Here are a few to get you started: Poor Man's Salami 2-21/2 lb ground venison 1 cup water 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed 2 tbls liquid smoke 3 tbls Morton's Tender Quick salt Combine all the ingredients and form the mixture into two 8-inch long rolls. Wrap in foil with the shiny side next to the meat. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Pierce the foil in several places on the bottom side of the roll with a toothpick. Place the rolls on the oven rack over a pan containing 1/2 cup water. Bake at 225 derees for about 2 hours. Venison Breakfast Sausage 4 lbs ground venison 2 lbs ground pork 1/2 Burgundy 1tsp garlic powder 2 onions, liquified in blender 4 tsp basic smoke salt* 4 tsp marjoram 3 tbls mustard with horseradish 1 tbls pepper 2 tsp sage 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp ground nutmeg 3/4 tsp rosemary Combine all ingredients well. Form into patties and fry. Or stuff casings to make breakfast links. *Basic Smoke Salt This is a seasoned salt mixture I devised years ago for smoking meats. It's a great general seasoning salt as well: 1 package table salt (1 lb 10 oz) 1 tbls onion salt 2 tbls celery salt 1 tbls garlic salt 2 tbls paprika 4 tbls white pepper 2 tbls dill salt 4 tbls white sugar Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container (canning jars work great) Spicy Game Sausages 1 3/4 lb venison or other game meat, ground 1 3/4 lb pork, ground 1 tbls smoke salt 2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp black pepper 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp rubbed sage 1/4 tsp ground allspeice variations: 1 tbls curry powder 2 tsp cumin seed Combine all ingredients. Stuff into casings or make into chubs. For people with dietary restrictions forbidding pork, this next is particularly suitible. Scott Darrohn's venison sausage 4 lb venison,ground 1 lb beef fat 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp cayenne 2 tsp ground sage 1/2 tsp ground allspice Combine venison, beef fat, and seasonings and pass through meat grinder. With hands, shape; meat into 4-ounce patties. The sausage can be prepared any way you like it, or frozen for later use. This next is reminescent of Boudin sausages, but actually has a totally different flavor: Venison & Potato Sausage 10 lbs ground lean venison 10 tsp salt 2 tsp pepper 10 lbs ground raw potato 3 lb ground raw onion Sausage casings Grind meat, potatoes and onions separately first, then mix all together with salt & pepper and put through meat grinder a second time. Fill sausage casings by hand or with a sausage stuffer attachment on your meat grinder. Tie off or twist sausage into individual links or leave whole. Do not pack casings too tightly or they will burst when cooked. Wrap in meal sized packages and freeze. To serve, punch a few holes in the casing to release pressure as the sausage expands while cooking. Put frozen sausage in boiling water and let simmer for 45 minutes. If preferred you can add up to 3 lbs ground pork to the mixture before stuffing the casings. BTW, if all you have is ground meat, that's fine. But if you're starting with whole cuts, it's best to spread the herbs and spices on the meat before grinding. Then double grind the meat. This assures that the herbs and spices are evenly distributed throughout.

Fermented? Not nece-celery! Ginger Ale (a good aid to the digestion) 7.5cm piece of ginger root, grated 600ml boiling water 1 tablespoon honey carbonated mineral water Add the ginger to the water and simmer for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan. Stir in the honey. Strain, cool and store in the fridge. To use, add carbonated mineral water to taste. And 2 recipes for Ginger Beer (I think both are non-alcoholic - I've only ever made the second recipe): Ginger Beer (1) 185g bruised ginger 3 litres water 2.5kg loaf sugar 125g honey 160ml lemon juice 17 litres water 2 teaspoons essence of lemon 1 egg Put ginger and 3 litres water into a very large saucepan and boil for 30 minutes. Add sugar, honey, lemon juice and 17 litres more water. Strain through a cloth and when it is cold, add essence of lemon and egg. Let stand for 3-4 days before bottling. Ginger Beer (2) To Make the Plant: juice of 2 lemons 8 sultanas 1 teaspoon lemon pulp 4 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 cups cold water Combine all ingredients in a jar and leave for 3-4 days (longer in cold weather) or until it begins to ferment. Each day for one week 'feed' the plant with 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 4 teaspoons sugar. At the end of the week if there is no bubbling on the surface, strain the mixture, repeat the lemon and sultana mixture and start again. To Make the Beer: Place 4 cups sugar and 4 cups boiling water in a bowl and add the juice of 4 lemons. Strain the contents of the ginger beer plant through a piece of muslin and mix with the lemon mixture. Add 28 cups cold water. Pour into sturdy, sterilised bottles and seal airtight with clip-on or screw tops, making sure to leave some room at the top. Leave for 2 weeks before drinking. To Keep the Plant Alive: After straining the plant through the muslin, divide it into halves and place each half in a jar with 2 cups cold water. Feed daily for one week with 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 4 teaspoons sugar.

