Recipes for the restive

I got nothing except a recipe from a friend of mine, Gus. I inspired him with my talk of good ol' Southern food on Friday and he went home this weekend and whipped up some tasty goodness. I got his in my email this morning. Enjoy.

Gus’ Super-Duper Crab Cakes with Crawfish Tails Instead of Crab

Degredients

1 lb crab meat, but instead of crab meat use crawfish tails

1 rib of celery (Wait, is a rib the whole thing or just one piece you pull off the clump? Just use

 one piece.), cut into itty-bitty pieces about this big

1 carrot, peeled and cut into itty-bitty pieces about this big

½ of a small onion, peeled and cut into itty-bitty pieces about this big

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup of toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

3 large eggs

½ tsp or so of lime zest (optional) (Ha! Yeah, no, this isn’t optional.)

To taste:  Salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestercestershire sauce

Destructions

Roughly chop the crab crawfish tails and set aside in a small bowl. Sauté celery, carrots, onion and garlic in some olive oil for a minute or two until soft.  Add to the shrimp crawfish. (Unless your cat ate it all out of the bowl when you weren’t paying attention; if so, go back to Wally World, buy some more, and start over again. Not that this happened to me or anything.)

Separate the eggs (by removing the yolks from the whites, not by placing the eggs in different locations around your house).  Stir the yolks in with the salmon crawfish mixture.  Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and then fold into the moose crawfish. [Editor’s note:  I’m not sure what the point of this step was.  As soon as you start folding, the egg whites begin to deflate.  When I make this recipe again I may omit this step and just stir the whole eggs into the crawfish mixture.  Use your best judgment.]  Season with salt, pepper, Worcestercestershire, lime zest and Old Bay. 

Decide whether you want to add breadcrumbs.  Without the breadcrumbs, the cakes taste great but they don’t hold together well during frying.  With the breadcrumbs, the cakes hold together better but they taste like, you know, they have breadcrumbs in them.  You have the power – you decide.

Form the whale crawfish cakes into patties and refrigerate for about half an hour to firm them up.  Heat some more olive oil in a pan and fry the patties until golden brown on both sides.  Sprinkle with lime juice, if desired.  These would probably also taste good with Hollandaise sauce except 1) I don’t know what Hollandaise sauce is, and 2) I didn’t have any.

Enjoy the fall of Rome - RUM PUNCH

Well, the economy is spiraling towards...well..something bad, the .gov is still printing money like crazy, the EU is falling apart, and China is divesting their Trillion dollars in US Debt as quickly as they can without causing a panic. The Redumblicans can't find a candidate to run against Obama worth a damn, and all in all, things are most definitely NOT looking up.
Well......not much I can do about it.

Best to enjoy these times with a nice adult beverage on the back porch. 

RUM PUNCH

Splash of lemon juice

2 Cups Bacardi light rum

2 liters ginger ale

1 qt. pineapple juice

1 qt. orange juice

Ice cubes

Pour into punch bowl. Stir well. To serve: pour over one ice cube in each glass.

Good deal on a good meal. Yum.

Preparedness Pantry/Emergency Essentials (beprepared.com) is having a product giveaway for their new Mexican Food Combo. Emergency Essentials is one of my favorite places to shop online, Give it a look, whether you win or not, its not a bad combo to have around, I'm going to buy one, either way. One question; I wonder how well tortilla's freeze?

Mexican Food Combo:
1 Can of spiced "taco" TVP
1 Can of white rice
1 Can of dehydrated re-fried beans
1 Can of freeze dried super sweet corn
1 Can of black beans
1 Can of dehydrated chopped onions

Mix in some salsa and sour cream with some flour tortilla's, splash a little lime juice in the rice, and you've got my favorite Chipotle burrito (although I always use black beans and leave out the re-fried). I'm going to see if I can figure out how to take this recipe backpacking......

Spring, baseball and hot dogs

For those of you in North America, spring is finally coming in and its time for hot dogs. My favorite way to eat them is slathered in chili sauce, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, onions on a steamed bun.

Sauce Recipe (suspected to be Tony Packo's)
2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 T thyme
2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1/2 T cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
2 T chili powder
3 c water
1 T black pepper
1 T Hungarian paprika (no substitutes)
1 t salt

Brown ground beef, breaking into very small pieces as it cooks; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 1 hour or until desired consistency.

Serve with chopped sweet onions, relish, shredded cheese and maybe even a pickle. Mustard, no ketchup on a chili dog. Steam your buns people.

