1 large onion (chopped)
8 cloves garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onion (chopped)
1 C celery (chopped coarse)
¼ C parsley (chopped or dried)
2 bay leaves
2 C white rice
1 large can tomatoes (drained & mashed)
2 C tomato liquid
2 C water
2 TBS olive oil
1 LB smoked sausage or andouille
2½ TSP salt
¼ TSP black pepper
Dash cayenne to taste
2 LB shrimp (raw & peeled)
½ to 1 LB crabmeat (white or claw)
1 LB crawfish tails (optional)

Temperature:

In a heavy 5 QT pot, sauté onions in oil till clear. Add garlic and saute for 3 more minutes. Add sliced sausage and fry for 5 minutes. Add shallots and celery and stir fry till soft and blended, about 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes and place liquid in a 2 or 4 C measuring container. Mash tomatoes and add to the pot. Add seasonings and 2 C of the tomato liquid. Simmer for 1 hour. Add seafood and cook only till shrimp are done, about 5 minutes. Add 2 C water and bring to a boil. Add rice and cook till tender and dry.

1 C white rice
2 C water
2 TBS butter or maragarine
1 TSP salt

Temperature:

No real southern cook would ever boil rice. We don’t wash it before cooking either as that takes away the nutrients added back when the factory washes it – a vicious cycle. Butter or margarine will keep steamed rice from sticking together. If you get “gummy” rice, decrease the amount of water or use a different pot. Rice should fill a pot at least ¾ when it is done. Cooking ingredients apply for cooking on the top of the stove or in a rice cooker. Bring water, margarine and salt to a rolling boil. Add rice, stir once, bring back to a boil then cover and simmer on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 20 minutes or until tender. Fluff with a fork then serve.

Brown rice requires more water, 2¼ to 2½ C and slightly longer cooking time, 45 minutes.

1 LB pasta (cooked and drained)
1 LB sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
1½ C milk
3 TBS Wondra instant flour
1 TSP salt
3 TBS butter

Temperature: 350

Boil the pasta in salted water. Remove from heat and run cold water into the pot to stop further cooking. Drain in a colander. Put cold milk, Wondra flour, butter and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil on med heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add ¾ C cheese, stir till melted and smooth. Return the macaroni to its pot. Add cheese sauce. Mix till well coated. Place in a baking dish or pan. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top. Bake untill cheese is all melted and sauce has dried a bit, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Note: this basic cheese sauce is suitable for use on vegetables and other foods.

1 LB elbow macaroni (large or small)
6 eggs
½ C milk
2 TBS butter or margarine (melted)
1 LB sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
Salt & pepper to taste

Temperature: 350

Boil the pasta in salted water. Remove from heat and run cold water into the pot to stop further cooking. Drain in a colander. Beat eggs and milk together until well blended. Add ½ TSP salt to start. Taste the mixture – should taste slightly salty or dish will be too bland. Put milk and egg mix back into the macaroni pot. Add the cooked macaroni and mix until well coated. Add butter. Layer in a baking pan alternately with cheese. End with a layer of cheese on top. Add milk if the liquid level is not at least 1/3 of pan depth. Bake until “set” but not too dry, approximately 30 – 40 minutes.

Loaf:
3 LB lean ground beef (or use 1 LB each beef, pork and veal)
1 onion (chopped fine)
9 garlic cloves (chopped fine)
6 OZ mushrooms (chopped fine) (optional)
1½ C bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
1½ TSP salt
¼ TSP black pepper
1 TBS parsley (dried)
1 egg
¼-½ C milk

Glaze:
1 C catsup
2-3 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS worcestershire
1 TBS prepared mustard

Temperature: 325

Mix all loaf ingredients, adjusting consistency with water or milk. Shape into a loaf (elongated ball). Bake for ½ hour uncovered. Cover and bake for ½-1 hour longer or until meat is well done in center of loaf (185 degrees). Spoon glaze over cooked meatloaf and cook for 10 minutes. Alternately you can cook it in cream of mushroom soup and dry onion soup to make gravy instead.

1 LB butter
1+1/3 C warm milk
7 eggs
3 TSP baking powder
3½ C sugar
Flour – approx 5 LB
2 TSP vanilla
1 TSP salt
1 TSP baking soda

Temperature: 350

Beat butter till light. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time and beat 15 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then mix. Add milk then beat for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups flour, then beat for 5 minutes. Pour into a large pan. Knead in flour one cup at a time, keeping dough light (use approx 2 cups less than 5 LB). Shape cookies into bagel-twist rings. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until lightly browned – 12-15 minutes. Makes a big batch of 95 and can be reduced if you’re not bringing them to a greek festival.

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2-4 lbs beef round steak or pork chops (thinly sliced)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• ½ C green onions (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 8 OZ can tomato paste
• 15 OZ can tomato sauce
• 1/8 TSP dry oregano
• 1 TBS parsley (dried)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 C chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Brown steak or pork in olive oil then set aside. In same pan (add more oil if needed) sauté onion in meat juices. Add garlic after onions are soft and clear (garlic burns fast) and green onions, stir fry for 5 minutes. Add tomato, seasonings and 1 TSP salt and ¼ TSP pepper to start (adjust salt by tasting later). Mix well. Add stock till sauce is slightly thinner than desired final consistency. Add meat. Cover and cook 1-2 hours or until meat is fork tender. Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

This works extremely well in a slow cooker.

