WHITE GRAVY

4 tbs (or half stick) butter
1-2 tbs oil (vegetable, bacon, sausage)
4-5 tbs flour
2 c milk
1/4 c water
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter and oil in saucepan, sprinkle in flour and whisk until mixed. While whisking let cook a couple seconds before adding milk. This will eliminate in "flour" taste in the gravy. Next slowly add in milk and water  whisking all the while. Keep adding milk/water until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and pepper. Take off heat when almost to the thickness you want.
*Gravy will thicken up as it sits off heat. Taking it off the heat a bit early will keep it from getting too thick.

This gravy works well over biscuits, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, hash browns, chicken fried steak, etc.

JAMBALAYA

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers (yellow and green)

6 multi colored small sweet peppers

1 large onion

1 smoked sausage

3 cups uncooked rice

2 cans tomatoes

2 cups turkey or chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded turkey or chicken

1 cup water

1-2 tbs creole seasoning

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp

1 tsp oregano

1 tbs paprika

2 tbs parsley

Cook rice as to directions on package. Set aside. Saute sausage until just brown on the edges. Set aside and in same pan saute onion, and peppers until tender. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and let simmer 1 hr stiring occaisionaly. You may need to add more chicken broth or water to get the consistency you would like. Beware of adding too much extra salt or pepper because creole seasoning is very salty and spicy so taste test often.

This was a huge hit and don't skimp on the chicken broth it makes a world of difference!

EGG NOODLE RECIPE

At family reunion's my favorite little aunt Leona made chicken and noodles and I loved them. It is one of the memories I think of when I was little. I never saw her only at reunions but she gave me her address and we would write each other back and forth and I loved her so much for spending time to write me. It made me feel so special. After she died my second cousin Wilma started making them. They were just like Aunt Leona's and last year I asked her for the recipe and she said there was no recipe she just knew from learning from her mom (Leona's sister). Don't you just hate hearing that haha. All the best old family recipes have no recipes they are just passed down from experience. After hearing there was no recipe I came home to look online how to make home made egg noodles with the ingredients she told me she used. This one is it. The first time I made them they turned out okay. I used the pasta attachment on my kitchen aid mixed and it worked. You really have to just keep making them to get the consistency right.



http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Egg-Noodles/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk, and butter. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired lengths and shapes.
Allow to air dry before cooking.
To cook fresh pasta, in a large pot with boiling salted water cook until al dente.
Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 206 | Total Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 66mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Indredients:

2 potatoes peeled and diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 onion diced
2 cups egg noodles
1 can peas
3 chicken breasts
1 tbs vegetable oil
garlic powder
salt pepper to taste

In large pot bring water and chicken to boil and cook until done. Keep chicken broth on stove and dice chicken.
In large saucepan add vegetable oil and add all vegetable except peas and cook until tender. If vegetables start to stick add in 1 cup water. Add vegetables to large pot of chicken broth. Add peas and diced chicken. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add in 2 cups egg noodles. Soup is ready when egg noodles are tender. Be careful not to over cook or noodles will become soggy.

*This recipe is one I made up with what vegetables I had available. Any vegetable can be replaced with something different. I also like adding in celery when I have it on hand. This recipe is just simple when you want something quick.

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

1 pre packaged corned beef
potatoes
head of cabbage
onion
1 tbs vegetable oil
salt
pepper

Take the corned beef and drain it but don't rinse. Add vegetable oil to large skillet and brown corned beef on all sides. Take out and rub with seasoning packet from the packaged corned beef. Bake at 365' covered 2hrs. I believe you cook a corned beef for 45' per pound. Peel desired amount of potatoes and cut into cubes. Chop up cabbage and onion. Take corned beef out of oven and surround with vegetables. Season with salt/pepper. If the pan is dry add a couple of tablespoons of water so it doesn't burn but usually a corned beef yields enough cooking juice. Especially when you add the cabbage. Bake until vegetables are tender and corned beef is cooked through. Usually about 4 hrs.

PASTA CARBONARA

PASTA CARBONARA

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb or regular sized package of spaghetti or fettuccine pasta
4-6 slices bacon
1 cup frozen peas
1 diced onion
4-6 crushed cloves garlic
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs butter
1 lb sliced chicken (optional)
pepper
garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as stated on package. In large saute pan, fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan. Add chicken to leftover bacon fat, with garlic salt and pepper. When chicken is almost done add in onion, garlic, peas, butter. Cook until peas are heated through and onion is translucent. Add in bacon (crushed). Set aside 1 cup pasta cooking water then drain pasta. In small bowl add egg yolks and milk. Whisk until mixed well then pour the pasta cooking water into the bowl to temper the eggs. Pour over drained pasta. Stir constantly for 1 minute then pour chicken mixture in with the pasta.
Serve and enjoy.

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS


Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice
1 head cabbage
2 pound lean ground beef
1 chopped onion

2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (family size) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 c water
2 tsp onion powder, 1 tbs minced garlic, 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer using directions on rice.
Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain.
In a saute pan brown beef and drain. Add chopped onion, 1/2 c water, onion powder, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce and cook until water has evaporated and onions are translucent. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, onion, salt and pepper, along with 4 tablespoons of tomato soup. Mix thoroughly.
Divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Roll and secure them with toothpicks or string.

In a large greased dish place the cabbage rolls and pour the can of tomato soup over the top. Bake at 360 degrees for 45 minutes.
When serving remember to extract the toothpicks.






*Tip
#1 most important is to be extremely patient while extracting the cabbage leaves. Cut the bottom off the cabbage and then place bottom first into the pan of boiling water. After about 5 minutes the leaves are easily pulled from the head. Then boil individual leaves for a couple minutes.

My family all liked this recipe and I served it with basmati rice. I repeat ***AMAZING with basmati rice served on the side. I used Success brand basmati that are in premeasured bags you can boil.