Recipe: Lighter Simple Summer Seafood Gumbo

Photo from 2theAdvocate.com

From Denny: This summer version of beach vacation gumbo was featured in our local newspaper in this week's food section. The family dilemma was there were a lot of people to feed for each meal, fifteen to be exact. The cooks did not have a lot of time to cook and also wanted to take advantage of the fresh seafood as they were vacationing in Florida. It would have been a culinary sin not to enjoy the local freshest seafood! :)

So, they came up with some shortcuts for cooking gumbo using some convenience foods. They also thinned the roux (nothing like the traditional excessively thick New Orleans roux you will get in every tourist restaurant in New Orleans) to lighten the feel of it for the heat of the summer. Sometimes, when you have been at the beach all day the last thing you want to eat is food that is too heavy on spices, heat or texture.

The cooks saved time and heat in the kitchen by using a prepackaged powdered roux and gravy mix. As per their advice, "As with any thickening agent, always stir it with cool liquid before adding it to a skillet or gumbo pot to prevent clumps from forming."

They also saved time again by using pre-chopped bag of Creole seasoning mix of onions, bell peppers and celery. Make sure you check the date for optimum freshness of this kind of convenience food.

OK, this is where I'd draw the line and chop my own. Why? Because vegetables lose their energy quickly and start leaching water, breaking down within an hour or so of chopping them. So, yeah, I'd take the time here to chop my own; the flavor will be a lot more intense and wonderful if you do!

Use low-sodium chicken broth as seafood has enough natural salt on its own.


Lighter Simple Summer Seafood Gumbo

From: Tracey Koch

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:


4 Tablespoons canola oil

3 cups chopped Creole seasoning blend of onions, bell peppers and celery

1/2 cup instant roux and gravy mix (I use Zatarain’s or Tony Chachere’s)

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon gumbo filé, if desired

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 pound fresh claw crabmeat or half claw and half lump

1 pound raw, shucked oysters (optional)

Cooked rice


Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, heat the oil and sauté the vegetables over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the roux and gravy mix with the chicken broth until all of the mix is dissolved.

3. Pour the broth into the stock pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add filé, if desired.

4. Add shrimp, stir and cook for 5 minutes, then fold in crabmeat, stirring occasionally. Stir in optional oysters, at this point. When shrimp are uniformly pink, the seafood is cooked, and the gumbo is ready to serve.

5. Ladle over hot, cooked rice.

Kitchen Helpers: Kids can help out in several ways with this dish. They can measure the ingredients, whisk together the gravy mix, pick through the crabmeat for shells and even help peel the shrimp. Just make sure they wash their hands well before and after handling raw seafood.

From Denny: They suggested a simple Greek salad to round out the meal. Besides, all those raw veggies like tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers are cooling to your liver which, in turn, will cool down your body from a hot day in the beach sun. Win-win!

Summer Greek Salad

From: Tracey Koch

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 head butter lettuce or mixed greens

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 small cucumber, diced

1/2 cup kalamata olives

Greek dressing:

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried mint

Directions:

1. Toss lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives in a large salad bowl.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, oregano and mint until all ingredients are uniformly incorporated.

3. Add dressing to salad according to taste and toss.

4. Serve immediately.

Kitchen helpers: Younger children can help measure the dressing ingredients and toss the salad, and older ones can make it by themselves.

Recipe: Chicken Vegetable Casserole with Shells Pasta

From Denny: This is an easy weekend casserole the whole family and friends who drop by unexpectedly can enjoy!

From: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The contributors: La Tarsha Mills-McKie of College Park and her mother, Blanche Mills of East Point, Georgia.

Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6


Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or 4 thighs)

1 quart chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup frozen peas

8 ounces medium shells

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions:

Place chicken in a pot and cover with broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pot and cool slightly, then cut into small cubes. Set aside 1 cup broth.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sear, without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Then stir the mushrooms and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the shells in the remaining broth or in a fresh pot of salted, boiling water. When the pasta is cooked, drain. Combine cooked pasta with chicken, condensed soup, vegetables and reserved cup of broth; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly greased 2-quart casserole or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 411 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 36 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 53 milligrams cholesterol, 1,050 milligrams sodium.

