(sorry this recipe is sloppy, I have to leave for Thanksgiving. Happy T-day!)

fill a small pot with chicken/turkey broth, season with summer savory, celery seed, tumeric, celery salt. Do not use any other salt, just celery salt. Also add black pepper, white pepper (if available) and garlic powder.

giblets (internal organs and necks) dice everything very small, except any necks, and place in pot.

celery, chop celery and place in pot.

thicken gravy 1 tsp flour at a time

also, if your cooking vegetable dishes, add a small bit of a vegetable from one or two dishes. EXAMPLE I’m going to be cooking asparagus, so after triming the spears i use any leftover grean parts, not the tough, white root, but the softer leftover bits.

Serves 4-5 people with accompanied stuffing, dressing for salad

If you are scaling this recipe up for a turkey, only fill the body cavity if you will be cooking at low temperatures (250F max) during those steps. To keep the body cavity of the turkey moist, make sure the legs are tied tightly with butcher’s twine and that all the reserved syrup has been added to the cavity.

• And for Pete’s sake don’t put your stuffing inside until the bird is done cooking!

Ingredients

• 2 cornish game hens
• 2 handfuls of blackberries
• remaining peaches
• reserved peach syrup
• summer savory
• celery salt
• pulped celery (optional)

Preperations and Cooking

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
2. (optional step) Take (1/2) celery stalk and turn it into a pulp, either grate it or put it through a food processor.
3. Wash thoroughly your Cornish game hens and check inside their body cavity for any gizzards, hearts, etc. Remove everything from the body cavity and rinse it out very thoroughly. Your hens may or may not have come already “tied up”, usually the twine is wrapped around the chest and easy to release the tension from without cutting. If no twine has been provided don’t worry, cornish game hens are much smaller than turkey and will keep moist untied with only a little bit more attention.
4. Once hens are rinsed, prepare to season them by placing them over a bowl or cutting board. One hen at a time. Sprinkle over the top enough summer savory to give it a fine dusting. Sprinkle just a few dashes of celery salt and cover with half the celery pulp (optional).
5. Rub the seasonings into the cornish game hen, using your hands. You want to massage the hen to get the the seasonings deep, past the skin and into the muscle. You should do this for about five minutes to ten minutes. When you’re done, both the top (back) and bottom (chest) of the hen should be evenly coated and of a nearly uniform color. Check the wings and legs and joints to make sure they don’t have too much seasoning on them. If you used the celery pulp and have an excess of seasonings, remove the excess from the first hen and place it on the second hen. Repeat the seasoning and rubbing process on the second hen, making sure that seasoning is evenly distributed.
6. Place the Cornish game hen so that the body cavity opening is facing upward, pour in two tablespoons of peach syrup and ensure the spine is coated with it by placing it on its back and rubbing the inside of the body cavity thoroughly (if you can’t rub the inside of the body cavity place it on its back and let sit for 5 minutes). This helps prevent the meat from drying out during cooking. Repeat for the second Cornish game hen.
7. Again taking the Cornish game hen and placing the body cavity opening upwards, stuff a handful of blackberries inside. Repeat for the second cornish game hen.
8. Place in a basting dish and place in oven to cook. Keep unused syrup to the side, or in the refrigerator.
9. [If hens are not tied, or very moist hens are desired] Check every 15 minutes and baste fresh syrup on top of the hens for 1 hour. Then, check back every 30 minutes until done. Basting as needed from the already present syrup.

• Cooking times vary significantly depending on your own personal oven. Try and check the owners manual for specific times, other wise try out this site. Always check the owner manual first.

1. If hens are tied, or if less moist hens are desired Check every 30 minutes, basting as needed. At least adding syrup during basting two to three times, then using existing syrup.

1. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve over wild rice stuffing, garnish with reserved fruits.

Makes 2 cups of dressing

Ingredients

1. 1 (1/4) cups extra virgin olive oil
2. (1/2) cup baslamic vinegar
3. (1/4) cup frozen blackberries
4. 1 tablespoon peach syrup

Preperation

1. Combine all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar. Shake very vigorously, until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
2. Sample dressing and if not sweet enough add 1 teaspoon peach syrup, shake again, and taste. Repeat until dressing has desired sweetness.
3. Once dressing is at desired sweetness, refrigerate until cold.
4. Serve chilled. If desired sprinkle salad with pine nuts and a few blackberries or peach slices for garnish.

Makes enough for two Cornish game hens (For Turkey: One recipe is good for about 5lbs of turkey, double as needed for each extra 5lbs of your turkey.)

