CORN AND BACON FRITTERS

6-8 Chicken Pieces
6-8 Pieces Thick-cut Bacon or 2/3 cup cooked and crumbled
2 Cups Bisquick
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste (lots of Pepper)
Few Drops of Hot Sauce
5 large Ears of Corn, husked, cut off whole kernels
1 Large Bunch Green Onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, minced
Olive Oil and Butter for frying
Cook the bacon in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, or microwave between layers of paper towel, until it is very well cooked and crispy. Let cool, then crumble. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the Bisquick, egg, milk, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. The mixture should be thick, like muffin batter; if it's runny, add a little more Bisquick. Let sit 10 minutes, then add the corn, green onions, parsley, and bacon. Fold together until well combined, but gently, or the pancakes will be tough.

In a heavy skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. each of olive oil and butter. When the fat is hot, add the pancake mixture, use about 1 Tbsp. per pancake. Brown well, flip, and brown again. Place the finished pancakes on a rack set over a baking sheet - you may be tempted to drain on paper towels, but this will make the fritters soggy. Keep warm in a 250 degree oven while fixing the rest of these. Very good. Can used frozen corn if you do not have fresh. Just let unthaw.

BLACK BEAN AND CHORIZO SAUSAGE SOUP

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Lb. Uncooked Chorizo or Andouille Sausage, casings removed
1 Large Onion, diced
6 Stalks Celery,diced
2 Large Carrots, diced
2 Red Bell Peppers, diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt to taste
1 Lb.Dried Black Beans looked and rinsed
1(28)oz. Can Diced Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce
1 Quart Chicken Stock
2 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper(optional)


In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Brown the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces as it cooks. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and bell peppers, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and saute one minute more. Add the beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, water, and spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer gently about 2 hours, until the beans are soft and the flavors have blended. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender in bursts, leaving it a little chunky. Serve hot garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or croutons.

SWEET PAPRIKA CHICKEN

2 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Boneless,Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tablespoon Sweet Paprika
1 Cup Chicken Stock
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 to 1 Bag Medium Egg Noodles or Spaetzle, cooked and drained

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.Add the chicken to the skillet and then add the paprika and chicken stock. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the skillet and cook for 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove from the heat. Take the chicken out of the skillet and cut into cubes. Stir in the sour cream into the sauce in the skillet. Place the chicken back in and stir to coat. Serve over egg noodles or spaetzle.

CHICKEN AND LENTILS

SPICE MIX:


1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Teaspoons Cumin
2 Teaspoons Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, sliced thin
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Large Chicken Breasts
1 Can Sliced Carrots
11/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Dried Lentils

In a small bowl combine all of the spices and set aside. In a large skillet heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the spice blend and cook for 3 minutes watching to make sure the spices do not burn. Stir frquently. Add the chicken, cut up, and the chicken broth and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is done. May need to add some more broth. Cook around 25 minutes. If you will cook this on low it will let more flavors come out of the spices. Around 15 minutes before ready to serve this. Remove the chicken and sit aside. Add the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let cook for 15 minutes or until done. Add the cut up or diced chicken back to the skillet and let it get warm thru. Stir good.Serve over rice.

SALT BRINGS OUT THE TASTE OF SUGAR

After cooking for 30 years I found out something from my mother-in-law I did not know. While down there my sister-in-law had made breakfast for dinner and she had cooked some rice. Now all us mountain folk love to put butter or marg, sugar, a little milk in our drained rice for breakfast. Reheat heat it on low so it want burn when you put all of this in.
My mother-in-law ask her had she put some salt in the rice. So being me, I ask why put salt in the rice if you are going to sweeten it. She said it was a old time thing everone used to do. It will bring out the sweetnest in the sugar and make everything that you add sugar to taste better. Now I don't mean to put a big teaspoonful in. Just a little like maybe a pinch. So from now on I am going to try this.
I know if you want something good. While eating your regular food get a little dessert and put it on the side and eat it along with your regular food. Just try it and see if you want like it. One of my friend's taught me that a few years back.
So no matter if you have just started cooking or been cooking for a while you are never to old to learn something new. I guess I will try putting some salt in my good ole chocolate cake mix when I make it from now on. You know I just love that good ole chocolate flavor.

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Cup Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2(14 1/2)oz. Cans Italian-Style Stewed Tomatoes, undrained
3 Cups Chicken Broth
1(15)oz. Can Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans, undrained
1/4 Cup Italian Parsley, chopped
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil Leaves
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
4oz. Small Shell Pasta, uncooked
Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic to oil; sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, chicken broth, beans, parsley, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add pasta. Continue to simmer, covered for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like.



 

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix, reserve 1 Cup of Mix
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 Cup Butter
Beat well and pour into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan.

In another bowl mix:

3 Eggs
1 Can Pumpkin
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
Pour over cake mix in pan.

Combine the following and sprinkle over the pumpkin mixture.

1 Cup Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.