Raper's
Road Kill Cook Book

Awesome Recipes

Table of Contents

Misc Food

Sauces, Dips & Dressings

Drinks

Food & Drink Web Links



Food

Beef Jerky

It is very easy to make Beef Jerky. The following
are the steps.

THE MEAT:
I use rump roast. I usually call the butcher and tell them to pick me out some rump roast and freeze it in their freezer for about 2 hours - it is easier to slice thin if it is partially frozen. Then I have them trim all the fat off the outside of the roast then slice the roasts on their meet slicer - thin cuts make better jerky.

THE MARINADE:
There are many marinades, but the following works out
quite good and is enough for about a 3 pound roast:

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Dip the slices of meat into the marinade and make sure
all surfaces are covered then remove immediately and
place in food dryer.

THE DRYER:
For many years I used a conventional dryer with no forced air circulation. It worked ok, but not near as good as the new dryers that have forced air circulation. Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to use the dryer. Most of my jerky was done in about 14 hours with the forced air dryer or 24 to 36 hours with the older type dryers.


Dill Pickles or Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes

These recipes are a must for those who like the big dill pickles you use to get from the pickle barrel or from those gigantic pickle jars. If you like those kind of pickles, you have got to make yourself some dill pickled green tomatoes - they are even better than the dill pickles.

Dill Pickles: I don't use pickling cucumbers. I use the regular big cucumbers you would buy for a salad. However, they must be firm and not overripe. They make excellent big dill pickles.

Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes: You haven't lived until you try these. If you grow your own tomatoes, wait until the first frost at the end of the season and pick your remaining green tomatoes. Only select the best and most firm tomatoes. Don't use any that are the slightest bit soft.

Food preparation: Wash completely all food items.

Food Items
Large Salad Cucumbers or Green Tomatoes - enough to fill jars

1 clove of garlic per quart
1 sprig of fresh dill per quart
1 jalapino pepper per gallon - or more peppers to taste.

Pickling Solution: Make as much as you need.
1 quart water
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup canning salt

Canning: Pack jars loosely with food items. Boil Pickling Solution for about 5 minutes, then while hot, pour very slowly over items in hot jar. Pour to the top. Put lids on tight and store in a cool spot. Everything is ready to enjoy in about 2 weeks. You should steralize your canning jars in boiling water prior to canning and pour the hot pickling solution into the hot canning jars very slowly to prevent breaking of the glass. I make dill pickles in 1 gallon glass jars. Quart jars are too small for the large dill pickles.

Warning: Please keep in mind that the food items are not boiled or blanched. Therefore, there there will not be as long a shelf life as those foods that are boiled or blanched prior to canning. I have safely eaten these items I have canned up to 9 months later. However, it may have something to do with the cool temperature or the 7,000 foot altitude of the area in which I live. Please protect yourself and consult other canning information resources to determine the appropriate safe shelf life for food canned in this manner.


Eggplant Parmesan

The following recipe for Eggplant Parmesan is as good as I have had at the Romeo & Juliet Restaurant in Beverly Hills California - which is the best I ever had. To make good Eggplant Parmesan you want the Eggplant to end up firm, not soggy. There are two secrets to making good Eggplant Parmesan. First, is to have a good sauce. The spaghetti sauce recommended on this web site is excellent for this purpose. Second, is to properly cut and bake the eggplant prior to putting it into the casserole dish for further cooking. The following are the steps to preparation:


PREHEAT OVEN:
1. To 400 degrees.

PREPARE THE EGGPLANT:
2. Use the large eggplant. Peel then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.

3. Brush all surfaces of the eggplant with olive oil (preferably virgin olive oil). Do not dip the eggplant into the olive oil or it will end up soggy.

4. On a nonstick baking pan, arrange the slices and bake about 8-10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake for another 8-10 minutes until just slightly browned.

PREPARE IN CASSEROLE DISH:
5. Spread an ample amount of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a
casserole dish.

6. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan Cheese over the spaghetti
sauce.

7. Place eggplant into casserole dish in a single layer.

8. Top eggplant with spaghetti sauce.

9. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan Cheese.

10. Top with graded Mozzarella Cheese.

BAKING:
11. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is lightly browned (about 15-20) minutes.

E N J O Y


Portobello Parmesan

Replace the Eggplant with Portobello Mushrooms and follow steps 5-11 of Eggplant Parmesan recipe (ignoring steps 1-4). This is excellent.