Ingredients

• 2 packages of wild rice (any brand is fine)
• 1 jar of peaches (or two cans or three fresh peaches)
• 1 large bag of frozen blackberries (or 3 containers fresh blackberries)
• pine nuts to taste

Preperation and Cooking

1. Set out frozen blackberries to thaw.
2. Cook all wild rice according to instructions (if cooking for a turkey, don’t overflow your pan! Cook exactly enough for your pan size and allow time for all of the rice to cook).
3. Once wild rice is done add 3/4 jar of peaches (or two fresh peaches, or 1 and (1/2) canned peaches) and 2 cups blackberries (frozen or fresh) to the rice. Pour out 1/4 cups of the thawed blackberry juice from the bag (If not enough juice, or using fresh blackberries, then press a handful of blackberries into a mush like consistency and mix with the juice) and add 1 tablespoon of peach syrup (if using canned peaches taste juice and see if it is too salty. If it is too salty, or if using fresh peaches, then mix 1 tablespoon honey instead).
4. Mix thoroughly (preferably with your hands, if you or whoever your fixing this for has issues with germs, then use plastic gloves to mix. Don’t use naturally derived latex, as it is an allergen. Click here for more information). When done the stuffing should have a homogenous mix of peaches, berries, and rice.
5. Add pine nuts to taste and mix in.

Supplies

• Frying or Sautee Pan of medium size
• Spatula
• Plastic Resealable Sandwich Bag

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops from the store, or two thick chops from a butcher’s shop
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon Sage (substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground sage)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground White Pepper

Preperation

• The pork chops need time to marinate, at least two hours. This isn’t a traditional marinade as there are no acids to help break down the meat and help it absorb the herbs. So don’t cut back below two hours marinade time!
• If you found thick pork chops, don’t cut them in half until after you cook them.

Take pork chops and tenderize. If chops come from a butcher’s shop this step is most likely not needed.

Pork chops can be tenderized two ways, seasoning or pounding. I personally recommend staying away from prepared tenderizer seasonings. Those are almost pure salt, generally taste awful, and are a huge waste of money. I never tenderize meat with seasonings because of the sheer amount of salt needed to soften the meat. If a cut of meat is tough, then the best way to soften it is with pounding.

How to tenderize: Take one pork chop (depending on your work area you may use as many as you can fit side by side) and place between two piece of cellophane. There is a tool for this called a tenderizer, if you don’t have one you can use any tool or utensil with a broad flat heavy head. Like a broad headed hammer. Do not use a conventional hammer, the head is too small for what you are attempting.

As always, make sure your tools are clean, clean, clean! Make sure there is enough plastic wrap that in case the pork slides a little bit it won’t get on your counter tops.

After placing the pork chop(s) between the sheets of cellophane begin pounding on them with your tenderizer (or applicable tool). Use a good amount of force for this, but not enough to break your counter top!

There is no set time to tenderize any meat. It all depends on the age of the animal, the cut of meat, if its been previously frozen or not, and most grocery store meats are going to be tough. Tender meat is also a personal preference, so pound out the meat until it feels just tender enough for your taste, or to the taste of those you’re cooking for.

Marinade: Combine all the ingredients into your sandwich bag, close bag, shake thoroughly, so that the herbs mix evenly through the oil. (If you want to marinate the pork chops seperately, divide the ingredients in the appropriate amount. Half for two bags, a quarter for four bags.) Place the now tenderized pork chops in the bag with the marinade. Carefully (making sure not to poke or squeeze holes into the bag) shake the bag with the pork chops. Check after a few good shakes to see if the chops are well coated in the marinade. Keep shaking until all the chops are coated evenly.

Place the pork chops, in the marinade, in the refridgerator for two hours. The longer the chops sit, the more flavor the ground herbs will impart. The whole herbs are to give flavor during the cooking process.
Cooking Instructions

There are many ways pork can be served. These chops are ready to be pan seared. I don’t recommend cooking them any other way, since there is again no acid (vinegar, wine, lemon or lime juice, etc.) in the marinade.

