Cajun: Dirty Rice and Chicken Gumbo

When you have a congested head, you wish for anything to make you be able to breathe. When any of us are congested, I tend to swing our diet towards a Cajun spice pallet. There is something wonderful about a blend of various peppers, garlic and paprika cutting through the congestion and allowing the gift of smell and taste.

I thought I would share with you a few of our favorite recipes. I hope my family will not read this blog entry, because sometimes knowing what is in a recipe is not always a good thing.

The first recipe falls into one of my favorite topics of wasting money on premade or premixed seasoning packets. Do not waste your money on these when you might have a majority of the spices in your cabinet.

Cajun Seasoning

5 Tablespoon cayenne pepper

3 Tablespoon black pepper

3 Tablespoon white pepper

3  Tablespoon onion powder

3 Tablespoon garlic powder

3 Tablespoon chili powder

2 Tablespoon Paprika

1 Tablespoon thyme

1 Tablespoon  basil

1 Tablespoon bay leaf

3 Tablespoon table salt

 Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid shake until combined, you will have a uniform color

You can mix this with a food processor. The jar method keeps all the dust contained and less likely of you having a sneezing fit from breathing in the pepper!

 

Dirty Rice

My son loves rice, any variety I serve he will devour it. One of his favorites is dirty rice. (psst, just don’t tell him there are chicken livers in here. He might stop eating this if he knew.)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoon oil

1 pound ground sausage

5 chicken livers, diced

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 celery ribs, diced

1 green pepper,chopped

4 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked rice, brown or white

Directions

In large skillet heat oil, on high until it sizzles

Sautee onion, garlic, celery and peppers until soft

Remove from pan

Brown sausage and livers in skillet, add vegetables and seasonings cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally

Add rice and broth to skillet cook for another 15 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed

 

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is pure comfort food! With this recipe you will have to make a roux unless you are lucky enough to live somewhere it is sold. In my case, have a Crazy Cajun who takes pity and readily supplies it and Andouille Sausage. If you can find Andouille Sausage, get it, it is well worth the cost,if not substitute with smoked sausage.

If you cannot find the Andouille Sausage or feel like making roux, order it from The Cajun Supermarket. I need to order some Alligator meat, to try a few recipes I have!  

Ingredients

½ cup canola or extra light olive oil

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped white onions

½ cup chopped green bell peppers

½ cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

8 oz. Andouille sausage, cut into crosswise slices

2 chicken breast halves, cubed

5 ½ cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 cups rice

1 cup okra, cut into crosswise slices

1/3 cup loosely packed, chopped fresh parsley

Hot sauce, as desired

To make Roux: Combine the oil and flour together in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 12-15 minutes, until it turns the color of rich milk chocolate.

 Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and Cajun seasoning to the roux and continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to turn tender. Add the smoked sausage and chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves into the gumbo; bring it to a gentle simmer and cook it, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Cook the rice according to package directions and set aside to keep warm.

Add the okra to the gumbo and continue simmering it for 15-20 minutes, until the okra is tender. Remove the gumbo from the heat.

To serve the gumbo; place a scoop of warm rice in the center of a large soup bowl and add a ladleful of hot gumbo. Sprinkle it with a bit of fresh parsley and add hot sauce, as desired.

 

Carrot and Cheese Salad

Sometimes the simplest, easiest recipes are also the best tasting and most nutritious. This morning, I woke up a cold. This would not be too bad, if I also wasn’t getting my flu shot today.

It is time for an extra boost the immune system.

I made a mistake, when I made this salad. I took a taste before taking the picture. I have to tell you that the picture of the finished salad never was taken. It was too good not to eat it!

The original recipe called for mayonnaise, just the thought of it, did not set well with digestive system.  I used a bit of olive oil instead to keep it healthier. There is no salt in this recipe; the cheese gives it just enough taste that you do not need it.

You could easily double this recipe to use for a holiday or potluck type dish. I cut the recipe in half when I made it for myself. Even at that you could use it for a side dish for two people.

Ingredients:

4 carrots, washed, peeled and grated

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 ½ to 2 cups shredded cheese, I used a Colby Jack blend, but feel free to try Gruyere or cheddar

1 – 2 Tablespoons olive oil

 

 Directions:

Combine carrots, cheese and garlic in a bowl

Drizzle olive oil, before folding into mixture

Chill if needed in refrigerator

Counterfeit Refried Beans

A month ago, my family told me they wanted tacos for dinner. I was happy with this because it is an easy meal to make. Brown some meat, open some cans, chop some vegetables and you're done.

Everything was coming together smoothly until I noticed I had no refried beans, ugh. Dinner was ready all but ready, and there was not time to run the store. I could have made black beans, but Tyler requested refried beans.

