Romancing The Chocolate: New Orleans Chef Competition Winner: Macadamia Nut Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake, New Orleans Restaurant Links

       Photo: Cynthia Campbell

                                                              
Romancing The Chocolate: New Orleans Chef Competition Winner: Macadamia Nut Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake, New Orleans Restaurant Links: From Denny:  Louisiana is fond of food competitions and New Orleans attracts the top chefs who are willing to compete for charity events and industry competition too.  This tasty recipe competed in a New Orleans Wine and Food Experience competition, developed by Pastry Chef Erin Swanson, Restaurant R’evolution, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the 2014 desserts category silver medal winner.  All those lucky tasters were found returning for seconds of this delicious simple cake!...

... To satisfy your foodie curiosity here's what the other medal winners were cooking and the New Orleans restaurants from which they hail are linked so you can go visit and check out their stellar menus: ...
                                                              
Romancing The Chocolate: New Orleans Chef Competition Winner: Macadamia Nut Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake, New Orleans Restaurant Links

Sleep Majesty King Duvet

Sleep Majesty: Restful, blissful, restorative sleep reigns supreme to pump up our attitude to take on a new day!  Easy to coordinate with other patterns!

Check out what other products besides bedding are available in this design.

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Also note that I leave up all my designs from year to year so you have the security knowing that you can purchase as your budget permits to coordinate a room.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Chef Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Crawfish, Pepper Jack and Shrimp-Tomato Bisque Soup: April Is National Grilled Cheese Month

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Chef Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Crawfish, Pepper Jack and Shrimp-Tomato Bisque Soup: April Is National Grilled Cheese Month: From Denny:  Now this is an exotic version of the humble comfort food:  the American grilled cheese sandwich.

You have no idea how hard it was when visiting Austria a few years ago when I attempted to explain how to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich to a local chef.  It was a seriously foreign concept to them.  They didn't have a clue.  Lots of delicious local cheeses yet no Austrian version of a grilled cheese sandwich!  Imagine that.

This Louisiana version comes from executive chef Carl Schaubhut of Café Adelaide in New Orleans.  Of course, as seafood, this rich sandwich is considered Lenten season friendly.  Serve by pairing it with the shrimp-tomato bisque soup. Here in Louisiana we always look for an excuse to enjoy our bountiful seafood so why not go meat free on Fridays even when it isn't Lent?  (You know, that special time that arrives after Mardi Gras and before Easter.)  Our restaurants enjoy creating Lenten season menus, always topping themselves from the year previous!...

World's Awesome Mom Woven Throw Pillow

Remember Mother's Day - Check out who is top cat in this family tree: Mom!  
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Holiday Recipe: Appetizer Crabmeat Cheesecake With Gruyere and Mascarpone

2TheAdvocate photo: HEATHER MCCLELLAND 

From Denny:  This easy recipe is a big hit during the holidays or any big gathering!  Crabmeat is expensive, especially fresh.  What is great about this recipe is that a mere one pound of fresh crabmeat can feed a crowd because this rich recipe is set up as an appetizer.  

Fresh crabmeat is always the most tasty but if all you can procure is frozen then go ahead and use it.  Just know that if you use frozen crabmeat it may get a bit watery on the top of the cheesecake near the end of the baking time.  So, if that should happen then just pour off any of the clear liquid that might form.  

If you happen to have any leftover crabmeat cheesecake you can warm it the next day, serving a small piece with a large green salad on the side!  Bon Appetit!

Santa Music Earring Circle Charm

Santa loves the music of the season!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Chef Recipe For 2: Paneed Chicken With Marsala Sauce

Photo: Brianna Paciorka - Perfect for a two-person supper

From Denny:   Are the kids going off to college this fall and you now find yourself an empty nester?  Are you newly married and wondering how to scale down the usual recipe that is calibrated for 4 - 6 servings? Live alone but want to invite a friend over for dinner without breaking the bank?  Well, Louisiana Chef Jeremy Langlois scaled down this favorite recipe of Chicken Marsala that anyone can make into just two servings.  How's that for economy! 

Start by dredging some boneless chicken breast halves in Italian bread crumbs.  Then saute the chicken in oilve oil.  Like Chef Langlois instructs at his cooking demonstrations, "Cooking is all about managing heat.  You don't want to put your chicken into a cold pan.  To test the heat, first put a small amount of break crumbs into the oil to see if it sizzles."