Recipe: Real Man's Cajun Quiche

Traditional Quiche Lorraine version Image by Marylise Doctrinal via Flickr

From Denny: This is a delightful meaty version of how a Cajun would make one of those prissy French quiches. Lots of sausage, hot peppers and cheese, a winner! (no photo from the site)

A quiche is so easy to make and bake and can feed a whole family with a salad on the side too. Great way to use up those little bits of leftovers like meat and veggies. I often have some leftover sauteed red or green bell peppers that I like to include on my omelets or quiches. A little warmed salsa would be a nice finish with this too, complimenting the egg and cheese flavors. Don't forget your hot Tabasco sauce to put on your eggs, Cajun style! :)

From: Andy Steinmann, father of four, of Gainesville, Georgia and published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hands on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 store-bought or homemade pie crust

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 pound precooked andouille sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick

4 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

4 ounces cream cheese, cubed

5 eggs

3 ounces ( 3/8 cup) milk

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into rings

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie pan with crust, crimp edges, prick with fork and prebake for 10 minutes.

Heat butter in small frying pan and saute onion until translucent. Scatter half of sausage over pie crust, sprinkle with half of onions, 1/3 of pepper jack cheese and half of cubed cream cheese.

Repeat order with remaining sausage and onions, another 1/3 of pepper jack cheese and remaining cream cheese. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour over filling. Top with remaining 1/3 of pepper jack cheese and jalapeno slices. Bake for 45 minutes or until quiche is set and top is golden brown.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 484 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 18 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 38 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 228 milligrams cholesterol, 701 milligrams sodium.

Recipe: A Gumbo You Will Only Find in Louisiana

First you make a roux! Image by scottpartee via Flickr

From Denny: What a GREAT name for a recipe! It sure made me laugh today! We all love this local magazine, Country Roads, because they do such a wonderful job of covering the French culture, history, restaurant reviews, recipes and much more for Louisiana. There was a time when they had humble beginnings and now they are a publishing force in their own right! Congrats go to the folks over at Country Roads!

Louisiana chefs are known for their innovation, finding ways to interpret traditional local foods, using local ingredients. Hunting is still a big part of Louisiana culture as this state is known as The Sportsman's Paradise. Bass fishing tournaments have been popular here for a long time. From generation to generation children have learned the traditional French and Native American values of how to live off the land. This recipe reflects those values.

From: Chef Forrest Dillemuth, published in Country Roads Magazine

Ingredients:

1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails

1 rabbit (store-bought will work)

1 duck breast (trim any fat and again, store-bought will work)

1 lb Andouille sausage

1/2 lb boneless buffalo stew meat

1 lb shrimp

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oregano

1 chopped purple onion

2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)

2 gallons water

2 Tbsp of roux mix

1 tsp filé powder

2 cups white rice

1 Tbsp olive oil


Directions:

Bring two gallons of water to boil. Add 1 clove of chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano and salt to water. Once boiling place whole rabbit and boil slowly (until meat is soft and tender). Once rabbit is boiled pull from pot, let cool, remove all meat from bone and set aside. Also pull out 4 cups of water from the stock and set aside.

In new pot add olive oil and heat. Once heated add remaining garlic, onion and bell pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender. Now add sausage, duck, buffalo, shrimp and crawfish and sauté until cooked. Then add 2 tablespoons of roux mix and 1 teaspoon of filé into pot and sauté at high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining stock from rabbit and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To cook the rice take the 4 cups of stock you set aside and place into small pot. Bring to boil and add 2 cups of rice. Stir and then reduce to low heat. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Recipes: Super snacks from the South

From Denny: Found these outstanding recipes over at Canada.com. They were featured as Southern-style snacks for the Super Bowl game. The Canadians have a good pulse on Southern food, what a pleasant surprise!

