ALL RECIPES LISTED HERE ARE BY MY HAND AND EITHER HAVE A PROVEN SUCCESSFUL POPULAR SALES RECORD FROM PREVIOUS FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS I PLIED MY CRAFT AT OR THEY ARE NEWLY CREATED & TESTED IN MY KITCHEN.

Fresh Cinnamon Applesauce

16 medium –large sized apples - Granny smiths are best

48 oz apple cider or juice

½ pound light brown sugar

5 T good quality ground cinnamon

1 t ground ginger

½ t ground nutmeg

 

Fast method:  Simmer 36 oz of water, add brown sugar and seasonings.  Add one 12 ounce can of concentrated apple juice-frozen-thaw first.  Then add your peeled and cut-up apples.  The smaller the pieces (wedges are cool) the better your end result.  Simmer until the apples fall apart.  The thickness of the sauce will depend on you.   More cooking=thicker sauce.   It can be removed at any time once the apples fall apart.  Stir with a whip and this process will quicken.  Optional 4oz stick of butter can be stirred in.  This is very shelf stable in sealed refrigerated container 40 degrees and lower.  It can be frozen.  Great straight up, cold or warm, on ice cream, fruit, cereal, pancakes, French toast, between cake layers, made into ice cream, hot oat meal or in crepes

 

Sun Dried Tomato-Corn Relish

 

4 cups kernel corn – frozen works best – thawed.

½ cup diced sun dried tomatoes

½ cup diced green bell pepper

½ cup diced red bell pepper

¼ cup minced jalapeño – no seeds

½ cup chopped cilantro fresh

2 oz. lemon juice

4oz white vinegar

6oz corn oil

1t black pepper

1t salt

 

Mix salt, pepper, oil, lemon juice and vinegar in a mixing bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and refrigerate.  Serve chilled.  Toss just before serving.

Shelf life is about 7 days before vegetables begin to get too soft.

 

Cranberry Relish

4 cups cranberries

1 ½ cups brown sugar

4oz orange juice

3T lime juice

1 cup cider vinegar

4oz water

½ t nutmeg

¼ t ginger

¼ t allspice

¼ t dry mustard

 

Add all ingredients except lime juice into a thick bottomed pot.  Heat on a low flame until it simmers.  When cranberries begin to fall apart and sauce thickens, remove from fire.  Add lime juice.  Stir well.  Serve warmed, or chilled.  The longer you simmer it the thicker it will get.  If it is too thick for your tastes, add a few ounces of water to thin it down.

                 

 Cool Stuffing

One 20oz loaf bread, sliced, dried, then diced.  Avoid thick crusts or heavy European style hearth breads.  Whole wheat and even a white bread will work nicely.

Sauté in butter ½# diced celery,

Then add to pan ½# diced onion

Then add to pan ½# sliced mushrooms

1T chopped garlic

Add 40oz chicken stock or even better 40oz turkey stock.

2t Chervil

1t celery salt

1t marjoram

1t ground black pepper

2t salt

2t basil.

Boil, then cool.

In a skillet saute 1 ½ cups chopped pecans in 1 stick salted butter (4oz.) until nice and hot, lightly browned.

OPTIONAL:  You can add a pound or so of diced chicken, turkey meat or chicken sausages to this before baking to make it heartier.

Place the diced bread in a large leak proof pan or bowl to be able to mix it without making a mess. 

When the broth is cool enough to not burn you, but still warm, mix with butter and pecans.  Then pour into the bowl of diced bread.  Mix well. 

Add 4 large whole eggs, and 1 cup grated Romano (or another type of cheese if you wish).  Mix well.

Place into a baking pan about one inch deep.   Bake in 350 oven for about 40 minutes until firm and about 180 degrees in temperature throughout the pan.  Serve hot. 

Cool thoroughly before covering in the refrigerator.  Air tight covering is best.  Reheat covered, add a little bit of water here and there to help prevent drying out the stuffing.  

Potato Pancakes

First, In a mixing bowl 4 qts. or bigger (better) in size, mix these items:

3 x-large eggs

½ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

Peel and shred 2 ½ pounds of potatoes (final weight) Idaho, or russets are good choices.

Place in a strainer.  Run cold water over them, while stirring them until the water flushes through all of them crystal clear.  We want no starch left on them.  Drain well for several minutes, as little water as possible.  The potatoes will bleed water in the mix as time goes on, making the batter thinner.  This is why draining well is key.  Mix into the batter.

In a food processor using your blade attachment chop 18oz of white onion, Spanish or Vidalia (best choice).  This is about 3 cups.  Do not puree.  Add onion in small pieces and use short bursts to mince them.  The water they release is what the batter needs.

If the batter appears a bit thin after all is mixed, add a bit of flour.   Test cook & taste a small scoop first before cooking the whole batch.  

SAVORY Red Beans.

Soak 1# of red beans overnight in water.  Drain the next day.  Add beans to pot-heavier the better to avoid scorching by accident.  Add:

36 oz water-hot

12 oz tomato juice

3 tsp. chili powder

1 ½ tsp. granulated-or flaked onion

1 tsp.paprika

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp leaf thyme

1 tsp salt

3 tsp Cajun spices or blackening seasoning

 

Simmer everything until beans become soft, approximately 60 minutes depending on pan size and heat source.  Take your time, stir regularly to evenly cook and prevent scorching.  If beans are under cooked, and the mix is looking dry add a bit of water as needed and continue simmering until they are cooked to your liking.  Remember they will continue to cook after they are removed from the fire.  Cool as quickly

as possible.  Beans area mostly protein and can spoil easily if not taken care of.  They will cool quicker if in a shallow container, spread out a bit.  Shelf life is about 1 week in the cooler, in a clean, well sealed container at 40 degrees or less.

STEWED BLACK BEANS

1# Dry Black Beans.  
Soak in warm water for about 3-4 hours,
THEN DRAIN, AND ADD THE BEANS AND THE FOLLOWING TO A POT:.
45 oz warm water
1 tablespoon salt
20oz Tomato Juice
½ T black pepper
1 T granulated onion
1 ½ T blackening or Cajun seasonings
1 T granulated garlic
Simmer everything until beans become tender, add water if necessary.  About 90+ minutes.
Cool, serve straight up, in tortillas, in salsa, chili, omelets, rice, or pasta.