So what to do… I have used kidney beans before to make refried beans. I had plenty in the pantry, but the taste to me was always something lacking. I rummaged around a bit more and decided to try something. I mean if I failed, I had that back option.

Surprise surprise, I did not fail! To be honest, my family declared my attempt better than refried beans.

So what do you need?

1 can of Ranch Style Beans    

1 can of kidney beans, drained, washed and drained again

1 Tablespoon bacon grease

Diced onions (optional)

Shredded jack cheese (optional)

 

 Directions

Over medium heat in a 2 qt saucepan, melt bacon grease

Add beans, cook for five minutes, and stir occasionally

With a potato masher, mash beans until semi-smooth

Garnish with onions and cheese if using

 

How to Freeze Tomatoes

 

 

 

 

If you love tomatoes like we do, you probably always have a few cans of several varieties in your pantry, or you plant more plants you know what to do with.

 I do not think I have ever taken a count of how many cans of tomatoes I use each year. I know the number has to be quite high, since in the cold season it seems I reach for a can or two every few days.

Since the tomatoes plants, I planted did not care for all of the rain we had this summer, I bought a twenty-five pound box of tomatoes from my good friends Marshall Farms, over the state border in Ararat, Virginia.

My birthday was a few short months ago and I asked my husband for one of two things, a pressure cooker or a freezer. I got the freezer, and I have been doing my best to fill with produce from the farmers market for the winter. With tomatoes, you safely cannot water bath process unless you increase the acid with citric acid or lemon juice, plus salt.

A few things you need to know before you decide to freeze tomatoes:

Look for tomatoes that are firm, deeply colored, well shaped, and heavy for their size .

They should be free from blemishes, pests, and have a fragrant aroma.

Perfectly ripe tomatoes will give just slightly to palm pressure.

Ready to get started?

In a 4-5 quart pot, heat water to boiling

While waiting for the water to boil, wash tomatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt or pesticides

Once water is boiling

Place tomatoes in batches of four to five tomatoes in the pot,

Scald for up to 1 minute, or until skin splits. You may cut a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato to promote skin splitting. I usually do not do this step, myself.

Remove from the hot water and immediately dunk into cold water. If you are doing a large amount of tomatoes, you will need to replace this water frequently or add ice to keep the water cold.

Why do you need to dunk the tomatoes in cold water? Dunking in cold water will prevent the tomatoes from continuing to cook.

When the tomatoes are cool, enough to handle you can use either a knife or your hands and peel the skin away. I like to remove the core at this time as well. The tomatoes that did not split, you can usually get the entire skin to remove at the same time.

I chose to leave the tomatoes whole for freezing. You may slice, chop, or crush them to your liking.

If you choose to store your tomatoes in containers (such as jars) to freeze, make sure you leave about 1 inch of headspace, otherwise you will run the risk of popping the tops.

I personally use freezer storage bags, and place about six tomatoes in each bag.

Make sure label each bag or container with the contents and the date.

The date is important; tomatoes in the freezer are usually only good for ten months.

Ice Cream Muffins

When I first came across this recipe this past summer, I thought there is no way. Well I was wrong. This was super simple. There are only three things; you need to know to make this successful:

1.    Use good quality ice cream that is high in eggs or cream, such as Ben and Jerry’s

2.    The ice cream has to be almost completely melted, to make sure it mixes well with the flour

3.    Yes, you do have to sift the flour, if you want muffins. If you don’t sift you will end up with a heavy dense product that will be more like a scone.

Most recipes I found for the muffins all stated “you only need two ingredients.” That is fine if you happen to have self-rising flour lying around. Which I don’t.

So to truly make this a simple recipe you can use with what you have at home, I used all-purpose flour, added the baking powder and salt to it.

Ingredients:

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½  tsp baking powder

½  tsp salt

1 pint Ben and Jerry’s ice cream

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F

Remove ice cream from container and place in a bowl, allow to soften. I set my bowl on the stovetop while the oven was heating.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together

When ice cream is soften (almost milk shake consistency) combine with flour. You can actually mix this together with a whisk or wood spoon.

Ladle mix into muffin pan that has paper-liners. I was able to get nine muffins using a 1/3 cup measuring cup.

Cook for 15-20 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

 

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to some of the most Ancient Civilizations in our world? There is a special young lady who dreams of seeing Rome, Sicily and Greece. Please click here to learn about her dream. If you cannot help her financially, please spread word of her campaign on Facebook and other social medias.

Flambéed Chorizo

So it is football season… again. Are you going to roll out the same ole game food or try something new?

How about trying Flambéed Chorizo?

As simple and easy as this is to do, just remember, you should have appropriate fire suppression nearby if need be. Okay fire safety warning taken care of, let’s get started!

