Onion soup

5 sweet onions about 4 cups in all

1 carrot grated

6 cloves garlic, 4 chopped two halved

10 sprigs thyme

5 cups beef stock

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 loaf good Italian bread

Swiss or provolone cheese grated

6 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, 4 cloves garlic and celery in butter slowly until deep brow in color about 30 minutes to 1 hour over medium low heat. Add broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about I hour. Slice bread and butter bake in a moderate oven until toasty, while still hot rub with garlic cloves. Fill oven proof bowls with onion soup, place 1 to 2 slices of bread on top and cover with a generous amount of cheese, place under broiler until cheese is melted and brown, serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Moma’s Canned Tomatoes

4-6 pounds tomatoes, blanched, cored, and peeled

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

2 (1 quart) Canning Jars with new lids

Place tomatoes in a large saucepan, sprinkle with salt, and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Sterilize jars and lids as per manufacture directions. Remove one at a time when ready to fill. Add 1 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to each quart. Scoop tomatoes into the jars filling within 1/2 inch, then ladle the hot cooking liquid into the hot sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth and seal jars with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath (making sure water level is 1 inch over the top of the jars) for 10

minutes. Remove from water bath and allow to cool on the counter.

*Note: Use these home-canned tomatoes in your favorite sauce or soup for a taste of summer throughout the year. I like to make as many as I can at once but this is a small batch recipe to get you started, just double or triple the recipe for the amount of jars you want to make.

Fried Banana Peppers

My Mom used make these for me on occasion when the banana peppers were plentiful. I simply love these with fresh peppers and the pickled ones aren’t bad either.

30 Fresh Banana Peppers or 1 quart Pickled

Redneck Chef Seasoning to taste

3 cups flour

2 egg yolks

3/4 to 1 cup beer

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Preheat the fryer.  Season the Peppers with Redneck Chef Seasoning.  Season 1 cup of flour with Salt and Pepper.  In a mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and 3/4 cup of the beer. Whisk in enough flour to form a batter.  If the batter is too thick add the remaining beer to thin the batter.  Dredge the spears in the seasoned flour.  Dip the spears in the batter, letting the excess drip off, coating the peppers completely. Gently lay the peppers in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove the spears from the oil and drain on paper towels. 

*Note: You can serve with Ranch Dressing for dipping if desired.

Redneck Chef Chicken Liver Pâté

Try this on homemade crackers, celery, carrots and be sure to serve with plenty of hot pickled peppers and cold beer.

1 lb chicken livers

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 c chicken broth

1/2 onion, sliced

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp good dry white wine

1/2 tsp pepper

Cayenne to taste

Nutmeg to taste

Salt to taste

1 tablespoons garlic, chopped

1 stick butter, cold and diced

Place all ingredients through chicken broth in a saucepan and simmer until chicken is done. About 10-15 minutes. Strain, and place contents in a food processor. Saute the onions and garlic in butter until caramelized (15-20 minutes). Add them to the food processor. Add the wine, and process until smooth. Add butter, cold in pieces until smooth. Mixture will be a bit soupy, but once cooled in the fridge, it will harden up nicely into a good paste easy to dip or spread.

Rochelle’s Pot roast

Hello folks, I wanted to share with you my best friend and other half's recipe today. I think you will find this to be a great recipe to try. I hope you enjoy my redneck girls recipe!

1 5 lb. beef Roast

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, large dice

¼ cup sweet bell pepper, finely diced

1 package French onion soup mix

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 teaspoon garlic

1 to 2 cubes bouillon

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon Tony’s seasoning

3 potatoes, pealed and cut up

5 carrots, cut up

4 to 5 cups water

¼ cup all purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Season the roast with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium high heat and brown the roast on all sides, get it really brown because this is where all the flavor comes from. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, French Onion soup mix garlic, potatoes, carrots, Tony’s, and water to fill the dutch oven to 3/4 the height of the beef. In the oven at 300 degrees place the covered pot and cook for 1 hour turn the heat down to 225 for 4 to 5 hours. You can make this in a electric cooker if you want and let it cook on low all day long while you work or whatever you are doing. Tony's seasoning is the key to this, you can find it in most grocery stores now on the spice isle. If you can not find it you can use cayene pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in its place and it will still be good.
Note: this recipe also works great with really good deer meat, bison, or even bear.

Serves 4 to 6

Redneck 1000 Island Dressing

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup dill relish or rough chopped homemade dill pickles

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

A pinch or two of cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1 hard-boiled egg, crushed finely

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nanner Puddin’

4 whole egg yokes

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon good vanilla extract or paste

4 bananas sliced

Vanilla wafer cookies

For the meringue:
4 egg whites

5 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon good vanilla

Beat 4 eggs yolks slightly. Add sugar, salt and cornstarch. Add mixture to milk. Place in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add vanilla extract.
Layer vanilla wafers and bananas in 8 inch square baking dish. Stand vanilla wafers up around sides of dish. Pour pudding over vanilla wafers and bananas.

Make meringue by beating egg whites until frothy and add 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. Beat until stiff and add vanilla extract. Spread on top of pudding and bake in slow oven 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown on tips.

Fried Gator

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Hot Sauce I use Texas Pete

Flour, for dredging

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb alligator meat, cut into chunks (can substitute chicken or pork but it is not the same)

1 bottle store bought or homemade ranch dressing, for dipping

Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Lightly season gator meat with salt and pepper prior to dredging them in flour. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce into 1 bowl. Dip the gator meat into the flour then buttermilk and hot sauce mixture and dip in flour again. Then place in deep fryer until golden brown, just a couple minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Haw River Mud Cake

This is a very sweet and fattening cake, but it is so very good. It should be eaten in moderation. When I was a kid I remember going to a family reunion and someone had made this cake. It is so moist and rich and delicious that it is irrestible.

For the Cake:

Nonstick baking spray flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups boiling water

For the Mud Topping:

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the Mud Filling:

1 (8-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

For the Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (9.7-ounce) box bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 1 large baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed. In another large bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Slowly add butter mixture, beating until combined. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Gradually add to the sugar mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition. Slowly add the boiling water, beating until just combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 38 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Let the cake cool completely. Spread the Mud filling evenly over the cake. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle marshmallows and pecans evenly over the top. Store the cake, covered, in refrigerator. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the melted chocolates, beating until combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, beating until incorporated. Pour the frosting over the cake and serve immediately.

Rochelle’s French Bread

This is an easy dough to handle for an easy bread with a fine texture.

6 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 cups warm water

Cornmeal

1 Egg White, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Add 2 cups warm water and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for half a minute, scraping down the bowl constantly. Beat for an additional 3 minutes on high speed. Use a wooden spoon and add the remaining flour. Turn dough onto a floured counter and kneed to make a stiff dough that will be smooth and elastic. About 10 minutes. Place dough ball in a slightly oiled bowl turning to coat all sides with the oil. Cover and let rise until double in size or about 1 hour. Punch dough down and turn out on a lightly floured counter and cut in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll one of the dough halves into a rectangle and tightly roll along the long side, pinch the ends to form a taper. Place on the cornmeal covered pan seam side down and repeat with the second half of the dough. In a small bowl stir together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the loaves with the egg whites and cover and let rise until double in size about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After the dough has doubled in size use a sharp knife and make 3 or 4 cuts about ¼ inch deep across the loaves. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush tops with the remaining egg white mixture and bake an additional 20 minutes. Bread will sound hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire cooling rack.

Note: You can divide the dough into 4 parts to make French baguettes for sandwiches if you do you will need to reduce the second cooking time down to about 10 minutes.