Note: Serve over a Nathan's dog, Hebrew national, Bahama mama or any other high quality beef frank, not just any hotdog.

Chicken With Lemon and Green Onion Sauce

Tried this last night, it was awesome. Still working on side dishes, although obviously chicken goes well with lots of things.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons butter
dash salt
dash freshly ground black pepper or seasoned pepper

Prep:

Pre-heat broiler; line a broiler pan with foil and oil the rack.
Rinse chicken; pat dry. Put chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to thin to an even thickness. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on oiled broiler rack.

In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 seconds.





Cooking:

Broil the chicken for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning about halfway through the cooking time. Drizzle each chicken breast with about 1 teaspoon of the lemon mixture 1 minute before it's finished. Serve chicken with the remaining sauce.

Goes well with a side of rice and cornbread.

Serves 4.

Winter Recipe

Yes, I agree this is the tail end of winter, but this recipe sounded so good I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share. I am prepping my grocery list right now and cant wait to have the house smell so wonderful.
Hat tip to Tango Juliet.


"This is about the best cold weather drink ever invented IMHO.

And to think, I put the spotlight on it at the tale end of a fairly moderate winter!

What timing!

The basic recipe:

Into your favorite crock pot, dump 4 parts apple cider to 1 part cranberry juice.

Add two sticks of cinnamon.

Poke 6 whole cloves into a nice sweet orange. Toss it into the mix.

Let it brew for 6 to 8 hours.

This mix is guaranteed to flood your house with the best aromas since fresh baked bread.

Cautions and suggestions: Be sure you get good sweet oranges. Some navel oranges have very bitter rinds. Bad juju! I recommend buying two. Eat one for testing purposes.

Naturally the cider/apple juice to cranberry juice ratio can be varied.

Use caution with the cloves. They are potent little critters. Six is the most I'll use these days. The use of more than six ventures into +P territory very quickly.

This brew is very receptive to alcohol. I prefer cinnamon schnapps but I have seen others use rum with success as well"

My mouth cant begin to stop watering

Hat tip to Uncle for the Meat Creche Scene.
http://www.saysuncle.com/2010/12/01/so-awesome/

Also, Brigid has a new bacon choc chip cookie recipe.
http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/2010/11/bacon-launch-sequence.html

My winter diet* is going to be tough this year. sigh

*I attempt every winter, with varying levels of success, to maintain my weight between Dec 1 and April 1. Its very easy for me to pack on lbs with comfort food once the snow falls.  Seeing as how I have gained 20 lbs over the last two years snacking with my two year old Boy, my winter diet becomes ever more important. My daughter wants me to lose the 20 lbs before her birthday (April 2011), but losing weight during the winter does not come natural for this mammal. We'll see.

Recipe for Arroz can Pollo???

Anyone have a good recipe for arroz can pollo? I fell in love with it in Yucatan, Mexico, but all the recipes I find come out like a chicken and rice bog. Need a recipe and prep directions for the real thing.

Rabbit Stew Redux

I am re-posting this recipe mainly because I feel like it. ;) Its a favorite and I bought a couple of nice juicy kits today and I plan on making this for dinner. Have you cooked a favorite recipe lately??

Ingredients:

* 1 or 2 rabbits (3-4 months old are best)
* Salt, pepper and paprika to taste
* 1 c. sour cream
* 1 c. cream of mushroom soup
* 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 2 green onions - diced
* 2 carrots - chopped (don't peel, just wash)
* 6 medium potatoes - chopped (don't peel, just wash)
* 2 parsnips - chopped (don't peel, just wash)

Preparation:
Season cut up meat. Mix sour cream, soup and Worcestershire sauce. Add onions, carrots, potatoes and parsnips. Cook in crock pot on low for 8-9 hours. Always better the second day. Goes great with corn bread (as if anything doesn't).

Baked Mac and Cheese

When I was growing up, I always looked forward to any church gathering (hell even the odd funeral even) because I knew that somewhere on the potluck food table would be at least one (and probably five) casserole dishes of baked mac and cheese. The annual Spring, Summer and Fall church picnics were never miss events in my social calendar, prompting many to consider me 'such a devout child'. It was all about the Mac and Cheese and I am sure Jesus understands. At the time, since my mother never made this delicious dish, I called it in my head 'Church Mac and Cheese' since it differed so radically from the Kraft Mac and Cheese we ate out of the blue box at home. It never occurred to me this could be made at home until years later when I was living on my own (I am a little slow sometimes, e.g. I never noticed 'The Muppet Movie' was a musical until about the dozenth time I watched it, something my wife shakes her head at when I mention since she knows I love all the songs from that pic) and it took me a while to master the recipe and to perfectly copy the ooey, gooey goodness so easily made by those lovely blue haired ladies at church. The secret to the crunchy shell of cheese is the second addition of cheese halfway through the cooking. This is perfect for a potluck at work, church or anywhere else, but I prefer to have it all for me, so I make it for the family and enjoy!

