Marvelous Mud Season!

Hey, it's the fifth season in Maine again — "Mud Season"— yuck! With two dogs in and out, I try to look the other way as far as keeping the kitchen clean. But we still have to eat, right? So, here are a few "dirty dishes" you can whip up and enjoy while the driveway gets wetter, ruttier and thawed out this spring. Corn Pudding 3 cups (thawed) frozen corn kernels 2 t. chives 1 t. thyme 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk 2 eggs, beaten 2 T. cream cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the corn and spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and cream cheese together before adding to the corn mixture —stir well to combine. Spray an 11" by 7" baking pan with cooking spray and fold the corn batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden on top. Serves eight. Chinese Rice Soup 1 cup raw long-grain rice 2 t. salt 1 (1") piece fresh gingerroot, peeled 4 scallions, minced Chicken parts (4 wings or combo of wings & thighs)

Combine all of the ingredients in a Dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and cook for 90 minutes or until creamy —stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the ginger. Remove the chicken and peel off the skin and bones. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the soup. Add one tablespoon of soy sauce and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Serves four.

Chicken Fajitas 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup vinegar 1/4 t. garlic powder 1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 T. vegetable oil 1 green pepper, cut in strips 1 red bell pepper, cut in strips 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms 1 t. seasoned salt 6 flour tortillas 1 cup salsa 1 cup sour cream

Combine the first five ingredients and reserve a quarter cup. Place the remaining marinade and the raw chicken in a Ziploc® bag and marinate for three to eight hours in the fridge. Heat the grill. Remove the chicken and discard the marinade. Cook the chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through. Sauté both the pepper strips and the onion strips in vegetable oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the reserved quarter-cup of marinade and cook for two minutes. Slice the chicken into thin slices and add to the pan. Heat the tortillas; add the chicken mixture, salsa and sour cream. Serves six.

Skillet Island Pork Chops 2 t. olive oil, divided 4 pork chops (boneless) 1 t. Jerk seasoning (or 2 T. jerk sauce) 1/4 t. salt 1/8 t. red pepper flakes 1 1/4 cup pineapple chunks 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 T. fresh lime juice 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped

Heat one teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Sprinkle (or coat) Jerk seasoning on the pork along with the salt and red pepper flakes. Cook on all sides and then remove and keep warm. Add one teaspoon of oil to the pan. Drain the pineapple, reserving two tablespoons of juice. Add the chunks to the pan along with the onion, cooking until lightly browned —stir often. Stir in the lime juice, jalapeño and reserved pineapple juice. Spoon this warm salsa on each pork chop. Serves four. (This is also great with chicken, and can be done on the grill.)

No-Bake, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 1 t. vanilla 3 cups oatmeal 3/4 cup peanut butter

Melt sugar, butter and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and quickly add the oatmeal and peanut butter. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. Makes 18 cookies.