From Denny: Here's a cuisine we don't hear much about and oh, this sounds so delicious for we seafood lovers! This is an economical dish where you can use fish like red snapper, tilapia or flounder for equally great results. The garlicky sauce would be yummy used on chicken or turkey or pork as well. Now that's versatile! I like sauces I can make up ahead of time and use for a variety of dishes. Bravo, Puerto Rico!
Sauteed Red Snapper Fillets with Garlicky Paprika Sauce
From: Denisse Oller
INGREDIENTS
• 4 6-ounce red snapper fillets with skin • 2 tablespoons canola oil • Salt and pepper
Mojo picon (garlic/paprika sauce)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika • 1 teaspoons ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Fish preparation: Pat snapper dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook fish, skin sides down, about 3 minutes, or until skin is golden brown. Turn fish over and cook 2 minutes more, or until just cooked through.
Note: The mild, slightly sweet flavor and flaky texture of red snapper takes well to light seasoning and a quick saute. The skin is edible and crisps nicely in a skillet.
For mojo picon (garlic/paprika sauce): Slice the garlic cloves. Process the garlic, paprika, cumin and salt in a food processor or blender to create a paste. While blending, drizzle in olive oil gradually, drop by drop initially, until the ingredients emulsify. Add vinegar and blend until the sauce is thick and creamy.
Taro root (malanga) puree
From: Denisse Oller
INGREDIENTS
• 5 malanga or taro root, peeled and sliced • 3 tablespoons butter • 1/2 cup milk • Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preparation: Boil malanga or taro root in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender.
Drain malanga and reserve cooking water. Mash and mix with butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooking water or more milk to thin mixture if it is too thick.
From Denny: How about a simple recipe of Eggplant Parmigiana? Light foods like this are great in this summer heat, easy and faster to digest than heavy meats.
Did you know that tomatoes are cooling for your liver? Why is that important? Cool your liver; cool your body! A win-win in this summer heat!
Same goes for foods like cucumbers and vinegars. A little (like about 1/2 teaspoon per large glass of water) white or red wine vinegar in your glass of water helps your liver handle the hot weather.
Eggplant Parmigiana
From: “Savannah Collection” by Martha Giddens Nesbit
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 small eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch circles
1. Salt sliced eggplant and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In small bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. I used commercial spaghetti sauce so I squeezed 1 clove of garlic through a garlic press into the cheese mixture for added flavor. Set aside.
3. In large, nonstick skillet, heat oil and fry eggplant until lightly browned on both sides. At first the eggplant will soak up the oil, but as it cooks, the oil will release. When browned, drain on paper towels.
4. Use a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish for making a one- layer casserole or an 8x8-inch dish for two layers. Begin by spreading the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish, all of it for single layer casserole or half the remaining ingredients if you’re making two layers.
Layer cooked eggplant slices over sauce then spoon cottage cheese mixture over eggplant, spreading it out as evenly as you can. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, beginning with tomato sauce if making a double layer and ending with mozzarella.
5. Bake in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Tomato Sauce
From: Recipe is from “Savannah Collection”
Makes: about 4 cups of sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (I love a lot more!)
Key West, Florida bar called Sloppy Joe's Image by bfraz via Flickr
From Denny: School season is fast approaching and busy moms need some easy recipes with little hassle to keep from being overwhelmed and over tired. Pillsbury always comes up with easy ideas at their site.
Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of frozen mixed vegetables. The only veggies that seem to do well in the freezer in my mind are things like peas or beans like lima beans and other normally dried beans. Okra doesn't do too badly either. Potatoes? Forget it! :) Seriously though, frozen veggies should work just fine here as the chili sauce will overpower any possible "freezer taste." The mustard and brown sugar will also help the flavor tremendously.
As to frozen biscuits that's your choice. I like to control what kind of fat, preferably that without cholesterol, that goes into my food so I make my own, cut them out and then freeze individually on a tray. When rock solid frozen I then place them in freezer baggies and they can last a good year if that were actually possible in our house! :)
This recipe is simple, fast and tailored to individual portions so if you want to spice up (for adults) or down (for young children or picky eaters) it can be done quickly. To make it more Cajun I'd add extra garlic powder and Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's (low sodium version).
Meat already has a lot of salt in it naturally, especially chicken as the sellers plump up that chicken you buy in the supermarket with injections of salt water. Sweet, huh? The up side is that salt does kill bacteria so in that sense it can be a good thing. Just watch how much salt you add to any recipe with chicken in it.