You will need 10 ounces of Chorizo, 3 Tablespoons of Vodka, and cocktail picks.

I bought my Chorizo at Cost Plus, for you east of the Rockies that would be World Market.

Slice the Chorizo about 1 to 1 ½ inch thick on the diagonal  

Place in a flameproof dish, pour vodka over the top, and ignite!

When the vodka burns off and the flame has extinguished, hand out the cocktail picks.

I would stand back a bit so you don’t get trampled.

Inspired from Good Food

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to some of the most Ancient Civilizations in our world? There is a special young woman who dreams of seeing Rome, Sicily and Greece. Please click here to learn about her dream. If you cannot help her financially, please spread word of her campaign on Facebook and other social medias.

Chef Celestino Drago’s Rigatoni Alla Norma

Even though I grew up near the Napa Valley, I am not a real big fan of wine. I make my big sister cringe when I pull out the blackberry wine.  For whatever reason, my sister generously gave me a subscription to Wine Spectator. While I do not really get too interested in the art of wine making, I do enjoy reading it.

In the September 2013 Wine Spectator issue, they focused on the flavors of Italy. Chef Celestino Drago, of L.A.'s Drago Centro shared his Sicilian-inspired recipe for Rigatoni Alla Norma. This is an eggplant pasta dish. Since the eggplant is pureed, I thought it would be easy to sneak past the family…or so I thought.

My family dug into this dish when I made it. A few bites into eating my son asked what flavor he was tasting. I stated eggplant and he said he liked it, while the other two stated it was not favorite they did clean their plates.

Even though the written recipe seems a bit involved, it is very easy to make. I did not fry the eggplant skins as a garnish as the recipe calls for; in fact, I just omitted them all together. The recipe calls for heirloom cherry tomatoes. I could not find any heirloom variety, so I substituted a mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, chopped

5 cups (1 ¾ pounds) heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 bunch fresh basil, destemmed, large leaves torn in half

1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 Japanese eggplants

Vegetable oil

3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 pound small rigatoni

3 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 Tablespoons chopped mozzarella

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large saucepan, combine 4 Tablespoons of olive oil and garlic, cook over medium heat until the garlic has turned golden

 Add tomatoes, basil and oregano, cook for 10 minutes, season with salt remove from heat, set aside

 

Preheat oven to 450°F

Peel the eggplants using vegetable peeler. Reserve the skin for later

 

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and place on a sheet

Coat eggplant vegetable oil than season with thyme and salt

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until soft

Remove pan from oven and place eggplant and 1-Tablespoon olive oil in a blender, puree until smooth, reserve

 

Julienne the eggplant skins on the diagonal into pieces 2 inches long

In a large saucepan heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat

Fry the skins in the oil until crispy, remove and drain on a paper towel covered plate, reserve

In a large pot of salted water, boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

 

Strain and toss pasta with the tomato sauce and parmigiano-reggiano.

Divided into six bowls, top each bowl with chopped mozzarella, 1-Tablespoon eggplant puree and fried eggplant skins.

Garnish with chopped basil leaves (optional)

 

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to some of the most Ancient Civilizations in our world? There is a special young woman who dreams of seeing Rome, Sicily and Greece. Please click here to learn about her dream. If you cannot help her financially, please spread word of her campaign on Facebook and other social medias.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer: Fat, Low Fat, or Mommy Cheater Version?

I know a few of my friends who wait every year for Starbucks to bring back their seasonal pumpkin spice lattes. What if you didn’t have to wait all year long and could have pumpkin creamer to add to your coffee whenever you wanted?

I have three versions of making the pumpkin spice creamer for your coffee.

 The first version is high fat and high calorie made with whole milk and half and half. This does make a sinfully rich and creamy pumpkin spice latter or iced coffee.

The second version is a lower fat and calorie version perfect for everyday use, since it uses skim milk and does not have any half and half in it.

The third version is what I call the Mommy cheater version. This is for all of us mom (and dads) who are trying rush the kids out the door and just don’t have time for anything! Believe it or not you can make this version while your coffee is brewing.

 

High Calorie Version

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 cup half and half

4 to 5 heaping tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Directions

In a saucepan, whisk together milk, half-and-half, pumpkin, syrup, and spices over medium heat. When the liquid begins to get steamy, remove from heat.

Transfer the mixture to a jar or other container using a strainer, and allow to cool in the refrigerator.

 

Lower Calorie Version

Ingredients

1/4 cup pumpkin
1 Cup skim milk
2 Tablespoons vanilla syrup
1/4 Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


Garnish:
whipped cream
pumpkin pie spice to sprinkle

Directions
Add pumpkin, milk and vanilla syrup together in saucepan, stirring to mix
well, until smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice and continue to heat on low until
mixture is steaming and foam appears.