  

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package macaroni
• 1 egg
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese mild
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cups shredded Cheddar cheese sharp

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
2. In a large pot of salted water, lightly boil the macaroni for about 5 minutes until half-cooked.
3. Whisk the egg and milk together in a large cup. Add butter and mild cheese to the egg and milk. Stir well.
4. Place the lightly cooked macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg and cheese liquid over the macaroni, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir well. Press the mixture evenly around the baking dish.
5. Bake covered by aluminum foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Uncover, pour on the two cups of shredded sharp cheese, evenly. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes uncovered, or until top is brown.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Corned beef and cabbage is one of my absolute favorite one-pot meals (especially for St. Patrick's Day, I know its a little late, but make it anytime!). I learned to make it from my mother and she always made it in the oven in a dutch oven and I discovered the more gentle and indirect heat of the two ovens produced a more tender and richer result. A slow-cooker is also a good option, but I like meat cooked in cast iron.

 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 2-lb. corned beef brisket; trimmed of visible fat (see my previous post on corning beef)
• 1 bottle of beer (or 6 - 12 oz. water or beef broth), I suggest Smithwicks (pron. Smith-Icks) a red ale made by Guinness
• 2 tsp. coriander seed
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. dill seed
• 1 tsp. whole allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 carrots; peeled and cut into 1" lengths
• 1 lg. onion, 4" diameter; cut into quarters
• 2 turnips, 3" diameter; cut in quarters
• 1-2 heads of cabbage; cut in quarters
• 6 waxy potatoes (such as Red Bliss), 3" diameter; cut in quarters

SLAINTE!

Spam Hashbrown Bake Recipe

Today I am simply linking you off to another page, this recipe is GOOD!

http://www.recipesource.com/main-dishes/meat/pork/spam/00/rec0030.html

Edisto Island Mustard Fried Marsh Hens

Before going into the recipe, I need to explain a couple of things first, I am reprinting this from one of my all time favorite cook books, and a winner of a Tabasco Community Cookbook Award in 1998.
Recipe credit: Parker Tuten, via -'Pon Top Edisto-,
Copyright 1997 by Trinity Episcopal Church, Edisto Island, SC
The title comes from the local way of saying "up on top of Edisto Island" - Pon Top Edisto, such as "you should go to The Old Post Office Restaurant 'pon top Edisto causin' the food is so dam' good, however if its Friday night call ahead because Phillip the chef packs 'em in on weekends and seats are scarce." 
If you have never been to Edisto Island, SC; well you are missin' out is all I got to say.
The food, the climate, the huntin', the fishin', the beach, the river, the ocean, the marsh, the intra-coastal waterway...well, you get the picture, its a really nice place, and one of my favorite memories is whenever driving onto the island you pass a house along the road of no great note, except that the tree swing in the ancient live oak full of Spanish moss in the front yard is actually a full size mattress on a metal frame which the homeowner can frequently be seen taking naps in the coastal breeze. It is that kind of island and I escaped there many an afternoon in my youth and I miss it sorely. The Edisto River is the worlds longest black water river and I have canoed from its headwaters to the Atlantic and enjoyed every sun filled minute of it.
Also, for those not in the know, a marsh hen is a Clapper Rail, a slow flying bird of no great reknown other than being tasty and in abundance. This bird, when startled, flies a foot above the marsh grass in a straight line, almost asking to be shot out of the sky, if a foot off the grass can truly be denoted 'sky'. It can be replaced in this recipe by a Cornish rock hen available from Tyson in most supermarket freezer sections, but then you lose the romance and much of the flavor.
I grew up in the same county as the island, which are both just south of Charleston, SC, my place of birth and my mother's hometown and have a deep and abiding love for it, if you can't tell.
One last note, for those not in "the know", South Carolinian's like to put a mustard/vinegar sauce on any meat and eat it with our fingers or on a bun. The local BBQ favorite is shredded pork, slathered in mustard BBQ sauce on a bun. The sauce is much more than actual mustard, so do not put mustard on a steak and pronounce you are eating SC BBQ. The three BBQ fairies will visit you in the night and make you mend your ways. 'Nuff said, Anyway, on with the show, here is the recipe, Enjoy!