Lima Beans

1 large bag of lima beans (32 oz)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp red chili powder
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tsp salt
1 tsp worcester sauce
1 tbsp margarine (low fat)
3 beef bullion cubes
3 chicken bullion cubes
1 lb of Jimmy Dean Hot Pork Sausage or 1 ham hock or 1 lb bacon (pre-cooked)
2 cloves garlic minced
Water (fill crock pot to about 1/2 inch from top)

Cook in a 4 quart crock pot or slow cooker (on high setting). At 7,000 feet altitude this will cook in about 6 hours. It may cook quicker at lower altitudes. Cook until the broth turns somewhat white from the beans breaking down.


Potato/Barley Soup

Use the same basic recipe as for Lima Beans, but replace replace lima beans with potatoes and barley. Also, do not use any beef bullion. Instead use 6 chicken bullion cubes.


Pizza

PREPARING THE DOUGH
I don't know how the pizza places are able to make a good crispy crust and keep it from getting soggy during cooking - maybe it is those big cast iron ovens. However, I did figure out a way to make a crispy crust pizza. I buy the tubes of pizza dough at the store. I roll it out on a stainless steel rectangular pan. Then I cook it in the oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I then take a towel, lay it over the partially cooked dough and rub it smooth.

PREPARING THE PIZZA
If you want a pizza as good as you can get at Barrone's Pizza in North Hollywood or Toluca Lake California then you will prepare it this way. First, you cover the dough with pizza sauce. The spaghetti sauce recommended on this web site is excellent for this purpose. Second, you add your condiments such as pepperoni, mushrooms, sliced olives with diced jalapeno's, etc. Third, you cover the condiments with graded Mozzarella cheese. The real secret is putting the cheese on top. That way it holds in all the oils and flavors of the condiments and doesn't let them escape in the oven.

COOKING
Cook the pizza in the oven for 8 minutes - until the cheese starts browning

... ENJOY!!!

 


Sauces, Dips & Dressings

Barbeque or Shrimp Sauce

This is outstanding and can be used as a barbecue or shrimp sauce.

96 oz catsup (4 24 oz bottles)
96 oz water (less for more thickness)
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 garlic pods
1 onion (brown)
1 lemon (squeezed and cut up in sauce)
3 tbsp mustard
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup vinegar

Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 45 min to 2 hrs. Add cayenne red pepper to taste.


Ranch Dressing


THE RANCH DRESSING MIX
Ok, so I didn't do this all by myself. I cheated, I used Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix in a pack (buttermilk recipe). By the way, don't waste your money on those small dressing mix packs. Go to a store where they have the larger items for restaurants. Buy one of the large packs of mix - you get about 4 times the amount for your money.

THE LOWER FAT WAY
The following makes about 1 quart of dressing:

24 oz sour cream
6 oz buttermilk
2 regular packets (0.4 oz net weight each) of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Buttermilk Salad Dressing Mix (2 Tbsp Total)

THE FAT IS WHERE IT IS AT WAY
The following makes about 1 quart of dressing:

1/2 quart of Best Foods Mayonnaise
1/2 quart of Buttermilk
1-1/2 regular packs (or 2 tbsp) of Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (Buttermilk Recipe)


Roquefort Dressing

This recipe is definitely not a low fat recipe, but it is so good it is worth the extra fat once in a while. Don't substitute another kind of Mayonnaise or you will ruin the recipe.

3 oz Roquefort Cheese
1 pint Sour Cream
1 pint Best Foods Mayonnaise
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
dash of Tabasco Sauce

Mix all items together by hand or in a blender.


Salsa

The secret to making good salsa is not just what you put in it, but the size you chop the ingredients. If you dice the tomatoes, onions, etc., the salsa will be excellent, but if you chop the ingredients too fine in a food processor, it will completely change the taste of the salsa and it will not be very good. You need the crunchy texture of the ingredients to make a good salsa.

I prepare my salsa in a 7 quart stainless steel mixing bowl. The following are the quantities for about 7 quarts.

2/3 bowl of diced tomatoes.
It is hard to tell exactly how many tomatoes because they vary in size, but it is equivalent to about 10 large beefsteak tomatoes (soft ground-grown vine ripened ones if you can get them).  An out of season acceptable alternative is 1 large can(6 lb, 10 oz stewed tomatoes).

2 large onions
3 bunches of green onions (use about half the length of each)
6 jalapeno peppers (or Serrano peppers)
6 yellow peppers
2 bunches cilantro
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper (to taste, depending how hot you want it)
1 tbsp red chili powder
2 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp vinegar (can be increased for more tart flavor or to reduce hotness of the peppers)
2 tbsp olive oil (preferably virgin olive oil)

Use 30-45 oz of Tomatoe Sauce shared in Food Processor so some of the items will chop better

PREPARATION OF TOMATOES & ONIONS:
You don't want to chop things too fine in the food processor, but you still want them chopped evenly. To accomplish this, you hand cut the tomatoes & onions in quarters prior to processing. If you use the canned stewed tomatoes you don't have to hand cut them prior to putting them into the food processor.

