Webdood Chili (low-cal)

Webdood Chili

This is a relatively low-cal chili recipe (393 cal/serving, 11 grams fat). From 11/8/90

• 1.5 LB bottom round, cut into 1/4" cubes
• 1 TBSP oil, mix with meat
• Pour into VERY HOT cast iron skillet & "stir-fry"
• 1.5 LB ground (course) bottom round
• 1 TBSP cayenne pepper
• 1 TBSP ground cumin seed
• 6 OZ tomato paste
• 1 CUP onions, diced
• 2 CLOVES garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno chilis, finely chopped
• Combine above and simmer two minutes
• 1 CUP red wine
• 1 CUP water
• Add and simmer one hour

While above is simmering, make the following:

• 1 CUP boiling water
• 1 CUP red wine
• 1 CUP bulgar wheat
• Set aside and let wheat absorb liquid

Add bulgar wheat mixture to chili at the end of one hour, simmer a few minutes to coalesce ingredients. Pour 1 LADLE cooked pinto beans in a serving dish.  Add 1 LADLE chili. Add 1 TSP grated cheese and 1 TSP green onion to top.

-shannon norrell

Webdood Spaghetti Sauce

Webdood Spaghetti Sauce

In 2TBS olive oil, saute 1 cup chopped onion + 2 cloves minced garlic

• 12 OZ tomato paste (Contadina preferred)
• 1.5-2 CUPS cut up, peeled tomatoes
• 2 TSP brown sugar
• 1 TBSP oregano leaves
• 1 TSP basil leaves
• 2 TBSP chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 TSP cracked pepper
• 1/2 TSP salt
• DASH of fennel seeds

Add 1 LB ground meat/turkey as desired

- shannon norrell

Webdood Barbeque Sauce

Webdood BBQ Sauce

After trying perhaps a dozen variations, I settles on this recipe for a most awesome BBQ sauce.  It's a little spicy, but it's the way I like it.  From 6/23/91

• 1 CAN tomato sauce
• 8 TBSP brown sugar
• 3 serrano chiles, burned on a cast iron skillet with bacon grease
• 1/4 TSP onion powder
• 1/2 TSP garlic powder
• 1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
• 1/4 TSP oriental hot mustard powder (aka wasabi powder)
• 2 TSP black pepper
• 1 TSP liquid smoke
• 2 TBSP worchestershire
• 2 TSP salt

Obviously, you can tone down the heat by not adding as many serrano chiles, but I like this setup very much

-shannon norrell

Nunnie's Biscuits

This is a back-woods recipe for biscuits that my grandmother "Nunnie" made almost every day.  I wrote out the recipe from her over 20 years ago and she had been making them for about 70 years at that time, so I'd say we could round it off and call this a 100-year-old recipe.

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp crisco shortening (you can use bacon grease or vegetable oil here)
• 1 cup buttermilk

Set your oven to 475°
Sift the dry ingredients (I sift them twice).

Melt the grease in the microwave and add it with the buttermilk into the dry mix.

If the mixture is too dry, add buttermilk a bit a time (but the above measurements work 90% of the time)

Knead the dough, roll it until it's maybe 1/2" thick and cut biscuits out with a coffee cup.

Grease a cookie sheet and place the biscuits on it. Bacon grease is preferred as it transfer a bit of "country flavor" to the biscuits. Also, Nunnie used a cast iron skillet to cook her biscuits.

Grease the tops of the biscuits lightly.

Cook for 10 minutes or so or until they look slightly brown on top.



We use to "sop" these biscuits by making a concoction of white gravy (made from bacon grease and flour) and Steen's Ribbon Cane Syrup

This recipe was found on a different recipe card. It is with my refinements.

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup buttermilk OR 1/3 cup sweet milk 

Spoon of flour on rag or board and knead dough.

Grease pan (bacon grease is preferred)

Grease top of biscuits

400° oven

Cook until tops are slightly brown

Cowabunga! Kale!