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup mango

1/8 cup papaya

4 slices of starfruit (substitute1 whole kiwi, peeled)

1/4 pineapple

1 sugar cane skewer (substitute 4 teaspoons brown sugar)

Supplies

• 2 Medium Bowls
• 1 Small Bowl (optional)
• Medium cooking pot or rice cooker
• Sautee Pan with Cover or Covered Skillet
• Long Handled Stirring Spoon, Slotted or Wooden

Ingredients

• a dash (~ 1mg) of salt
• 1 tablespoon (15mL) olive oil
• 2 cups (474mg) of rice (Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima)

• 4 sausage links, or equivalent
• 12 ounces (360g) of tomato paste
• 1 onion (Allium cepa)
• 2 cloves of garlic (Allium sativum L.)
• 1 teaspoon (5mg) White Pepper (Piper nigrum)
• 1 teaspoon (5mg) Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
  
• 1 teaspoon (5mg) Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Preperations

Sausage: The type of sausage to be used are thick link sausage, like bratwurst, or one long link sausage. One foot (1ft) long link for two to three servings or one and one half feet (1.5ft or 1′6”) for three to four servings. Do not substitute ground sausage or ground meat for sausage links. Substitution: If you prefer hot dog “sausage” then use a whole package of hot dogs. I don’t especially recomend this substitution, but it is faster and possibly cheaper than using sausage links.

Take your sausage links and slice them into quarter inch (1/4in) sections. Place in a bowl until ready to cook.

Onion: Take the onion and peel off the outer layers. Slice off both ends of the onion, and if your onion has started to sprout then remove the bulb and discard. Cut the onion in half then dice. Place in a bowl until ready to cook.

Garlic: Take the garlic cloves, peel them and slice off the tip and the end. Dice or crush the garlic cloves. Place in a small bowl, or in the same bowl as the onions until ready to cook.

Cooking Instructions

Rice: Fill your medium cooking pot with four cups of water, a dash of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Place over high heat. When the water comes to a boil add two cups of rice and reduce heat to medium. While waiting for the water to boil begin cooking the sausage as follows.

Entree: Put your skillet over a medium heat and place two tablespoons butter in it. When the butter is melted add the garlic and onions. Sautee for five minutes.

When the five minutes have passed put the sausage in the skillet with the onions and garlic. Sautee together for ten minutes.

Once the sausage has been sauteed with the onions and garlic for ten minutes, add the twelve ounces (12 oz.) of tomato paste. Stir thoroughly so that the skillet is an even mixture of sausage and tomato paste. Add the 1 teaspoon (1 tsp.) white pepper, one teaspoon (1 tsp.) black pepper and one teaspoon (1 tsp.) basil to the mixture. Stir in the seasonings thoroughly.

Make sure you are watching your water and put the two cups of rice in when it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or low and simmer for 20 minutes

Cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium or low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Substitutions

Tomato Paste:

1. If you enjoy whole tomatoes, you can dice fresh tomatoes and add them to the tomato paste after it has been added to the sausage. You could also purchase canned whole or diced tomatoes.
2. An easy substitution to make, if you don’t like chopping onions or are pressed for time, is to use a precooked tomato based spagetti sauce. I recommend using a sauce that doesn’t have any meat in it, since it usually doesn’t go well with the sausage. A good sauce style that I use sometimes is the “onion and mushroom”. Check your local grocery store for variety and don’t be afraid to try something new, it will probably be good.
3. Spicy: To give this recipe a bit more heat, add one or two fresh jalepeño peppers. If you don’t like a milder heat, try two or three pickled jalepeño peppers. Pickling removes most of the heat from the jalapeño and makes it much milder than when fresh. Make sure that you remove the seeds, as that is where most of the heat is held.
4. South West Style: To give your meal a bit of a south western flare, dice up one or two bell peppers. Bell peppers are extremely mild and should add an enjoyable sweet and tangy flavor to your meal. Also try adding some cilantro for some extra zest.

Serving Suggestions

When presenting this meal I place the rice in a deep dish and then cover with the sausage in tomato sauce. This saves table space if you also cooked vegetable dishes to go with this meal.

If you wish to present this meal on a plate, I recommend placing a bed of rice on a platter and forming a depression in the center of the bed of rice. Place the sausage and tomato sauce so that it fills the depression. Try not to get any sauce on the edges of the plate. while this meal is simple it is good practice if you make other sauce dishes for large gatherings where you would want the presentation to be great.

Supplies

• 1 Medium Skillet or sautee pan with cover
• 1/4 cup (60mL) of White or Red Rice Vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60mL) of Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 ounces (60g) fresh Kale
• 2 ounces (60g) fresh Spinach
• 1 medium Carrot
• 2 tablespoons of (30mg) Walnuts or Almonds
• 1 teaspoon (5mg) Ginger powder (optional)

Preperations

Red Rice Vinegar is sweeter than White Rice Vinegar, so use if you are not fond of a strong sour flavor. Both vinegars are less acidic, and hence less sour, than traditional western vinegars.

Standard soy sauce is fine, but if again you want a sweeter dish use Dark Soy Sauce or Japanese Soy Sauce.

