RECIPES SERVED IN MY HOME!

Please note on all recipes measurements are approximate as I gadge by taste, color, smell and texture when cooking. Also note that I have only put recommended spices with most recipes. Since they vary according to personal taste. If you are not familar with using spices I recommend you use them sparingly at first, increasing according to your personal preference. For amounts and descriptions see SPICES

RED BEANS AND RICE

1 lb. red kidney beans 1 bell pepper chopped 1/2 lb. mixed smoked sausage 1 large onion chopped 6 small pork chops 3 ribs celery, chopped 1/2 lb. honey smoked ham 2 cloves garlic chopped 2 Tbsp green onion tops chopped 2Tbsp parsley chopped
Note the following are added to taste, since the sausage can be purchased as mild, hot or regular depending on your taste: So salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano should be added slowly, towards the end of the cooking process.

Soak beans overnight, making sure water covers all the beans by at least 1 inch. Remove any beans that have floated to the top as they will be hard and drain the rest. In heavy skillet sprayed with Pam, over medium heat, fry the pork chops until nice and brown on both sides, remove to paper towel to drain. Add bell peppers, onion, celery and garlic to skillet and saute until onions are clear. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Slice sausage into 1/4 inch slices. When vegetables are done remove skillet from fire and set aside. If you have a crock pot or slow cooker it is best. If not you will have to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If cooking in crock pot put all meats at the bottom. If not order doesn't matter. Remove pork from the bones and add all ingredients to pot except the green onion tops and parsley. Put water in skillet and stir then add to pot as stock. Add enough water to pot to cover the beans by at least 1/2 inch. When cooking on stove you may need to add more water and should stir thoroughly about every 1/2 hour. Cook over a slow fire to simmer for about 3-4 hours, until beans are tender. About 1/2-1 hour before serving; To thicken gravy to your satisfaction: once beans begin to tenderize smash some in a spoon. You can do this as much as you like. The more you smash, the thicker the gravy. If in a crock pot cook on low for approximately 8-12 hours which is the best way. At approximately 7-8 hours beans are tender enough to smash and thicken gravy and spices will blend better. This is also the time to add the salt and pepper and other spices to taste so they will have time to mingle with the other spices and vegetables.
Serve over hot steaming white rice, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and green onion tops.

ROUX

A roux is a mixture of flour and oil, and it's use is traced back over 400 years ago. Traditionally, animal fat was used, but today an oil which can stand extremely high heat can be subsituted. A variety of rouxs can be made depending on the type of meat to be used when making the gravies and sauces. The color of the roux is determined by cooking method and time not ingredients.
The usual proportion of oil and flour is one to one. Usually the light and medium-brown roux are used in sauces or gravies for dark heavy meats. These include such meats as beef, game (like venison, elk), dark fowl such as duck, and geese. The dark red-brown and black roux are used in sauces for light, white meats, like pork, rabbit, veal, fish and shellfish. The black roux is also best to use in gumbos despite the meats, but it's also the hardest to obtain without burning. It may take some practice, but a dark red-brown roux will suffice.
A roux can be made in advance, cooled and stored in an air tight jar for several days. It can be stored in the refigerator or at room temperature. If made ahead, pour off excess oil which will rise to the top or skim off what has gelled at the top if it has been refigerated, then reheat. This will lesson the oiliness of your sauce. When making a roux in advance the cooking process must be watched even more carefully as the vegetables are not added until reheated. Thus the cooking cannot be slowed unless you remove from the fire and stir briskly.
Essentials when cooking a roux! 1. A roux is very hot and sticks to your skin, handle with care. 2. Always use a very clean heavy skillet such as cast iron, and not a non-stick type. Also make sure it's large enough that the oil does not fill it by more than 1/4th of it's capacity. 3. Oil should be smoking hot before flour is added, and once hot, flour should be added gradually, about 1/3 at a time, stirring, or whisking constantly, to avoid burning. 4. Have vegetables chopped and ready as required by the recipe and all utensils near at hand before starting to cook as you must continue to stir constantly during the cooking process. 5. As soon as the roux reaches the desired color, remove from the fire, stir in the vegetables, (refer to recipe) which will stop the browning process. Continue stirring until the roux stops getting darker,which will take about 3 to 5 minutes. 6. If roux cooks too fast remove from heat, but continue stirring until it slows, however if black specks appear in the roux it has burned, and should be discarded and the process started over.
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