Dr. Pepper Pork Chops

This is a different recipe than the coca-cola recipe-but just as equally good.(actually I think it is better because I like Dr. Pepper better than Coke)
24 ounces Dr. Pepper®
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, sliced
6 center-cut pork chops

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a 9 x1 3-inch pan, mix all ingredients except the meat. Cook 15 minutes; stir. Place pork chops in mixture, and cover pan with foil. Bake 3 hours. Makes 6 servings.

Fried catfish

1 pound of catfish fillets, cut into inch-wide strips
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Salt and pepper fillets and let warm to room temperature.Heat up about three-inches of oil in an iron skillet or a Dutch oven.

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.
Put cornmeal on a plate.
Dip fillets in egg-milk mixture and then dredge in cornmeal, covering both sides.

Place battered fish into hot oil and cook four minutes, turning once.Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.Serves four.

Hush puppies

3/4 cup of yellow corn meal
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk or buttermilk
1 egg
2 teaspoons of bacon drippings (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, finely diced
1/3 cup of diced onions

Mix together all ingredients.
In batches, cook tablespoon-sized balls of dough in hot oil, until crisp and golden brown (about two minutes).
Makes about 20 hush puppies.

Chipotle-lime mayonnaise

2 chipotles in adobo chopped
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of cilantro, chopped.

Mix all ingredients together. Can add more chipotles for extra smokey heat.

Red Beans and Rice

I don't remember where I got this recipe, but it is a good one for the Crock Pot.

8 ozs. dried red beans (the little ones - not the big Kidney beans)
8 ozs. Kielbasa sliced 1/2" thick
1 Large onion ( sweet or yellow)
2 Ribs celery chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper chopped
2 Cloves garlic minced
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbs. Parsley minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
A good dash of hot pepper sauce
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 Cups rice (you can use Minute Rice)

Cover beans with cold water in a large bowl and let them soak overnight. Drain beans and toss the water. Place all the above ingredients (except rice) in a crock pot and cover with water. Cook on low setting until beans are tender.

Stir occasionally and check the water (add a little if needed) Takes about 6 hrs. to cook. Fix rice according to the box. When beans are ready remove bay leaves. Serve beans over rice and enjoy.

Hobo Dinner

Layer in a casserole dish in this order.
Pre-heat oven to 375
1 to 2 pounds of ground beef.
1 Onion, peeled & sliced ( sweet or yellow)
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 to 3 Potatoes, sliced thin (not peeled)
2 to 3 Carrots sliced thin
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Worcestershire sauce, sprinkled on liberally.

Bake at 375 for 1 hr. to 1 hr.& 30 mins. Serve with corn bread or biscuits and hot sauce on the side.

Apple Bourbon Pie

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup bourbon (remember: Jack Daniels is NOT Bourbon, Try Rebel Yell)
3 pounds cooking apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts -- toasted
1 pkg (15oz) refrigerated piecrusts
2 teaspoons apricot preserves, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine raisins and bourbon, and let soak for at least 2 hours. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch slices; arrange apple slices in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 10 minutes or until apple slices are tender. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and next four ingredients in a large bowl; add apple slices, raisin-bourbon mixture, and pecans, stirring to combine.

Fit one piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; brush preserves over piecrust. Carefully spoon the apple mixture into the piecrust. Roll remaining piecrust to press out fold lines; cut with a 3-inch leaf-shaped cutter. Mark veins on leaves with a pastry cutter or sharp knife. Arrange pastry leaves, over apple mixture; brush leaves with buttermilk, and sprinkle pie with sugar.

Bake at 450 degrees F. on lower rack of oven 15 minutes. Shield edges of pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 additional minutes. Yield: one (9-inch) pie

Grilled Texas Shrimp

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Mexican lime juice
1 tablespoon ground red chiles
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
24 large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined (tails left on)

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in shallow glass or plastic dish. Stir in shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove shrimp from marinade, reserving marinade.

Thread 4 shrimp on each of six (8-inch) metal skewers. Grill over medium coals,(or med.heat gas grill) turning once, until pink, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Heat marinade to boiling in a nonreactive saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until bell pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with shrimp. Makes 6 servings.

If you would prefer to broil the shrimp instead of grilling them, place the skewered shrimp on a broiler pan rack. Broil with tops about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until pink, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.