2. Spray an 8-inch skillet with cooking spray. Add ground beef and onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain.
3. Stir in frozen mixed vegetables, brown sugar, mustard, chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Spoon beef mixture into 2 (1-1/2-cup) ungreased ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Top each with frozen biscuit. Brush each biscuit with milk, sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.
Photo: Key West, Florida bar called Sloppy Joe's Image by bfraz via Flickr
From Denny: Who doesn't want easy? Who doesn't like ribs? This recipe was put out by a local charity in their cookbook and published in our local newspaper back in 2006. It's still an easy recipe! :) This is one of those recipes you could marinate and cook the first three hours on Sunday afternoon while you snooze for your nap and bake the last half hour on Monday when you get home from work. Or better yet, marinate on Saturday, cook extra on Sunday, warm it up in the oven on Monday and an extra day of the work week. Yeah, now we're talking!
1. Using a brush, coat the meaty sides of the ribs with Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. After coating, liberally sprinkle with meat tenderizer, garlic powder, Tony's Seasoning and black pepper.
2. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to cook. This can be done a day or two in advance of cooking.
3. To make sauce, saute onion and celery in melted butter until soft. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Add ketchup, Lea & Perrins, garlic and Tabasco and stir well.
4. Cook on medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for 2 hours stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken and turn darker. It may be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
5. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pan/pans with a rack, cook marinated ribs, covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from oven, drain juice and remove rack/racks.
6. Liberally brush on barbecue sauce, cover and lower heat to 300 degrees F. Cook for 1 more hour. Turn oven off, uncover ribs and allow to sit in the warm oven for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with warm barbecue sauce to spoon over the ribs if desired.
Key West, Florida bar called Sloppy Joe's Image by bfraz via Flickr
From Denny: School season is fast approaching and busy moms need some easy recipes with little hassle to keep from being overwhelmed and over tired. Pillsbury always comes up with easy ideas at their site.
Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of frozen mixed vegetables. The only veggies that seem to do well in the freezer in my mind are things like peas or beans like lima beans and other normally dried beans. Okra doesn't do too badly either. Potatoes? Forget it! :) Seriously though, frozen veggies should work just fine here as the chili sauce will overpower any possible "freezer taste." The mustard and brown sugar will also help the flavor tremendously.
As to frozen biscuits that's your choice. I like to control what kind of fat, preferably that without cholesterol, that goes into my food so I make my own, cut them out and then freeze individually on a tray. When rock solid frozen I then place them in freezer baggies and they can last a good year if that were actually possible in our house! :)
This recipe is simple, fast and tailored to individual portions so if you want to spice up (for adults) or down (for young children or picky eaters) it can be done quickly. To make it more Cajun I'd add extra garlic powder and Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's (low sodium version).
Meat already has a lot of salt in it naturally, especially chicken as the sellers plump up that chicken you buy in the supermarket with injections of salt water. Sweet, huh? The up side is that salt does kill bacteria so in that sense it can be a good thing. Just watch how much salt you add to any recipe with chicken in it.
2. Spray an 8-inch skillet with cooking spray. Add ground beef and onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain.
3. Stir in frozen mixed vegetables, brown sugar, mustard, chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Spoon beef mixture into 2 (1-1/2-cup) ungreased ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Top each with frozen biscuit. Brush each biscuit with milk, sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.
Photo: Key West, Florida bar called Sloppy Joe's Image by bfraz via Flickr
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
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!
Gazpacho Version with Cucumber Image by Marco Veringa via Flickr
From Denny: In this triple digit summer heat wave we all could use something cooling like gazpacho - and it's so healthy! Did you know that tomatoes alkalize your blood? Did you know that cucumbers and tomatoes both cool your liver that in turn cools your body in this heat?
Varieties of gazpacho are practically endless. Here's one faster convenience food version that uses that yummy Spicy Hot V-8 juice that does most of the work for you.
Summertime Gazpacho
From: “Culinary Secrets” by Margo Bouanchaud Hayes and Mary Ann Monsour (featured in the Comfort Food From Louisiana Amazon store, just click on the title)
From Denny: How about a simple recipe of Eggplant Parmigiana? Light foods like this are great in this summer heat, easy and faster to digest than heavy meats.