This is a relatively simple recipe that yields a delicious, healthy result.
In my opinion, this Kale recipe is tastier that even mustard greens made with fatback.

Ingredients

• Two bundles of Kale
• 1 strip of bacon
• 1/3 yellow onion
• tsp chopped garlic
• olive oil
• 1 cu chicken broth
• 3 tbs red wine vinegar

First: Chop.

Cut up the piece of bacon into little pieces (1cm square).
Dice the onions.
Chop up all of the Kale into 1"-2" pieces

Second: Prepare the broth

Put the chopped up piece of bacon into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.
Get that cooked up until it's almost done.
Add the onion and garlic.
Cook that until it's starting to turn clear.
Add chicken broth and vinegar.
Stir this until it starts to boil

Third: Steam the Kale

Now add the (big pile) of Kale into the broth.
Using a set of tongs, twist the kale around until it has all been wetted with the broth.
Now put a lid on the pan and cook for maybe 8 minutes.
Once this has passed, remove the lid and twist everything around again.
Now cook without the lid on until all of the liquid has evaporated (usually around 5 minutes)

Test the kale for tenderness. If you want it more tender and the liquid has run out, add a bit more chicken broth and cook some more.

Simple, yet super delicious.

Christmas Dinner 2011 - Some Damned Fine Gumbo!

Process is as follows:

1) Make the Roux - this is using what I call the "Alton Brown Roux Technique"

4 oz Vegetable Oil

4 oz (by weight) All-Purpose flour

350 degree oven for 1.5 hours 

Comes out as perfect Roux!

2) Make the broth

Peel 2lbs of shrimp, throw all of the heads, etc. into a pot with about 2quarts of water

Bring to a boil, turn down to medium and boil for an hour. Do this while the Roux bakes.

When the broth is ready, the heads should be red in color. Your entire house will smell like gumbo.

Strain off the carapaces and discard.

3) Chopped Goodies

1 yellow onion (maybe 1.5 cups)

1 green bell pepper (maybe 1.5 cups)

1 celery stalk  (3/4 cup give or take)

4-5 cloves of fresh garlic (I like maybe 1/4 cup!)

Combine Chopped Goodies with Roux when it comes out.  If you don't mind dirtying an extra dish, saute the onions and garlic for a bit in olive oil first.

Cook the Chopped Goodies and Roux together for about 8 minutes.

4) Combine broth, Chopped Goodies, Roux and Seasonings

Now get yourself a big gumbo pot, dump the Roux+Chopped Goodies in there

Pour in the Broth slowly.

Add the following seasonings:

1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt (use 1/2 tsp if it's regular iodized salt)

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tbsp Black Cracked Pepper

2-3 Bay Leaves

1 tbsp Italian Herbs (this usually has Thyme, Basil, Oregano in it). If you don't have this, at least add some Thyme

1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup carrots, fresh chopped into 1/2" chunks

Add the juice from a can of clams, set the clams aside

Set your heat to low and cook for about 1/2 hour.

5) Manage the Okra

If you're using frozen okra, go a head and throw this in now and extend your cooking time another 10 minutes.

If you are using fresh okra, throw those in after 15 minutes during above step

6) Manage the clams

Throw the clams after 15 minutes.  Too long in and they will get rubbery.

7) Add the Sausage and Shrimp

Slice the Andoille Sausage into small pieces (1/2") and brown in a pan

8) Combine the lot

After the 30-40 minutes of Roux+Broth+Chopped Goodies has elapsed, add in the Sausage and Shrimp

Stir well and turn off the heat.

Basic Gumbo

Basic Gumbo 

1 cup cooking oil, 1 cup (plus a little) flour := Roux

2 lbs Crawfish or Shrimp, Heads On

1 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

3 Tbsp minced garlic

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

3-4 Bay Leaves

1 Tsp Thyme

1/2 Tsp Cayenne pepper

1/2 lb Smoked Chicken Andouille Sausage

1 Bag Frozen Okra (unbreaded of course)

1 Tbs File Powder