PREPARATION OF THE CHILI PEPPERS, CiLANTRO AND GARLIC
Cut the chili peppers (jalapeno's, serrano's, yellow, etc.) lengthwise then scrape out the seeds. This will make the peppers much more digestible. Chop the pepper's several times before putting them into the food processor. Chop the cilantro crosswise in about 1 inch sections. Crush the Garlic pods and chop a little.

PREPARATION IN FOOD PROCESSOR:
This is a tricky task. Don't turn the processor on and let it run. Just pulse it with quick pulses until you can see the elements are the proper consistency.  Also, don't try to put everything into the processor at once - put the items in a few at a time. If you put too many in at one time they will not cut evenly and you will end up with big chunks and some very small chunks. When chopping dry items like onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic, etc. you need to add some tomato sauce to the processor or they will not chop
evenly. They will chop just fine in the tomato sauce.

MIXING
Use stainless steel or glass bowls only. I use a big bowl about 11" x 4-1/2". Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl, let it sit for about 2 hours and enjoy. It is always better the second day after all the ingredients have really had time to blend. If you use canned stewed tomatoes then the consistency of the salsa should be OK, but if you use fresh tomatoes, the consistency will depend on how much juice there was in the tomatoes. Add tomato sauce to thin to the desired consistency.

THE CHIPS
I have found "Tostitos Scoops" chips to be the best for salsa dipping. You can scoop up a lot of salsa on these chips without them breaking.

Spaghetti Sauce

This sauce is also excellent sauce for making Pizza or Eggplant Parmesan or Portobello Parmesan. Please note that there is not any sugar added and the sauce is still excellent.

2 lb sausage
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 large cans (6 lb, 10 oz) tomato sauce (106 oz) or 24 cans tomato sauce (8 oz ea)
8 bay leaves
2 tbsp oregano
1-1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sweet basil
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp anise
1 cup white wine (dry or white zinfandel)
1 can cheddar cheese soup or 2 cups graded cheddar cheese

Cook & drain sausage. Then brown the chopped onions in the sausage. Combine all other elements. Bring to a boil, simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to 2 hours. For a meatless sauce, replace meat with 8 beef bullion cubes.

For storage you can put about 2-1/2 cups (about 7 ladles) in a quart plastic bag. Remove all the air, lay flat and freeze. This makes it easy to quickly thaw out when you need the sauce. This is about enough for 2 people for a spaghetti dinner.


Drinks

Bailey's Irish Cream (Taste-Alike)

Compare the following to the real Bailey's Irish Cream liquor and see if you can tell the difference. By the way, this is not a low fat, low calorie drink. However, it is so good, who cares?

1 cup whiskey (a blend works well)
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 pint Half & Half Milk
1/2 tbsp Maple Extract
1/2 tbsp Coconut Extract
1/2 to 1 tbsp Chocolate Extract (to taste)

Mix in blender and ENJOY!!!


Bloody Mary Mix

(H. Leon Raper's Recipe)

1 quart of tomato juice (preferably Glorietta)
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
4 shakes of Tabasco sauce

Bloody Mary Mix

(Paul Raper's Recipe)

1 large can of tomato juice (preferably Glorietta)
4 shot glasses of Worcestershire Sauce
2 heaping tbsp Horseradish
1/2 lemon squeezed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 or 2 shots of Claussens Pickle juice
Tabasco Sauce to taste
Black ground pepper to taste

After pouring in glass, garnish with a little fresh lime juice on top, a celery stock and a dill pickle (optional).


Margaritas

All the following Margaritas can be made Frozen (in a blender) or Up. They are awesome.

REGULAR MARGARITAS (1 serving)
1 shots of Tequila
1 shots of Triple Sec
2 shots of Mix
(Tavern Mix or an equivalent "Sweet 'n Sour Lemon" type)

For a little added flavor you can add 1/2 shot of Curacao or Midori, not both. The type of mix is extremely important. Be sure to use a lemonade based mix, not a limeade based mix.

FRUIT MARGARITAS
Use the same ingredients as above, possibly without the special added flavors indicated - add your choice of fruit.

BLENDING
Add the above ingredients to a blender, add ice and blend. Run the blender on its highest speed. Also, if the blender seems to be laboring then don't put too much ice in at a time. Keep adding ice until the blender is full and the mix starts thickening.

THE GLASS
The glass can be salted by rubbing the rim with water or olive oil, then moving it around on a plate of salt (margarita salt works best). The glass would not normally be salted for fruit drinks. Some prefer using sugar on the glass for some of the fruit drinks.


Mexican Food & Drink Web Links


Other Interesting Food & Drink Web Links


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