Step 1: Start with 1 box of #8 shot, .410 gauge, 1 small boy, 1 old man, 1 jon boat, 1 push pole and one October 7 foot tide. Wash thoroughly after return trip home. Soak birds overnight in salted water. Store in refrigerator.


Step 2: Drain the birds the next day. Pat dry. Sprinkle liberally with garlic salt, seasoned salt and coarse ground black pepper.


Step 3: Mix equal amounts of instant mashed potato flakes and self rising flour. Set aside.


Step 4: Mix 2 parts prepared mustard and 1 part burgundy wine. Dip birds in wine-mustard mixture, shake in dry mixture.


Step 5: Fry until golden brown.


Yield: 2 birds per person

A couple of field notes: Fry in a cast iron pan. Marsh hens aren't large, so using anything larger than a .410 gauge shotgun will result in a 'poof' of feathers and no meal. My personal preference for this recipe is to substitute burgundy wine vinegar for the actual wine, I like the richer flavor. The high tide is needed to traverse the marshland via boat, and the prescribed thorough washing is necessary if'n any part of your body so much as hints that it has touched the marsh pluff mud, which while putting out what locals all agree is a rich sea smell that makes you want to go stand on a dune and soak up the ocean breeze, once it is on you or your clothes all of your friends and family will agree you need a serious bath and they may attempt to burn your clothes while you are scrubbing. Advise them to avoid this temptation as they will likely get some of the pluff mud on them in the process of throwing away or burning your possessions and they will be treated the same by others and eventually you spiral into a situation where finally everyone runs naked from a burning home. I've seen it happen, it isn't pretty. Maybe the Cornish hens in the freezer section don't taste so bad after all.....

Corn your own beef recipe

Growing up in a big Irish Catholic family, we ate a lot of casseroles, stews and soups and other hearty foods (usually with corn bread) and none is better than corned beef and cabbage. I may give you my mom's recipe for that someday, but for today I'll teach you how to corn beef so you don't accidentally assume the Irish are afflicted with a lack of tastebuds when you try store bought corned beef.

You may think I'm crazy for suggesting you corn you own beef. Not that it's hard, but it does take a week of letting it sit in the fridge. Nevertheless, it really makes a lot of sense. The typical store-bought corned beef is awful and hasn't been done right. And home-corned beef is awesomely good. Far better than the stuff at the store. Some say you can save money and not notice much difference substituting flank steak for the brisket, but come on, life is too short to eat bad steak!

Prep Time: 0 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. beef brisket
• Brine:
• 1 1/2 qt. water
• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 lg garlic clove; smashed
• 2 Tbsp. pickling spice (you can buy pickling spice at the supermarket if you look in the canning section)
• 1/2 tsp pink salt (sodium nitrate, optional)* but recommended, come on, life is short.

Preparation:

1. Combine brine ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Tie brisket into a roll, place in a bowl and cover with brine. Weight down with a plate to keep it submerged.
4. Refrigerate for 5 days. (I'm not kidding!) Remove from brine and rinse.
5. Prepare the corned beef as you would any corned beef - but be ready for a real treat.
*Note: Sodium nitrate is not something most grocery stores have - I get it mail-order. It will keep the meat pink (otherwise the beef turns gray) but it isn't essential in this case because the Kosher salt, sugar, spices and refrigeration provide enough preservative.
Note: Be sure to slice the brisket across the grain.

Lowcountry Boil Recipe

This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd on your back deck. Lowcountry boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot. I've seen clams, lobster and scallops added as well, go nuts, any seafood is acceptable.

 

Lowcountry Boil

4 pounds small red potatoes
5 quarts water
1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning
4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ears of corn, halved
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined optional
Cocktail sauce
Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes. Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 12.

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

I was born in Charleston, SC (on the peninsula for those that know what I'm talking about) and my mothers parents lived on Sullivan's Island. I have so many good memories of that whole area that is called the Lowcountry (capital L) but one over-riding all others is the smell and taste of creamy shrimp and grits (I didn't move to the midwest until after college). The shrimp need to be still kicking, bought out of a cooler on the side of the road from a local old man and the grits should NEVER be instant or quick. Might as well just go eat at McDonald's if you aren't going to do the recipe justice. OK, you can use store bought shrimp, but for Pete's sake, buy the stone-ground grits.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and de-veined if you wish
• 1 Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits, not instant or quick-cooking
• 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
• 1 small green onion, finely chopped (save some for garnish)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 cup grated medium to sharp Cheddar cheese

Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you begin the grits and gravy.  Make the grits in a large heavy saucepan, first bringing 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. (They will bubble up initially.) When you have added all the grits, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end. While the grits simmer, get the gravy under way. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the onion are limp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sauteing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and remaining salt and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the grits. When the grits are thick and creamy, stir in as much of the butter as you wish, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like. Cover the grits while you finish the gravy. Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, mounding the grits in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy. Garnish with chopped green onion and a little of the grated cheese. SERVES 4.

