Recipe of the Week: Au Gratin Potatoes from Scratch

At our retreat, our most important vegetable plantings will be potatoes (high carb, dense, high energy, keepers) and onions (keepers with the ability to intensely or subtlety flavor dishes). The lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and what all will be secondary. 10 Yukon gold potatoes 3-4 Tbsp olive oil or butter 1/2 onion, diced 1 clove garlic, diced 4 c milk 4 Tbsp flour 4 Tbsp butter 2 c shredded or cubed cheese cheese Salt and pepper to taste Paprika Breadcrumbs, optional Fresh thyme, optional Wash, peel potatoes, and slice on a mandolin. (A mandolin is quicker than knife work and makes …




Recipe of the Week: Wild Turkey Pho

I am a 5th generation Oklahoman. My wife is ethnically Vietnamese. Our children are happy little mongrels with Eurasian eyes and Oklahoma accents. We often produce fusion recipes consisting of local ingredients and traditional Vietnamese ideas. Wild turkey spring season is almost upon us, and I would like to share one of our fusion recipes with the blog. Pho (pronounced fuh-uh with two syllables NOT foe with a long O and one syllable) is a simple soup dish with numerous health benefits. In its simplest form it is broth made from bones and simple herbs. The bones provide minerals and …




Recipe of the Week: Beef Strogannoff

How to Make that Meat Go Further People can be very picky eaters, but down the road that may not always be an available luxury. People will also start in a litany of “I don’t eat mustard, or onions, or garlic, or mushrooms, or whatever.” (This is not to be confused with a legitimate food allergy!) Remember, a recipe is a combination of pleasing ingredients that impart delightful flavors and textures. Think about liquid vanilla extract. It smells out-of-this-world, but it tastes like nothing you would want you eat. Sugar must be added to make it edible. The following recipe …




Recipe of the Week: Pizza Dough, by K.M.

I worked in various pizza kitchens as a youth, and now make it at home regularly. We like to add a few extra ingredients to the crust for flavor and nutrition.They are optional, so experiment and find the mixture that best suits your tastes. Total “Flour” component should be about 3-cups, but make sure at least 2-cups are a quality bread-flour, or else you get more of a granola-bar than pizza-dough. Ingredients: Approximately 1.5 cups warm water (100-110 F degree’s; use a thermometer as too hot/cold matters.) 2 tsp. Salt 1 package dry yeast (live yeast also suitable, vary instructions …




Recipe of the Week: Polenta with Eggs Over Easy, by M.I.

Polenta: 1 c. cold water 1 c. medium grind cornmeal 1/2 tsp. salt 3 c water, boiling in saucepan 2 TBS butter In a small bowl, whisk the cornmeal and cold water together with salt. Add mixture into boiling water and simmer at least 5 minutes. Add butter. Cook another 3- 5 minutes, adding a little water at a time if you want to keep a creamy consistency. If you prefer a drier texture, like mashed potatoes, add no extra water. Serves 4 Over Easy Eggs: Preheat a skillet over medium heat with 2 TBS of olive oil for every …




Recipe of the Week: Taco Locos, by C.R.

Here is a recipe I invented using leftovers from baked potatoes to make tacos: After scrubbing well and baking, slice the top of the potato with a sharp knife lengthwise end to end. Eat all of the baked potato, scraping excess potato from the skin. (Not too hard, you don’t want holes in the skin.) The skin is now ready to be used as a tortilla, thereby cutting back on tortilla carbs, if dieting, or gluten, if sensitive. Holding the skin of the potato in one hand, you are now ready to apply a filling. Being a girl from Texas, …




Recipe of the Week: Chicken & White Bean Soup

Ingredients: 1 quart chicken broth 1/2 cup rice 2-3 tablespoons dehydrated onions 1 15.5-oz. can white beans 1 13-oz. can chicken 3/4 cup dehydrated spinach Directions: Cook first three ingredients, until the rice is done. Add the next three ingredients (including liquid in cans) and cook about 10 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Notes: We grow Malabar spinach, dehydrate it, and store in quart jars in the pantry. We also make homemade chicken broth, reduce it, and freeze in ice cube trays, then just use about 5-6 cubes with water. Homemade broth tastes better than store canned, and …




