Natchitoches Pork Pies

Natchitoches Pork Pies

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork shoulder

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

dash of cayenne

1/2 cup flour

Pastry

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. vegetable shortening (I used butter)

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup milk

oil for frying

1.  Make Filling:  In skillet over medium heat, saute onion, garlic and pork until cooked through.  Add salt, pepper and flour; cook until almost dry.

2.  Transfer to bowl; chill.

3.  Make Pastry:  Sift together four, baking powder and salt.  Cut in shortening (butter) until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Add egg and milk; stir until it forms a ball.  On lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out rounds with a 4 inch cookie cutter or the top of a clean, empty coffee can.

4.  Heap a tablespoon of filling on each round. Dampen edges with water. Fold over to make a half moon. Seal with a fork dipped in water.  Prick top once with fork.

5.  Heat oil in fryer to 350 degrees.  Fry a couple at a time until golden - about 2 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels.

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. shredded pork (or ground beef)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can refried beans

1 package taco seasoning

2 cups shredded mozzarella

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 egg

1 package raw lasagna noodles

1.  Brown pork with the taco seasoning, onion, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Cook until water is evaporated. If using ground beef, then brown beef and drain before adding other ingredients.

2.  Add green pepper, tomatoes and refried beans.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  Mix cottage cheese, sour cream, cumin and egg.

4.  Mix together the mozzarella and cheddar.

5.  Now, we're going to layer everything in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Layer:

1 cup meat sauce

noodles to cover

3 cups meat sauce

noodles to cover

cottage cheese mixture

2 cups cheese

noodles to cover

2 cups meat sauce

6.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and add remaining 2 cups cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.

7.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Serve with taco toppings, if desired.

Grandma's Best Doughnuts

Grandma's Best Doughnuts

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour 

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar - 1/2 c. sugar + 2 tsp. cinnamon

1.  In mixer beat together butter and sugar; add the egg; mix well.

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. 

3. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, mixing well.

4.  Turn onto a floured board. Knead for a couple of minutes, adding more flour if dough is too sticky to work. 

5.  Roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with doughnut cutter.

6.  Fry in 375 degree oil - just a few at a time - 2 minutes per side.

7. Drain on paper towels. Toss in cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Teriyaki Chicken Pizza

Teriyaki Chicken Pizza

1 12 inch pizza crust, baked

1 package Hormel Teriyaki Chicken

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

1/2 cup thinly sliced green pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake your pizza crust.

2.  Spread the Hormel Teriyaki Chicken over the crust. You may want to cut some of the chicken into smaller pieces.

3.  Sprinkle the bacon, onion, green pepper and mushrooms over the top. Now, sprinkle the cheese over all, as evenly as possible.

4.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and a bit browned.

Serves 8

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. salt

4 cups flour (I used all-purpose flour)

1 Tbsp. yeast

1.  Add all ingredients according to your bread makers directions.

2.  Run it on the "Dough" setting.

3.  When done, roll into balls and put on a greased baking sheet.

4.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour.

5.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.

I got 12 huge rolls. You can divide the dough into smaller pieces to get what you want.

Adapted from a recipe from twistmepretty.com 

Red Potato Salad

Red Potato Salad

6 or 7 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown mustard

1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

salt to taste

1 tsp. black pepper

1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, finely chopped 

3/4 cup red onion

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

4 sliced bacon, cooked & crumbled

chopped chives

1.  Mix together the mayonnaise, brown mustard, white vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Toss together potatoes, celery, green pepper, red onion, hard boiled eggs and bacon.

3.  Gently stir in the mayonnaise mixture.  Sprinkle with chopped chives.

4.  Chill overnight.

Serves 8

Adapted from a recipe at spicedblog.com