• 2 LB red beans (dried, Camellia brand if available)
• 2-3 TBS olive oil
• 1½ LG onions (chopped)
• ½ C green onion (chopped)
• 1 LG bell pepper (chopped)
• 10 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 TBS parsley (dried)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1-2 QT chicken stock
• 1½-2 LB sausage (sliced)
• 1 LB tasso (cubed) (optional)
• 1 LB ham (cubed) (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Spread the red beans out on a wide shallow tray to check for and discard any stones or other material that may have been missed during packaging.
2. Prepare the red beans in advance in one of two ways:
   • 1) Add to a bowl and add water to cover by 3″ and soak 8-12 hours (or overnight)
   • 2) In a 5-6 QT pot add the red beans and enough water to cover by 3″ and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to soak for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. In a heavy 5-6 QT pot, heat the oil then brown off the sausage and any other meats, then remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Saute the onions and bell pepper till soft. Add garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the red beans, meats, parsley, bay leaf, seasonings, and enough chicken stock to cover everything by 2″.
6. Bring to a boil, then back the heat down to a simmer and cook 2-3 hours or until beans are tender.
7. Add stock or water as needed to maintain a creamy consistency. Consistency is obtained by frequent stirring during the last ⅓ of cooking time. To thicken (if needed) remove and mash a small amount of cooked beans and stir back into the pot.
8. Taste to correct seasonings in last ⅓ of time.
9. Serve over rice.
   

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Proceed as indicated above.
2. After adding the beans and other ingredients, add stock to fill the pot just above the beans.
3. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8-12 hours or until the beans are tender.
4. To thicken up the beans, during the last 1-2 hours of cooking remove the lid to allow for evaporation, and stir frequently, mashing beans against the side of the pot while stirring. If the beans are too thick, add stock or water to suit.
5. Taste to correct seasonings after cooking.
6. Serve over rice.

Pressure Cooker Instructions:

1. Proceed as indicated above.
2. After adding the beans and other ingredients, add stock to fill the pot 1” above beans.
3. Seal the pot and bring to full pressure.
4. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until the beans are tender.
5. Thicken the beans by mashing against the side of the pot while stirring, as you are not able to stir/thicken the beans as you cook. If the beans are too thick, add stock or water to suit. If they are too thin and watery, continue cooking the beans with the cooker lid off to evaporate some of the water. Taste to correct seasonings after cooking.
6. Serve over rice.

¼ C vegetable or olive oil
½ C flour
½-1 LB andouille (or any smoked) sausage (sliced)
1 LG onion (chopped)
6-8 cloves garlic (minced)
½ C (one bunch) green onion
½ C celery (chopped fine)
1 MED bell pepper (chopped)
28 OZ canned crushed tomatoes
3 TBS parsley
¼ TSP thyme
1 TSP cayenne (or to taste)
1 TSP liquid crab boil (or to taste)
2½ TSP salt (or to taste)
½ TSP pepper to taste (or to taste)
5 LB raw peeled shrimp
1 LB crabmeat (white or claw)
1½ QT raw oysters (optional)
2 LB cooked crawfish tails
2 LB raw catfish (cut into chunks) (optional)
Kitchen Bouquet (optional, for color)

In heavy 5-6 QT pot brown the sausage, set aside. Remove any remaining liquid from the pot and make a roux from ¼ C oil and ½ C flour, stirring constantly until sufficiently browned. Add all of the vegetables except the tomatoes to the roux and sauté until onion is clear and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne and liquid crab boil. Add 1 QT of water to start and cook 1½ hours over medium heat stirring frequently, adding water as needed to maintain gumbo consistency. Add Kitchen Bouquet in small increments to adjust color if too pale. Add the seafood at the end. Cook for 10 more minutes, only till shrimp, catfish and oysters are done (overcooking makes the shrimp tough). Serve over rice. Even better the next day.

2 large onions (chopped)
½ C fresh parsley
2 C celery (chopped)
6-10 cloves garlic (minced)
2 bunches (½ C) green onions(chopped)
½ TSP thyme (to taste)
½-1 gallon oysters (and their water)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 loaves stale french bread or bags of stuffing bread
1-2 TBS olive oil (for sauté)

Temperature: 350

Soak bread (from bags or loaves) in oyster water. Squeeze as dry as possible (bread is soft and formless). Chop oysters finely in Cuisinart or blender. Sauté till cooked then set aside. Reduce the resulting fluid to ¼ volume. Sauté onion and garlic. Add celery and green onion stir fry till soft and blended. In a large pot, mix soaked bread and vegatables. Add cooked oysters and reduced oyster water. Add parsley, thyme, 2 TSP salt and ½ TSP pepper to start. Mix well using your hands. Add bread crumbs from 4th loaf or chicken stock (or oyster water) to adjust consistency (soft and moist – not wet). Stuff in poultry or bake in a pan.