Here are a few of my favorites. They may not be too challenging but they are delicious. We're having Monte's Ham for dinner this Sunday :) Kima (Indian Meat Dish) 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb extra lean ground beef 1 or more Tablespoons curry powder 2 tsps salt tsp pepper 2 potatoes peeled & diced 2-3 tomatoes, diced Ground coriander Garlic powder 1 package frozen peas Saute onion in butter (I used 1 Tbsp). Add garlic and meat. Brown, then drain a bit (I didnÂt have much fat). Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper. Simmer. Then add tomatoes (I mash the tomatoes and meat at this point to get more juice and to make the ground meat fine). I saute the potatoes separate, then add to the mixture and let simmer about 15 minutes. I add some spaghetti sauce (marinara style) and water until I have a sauce because the tomatoes I buy donÂt make a lot of juice it seems. I taste for seasoning and add more curry powder plus some coriander and a bit of garlic powder. A few minutes before serving I add the peas and let simmer. If the Kima is too acidic, I add a bit of sugar. Serve with raita salad and naan (from Trader JoeÂs, baked 1-1/2 minutes in countertop oven). Can also serve with rice. Raita Salad (can halve this recipe for above Kima recipe) 2 (8 oz) containers plain yogurt 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced 4 or 5 radishes chopped ¼ cup red onion diced Ground coriander Pinch of Kosher salt Blend all ingredients, cover with wrap and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour. ***************************************************************************************** Chile & Tomato Saifun Noodle Salad ½ pound saifun (rice stick) noodles Dressing: ¼ cup rice vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar Zest and juice of 1 lime 2 tsps chile paste* 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsps fish sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil Soy sauce 2 ripe tomatoes, diced 1 small peeled cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds 2 tablespoons choped fresh mint 3 to 4 green onions, minced To prepare the noodles, soak them in a bowl of warm water for about 10-15 minutes to soften. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add the softened noodles, & cook until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the noodles & briefly rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and place in the refrigerator to chill. To prepare the dressing, mix together the vinegar, sugar, zest, juice, and chile paste in a medium bowl. Stir in the garlic and fish sauce. Slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified & thickened. Season to taste with the soy sauce and set aside. To finish the salad, place the chilled noodles in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, mint and green onions and toss well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat evenly. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes, then serve. *I use only 1 tsp of chile paste (sambal oulek)--this stuff is Hot! The author says you can add slices of pork tenderloin or bean sprouts. I added snow peas, bean sprouts and shrimp & sometimes have added more soy sauce. Source: CaprialÂs Bistro Style Cuisine **************************************************************************************** MonteÂs Ham 1 (15 lb) smoked ham, on the bone 1-1/2 cups orange marmalade 1 cup Dijon mustard 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 1 rounded tablespoon whole cloves Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut off the ham's tough outer skin and excess fat and discard. Put ham in a large roasting pan. With a long, sharp knife score it, making crosshatch incisions all over the ham about ½" deep and 1 inch apart. Roast the ham on the lower middle level of the oven for two hours. Remove it from oven, increase heat to 350 degrees and make the glaze. For the glaze, stir together the orange marmalade, mustard and brown sugar in a medium-size bowl. Stud ham with cloves, inserting one at the intersection of each crosshatch. Brush entire surface of ham generously with glaze (reserving some glaze) and return ham to the oven. Cook ham 1-1/2 hours more, brushing with glaze at least 3 times. Transfer ham to a cutting board or platter & allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. Carve and serve warm or at room temp. Source: Saveur Cooks Authentic American.

Here's a couple I have that might do the trick - Baked Spaghetti  6 ounces spaghetti  2 tablespoons butter or margarine  2 eggs, beaten  1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese  1 cup cottage cheese  1 pound ground beef  1/2 cup chopped onion  1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper  1 can (8 ounces) tomatoes with liquid, cut up  1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste  1 teaspoon sugar  1 teaspoon dried oregano  1/2 teaspoon garlic salt  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in bowl. Add butter, eggs and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Spread over the bottom and up the sides of a greased 10-in. deep-dish pie plate. Spoon cottage cheese into crust; set aside. In a skillet, brown beef, onion and red pepper until beef is browned; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Spoon over cottage cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Yield: 6 servings Baked Spaghetti II  1 cup chopped onion  1 cup chopped green pepper  1 tablespoon butter or margarine  1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained  1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained  1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained  2 teaspoons dried oregano  1 pound ground beef, browned and drained, optional  12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained  2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese  1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted  1/4 cup water  1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and oregano. Add ground beef if desired. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix the soup and water until smooth; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 12 serving