Chicken Quesadilla Soup

The cold weather is still with us, so feel free to make some hardy warm soup to get you through the day!

Chicken Quesadilla Soup

20 Tortilla Chips, yellow corn is best
4 small corn tortillas, sliced into 1/2" strips
3 strips Roasted Pablano, skinned & julienned (1/8”)
1/4 bunch cilantro, well washed (leaves only)
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 small can of green chilies2 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of water
6 cups chicken stock/broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
Pico De Gallo
Avocado Salsa
Sour Cream
Butter and Corn Oil as needed
1 Chicken Breast for each person
2.5 oz. Pepperjack, shredded
2.5 oz. Cheddar, shredded

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken breasts, coat in corn oil. Lightly brown chicken breasts on a grill or cast iron pan on high heat. Reduce heat to med/low.  Add more corn oil to avoid charring anywhere. Flipping as needed. Grill chicken until done, cut ½ and julienne (10 pieces).  Puree cilantro, garlic, onion, chilies, and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Heat stock and add pureed mixture into cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Stir dissolved cornstarch into stock.
Fry tortilla slices in oil until crisp; drain well. Add chicken to stock, heat until chicken is re-warmed. Drop sliced corn tortilla strips into soup and serve. Garnish on top of the soup with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, pico, sour cream, salsa, or whatever else you prefer.

Options: You can throw corn kernels into the soup. Turkey is very popular in southern Mexico vs chicken, give that a try, and anything can be made better with a few dashes of McIlhenny's finest.
I LOVE the chipotle!!

Mashed Potatoes from Heaven*

I eat these whenever I get a chance, which isn't often enough, but they're GREAT! (insert voice of Tony the Tiger here).

* Possibly, this is unconfirmed. I will get back to you after I die and talk recipes with St. Peter. Will probably be a while. I hope. ;)

Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

6 lbs. potatoes, peeled
2 cups milk
3/4 lb. butter, softened.
1 Tbsp Salt and Pepper
1 cup Yellow Cheddar
1 Tbsp Chipolte pepper

1. Boil spuds until fork tender.
2. Drain spuds, mix in standing mixer, slowly adding butter, milk, salt and pepper,
chipolte, and Cheddar until there are no lumps.
3. Hold warm for service.
Yield: 3 QUARTS

Magical Meatloaf

This is the recipe for one of my favorite dishes, I know what you are thinking...meatloaf, really? Yes, really!
Serve with mashed potatoes (I will post my favorite recipe for that later) covered in fried onions and some veggies on the side, on a slab of buttered texas toast and by golly you will be full and satisfied at the end of your dining experience.

Barbecue Sauce
3 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch cayenne powder
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.

Meatloaf
2 pounds ground beef
8 ounces ground veal
1 1/4 pounds ground pork
1 diced medium white onion
4 cups sliced shiitake mushroom
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic puree
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons salt and pepper
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (prepared above)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Saute mushrooms in olive oil and set aside. Saute onions until caramelized and set aside. In large mixer, add beef, veal, pork, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, garlic, and cream. Mix well. Add mushrooms and onions, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Put mixture into 6x9x4-inch loaf pan, pushing down firmly to pack meat into place. Cover with foil. Place loaf pan into a cooking pan at least 6-inches deep with 3 inches of water in the bottom. Cook in oven for 90 minutes. Remove foil and cover top of meatloaf with barbecue sauce. Cook for another 30 minutes.

Rabbit Stew

Ingredients:

* 1 or 2 rabbits (3-4 months old are best)
* Salt, pepper and paprika to taste
* 1 c. sour cream
* 1 c. cream of mushroom soup
* 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 2 green onions - diced
* 2 carrots - chopped (don't peel, just wash)
* 6 medium potatoes - chopped (don't peel, just wash)
* 2 parsnips - chopped (don't peel, just wash)

Preparation:
Season cut up meat. Mix sour cream, soup and Worcestershire sauce. Add onions, carrots, potatoes and parsnips. Cook in crock pot on low for 8-9 hours. Always better the second day.