Did you know that tomatoes are cooling for your liver? Why is that important? Cool your liver; cool your body! A win-win in this summer heat!
Same goes for foods like cucumbers and vinegars. A little (like about 1/2 teaspoon per large glass of water) white or red wine vinegar in your glass of water helps your liver handle the hot weather.
Eggplant Parmigiana
From: “Savannah Collection” by Martha Giddens Nesbit
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 small eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch circles
1. Salt sliced eggplant and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In small bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. I used commercial spaghetti sauce so I squeezed 1 clove of garlic through a garlic press into the cheese mixture for added flavor. Set aside.
3. In large, nonstick skillet, heat oil and fry eggplant until lightly browned on both sides. At first the eggplant will soak up the oil, but as it cooks, the oil will release. When browned, drain on paper towels.
4. Use a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish for making a one- layer casserole or an 8x8-inch dish for two layers. Begin by spreading the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish, all of it for single layer casserole or half the remaining ingredients if you’re making two layers.
Layer cooked eggplant slices over sauce then spoon cottage cheese mixture over eggplant, spreading it out as evenly as you can. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, beginning with tomato sauce if making a double layer and ending with mozzarella.
5. Bake in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Tomato Sauce
From: Recipe is from “Savannah Collection”
Makes: about 4 cups of sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (I love a lot more!)
To purchase:Crescent City Farmers' Market Cookbook. This book has been placed in the Comfort Food From Louisiana blog store as Amazon has it for far less a price! Help support a farmers' market and cook wonderful recipes for your family: win-win.
Poppy Tooker is a long time New Orleans food instructor. She also has been a promoter, a culinary activist, of perserving the New Orleans food heritage like the century old dishes of Calas (Rice Cakes) and Creole cream cheese. She strongly supports the Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans and wrote this cookbook to help support the market.
The cookbook is 216 pages, published by marketumbrella.org and focuses upon telling the centuries long history of food markets in New Orleans since 1718 along the Mississippi River. Tooker founded the Slow Food Movement in New Orleans 11 years ago and her group is credited with helping revive the Farmers Market after Hurricane Katrina.
To purchase:Crescent City Farmers' Market Cookbook. This book has been placed in the Comfort Food From Louisiana blog store as Amazon has it for far less a price! Help support a farmers' market and cook wonderful recipes for your family: win-win.
What else is featured in this new cookbook? There are 125 featured recipes from New Orleans area chefs, local farmers and even shoppers who frequent the market! The forward is by famed food author and chef Alice Waters who also is a farmers' market advocate.
4. Add steaks and simmer over low heat until steaks are fork tender. Serve with grits.
Note: Grillades recipes often cut the steak into serving pieces. Chef Tooker prefers to leave them whole. Others like to cut the steak into strips like we do at home because sometimes your skillet isn't large enough to leave the steak whole or in large pieces! Personally, I like to brown the meat on more sides for that wonderful caramelization browned taste.
To purchase:Crescent City Farmers' Market Cookbook. This book has been placed in the Comfort Food From Louisiana blog store as Amazon has it for far less a price! Help support a farmers' market and cook wonderful recipes for your family: win-win.
From Denny: Touted as a rock star on the food scene in New Orleans comes a simple recipe anyone can do! I love sunchokes and cauliflower in soups and this one is a winner for both taste and healthy! How can you go wrong with cheese toast?
Here's an excerpt from the article about him from Country Roads Magazine. For the rest of the interesting article, go here:
Appearing on Food & Wine magazine’s cover as one of America’s ten best new chefs for 2007 must be the culinary equivalent of being on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Even in a world of rock-star chefs, Ian Schnoebelen might not have perceived himself in that limelight. Iris’ chef-and co-owner Schnoebelen was caught by surprise by the honor although Food & Wine‘s representatives had been calling the restaurant and asking questions.
“I was excited they were interested in the restaurant but had no idea they had chosen me for best new chefs,” Schnoebelen said. As far as seeing himself on the magazine’s cover, he said, “It was great, especially for business, but a little embarrassing.”
Schnoebelen will have to get used to the attention. He’s made the city proud and he’s turning out fantastic fresh cuisine at the tiny forty-two-seat restaurant he co-owns with partner Laurie Casebonne."
