Cause of Death (Det. Annie Avants Book 1) (30 page)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose-flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup oil

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl

3. Add the oil and blend with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly

4. Add the milk slowly and mix until it forms a ball that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl

5. Scrape the dough onto a floured counter top and knead slightly

6. Roll out to 1/4" to 1/2" thickness and cut with a 2-1/2" biscuit cutter

7. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until brown on the top and bottom, Use top and bottom burner with pan placed on bottom of oven. If they need to be browned more, move to the top position for a short time

Serves 8

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Ingredients:

2 cups yellow corn meal

1 cup plain flour

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 cup bacon grease or oil

Directions:

1.  Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl

2.  Add your eggs, oil, and buttermilk

3.  Stir it all up until the flavors are thoroughly blended

4.  Heat your cooking oil in a heavy duty cooker on medium-high heat

5.  Drop the hush puppies by tablespoon into the hot oil

6.  Allow them to brown on all sides

7.  They should begin floating when done.  Don't overcook them.

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Ingredients:

1 chicken fryer, cut into serving size pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour mixed with the follow spices in a paper or plastic bag:

1 teaspoon celery salt

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

3/8 teaspoon onion powder

3/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

Pinch each: ground mace, ground oregano, ground thyme, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cloves

1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Heat the oil in a heavy duty cast iron skillet

2.  Shake the chicken pieces, a few at a time, in the bag with the flour and spices

3.  Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil and cook until golden and crispy on one side, and then turn over and do the same on the other side

4.  Drain on paper towels.  Can be served hot or cold.

Serves 4

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Ingredients:

1 cup corn meal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/3 Tablespoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1 egg

4 Tablespoons corn oil

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Lightly oil and dust with flour an 8" round or square baking pan

3. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl

4. Add the oil or vegetable shortening and blend

5. Add the egg and milk and mix, but don't over mix

6. Pour into your prepared pan

7. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes

8. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and then cut into 9 pieces

Serves 9

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Ingredients:

3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 pounds cabbage, cored and grated

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 medium red pepper, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

1/3 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Stirring gently, warm the apple cider vinegar and sugar in a small sauce pan and set aside to cool

2.  Mix the shredded cabbage and carrots in a medium-sized bowl

2.  Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the cabbage and carrots

3.  Stir the remaining ingredients into the cabbage/carrot mixture

4.  Cover bowl and placed in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to blend

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Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes

2 cups sugar

1/4 pound butter (1 stick)

1 pinch cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

9" uncooked pie crust in 9" pie pan

Directions:

1.  Boil the potatoes until tender. When you stick a fork in them it should go in easy but you don't want them to fall apart

2.  When the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel them

3.  Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly with a potato masher

4.  Melt the butter and pour it into the potatoes.  Add the remaining ingredients. Stir until well mixed

5.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F

6.  Pour the potatoes mixture into the crust

7.  Put into an oven preheated to 375 degrees

Cook for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry

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Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes, cooked in their skins until fork tender, but not soggy

6 hard-boiled eggs

4 medium dill pickles, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Pepper to taste

Pinch of onion powder

1 teaspoon mustard

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Paprika or parsley to garnish

Directions:

1.  Peel the potatoes and chop them into the size you prefer

2.  Peel the hard-boiled eggs and grate them

3.  Put the potatoes, eggs and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl

4.  Mix gently until well blended

5.  Garnish with paprika or parsley.  You can also slice a hard-boiled egg to decorate the top before garnishing

6.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  It's nice to refrigerate overnight so the flavors have a chance to blend

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Ingredients:

Enough skinned catfish fillets for 3 or 4 medium pieces per person

1 cup Yellow Corn Meal thoroughly mixed with the following spices in a paper or plastic bag

1 teaspoon celery salt

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

3/8 teaspoon onion powder

3/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

Pinch each: ground mace, ground oregano, ground thyme, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cloves

Vegetable cooking oil (enough to cover the catfish)

Directions:

1.  Rinse the fillets thoroughly and then pat dry with a paper towel

2.  Toss the catfish fillets in the paper bag with the rest of the spiced corn meal mixture

3.  If you're using a deep fryer, have it heated to 325 degrees F.  You can also cook the fillets in a heavy-duty cast iron skillet. Drop into deep fryer at 325 degrees

4.  Fry until the fillets turn a golden brown, about 5 minutes in a deep fryer

5.  Drain on a paper towel.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup milk

Water as needed to get dough to come together

Vegetable oil or shortening for frying

Directions

1.  Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl

2.  Slowly pour in the milk and stir with a fork.  Keep stirring until it comes together as much as possible

3.  Add just enough water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to get the dough to come together.  Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and let it rest for 35 - 45 minutes

4.  When it's time to cook:  heat 1 - 2" oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat

5.  Make balls with the dough about the size of a plum, and keep covered

6.  Press a ball into a circle with your fingers, beginning at the center and working towards the edges, stretching the dough as you go

7.  When the circle is 4 - 7" round (your choice) carefully slip it into the hot oil

8.  Let it fry one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully - using tongs - turn it over to the other side.  Fry for an additional 30 to 45 seconds

9.  Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain why you fry the other pieces.

10. Serve warm.

Yield:  6 breads

NOTES:  Serve sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon and sugar or spread with butter and honey or use as a base for an Indian Taco (see below).

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Ingredients for Sauce

1 pound ground beef, browned

2 cans whole tomatoes

1 large green pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 cup Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup cooked rice

1 small can refried beans

1 large can of red kidney beans

1 tsp. Chili spice

A few shakes of Tabasco sauce (to your likeness)

Toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese

One head of lettuce, shredded

4 diced fresh tomatoes

Directions

1.  Mix the first 10 ingredients in a large pot to create the sauce

2.  Simmer on low heat for about 2 hours

3.  While this is simmering make fried bread

4.  Place hot fried bread on a plate

5.  Top with sauce, shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

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Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. lean pork ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 lb. cured bacon 

1 lb. flank steak, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 lb. beef short ribs, cut between bones 

3 sweet Italian sausage links, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths 

2 Spicy dried pork sausage links, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths 

3 quarts water 

6 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds 

1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes 

1 large boiling potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes 

2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 

1 tablespoon paprika 

3 (15-oz) cans white hominy, rinsed 

2 (16- to 19-oz) cans white beans, rinsed 

1 tablespoon salt 

1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

1.  Stir together meats and water in a 12-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 3 1/2 hours. 

3.  Add vegetables and paprika, then simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. 

4.  Add hominy, beans, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup warm milk

Directions

1.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil

2.  Slowly add the warm milk

3.  Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed

4.  Knead for two minutes on a floured surface.  Dough should be firm and soft

5.  Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave for 20 minutes

6.  After the dough has rested, cut into 8 sections, roll them into balls with your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren't touching) and then cover the balls with a damp cloth or plastic and leave to rest for 20 minutes.  (It's very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won't roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

7.  After the balls have rested, place them one at a time on a floured surface, pat out into a 4" circle, and then roll with a rolling pin, from the center, until it's thin and about 8 inches in diameter.  Don't overwork the dough, or it will be stiff

8.  Keep the rolled out tortillas covered until ready to cook

9.  In a dry iron skillet or comal, heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side.  It should start to puff a little when it's done

10.  Keep cooked tortillas covered, wrapped in a napkin, until ready to eat

Yield:  8 tortillas.

NOTE:  Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over a gas burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.  To store in the refrigerator, tightly wrap in foil or plastic for a day or two.  If tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, and then foil, they can be frozen.

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