½ C butter (1 stick)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
4-6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 TBS parsley (chopped fresh or dried)
12 oysters
2 large cans artichoke hearts or bottoms
1 C oyster water (or plain water)
10¾ OZ can cream of mushroom
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Temperature:

Saute onions in melted butter till soft and clear. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes then add drained oysters and cook for 3-5 minutes more. Add drained, quartered artichoke hearts then cook for 3-5 minutes. Add cream of mushroom soup, liquids, bay leaf, ½ TSP salt and a dash of pepper. Cook for 20 minutes. Prepare 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to merge.

• ½ – 1 LB bacon (quartered strips)
• 2 LB ham (cubed)
• 1 LB tasso (cubed)
• 1½ LG onions (chopped)
• 12 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 LG heads of cabbage (light colored & sweet)
• 1 – 1½ QT chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. If the cabbage is dark green or smells strong, it will taste bad.
2. Quarter the cabbages and remove the stem then cut into eighths, wash well and drain in a colander.
3. In a heavy 12 QT pot, fry off bacon until crisp. Place bacon aside to drain on paper towels and remove excess bacon fat from pot, leaving enough to sauté the onion.
4. When onion is soft and clear add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes more.
5. Add the ham and tasso and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Return the bacon to the pot then add salt, pepper, cabbage, and enough chicken stock to reach about ¼ up the side of the pot.
7. If the cabbage doesn’t all fit at first, cover the pot and add more as the cabbage in the pot starts to cook down until it is all in.
8. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, 1 to 1½ hours.
9. Taste the cabbage juice and add salt and pepper accordingly before serving.

2-4 LB beef roast (boneless rump, sirloin tip, shoulder or chuck)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup + 1½ cans water
1 PKG Lipton’s Cream of Onion or Beefy Onion soup (dried)
Salt (½ TSP per LB)
Pepper to taste
6 cloves garlic (peeled)
Carrots
Potatoes

Temperature: 350

Wipe roast with damp paper towel. Make six slits with a sharp knife and fill with salt, pepper and 1 clove of garlic each. Brown roast on all sides in a heavy pot. Mix the soups and water, add to the meat in the pot. Add any unused salt and pepper. Bring liquids to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat is fork tender. If gravy is too light, add Kitchen Bouquet to darken. If it’s too thin, add more mushroom soup or a paste of flour and water. Add carrots, cook till done. Add potatoes and cook till done. Very simple but good. Cook on the stove, in a 350° oven or a crock-pot.

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.