From: Chef Ian Schnoebelen at restaurant Iris, New Orleans, Louisiana, published in Country Roads Magazine
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus 2 tsp softened butter
In a large saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the celery and onion and cook over low heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the stock and milk and bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the cauliflower, sunchokes and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the sunchokes are very tender, about 30 minutes; discard the thyme sprig.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix the 2 teaspoons of softened butter with the garlic and season with salt. Spread the garlic butter on the baguette slices and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for about 8 minutes, until crisp.
From Denny: Can I tell ya that we LOVEBBQ shrimp here in Louisiana? Everyone has their version of this easy dish. Here's a good video from NBC's The Today Show and a great recipe for you to try today. The video was developed to promote this chef's latest New Orleans cookbook during Marti Gras season.
"Big Easy Cocktails, Jazzy Drinks and Savory Bites from New Orleans" by Jimmy Bannos
"Here is one of our favorite discoveries. We take the buttery-peppery barbecue shrimp that have become such a modern classic in New Orleans — and then we serve them atop squares of wonderful cornbread. Talk about a marriage made in heaven!
Now, a couple of notes on authenticity. Barbecue shrimp are traditionally cooked in the sauce with the shells and heads still on, thus upping the flavor through the roof. But doing that makes this dish too messy to eat, we think — though you’re welcome to do it your way and keep a hose within reach. And while many traditional barbecue shrimp recipes are made without cream, we really love the lush richness a little cream brings to the table here." - Chef Jimmy Bannos
Prepare the cornbread recipe without cheddar or jalapeno and slice into 36 squares. Season the shrimp with the Angel Dust.
Cornbread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, then whisk in the milk, butter and bacon drippings. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake 50 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting.
Angel Dust Cajun seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Store in an airtight container. The spice mix keeps its best flavor for about two months. It is also available from Heaven on Seven’s Web site, heavenonseven.com.
Roasted garlic puree: Place garlic cloves in an ovenproof container and pour in the olive oil, making sure all cloves are covered. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a preheated 300-degree oven until light brown, about 1 hour.
Strain the garlic and puree in a blender, adding a little of the strained oil if necessary to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a container and pour in enough oil to cover. Use as needed, storing the remainder in an airtight container in a refrigerator. Refrigerate and store the garlic-infused oil in a separate container.
Shrimp: Melt the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the beer, peppers, Worcestershire, garlic puree and heavy cream. Reduce over high heat until thickened and creamy, 5-7 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook in the sauce just until pink, about 4 minutes.
Serve, spooning one shrimp and plenty of sauce over each cornbread square.
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)
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.
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.
From Denny: While researching for an article concerning women's issues I ran across this site called BellaOnline and they also had a wonderful food section.
From: Sandie Jarrett, Cajun and Creole Editor @ BellaOnline.com
I'm not much of a meatloaf fan but most of the males I know sure are. I adapted this recipe from one I came upon in an old Cajun cookbook. Although somewhat different, (less hot pepper, more garlic, olive oil instead of butter, stock instead of canned milk, no ketchup), the flavors are all there – fresh meat, a little heat, and of course a classic Trinity.
Remember to season to taste. If you enjoy a hot and spicy dish, then you will probably want to double up on the cayenne pepper or even add your favorite Cajun seasoning blend.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes or my Cajun Roasted Potatoes for a new twist on a Classic American Dish. Serve with gravy or a thin, tangy BBQ sauce.
Makes 6 – 8 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian Parsley
3 cloves minced garlic (about 4 teaspoons) or to taste
Stir in the stock and tomato paste. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow mixture to return to room temperature.
Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the eggs, the cooked vegetable mixture (don't forget to remove the bay leaves) and the bread crumbs. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. If the mixture is too moist, add a few additional tablespoons of bread crumbs (too many bread crumbs and the meatloaf will be too dry).
Turn out the meatloaf mixture into the center of a 13X9X2 baking pan and shape into a loaf that is about 2" high, 6" wide and 10 -12" long.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then raise the heat to 400 degrees and continue cooking until done, about 20 - 25 minutes longer or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 180 degrees F. Check internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer at 40 minutes and again at 50 minutes, etc. until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
Remove the cooked meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch slices.
Tangy Meatloaf Sauce
Although not Cajun, I make a tangy sauce:
1 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Creole mustard a little tomato paste a drizzle of honey a squeeze of lemon juice 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper
I whisk it all together in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the sauce has been reduced by 1/3. Everything is added to taste – so adjust as necessary.
