Crites Family Stuff

Ingredients for 12 servings

Dough:

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2.5 cups flour
• .5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• .25 cup oil

Meat Topping:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• .5 tsp pepper
• .5 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• .5 tsp allspice
• 1.5 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp finely chopped green pepper
• 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
• .5 cup finely chopped parsley
• 14 oz can seedless tomatoes, well drained and rinsed, chopped
• Lemon wedges and plain yogurt, for garnish

Steps

1. Dissolve yeast in water for 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt, mix with spatula. Create a well in the center and add the dissolved yeast and oil. Stir until well combined. Rub hands with a little oil and knead dough for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 2 1/2 hours. Punch down, divide into 13 egg-sized balls and roll each by hand with a rolling pin into 7-8 inch diameter cakes about 1/8 inch thick. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. For meat topping: Combine meat, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, mint, and allspice in a bowl. In a food processor, pulse onion and fresh garlic until it is thick and chunky. Add this to meat mixture. Put bell pepper, jalapeno and parsley in food processor and fulse until fine. Add this to the meat mixture. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and mix into the meat. Mix by hand, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Spread a thin layer of meat mixture onto each dough cake and place on lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and edges of dough start to brown. To serve, squeeze a bit of lemon on top and follow by a dollop of plain yogurt, roll up and eat. Repeat with remaining cakes. May individually wrap each cake in plastic and freeze for future use.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• .5 cup flour
• 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
• .75 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup sugar
• .5 tsp ginger
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• .25 cup cold water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 large green pepper
• 3 cups hot cooked rice

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400F and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Trim chicken and pat dry. Coat with flour and shake off any excess. Place in pan and put in oven. Meanwhile make sauce by draining pineapple juice into a saucepan. Set aside the chunks. Add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and bouillon in with the juice. Combine the cornstarch and water and blend until smooth. Add to the saucepan and boil for 1 minute, whisking to dissolve sugar. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and lower oven temperature to 350F. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Remove stem, seeds and white veins from green pepper. Slice into rings. Arrange rings and spoon pineapple chunks over chicken. Bake 20 minutes longer. Make a bed of rice on a serving platter and place chicken along with sauce, peppers and pineapple on top.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 6 servings

• 2 lbs large shrimp, peeled
• .33 cup fresh lime juice
• .25 cup orange juice concentrate or juice of 1/2 of fresh orange
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Salad:

• 2 cups coarsely chopped tomato
• .5 cup sliced green onion
• .5 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 15 oz can corn, drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• .25 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• .5 tsp cumin
• .25 tsp salt
• .125 tsp pepper

Steps

1. Marinate shrimp for 1 hour before broiling or grilling. Mix salad ingredients and spoon onto a serving plate. Top with grilled shrimp and serve.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 1.5 lb london broil or flank steak

Marinade:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin

Glaze:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp minced canned chipotle chilis
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Steps

1. Make marinade for the steak and marinate overnight and into the next day.
2. Combine ingredients to make glaze. Depending on the size of the steak, you may want to double the glaze recipe. Reserve some of the glaze to serve with the cooked steak. Brush some of the glaze onto the steak while grilling. Cut steak into thin diagonal slices. Be sure it is still at least pink in the middle. Do not overcook .

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 6 servings

• 2 broiling chickens, halved
• .25 cup shopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Lemon Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp minced garlic, minced
• .5 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Make sauce by whisking all ingredients together until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat broiler for at least 15 minutes before using.
3. Broil chicken halves, turning once, until skin is golden brown and juices run clear when bird is pierce with a fork, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from broiler. Cut each half into about 6 pieces (leg, thigh, wing, 3 small breast pieces).
4. Place chicken on sided baking sheet. Pour sauce over chicken and toss to coat well. Return to broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Turn each piece, and broil for another minute. Remove from broiler and put each serving on a plate.
5. Pour sauce into a heavy saucepan and stir in parsley. Heat and boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with lots of crusty bread to absorb the sauce.
6. These instructions are for using a broiler, but we have always grilled this chicken outside.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 2 cups buttermilk plus 6 additional tbsp
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (don't use wings and backs)
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• .75 tsp dried thyme
• .5 tsp pepper
• .25 tsp garlic powder
• 5 cups vegetable shortening or peanut oil

