Jerry's Boiled Peanuts made from RAW peanuts in crock pot

Your salt to water ratio is 1/3 c. salt to 10 c. water. The taste of this ratio equals the salted taste of the peanuts.

Put in crock pot and stir to dissolve salt

• 1/3 c. Salt 
• 5 c. water

Then add

• 3 lbs RAW peanuts

Add remaining

• 5 cups of water

Stir peanuts up. Put lid on crock pot and cook on High.

Check on it periodically and add COLD water as needed when water level drops a couple of cups down. The peanuts will sink when you add cold water. Maintain initial water level to get right level of saltiness into the peanuts. Always add cold water to shock it and get water into the peanut shell.

Cook overnight on high. Next day test peanuts to see if they are the desired texture. Once they reach desired texture, remove crock pot lid and let peanuts cool into the water. They will sink as they absorb the salty water.

Can freeze baggies of boiled peanuts for future snacks.

Creamed Corn

Grind in blender or food processor and set aside

• 1/3 - 1/2 bag frozen corn from 12 oz bag (can grind while frozen)

Melt in pan

• 1 T butter (or if prefer probably can use oil)

Then add above ground corn and cook a little.

Then add about

• 2/3 to 1 c. half &half (or probably can add whole milk of any kind)

and cook till starts to thicken

Then add

• remaining bag of corn (can be still somewhat frozen)

Cook while stirring continuously until thick and creamy.

I don't measure so amounts are approximate. 

 ref: https://www.thehouseofelynryn.com/2020/11/21/creamed-corn/

Gumbo (Clean out the fridge)

Cook Roux until dark caramel color but lighter than chocolate candy color. Be careful not to get any on you because it sticks to you and makes a bad burn. Can start at a higher temperature but as it darkens, decrease the temperature. Stir continuously. Don’t let burn. Use heat resistant flattish wooden spoon. Some plastic ware will melt when you are browning flour.

·         ½ c. butter/oil/bacon grease, or whatever you have. (can use less if you like)

·         ½  heaping cup of flour

Once the roux reaches the right color, cool the pan of roux in a pan of cold water so it stops cooking and set aside.

 

Saute till soft, maybe even lightly browned

·         1 onion

While the onion is cooking, finely chop

·         2 -3 Celery stalks

·         1 fresh Pepper (or more if you’re using small ones)

·         Hot pepper (optional) (

Then cook till soft

 

Meanwhile blend Cajun spice mixture and stir into cooked vegetables

·         ½ - 1 t. white, red, & black pepper

·         1 -2 t.  oregano, thyme, paprika, salt

·         1-2 t. garlic & onion powder (Optional)

 

Stir into cooked vegetables

·         4-6 garlic cloves (fine mince or garlic press)

 

Deglaze pan with

·         Can of diced tomatoes (optional) or

·         Wine or vinegar

 

Add leftover meat

·         Sausage, beef, duck, chicken, turkey…..

·         Cooked leftover veggies such as corn, greens,… (optional)

·         Black eye peas, lentils, beans, if you don’t have enough meat (optional) or for vegetarians

 

Add enough broth to cover everything

·         Broth such as veggie, beef, duck, chicken, shrimp shell*,….

 

Then add thickeners

·         Roux

·         Okra (optional)

Bring to a boil to thicken.

 

Once to desired thickness, turn off heat and add

·         ¼ - ½ c. chopped parsley

·         Juice from one lemon

·         Uncooked shrimp if want.

 Serve over Rice

--------------------

Shrimp Shell Broth

 

Bring to boil

·         Raw shrimp shells

·         Enough water to cover shells

Then let cool

My Neighbor Jen's yummy refrigerator sweet pickles

 She added peppers to the recipe too. I haven't made it yet.

Tortellini Salad recipe

 ref: 

• https://marydisomma.com/blogs/recipes/luigis-italian-tortellini-pasta-salad-with-homemade-vinaigrette
• https://carlsbadcravings.com/italian-pasta-salad/

This looks like a "clean out the refrigerator recipe" but it's very tasty. I'm going to cut the ingredients in half as it makes a lot.

Dressing: Put in a jar with good lid and shake to blend

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil (if you have it, I used 2 fresh leaves from garden.)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• about 2 T. fresh, finely, grated parmesan cheese
• about 1/4 fresh onion, finely chopped (added here so lemon juice can make less sharp)
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. lemon juice (original recipe called for red wine vinegar which we don't have)

Cook for 3 minutes or until done in heavily salted boiling water (about 1 T salt)

• 6- 12 oz fresh tortellini (I assume any cooked noodles would work if you don't have tortellini)

Drain, then put in metal bowl, coat with some of the dressing and put in fridge or freezer to cool down while you cut up the rest of the ingredients.

Put in large bowl

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, cut into cubes
• about 1/2 - 1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half
• about 1/4- 1/2 c. artichoke hearts, drained, quartered (can use marinated ones)
• 5 mozarella cheese sticks sliced into "cubes"
• 1/4 - 1/2 lb. salami cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. Kalamata Olives cut in half (or some canned olives)
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. sliced pepperoncini, drained
• 2 - 4 T. fresh chopped parsley

Blend everything together and see if you like the ratio of everything. 

Then add cooled tortellini and the rest of the salad dressing. Mix everything together.

Can eat right away or wait until later.

Gluten Free Chocolate Beet Recipe

Basically just substituted grated beets for carrots in "May 6, 2022, Very Moist Carrot Muffins recipe.

Can make with just beets and it will be super moist. However the cocoa powder adds a very nice cake like texture.

25' @ 350 F, 24 greased muffin tins

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. (Sometimes I'll make and store several bags of dry ingredients so I can make these muffins a lot quicker)

• 2 cups gluten free flour*
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp crushed into a powder instant coffee.

Beat

• 4 eggs

Slowly add oil like you're making mayonnaise. You want the egg/oil mixture to thicken with many tiny bubbles and be cream colored. (I think this helps keep a dome top on the muffins and prevents the top from sinking. However they taste good no matter how they look.)

• 1 cup oil (I use olive oil but feel free to use any kind you like)

Add to egg/oil mixture until well combined.

• 3 cups grated beets (About 2 beets. I generally just let the chopped beets mound and overflow my 2 cup measuring cup. It's close enough.  I also use a food processor.)

Then add flour mixture and combine thoroughly. It is pretty thick at this point. Not really pourable.

Scoop into well oiled cupcake tins (I like to use coconut oil but if you have paper liners you could use those.) and bake.

You can tell the muffins are done by their smell and they pull away from the sides of the tin.

Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin until they are cool. It's easier to get the muffins out

*It doesn't seem to matter which brand of GF flour you use. 

I wanted to try it with rhubarb but my sister avoids rhubarb. Might try it with squash later in the season.

Cucumber Water, Rosemary and Ginger Water