Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 red bell peppers (about 8oz.) seeded and cubed
1¼ lbs. sweet potatoes, cubed
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1¼ cups dry white wine
5 cups vegetable stock
tabasco sauce to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dice small amount of red pepper for garnish and set aside. Put the rest into pan with sweet potato, onion, garlic wine and vegetable stock.
2. Bring to boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft.
3. Leave to cool slightly.
4. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
5. Season with salt, pepper and tabasco to taste.
6. Can be served warm or at room temperature. Garnish with diced peppers.

Serves 6

I had to simmer for about 45 mins because the potatoes weren't soft enough.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS:
STIR FRY...
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
¾ cup mushrooms
3 tbsp chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

SPECIAL SAUCE...
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hot mustard
2 tsp water
1-2 tsp garlic

STIR FRY SAUCE...
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp rice wine vinegar
Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and garlic and set this aside as well.
5. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
6. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.
7. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.(Keep oil in the pan, keep hot)
8. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
9. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
10. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
11. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
12. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
13. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce wraps.
14. Add ½ tsp at a time of mustard mixture to special sauce until you reach desired taste.
15. Top lettuce wraps with special sauce.

Our lettuce wouldn't hold up as wraps so we just used this as a topping on a salad instead. Still tastes the same!

Blueberry Buckle

INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup shortening
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375º
2. Grease one 8x8 inch pan.
3. Cream together ¾ cup sugar, shortening, and egg.
4. In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Stir this into sugar mixture, alternating with milk.
6. Stir in blueberries.
7. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.

To make topping:
1. Combine ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup flour, cinnamon, and butter.
2. Sprinkle over cake batter.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes.

This is probably my favorite blueberry recipe! Can eat in the morning as coffee cake or after a meal as desert with ice cream or whipped cream!

Zucchini Cobbler

It sounds strange but it tastes just like apple cobbler!

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups peeled, chopped zucchini (I cut it like apple slices)
⅔ cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
~~~~
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1½ cups butter, chilled
~~~~
1 tbsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. In large saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice until tender. (15-20 mins)
2. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for one minute more.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 375º. Grease 10x15 inch baking dish.
5. In large bowl sift flour and 2 cups sugar.
6. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles course crumbs. (I used my food processor for this)
7. Stir ½ cup of butter mixture into zucchini mixture.
8. Press ½ of remaining butter mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
9. Spread zucchini mixture over top of crust.
10. Sprinkle remaining butter mixture on top of zucchini and then sprinkle 1 tbsp of cinnamon on top.
11. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden.

You need to refrigerate after it cools but we really only liked it that same day when it was warm. If you do store it then I suggest warming before serving. If you didn't know zucchini was used instead of apples you probably couldn't tell!

Batter for Frying

I think this batter tastes just like the Long John Silvers one!

INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1¾ cup water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Sift dry ingredients in bowl. (Tip for sifting...a whisk does the same thing!)
2. Add water to dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Use batter to coat fish or chicken. Cover completely.
4. Deep fry until nice golden brown.

I was able to cover 4 chicken breasts with this amount. You may want to season meat before putting in batter. ALSO...if you want 'crispies' like LJS has then just drop a few spoonfuls of batter in oil when frying!

Hush Puppies

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups oil (or equivalent to about 2-3 inches in pan)
1½ cups self rising cornmeal
½ cup self rising flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:
1. Using a deep pot, preheat oil for frying. 350º (or until wooden spoon inserted causes bubbles around spoon handle)
2. In a bowl sift together cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Stir in onion.
4. In separate bowl combine buttermilk and egg.
5. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients until blended.
6. Drop 1 tsp of batter at a time into hot oil. (can usually do 5-6 at a time)
7. Fry until golden brown, turning hushpuppies during the cooking process.

Makes about 35 hushpuppies. If you cut the recipe in half it is still okay to use one whole egg. I did and it turned out fine.

Kalua Pig

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 lb pork butt
2 cups apple cider
1 tbsp liquid smoke
2-3 tbsp sea salt



DIRECTIONS:
1. The night before rub the pork with salt and liquid smoke. Marinate over night.
2. Place pork in crock pot and add cider.
3. Cook on low 10-12 hours. Flip halfway through.

Serves 6-8

I shredded it to make sandwiches too!