I make a lot of refrigerator salsas, and use little vinegar, mostly Goya Bitter Orange juice, like is used in the Oaxacan habanero salsas. This is my current favorite. 2-cups dried Numex Suave Orange habaneros 5-dried Ghost peppers 1-small onion, sliced thin 2-medium carrots, sliced thin 6-cloves garlic, smashed 1-teaspoon white pepper 1-tablespoon table salt 1-1/2 cups Goya Bitter Orange juice. 1-cup water, maybe more Put liquids in blender, add salt and white pepper, and all dried chilies. Process until smooth. Do this first so they can start reconstituting. Preheat oven to 425 and place rack in next to highest position. In a large bowl, toss chopped onion, carrots, and garlic in a little olive oil. Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet, and spread veggies evenly over it, place in oven, and roast for 20-25 minutes or until some charring takes place on the onions. Remove, and let cool for five minutes. Pick up parchment paper, and funnel veggies into blender and process until smooth. You may have to add more water if it gets too thick Taste for seasoning, and store in fridge. This lasts me about a week or so. You can also use fresh habs and ghosts sliced in half and roasted with the veggies, but it does require a good vent hood on your stove. Damn, forgot to add the pic...

This would not be a heart healthy meal (sorry) but it is something that our extended family enjoys when we get together (the children like it too) and its done ahead of time, just needs reheating while the fresh vegetable is steaming. Brisket, potato casserole, fresh broccoli, salad. BEEF BRISKET FROM SARA MOULTON 1 Beef Brisket, any size Salt & Pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced Minced garlic Mix together: 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup chili sauce 3 TBL brown sugar 1 bottle beer Lay meat in oven going baking dish. Salt & pepper it, spread garlic over top, spread onions over the garlic. Pour sauce over the meat. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 300* for 3 hours if small 1/2 brisket or 4 hours if large, whole brisket. Uncover, let meat rest, and pour gravy into a saucepan. Puree with handheld blender, or pour carefully into blender and puree. Slice meat across grain and serve with gravy. If doing ahead, cover with foil, refrigerate and reheat in slow oven. CHRISTMAS POTATOES 2 pound package hash brown potato cubes, thaw, drain and pat dry 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (10-12 ounce package) 1/2 cup melted butter 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 pint (16 ounces) sour cream Combine all ingredients in large bowl and put into greased casserole dish 9 x 13 inches (approximately). 1/4 cup melted butter 2 cups crushed cornflakes Combine and sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (Prepare casserole in advance and keep in the fridge, but don't bake it til serving time.) Here's a chicken menu that we like - chicken, orzo/roasted veggies, green salad. You can get the chicken ready and store in the fridge until baking. And the orzo/vegetable salad is served at room temp, so you can prepare it in advance and then take it out to warm up. Easy Baked Chicken 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves Salt Ground pepper Garlic powder 4 T. mayonnaise 4 T. fresh shredded Parmesan cheese 1 c. fresh coarse bread crumbs (or packaged, or panko) Chopped parsley 1. Season chicken lightly with salt, pepper. 2. Combine mayonnaise, garlic powder and cheese. 3. Put chicken in baking dish and cover with the mixture. 5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with parsley. Bake at 400 until juices run clear (about 15-20 minutes) ORZO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES 1 small eggplant, peeled, 3/4" dice 1 red pepper, 1" dice 1 yellow pepper, 1" dice 1 red onion, peeled, 1" dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 lb Orzo, cooked 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 scallions, minced 1/4 cup toasted Pignoli nuts 3/4 lb Feta cheese, 1/2" dice 15 basil leaves, chiffonade Mix first 7 ingredients together and place in one layer in large roasting pan. Roast @ 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once. Mix warm orzo with warm cooked vegetables and all of their juices. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss together and let cool to room temperature. Add scallions, nuts, Feta and basil and serve. Serves 6 Roasted pork tenderloin is an easy meal - put however many you need in a roasting pan or two, seasoned nicely with chopped garlic, salt and pepper and maybe some rosemary, and roast at 400 for about 25-30 minutes, let rest for 10 minutes and slice on the diagonal. Serve with anything you like - a potato casserole and some veggies and salad. These are just a start - if you need some choices that aren't so basic and homey, but more "polished" - just ask! There are lots of tried and true recipes out there and lots of cooks posting here :)

I have never made bread pudding out of stale doughnuts...but I have made it out of lots of others tale bread stuffs. For non sweet breads, like hot dog buns, I made a mixture of 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of sugar per 2 cups of milk. Sorry no real "recipe" because it depends on the size of your dish. I fill a 3 inch deep casserole with chunks of stale "whatever"...and mix up 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs and 1/4 cup sugar and pour it over and let it soak in. Oh and vanilla in the milk! Always vanilla....about 1 tsp per2 cups of milk. If I need more, I make another batch of milk egg stuff, or if the dish is not that big, only 1/2 a batch. Pour it over the stale stuff and let it soak in....then bake at 350 until set, about 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of your dish. I often add vanilla or cinnamon to the egg milk mix....sometimes even use chocolate milk. If you are using doughnuts, I would cut down on the sugar a little bit, and I think that cake doughnuts would be better, less "gummy" than raised doughnuts. I think it would be more than delicious! I have made bread pudding out of stale cake and pound cake....and it's really yummy! Chocolate cake, with chocolate milk and eggs? Yeah! Linda C

Lemon chiffon pudding Categories: Desserts Yield: 6 Servings 1 cup Sugar 3 tablespoon Butter 4 tablespoon Flour ¼ teaspoon Salt ¼ cup Lemon juice ½ Lemon grated rind of 1 cup Milk 3 Eggs, separated Servings: 6 DIRECTIONS: Combine sugar, flour, salt and butter. Add lemon juice and rind and beaten egg yolks. Beat until ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add milk and blend into mixture. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into a greased baking dish and set in a pan of hot water. Bake at 350-F for 45 minutes. Serve warm. Mrs. C. D. Kauffman, Hesston, Ks. Source: Mennonite Community Cookbook, by Mary Emma Showalter, 1957. Recipes from old Mennonite cookbooks, brought up to date with standard measures and directions