Steps

1. Whisk 2 cups buttermilk and salt in bowl until salt is dissolved. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, thyme, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Add remaining 6 tbsp buttermilk, with fingers, rub flour and buttermilk together until it resembles coarse wet sand.
3. In 2 batches, drop chicken into flour mixture and thoroughly coat, gently pressing flour into chicken. Shake excess flour from each piece of chicken and transfer to wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Heat oil (should measure 3-4 inches deep) in large heavy Dutch oven to 375F. Place chicken pieces, skin side down in oil. Cover and fry until deep golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove lid after 4 minutes check for even browning. Adjust if necessary. When ready to turn, use tongs to flip chicken and finish cooking with lid off, 6-8 minutes. When chicken is done, transfer to plate lined with paper towel and drain for 5 minutes. Serve.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 5 servings

• 2.25 lbs center-cut salmon fillet, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 cup soy sauce
• .25 cup rice vinegar
• .25 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted dark sesame seed oil
• 1.5 tsp chili paste
• .5 cup sliced scallions
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1.5 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Steps

1. Line 8x12 inch baking pan with foil. Place salmon in pan.
2. In mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, scallions, garlic and ginger. Pour 1/3 of this mixture over salmon. Sprinkle panko evenly over the fillet. Pour the remaining soy mixture over panko being sure to soak all the panko. If any panko runs off, spoon it back onto fish. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 500F. Roast salmon for 18-20 minutes or 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature should be 120F on a meat thermometer. Remove from oven and wrap tightly with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 8 servings

• 2 lbs baby back pork ribs
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• .25 cup Chinese 5-spice powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Pineapple Glaze:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• .5 cup dark rum
• .25 cup hoisin sauce
• .25 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• .25 cup brown sugar
• 1 fresh red chile, sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife
• Thai hot sauce

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Rub ribs all over with sesame oil. Generously season with 5-spice powder, salt and pepper. Arrange ribs, single layer in shallow roasting pan and roast for 2-2 1/2 hours.
2. Prepare glaze: In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and and pineapple chunks and saute for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, rum, hoisin, ketchup, sugar, chile, garlic and ginger. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Pull out ginger pieces. Pour glaze into a blender and puree until smooth. Add thai hot sauce to taste.
3. In the last 30 minutes of cooking of ribs, baste with some of the glaze. When pork is done, pork will pull away from the bone. When ready to eat, baste ribs with more glaze and put under broiler for 5-8 minutes, watching closely for a nice crust (will burn easily). Separate ribs with cleaver, pile onto a platter, pour remaining glaze, garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Display in cookbook

Description

This has been a favorite birthday meal for our kids throughout the years.

Ingredients for 6 servings

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-size pieces
• .75 tbsp baking powder
• .75 cup cornstarch
• .75 cup flour
• .25 tsp yellow food coloring
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• 1.25 cups water
• .5 tsp salt

Sauce:

• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• .25 cup white vinegar
• .25 cup pineapple juice
• .125 tsp red food coloring
• Dash garlic powder
• 2 tbsp cornstarch, more or less for desired consistency

Steps

1. Make a thin batter of the baking powder, cornstarch, flour, yellow food coloring, oil, water and salt. Dip chicken into the batter and drop into hot 350F oil. Deep fry until chicken is done and lightly golden brown. Fry pieces in batches to maintain the oil temperature. Drain on paper towel and keep warm in oven.
2. In a small saucepan, make sauce, stirring in enough cornstarch to get desired dipping sauce consistency. Bring to a boil and stir till thickened. Thin with pineapple juice if needed.
3. Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 8 servings

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• .25 cup butter
• .25 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 lbs shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 lb sliced bacon
• Saltine crackers, crushed to make 1 cup

Steps

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain. Make a white sauce by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Cook for several minutes and gradually stir in the milk. Stir together until no lumps are in the sauce and sauce has thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a large casserole dish, layer 1 cup of sauce, half the pasta, half the cheese, then repeat with 1 cup of sauce, the rest of the pasta and cheese. Finish with the remaining sauce and top crushed saltine crackers and line the top with slices of bacon. Bake at 350F until hot and bubbly and bacon is crisp, about 45 minutes.

Display in cookbook