After the chicken is cooked, place it on a separate plate.  Then it's time to start making the light sauce with olive oil, chopped onions, sliced shittake mushrooms and a bit of garlic.  Remember that mushrooms like to absorb the oil, so you might need to add a little more olive oil while you are cooking.  Add a bit of flour to thicken the sauce and then to finish the sauce add the marsala wine and beef broth.

When serving be sure to be generous with the sauce!  This dish can be served with a good salad, asparagus or boiled pasta on the side if you like.

Too Sexy Retirement Men's V-Neck T-Shirt

Too Sexy Retirement - my bills tells me so... might as well keep laughing!

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A Truth Journal: FYI, Spring Fever At Our House! 6 Funny Links Too

A Truth Journal: FYI, Spring Fever At Our House! 6 Funny Links Too: From Denny:  Yeah, been enjoying Spring time here in Louisiana, along with the huge hanks of oak tree pollen falling at my feet.  The weather has been almost like Hawaii lately: soft warm breezes.  Soooo, have not been posting as much lately.  Too busy being downright happily sloth like and getting Pollen Head at the same time.  I'm sure you all understand. :)  My heart goes out to all of you still stuck in snow weather and Snowquester.  Should be posting tonight, if not tomorrow.  Talk about Lazy Bones here...   Throwing kisses out to you all - and thanks so much for your support on this and all my other crazy blogs!


Related articles - meanwhile, to keep you entertained...

Comfort Food From Louisiana: 2 Recipes: Coffee Cake and Apple Cake Topped with Pecan Streusel

Comfort Food From Louisiana: 2 Recipes: Coffee Cake and Apple Cake Topped with Pecan Streusel: From Denny: Lots of tasty pecans throughout this dense coffee cake, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with a great cup of dark coffee. Here in Louisiana we love Bergeron pecans! Find the freshest pecans you can and buy them in large pieces as they will still retain more of the flavor.

Of course, we cake folk all know how delightful it is to use sour cream in any cake or muffin. The tenderness and full flavor can't be matched by anything else except maybe a high quality yogurt.

While searching for a photo to go with this post I happened upon a Rick Bayless recipe on flickr that is so unusual you just have to take it out for a foodie spin: Apple Coffee Cake with Pecan and Bacon Streusel.

Cajun Joke: Boudreaux and Thibodeaux Fix Destroyed New Orleans Levee

Gentilly, New Orleans, after the huge levee failure in 2005 - Photo by Infrogmation @ flickr.

Good News, everyone!

We hear the New Orleans levee is finally fixed properly. Worry no more about whether the Army Corp of Engineers and the federal government will get it right this time. Our own local boys, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux have solved the problem.

What did they do the feds couldn't do? Well, we all know that Boudreaux and Thibodeaux are well known for how smart they are. They fixed the levee by erecting a hurricane fence!

Thanks, y'all, we all feel so much safer now...


Denny Lyon
Copyright 2009
All Rights Reserved

Cajun Joke: Boudreaux and Thibodeaux Play Golf

From Denny: Louisiana folks have an endless supply of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes they tell for generations, using the local French-accented dialect, enjoy!

From: maremare @ StumbleUpon who is from Sunshine, Louisiana



Boudreaux and Thibodeaux Play Golf

Boudreaux decided to go play a game of golf with his good friends Thibodeaux and Guidry one morning. He promised his wife, Clotile, that he would be home in time for lunch. Well, lunchtime came and went, and no Boudreaux. Mid afternoon came and went, still no Boudreaux. Suppertime passed, and Boudreaux finally shows up about an hour later. Clotile is, of course, just a little bit mad.

"Boudreaux, where have you been ? You say you gonna be home by lunch, and here it is dark time, and you jus now gettin' home !"

Boudreaux says, "Clotile, don' get on my case. My good fren, Guidry, died on de golf course dis morning."

Clotile says, "Oh, Boudreaux, I'm so sorry. I can understan' now; makin' funeral arrangements for your fren, and all. I understan' why you late."

Boudreaux says, "Funeral arrangements. What funeral arrangements? It was 'Hit de ball, drag Guidry. Hit de ball, drag Guidry.’ It took me and Thibodeaux all day to finish the game!”


