat into small pieces.

In the saucepan, over low heat, sweat the onions first, then the celery, next the garlic, lastly the mushrooms and carrots together. Once the vegetables are done, add the broth/wine mix and bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, with a fork blend 5 OZ all-purpose flour with 1 C half-and-half, then gradually stir into the broth in the saucepan until smooth.  Stir in the remaining half-and-half.  Over low heat, cook stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened.

Stir in the chicken, peas and corn, and season as necessary. Bring to a brief boil and allow all vegetables to heat through.  Spoon the mixture into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment into a 14″ x 10″ rectangle.  With a knife, cut out a small circle in the center of the pastry.  Place the pastry loosely over the filling.  Trim the edges, leaving 1 inch overhanging, folding the overhang under and make a high stand-up edge.

Brush the pastry with the egg.  Place a sheet of foil beneath the dish in the oven, wide enough to catch drips from over the edges. Bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden and the mixture is hot.

Takes approximately 2 hours.  Serves 6 – 8.

9 medium potatoes
4 OZ butter (1 stick)
12 OZ evaporated milk
1 TBS salt
½ TBS pepper
2 TBS canola oil
3 medium onions (chopped)
2 bunches green onions (chopped)
16 cloves garlic (chopped)
54 OZ chicken broth
1 C fresh parsley (chopped)
8 TBS soy sauce
16 OZ yellow corn

Temperature:

Peel, cube and boil the potatoes until tender.  Drain the potatoes then mash them smooth, adding the butter, evaporated milk, salt and pepper.

Sauté the onions over medium heat in the canola oil for approximately 5 minutes or until soft.  Add the garlic and green onions and sauté for 3 minutes more.

Pour in the chicken stock, then add the soy sauce, parsley and corn then bring to a simmer.  Stir in the mashed potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes or until the flavors blend well.

Yields 5 to 6 QT.

1 TSP canola oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 medium carrots (thinly sliced into rounds)
2 LB lean ground turkey
4 TBS chili powder
2 TBS paprika
2 TSP ground cumin
3 TSP red pepper flakes
4 medium tomatoes (chopped) (substitute 1 14½ OZ can Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes)
2 C canned tomato sauce
2 C fat-free chicken broth
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
3 C cooked kidney beans (rinsed and drained, mash 1 C before adding)
2 medium green bell peppers (chopped)
1 TSP table salt (or to taste)
¼ TSP black pepper (or to taste)

Heat a large pot coated with cooking spray over medium heat.  Add oil and onion, sauté onion until soft — about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic and carrots and cook until garlic is softened.  Add ground turkey, and brown the meat — about 5 minutes.  Stir to break up lumps.

Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes, tomatoes and tomato sauce, broth and vinegar.  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Add the beans and bell pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until peppers are done, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste.

Yields about 3 QT (12 C).  A serving is 1 C.  Each serving is valued at 4 points.

½ C ginger (finely grated)
1 C sugar
4 TBS lemon juice
4 TBS lime juice
¼ TSP baker's yeast
3 TBS dried hibiscus
1 TBS dried rose flower (available at botanical.com and some specialty groceries)

Temperature:

Combine the ginger, sugar, lemon juice and lime juice with 6 C water and bring to a gentle boil.  Mix the yeast with ¾ C warm water and set aside.

After 30 minutes, remove the ginger solution form the heat.  Add the hibiscus and rose flower, stir and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add 10 C cold water and strain into a second container.  Stir in the yeast solution.

Funnel liquid into two 2 liter bottles (or the equivalent) to an inch below the cap, adding water if necessary.  Seal the bottles and store at room temperature for 24 hours.

Refrigerate and serve cold.