Recipe of the Week: Dutch Oven Lasagna

B.M. answered the summons for scrumptiousness with this delectible dish: All of these ingredients may be made fresh or dehydrated/freeze dried, and both will be delicious. If making from dehydrated/freeze dried, reconstitute per package instructions. Ingredients: 1 Deep 12-inch Camp Dutch oven (DO) 1 23 oz. jar of your favorite Spaghetti sauce 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce 1 14.5 oz of diced tomatoes (with Italian seasonings, if available) 1 pound of hamburger or Italian sausage (omit or replace with TVP, for a vegetarian version) 1 1 pound box of lasagna noodles (dry) 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese …




Recipe of the Week: Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole

Ingredients: 2 cans chicken broth 14.5 oz (chicken or vegetable) 1 cup lentils (uncooked) 2/3 cup brown rice,or rice medley, and I’ve used white. (Not instant) 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/2 chopped celery and carrots (Optional) 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste) 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or a blend is preferable)Use more if you like. Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT cheese in a baking dish. (I use an 11 x 7 pan) Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Then remove the foil, add the cheese, and …




Recipe of the Week: Biscuit Throwdown

Hugh, I saw the biscuit recipe posted on the blog, and I suppose for a survival situation it’d make do, but here’s a recipe that I developed, which has critical customers telling me these are the best biscuits they ever ate. I usually serve this with my scratch recipe sausage gravy. Anyway, here’s my biscuit recipe. (In Texas, biscuits either have to have buttermilk or sourdough in them to be considered authentic, but then Texans don’t put beans in their chili either. LOL) Big Ben’s Buttermilk Biscuits Everyone’s got a traditional biscuit recipe these days. The ingredients aren’t nearly as …




Recipe of the Week: Homemade Biscuits, By M.B.

Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine 3/4 cup milk Directions: Combine all dry ingredient and blend well with whisk. Cut in butter until resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in milk until all comes together to form a dough ball. Turn out dough ball onto a heavily floured surface. Let set for a couple of minutes and then knead for about a minute and then re-flour surface and pat out to about 1/2? thick. Cut biscuits with floured biscuit cutter or thick drinking glass or a …




Recipe of the Week: Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole

Ingredients: 2 cans chicken broth 14.5 oz (chicken or vegetable) 1 cup lentils (uncooked) 2/3 cup brown rice,or rice medley, and I’ve used white. (Not instant) 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/2 chopped celery and carrots (Optional) 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste) 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or a blend is preferable) Use more if you like. Directions: 3Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. . Mix all ingredients EXCEPT cheese in a baking dish. (I use an 11 x 7 pan) .Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. 3Then remove the foil, add the …




Recipe of the Week: Posole, by SRG

7 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces 1 whole garlic, cloves separated & crushed 1 teaspoon oregano, crushed 4 teaspoon cumin, ground 1 teaspoon sage, crushed 2 onions, either sweet and/or purple, finely chopped (Remember, purple onions are stronger flavored.) 2 bell peppers, finely chopped (For added color, use bell peppers of different colors.) 2 bunches fresh cilantro, VERY well washed and finely chopped 6 large cans posole or hominy, drained & washed 2 small cans niblet corn, drained & washed 1 jar chunky salsa, mild or medium (Old El Paso brand is a good choice.) 2 large cans (1 …




Recipe Of The Week: Arizona Cowgirl’s Potato Sausage Skillet

Arizona Cowgirl’s Potato Sausage Skillet Recipe. We really enjoy this dish, and it’s a delicious ‘comfort’ food on a cold wintry day! Ingredients are: 4 large baking potatoes, peeled & sliced thin. 1/2 diced sweet onion 1/4 Red or green Bell Pepper, diced Combine the above veggies in a large 12″ skillet with cooking oil. Cook covered on low heat, stirring occasionally. While these cook, add the following ingredients as you prep them: 1 whole smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced thin. 1 small can of diced green chilies. Fresh cut Broccoli, as much as you like. Salt and pepper to taste. …




Recipe of the Week: Mrs. HJL’s Roast and Vegetables

This is a recipe for Comfort Food that is simple and yummy. 1 Rump or Chuck Roast Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 2 Onions, sliced 1/2 cup water Roasting pan Aluminum foil Place the roast in roasting pan. Sprinkle the seasoned sale heavily over the roast. Lay onion slices on top of roast. Pour water into the pan (not over the roast). Tight cover the roast and roasting pan with foil, sealing the edges around the pan. Place in an oven at 300 degree Fahrenheit. Cook all night (at least 8 hours). Peeled potatoes, halved Carrot pieces, large chunks In the morning, …