Thoroughly rinse your Kale, Spinach and Carrot. Peel Carrot if desired.

Take Carrot and cut off the tip and the end where the greens are (or would be if you have only the root). Cut the Carrot into thin sticks, about three to four inches long. Throw away the ends of the Carrot (you may reserve for stew but I do not recommend this).

You may use whole nuts, chopped nuts or diced nuts. It is up to your taste. However, the Almonds should be used when serving pork or beef. You could use them with chicken, but I don’t recommend any other poultry. The Walnuts can go with almost all meats, but I don’t recommend them with pork. Walnuts go especially well with lamb.

Cooking Instructions

Set your range to medium heat and place your skillet or pan over it.

Place your carrot strips in the pan with one quarter (1/4) cup of rice vinegar. Stir the carrot sticks around for five minutes and then add your fresh Kale and Spinach. Put in one quarter (1/4) cup of soy sauce. Stir some and then cover. If you are using ginger this is when you put it in.

Let simmer for five minutes.

When done simmering add nuts and stir. Remove from heat.

Substitutions

You may substitute Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Swiss Chard or Red Chard for one or both of the listed greens. You could also try a combination of the substitution greens if Kale and Spinach aren’t to your taste. Prepare and cook these greens the same way. Taste before placing onto your serving dish and if you don’t like your vegetables crunchy then cook until you reach your desired tenderness. Make sure to stir and watch the dish constantly.

You may Substitute Yellow Squash or Yellow Crookneck Squash for the Carrot, prepare the same way and cook for the same time. You may also substitute a small Turnip, or half of a large Turnip, for the Carrot. If you do this, you may cube into small, quarter (1/4) inch cubes, or cut as you would the Carrot. You must cook the Turnip longer, it should take 10 to 15 minutes. Stir for five minutes, then cover for five minutes. The Turnip should still be somewhat firm, but not crisp. Add in the greens and cook as in the recipe.

Lamb Steaks or Chops Grilled

Ingredients

• Cut leg of lamb steak or lamb chops
• White Pepper, ground or powdered(Piper nigrum L.)
• ground Marjoram (Maiorana hortensis Moench.)
  
• crushed fresh Mint (Mentha peperita L.)
• Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.)

Preperation and Cooking Instructions

One leg of lamb steak can usually serve two persons.

Crush or chop your fresh mint, about one sprig of mint. Discard the stem, or freeze for later use in a stew.

Take your lamb steak and make sure there is not too much fat around the edges.

• You do want some fat on the steak, to keep it from drying out as you grill it. If you don’t like fat on your steaks, wait until cooking is done to trim it off. If you happen to have a cut where there alot of fat on the inside of the steak, also leave it in for cooking. When serving such a steak slice it into medallions, cutting around the fat. While some fat enhances flavor, too much fat is unpleasent for whomever is eating your meal.
• If you are using lamb chops leave all the fat on your chop. But when purchasing make sure there is plenty of meat. Two to three lamb chops, depending on the meat to fat ratio, will serve one person.

Once your steak is trimmed to your liking you can now season it. First take your white pepper and dust one side of the steak, repeat with majoram. Take a pinch of mint and rub into the steak, being sure to spread around the pepper and majoram. Turn the steak over and repeat.

Sprinkle a pinch of summer savory over each side and grill for fifteen (15) to twenty (20) minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Grains or Potatoes: If serving lamb, it always goes well when place on a bed of couscous. If couscous is not your style, then try wild rice or brown rice (If using wild rice, Texan wild rice is in danger of extinction. Help save this delicious grain by buying it instead of the other types of wild rice at your local store. Showing it iss profitable to grow this rice for consumers will help keep it alive!) Serving fried or grilled potatoes mixed into your couscous is also very good. I do not recommend serving potatoes with rice.

Vegetables: Choose your favourite vegetables to serve with lamb, almost all vegetables go well. You may steam or stir fry them. If you steam them season the water with summer savory, thyme, and majoram.

Salad: A fresh green salad is always a good, healthy addition to any meal. Try using fresh spinach, kale, and full thick green lettuce. Never use iceburg lettuce, it is just a waste of money and chewing. Iceburg lettuce actually contains more water than nutritional value in comparison to other, greener lettuces. Once your greens are thoroughly rinsed ( a very critical step! Rinsing greens thoroughly removes almost all contaminants from the plant.) dry them with a paper towel or cloth. You may then garnish your salad with walnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds or fresh mint. You can mix up your nuts, and use both walnut and almonds, but I do not recommend almonds alone.