Transfer the mixture to a jar or other container using a strainer, and allow to cool in the refrigerator.

 

The Mommy Cheater Version is quick and simple if you have any pumpkin butter. If not, click here For The Love of Pumpkin for the recipe

Ingredients

1 cup 1%milk (you can use which fat content you like) or half and half

4 serving teaspoons (cereal spoons) of pumpkin

Combine ingredients in a measuring cup

Using small whisk beat until smooth

Pour into hot coffee or in a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Boerenkool Stamppot (Stamp pot)

 

I have made this recipe a few times and thought I had posted it here on the blog. The kids love this recipe, my daughter gets to eat potatoes and my son gets to eat sausage. Mom likes it because the kids are eating Kale and either not realizing it or not caring. A few times, I have also added in finely chopped carrots.

This is a Dutch “Comfort Food.” Since my family likes things a bit spicy, I used ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper. You can use more or make as written. When there are leftovers, I will add bacon and cheese, yummy!  

I have changed the how the recipe is cooked. I wanted to keep the nutrients in the Kale, and as green as possible.

Ingredients

3 lbs potatoes, Peel and diced

2 onions, Chopped

1 bay leaf  

1 lb kale

1 pinch salt  

1 pinch ground pepper

1 lb smoked sausage

1/2 cup milk  

2 tablespoons butter  

Directions

Wash Kale thoroughly in cold water several times, and drain well on paper towels. Cut away the center stalk on the Kale leaves.  Kale can be gritty if not washed well; this is why I usually wash it a second time after removing the stalk. After second washing, chop Kale into bite size pieces.

In a 3 quart pan, place potatoes, onion, sausage, a bay leaf, a pinch of salt and just enough water to cover

Cover and boil gently for about 25 minutes

Place Kale in a large colander, pour pot contents over the kale to drain  

Remove the bay leaf, and sausage

 Discard bay leaf, slice sausage, 1 inch thick.

Return kale, onions, and potatoes to pot, mash with a potato masher

Add milk, butter, salt, and pepper to taste to the pot

Gently stir in sausage before serving.

Garlic Bean Mash

 

My garlic lovers are going to love this! The garlic flavor is very strong, so for those who don’t like a lot of garlic feel free to reduce the garlic by half.

This a great side dish that is versatile to make other dishes with such as bean mash bruschetta (see below.)

With the leftovers I had, I added black pepper, crushed red pepper, shredded cheese, to make bean dip; this would also work well in as burrito filling.

I think I might try using it to replace mashed potatoes for a topping for Sheppard’s Pie.   

The main ingredient is the Cannellini bean. Cannellini beans are also called Haricot beans. To me they look like white Kidney beans.

 1 cup of Cannellini’s has 1 ½ grams of fat, 215 calories, 13.4 grams of protein and almost 54% (13.6 grams) of daily dietary fiber. So how can you add these to your diet?

Ingredients

1 can of drained and rinsed Cannellini beans

¼ cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp of olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

¼ cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp parsley

Directions

Heat the oil in a small pan, add the onion

Cook until onion is softened and almost translucent.

 Add the garlic, sauté until the garlic golden color

 Add broth and beans and simmer for 5 minutes.

 Roughly mash with a potato masher or fork, add parsley

Serve with pork, beef or even lamb.

 

To make the bruschetta

I like to take baguette slices lightly coat of olive oil and garlic, place under broiler until golden brown

Remove from oven and allow to cool until just warm

“butter” toasted slices with bean mash

top off with fresh thyme sprigs, crushed red pepper flakes, minced sun-dried tomatoes.

 

Blackened Catfish and Sparkling Kiwi Fizz

This catfish recipe is a simple and easy. What I like most about it is the ability not to be over salted like most Cajun or Creole dishes are. The flavors are big and bold, and not over lemony. This is a lower fat version, since most Blackened Catfish is cooked in butter.  I have used this recipe with Tilapia before and it came out well. This serves well with rice and broccoli.

Pair this with the Sparkling Kiwi Fizz to cool down your mouth! The mixture for this drink was found in a promotional join Weight Watchers mailer.

 

Blackened Catfish

Ingredients

1/4 tsp Red or Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 lb Wild Channel Catfish

2 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp Mexican Oregano (Spice Islands)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp, leaves Thyme (Dried)

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

2 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp onion pepper

Salt to taste

Directions

Combine seasonings in small bowl and sprinkle fish with mixture on both sides. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add fish; cook 2 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily.

 

Sparkling Kiwi Fizz

Ingredients

2 kiwis, peeled and chopped

½ cup spring water

½ cup unsweetended orange juice

4 cups sparkling water or mineral water

Directions

Puree kiwi, spring water and orange juice in a blender for two minutes or until smooth

In large pitcher, combine puree and sparkling water

Serve over ice