• 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
• 3 cubes beef bouillon
• 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

1. 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.
2. Mix together the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, water, Lipton’s Beefy Onion dry soup mix, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, bay leaves and parsley.  Set aside.
3. 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 saute until soft and lightly browned.  Lower the heat to medium.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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.
10. 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 (* see note)
• ¼ C brown mustard
• 2 C dark brown sugar
• 1 OZ bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
• 2 C crushed ginger snap cookies

Oven: 250° F

1. Remove ham from the bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Remove and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.

Oven: 350° F

1. Dab the ham 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).
2. Sprinkle on the brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. 
3. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can.
4. Insert the thermometer (don’t use the old hole) and return to the oven uncovered. 
5. Cook until interior temperature reaches 140° F – approximately 1 hour.
6. 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
• 5 OZ (141 GR) 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

Oven: 350°

Crust:

1. In a medium bowl, with a fork lightly stir together the all-purpose flour and salt.
2. With a pastry blender (or 2 knives used scissor-fashion) cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. 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.
4. Cover or wrap in cling film until ready for use.

Filling:

1. Heat the cooking oil in a 5 QT pot. Salt and pepper the chicken, then brown over high heat for 2 minutes a side.
2. 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.
3. When the chicken is done remove it, reserve 1 C of the broth, and add the white wine to it.
4. Cool the chicken slightly, and cut the meat into small pieces.
5. In the saucepan, over low heat, sweat the onions first, then the celery, next the garlic, lastly the mushrooms and carrots together.
6. Once the vegetables are done, add the broth/wine mix and bring to a simmer.
7. 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.
8. Over low heat, cook stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened.
9. Stir in the chicken, peas and corn, and season as necessary.
10. Bring to a brief boil and allow all vegetables to heat through.
11. Spoon the mixture into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.
12. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment into a 14″ x 10″ rectangle.
13. With a knife, cut out a small circle in the center of the pastry.
14. Place the pastry loosely over the filling.
15. Trim the edges, leaving 1 inch overhanging, folding the overhang under and make a high stand-up edge.
16. Brush the pastry with the egg.
17. Place a sheet of foil beneath the dish in the oven, wide enough to catch drips from over the edges.
18. Bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden and the mixture is hot.

Takes approximately 2 hours.  Yields 6 – 8 servings.

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

1. Peel, cube and boil the potatoes until tender.
2. Drain the potatoes then mash them smooth, adding the butter, evaporated milk, salt and pepper.
3. 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.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the soy sauce, parsley and corn then bring to a simmer.
5. 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 MED onions (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 MED 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 MED 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 MED green bell peppers (chopped)
• 1 TSP table salt (or to taste)
• ¼ TSP black pepper (or to taste)

1. Heat a large pot coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
2. Add oil and onion, sauté onion until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic and carrots and cook until garlic is softened.
3. Add ground turkey, and brown the meat, about 5 minutes. Stir to break up lumps.
4. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, 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.
5. Add the beans and bell pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until peppers are done, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste.

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

• ½ C fresh 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)

1. Combine the ginger, sugar, lemon juice and lime juice with 6 C water and bring to a gentle boil.
2. Mix the yeast with ¾ C warm water and set aside.
3. After 30 minutes, remove the ginger solution form the heat. Add the hibiscus and rose flower, stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Add 10 C cold water and strain into a second container.
5. Stir in the yeast solution.
6. 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.
7. Refrigerate to slow/stop the yeast and serve cold.

• 12 GAL of cold water
• 70 OZ Zatarain’s Pro Boil (powdered)
• 2 C Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Crab & Shrimp Boil or Pro Boil (powdered)
• 6 OZ Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp & Crab Boil (liquid)
• 6 TBS cayenne pepper
• 1 C celery powder
• 1 C (2 sticks) butter (to eliminate foam)
• 8 medium onions (halved)
• 6 heads of garlic (split in half exposing pods)
• 6 lemons (halved)
• 1 head celery (cut roughly)
• 24+ small red potatoes
• 12+ half-ears of frozen corn
• 2½ LB baby carrots (optional)
• 1+ LB mushrooms (optional)
• 1+ LB Brussels sprouts (optional)
• 2 whole artichokes, stems trimmed (optional)
• 2-3 whole heads of fresh broccoli (optional)
• 2 LB smoked sausage (optional)
• 3 C vinegar (for shrimp only)

CRAWFISH (takes ~2 hours start to finish – start early (10:30 am)):

This is for 30 to 45 LB crawfish, using a 100 to 120 QT pot.

1. Rinse the crawfish in cold water, do not purge — it’s a mostly useless procedure for crawfish and places them under unnecessary stress. Continue to wet down the crawfish occasionally, but allow them to drain and not remain submerged. Keep them in a shaded location until you are ready to add them to the pot.
2. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the butter, seafood boil mix (powdered and liquid), cayenne and celery powder and continue to boil for five minutes.
3. Reduce the heat and bring the water to a low “maintenance” boil. Add the lemons (squeezed into the pot first), celery, onions and garlic then cook for approximately five minutes. You may opt to put the lemons, onions, garlic, and celery in a boiling bag for easy retrieval later.
4. Add any remaining vegetables except the corn and broccoli and cook five minutes more.
5. Increase the heat and add the crawfish and any whole meats (i.e. chicken legs, turkey necks, etc — but not sausages).
6. Just before the water returns to a boil (a vigorous simmer) turn off the fire and allow it to hot soak for 5 minutes then add the corn, broccoli and sausage (or sausage-like foods) and stir the pot well. Allow to continue to soak for 10 minutes, stir, soak for another 10 minutes then start checking for doneness by sampling a crawfish and judging the flavor and texture.
7. The meat of the tail should be slightly firm and springy. If it is soft and slightly mushy, the crawfish are overcooked. When the crawfish sink, they’ve absorbed all the flavor they’ll absorb. The trick is to make sure they’re not overdone by the time they sink. Stir and check every 10 minutes until done. The soak takes roughly 40 minutes, more or less.
8. Drain the crawfish and serve hot.

SHRIMP:

This is for 50 to 60 LB shrimp, using a 100 to 120 QT pot.

Use the same method as above with the following amendments:

1. Add the vinegar to the water when you add the seasoning.
2. Once you add the shrimp, start the process of bringing the water back to a bare boil.
3. Once the water is just approaching a simmer, add the corn.
4. Once the water reaches the bare boil, immediately check the texture of the shrimp and kill the heat if the texture is right (springy and tender, not mushy).
5. Allow to hot soak for 4-8 minutes until the desired level of spiciness is attained.
6. Drain the shrimp and serve hot.

Shrimp do not need to boil for minutes, nor do they need an extended soak. It’s very easy to overcook shrimp and turn the texture mushy, and shrimp take the seasoning more readily than crawfish.