Cook's Notes
*** Sandy likes the meat finely ground – so she uses her food processor to blend in the ingredients. Work in batches because if the processor bowl is too full, the meat won't grind evenly.
Add about 1/4 of the meat, breadcrumbs, cooked vegetables, and eggs to the bowl of a standard size food processor that has been fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse a few times to distribute ingredients evenly and to grind the meat a bit more. Avoid over processing (mixture will turn to paste!).
Transfer processed mixture to a bowl and continue processing the remaining 3 batches. When all of the mixture has been processed, combine the batches together (hands work great for this), turn out into a 13X9X3 baking pan and continue as directed above.
*** Sandy uses tomato paste but ketchup can be used.
From Denny: Here are a couple of other good recipes! The following meatloaf is made with ground turkey, basil and mozzarella cheese.
From Denny: Slap Ya Mama seasoning - it's so good it makes you want to slap ya Mama - comes from Lafayette, Louisiana and is about equal parts salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Use sparingly. Great stuff and well loved by folks in Lafayette! Image by CooLFreaK via Flickr
From Denny: While there are many variations on this theme, this is a good basic version from which to start your own experimentation!
Use for any blackened fish or chicken recipe, sprinkle some in your boiled or sauteed greens, place it into your fried catfish flour seasoning, put it on pork chops before they go on the grill or a little on your steak after searing it on the stove and then placing into the oven to finish. The uses for this versatile seasoning are virtually limitless.
From Denny: Found at EveningEdge.com is this wonderful Cajun styled fish recipe! I'm a huge fan of wild-raised salmon like you can get over at Whole Foods. Soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic are all perfect flavors for salmon cooking. The unusual dressing sounds unique to go with the fish. Give it a try!
Ya Ya Salmon
From: Gumbeaux's Cajun Cafe in Douglasville, Georgia
"Ya Ya Salmon is the creation of chef Richard Paul-Dennis, has been featured on TV cooking shows. Incidentally, Ya Ya in Cajun means a young, aspiring artist. In the old days, young tap dancers were called Ya Yas. It is also the chef's nickname."
Mix red pepper, black pepper, creole seasoning, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and sugar. Coat salmon fillets with the spice mixture and set aside.
To make the Red Hot Sesame Onion Dressing: In the bowl of a food processor, place brown sugar, green, red and yellow onions, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Process 3 to 4 minutes. With the motor running, slowly add sesame oil.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare grill. Grill salmon long enough (about 5 minutes) to leave grill marks. Transfer salmon to an ovenproof pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups onion dressing over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until onion dressing bubbles and thickens.
Notes:
Recipe tester Sara Levy notes that though it might seem that there is a lot of pepper and hot spices in this recipe, the sugar in the rub and sauce tempers it to the point where it has just enough bite without being overwhelmed by heat. She says that it is "very flavorful."
From Denny: Since grilling season is almost upon us here is a wonderful post and recipe from a lady who is used to doing ahead and making in bulk! AND she has some great organizing ideas on all kinds of unusual subjects you might not have thought about - until now.
From Denny: This sure looks like a yummy idea for grazing during any sports afternoon and full of protein like olives, cheese and pepperoni. What is so interesting is that it is cooked briefly to infuse the garlic in the oil, olives and pepperoni.
I'm a big fan of Lindsay's large pitted black olives. My husband prefers green olives stuffed with the milder pimento. We usually compromise when it comes to a pizza and do it half and half. Both olive types would be equally good in this recipe, especially if you don't like the spicy jalapeno. And I'd add 2 more garlic cloves as we love garlic in our house!
Suggested is an amber ale beer as a good complement - now the men in the family would agree with that! :) Louisiana's own Abita Amber would be a good choice.
1. Put oil, olives, pepperoni, garlic, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant and oil is hot, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and leave in saucepan for a few minutes. Add cheese cubes and place in a serving bowl.
Drink tip: A good all-around amber ale is a perfect match to the pizza olives.
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.
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.
In a separate pan, melt chocolate with 1 tbsp of butter and stir until smooth.
Divide chicken and vegetables evenly among four plates. Deglaze hot pan with wine and reduce by half. Add in melted chocolate and reduce down. Drizzle over and around the chicken.
Directions: Combine the black-eyed peas, rice, onion, beef broth, mushrooms, butter and sausage in an electric rice cooker. Season to taste with garlic, salt and pepper.
Cook according to directions from the rice cooker, gently stirring once when the cooker reaches the warm mode.
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