***

Baked Peel-and-Eat Shrimp With Tequila and Lime
(In Louisiana we call them Oven Barbeque Shrimp and this looks like a good Florida style version.)

You could put all the ingredients for the flavoured butter into the pot, and set the shrimp in the baking dish an hour or two before serving and keep them in the fridge. When ready to serve, melt the butter as described in the recipe, pour over the shrimp and bake.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

Makes: 6 (4 shrimp or prawn) servings

1/4 cup butter

2 oz. tequila

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp grated lime zest

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp honey

1-2 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

24 large shrimp or prawns, shell on

salt to taste

lime slices for garnish (optional)

Place the first 7 ingredients in a small pot and set over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and well combined with the other ingredients. Set the shrimp or prawns in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over them. Preheat the oven to 425* F. Let the shrimp or prawns marinate in the butter mixture at room temperature 10 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just cooked through. Arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle with salt, garnish with lime slices, if desired, and serve.

***

Chimichurri Wings

Be sure to serve these finger-licking good wings with plenty of napkins.

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus marinating time

Cooking time: 25-25 minutes

Makes: 24 wings

1 cup packed fresh parsley sprigs

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1-2 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

24 chicken wingettes or drumettes, or a mix of both (see Note)

salt to taste

lime slices for garnish (optional)

Place the first 9 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until sauce-like.

Spoon the mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Add the wings and toss to coat. Cover and marinate the wings in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425* F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the wings on the baking sheet in a single layer. Using a teaspoon, spoon the chimichurri mixture left in the bowl over the wings.

Season each wing with salt. Bake 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the wing, or until cooked through. Arrange the wings on a serving plate, garnish with lime slices, if desired, and serve.

Note: Chicken wingettes are the thin portion of the wing before the tip.

Drumettes are the meatier portion that attach to the breast. You'll find chicken wings in these forms at most supermarkets. If you can't, you'll have to split the wings yourself.

***

Chicken and Poblano Chili Pizzas

You can make these pizzas oven-ready early in the day. Refridgerate and bake when needed. Deep- green coloured, poblano peppers are mildly spicy and have a richer flavour than green bell peppers.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 8-10 minutes (per tray of pizza)

Makes: 6-8 servings, 1/2 or 3/4 pizza servings

4 pocketless, Greek-style pita

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

1/2 store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat pulled into shreds

1 small, fresh poblano chili, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 425* F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set 2 pita bread on each baking sheet. Spread the top of the pita with the barbecue sauce. Top the pizzas with the cheese. Arrange the chicken on top of the cheese; sprinkle with the diced poblano peppers. Bake the pizzas, one tray at a time, 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the pizza is crispy. Cut pizzas into small wedges and serve.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Recipe: Seafood Gumbo from a Louisiana Chef

Image by Southern Foodways Alliance via Flickr

Seafood Gumbo

From: Chef Forest Dillemuth


Ingredients:

1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails

1 rabbit (store-bought will work)

1 duck breast (trim any fat and again, store-bought will work)

1 lb Andouille sausage

1/2 lb boneless buffalo stew meat

1 lb shrimp

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oregano

1 chopped purple onion

2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)

2 gallons water

2 Tbsp of roux mix

1 tsp filé powder

2 cups white rice

1 Tbsp olive oil


Directions:

Bring two gallons of water to boil. Add 1 clove of chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano and salt to water. Once boiling place whole rabbit and boil slowly (until meat is soft and tender). Once rabbit is boiled pull from pot, let cool, remove all meat from bone and set aside. Also pull out 4 cups of water from the stock and set aside.

In new pot add olive oil and heat. Once heated add remaining garlic, onion and bell pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender. Now add sausage, duck, buffalo, shrimp and crawfish and sauté until cooked. Then add 2 tablespoons of roux mix and 1 teaspoon of filé into pot and sauté at high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining stock from rabbit and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To cook the rice take the 4 cups of stock you set aside and place into small pot. Bring to boil and add 2 cups of rice. Stir and then reduce to low heat. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.