*** Thanks for visiting and come back often! :)

Recipe: Appetizer - Oriental Tuna Steaks

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: This was one of many popular appetizers (no photos of these appetizers, guess they didn't last long enough to photograph!)that were a big hit here in Louisiana at a recent chefs' preview party where volunteers who are home cooks made appetizers for the local top chefs, caterers and restaurateurs. They were honored for their service in the Capital Chefs’ Showcase which benefits Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge.

This year is most special as it is the 50th golden anniversary of the Cancer Services. This organization helps over 5,000 people annually with free services, assistance and support.

This is a recipe easy enough for the home cook to make as these ladies proved to the top chefs in the city!

From: Cheri Lasseigne from a “Body for Life” cookbook

Serves: 8 as a main dish or about 50 as an appetizer. Serve hot as an entree or cold as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon raw honey

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil

2 pounds tuna steak, about 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. For sauce: Place garlic, ginger, mustard and soy sauce in food processor; process until blended.

2. Add honey and vinegar and process again. With motor running, add sesame oil and coconut oil gradually, blending until sauce thickens and emulsifies.

3. For tuna steaks: Brush tuna steaks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side on a grill or broiler.

4. If serving as an entree, place tuna steaks on warmed plates. Spoon sauce over steaks and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. If serving as a cold appetizer, take tuna off grill and coat with sesame seeds. Cut into bite-size pieces and place on a tray over ice. Sprinkle some sauce over the tuna and garnish with green onions. Serve with additional sauce on the side and bamboo skewers or toothpicks like they did at the party.

Note: If serving as an entree, this dish goes well with steamed string beans with toasted almonds and mashed potatoes.

For more appetizers from this party check out my other food blog: Comfort Food From Louisiana.

2 Recipes: Tuscan Chicken Wrap Bites on Skewers, Very Simple Shrimp Salad

Cover of Hors D'Oeuvres

From Denny: These appetizers (no photos of these appetizers, guess they didn't last long enough to photograph!)were a big hit here in Louisiana at a recent chefs' preview party where volunteers who are home cooks made appetizers for the local top chefs, caterers and restaurateurs. They were honored for their service in the Capital Chefs’ Showcase which benefits Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge.

This year is most special as it is the 50th golden anniversary of the Cancer Services. This organization helps over 5,000 people annually with free services, assistance and support.

Offered here are two appetizer recipes that are easy for the home cook to make and were a big hit with everyone!

From: Ann Guercio from a recipe in “Hors D’Oeuvres” by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell

Makes: about 36 appetizers

Ingredients:

3 chicken breast halves

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic (in jar or fresh)

1 (4-ounce) log creamy goat cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

6 (8-inch) flour tortilla wraps

1 (16-ounces) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/2 of (10-ounces) bag fresh spinach

Garlic salt, to taste

Dried Italian seasoning, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1 (100-count) package (6- or 8-inch) wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken breasts 30 minutes in olive oil and chopped garlic.

2. Pan sear chicken breasts in nonstick skillet until cooked. Slice into thin strips; save drippings.

3. Soften goat and cream cheeses in microwave if necessary. Add drippings to the cheeses and mix well.

4. To assemble: Warm each tortilla in microwave or pan for 15 seconds to make pliable.

5. Spread each tortilla with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture, 1 tablespoon chopped peppers, 3 strips of sliced chicken breast and a handful of spinach. Season lightly with garlic salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper.

6. Roll up jellyroll fashion and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat process for each tortilla.

7. Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. (Can be held overnight.) Slice each tortilla into 6 pieces, discarding plastic wrap.

8. Skewer each piece on a 6- to 8-inch skewer.


*****

Harlequin Shrimp
Originally uploaded by TANAKA Juuyoh

From Denny: I found the most colorful shrimp photo from the Philippines! Wondering what these look like on the table, one colorful appetizer.

Shrimp Salad

From: Fran Ognibene

Serves: 12 as a salad or about 16-20 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

4 pounds (16-20 count per pound) headless boiled shrimp

2 cups Hellman’s brand mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar

6 Tablespoons fresh minced dill

3 cups (6 stalks) minced celery

1 cup minced red onion

Directions:

1. Peel and devein shrimp.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, champagne vinegar and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp.

3. Add the celery and red onion and check seasonings.

4. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Can be served skewered on toothpicks or over a bed of lettuces for a wonderful salad, your choice!

For one more appetizer recipe from the party that was a huge hit, Oriental Tuna Steaks, go to my newest food blog, Unusual 2 Tasty.

Recipe: Simple Authentic Cajun Shrimp Creole

Assortment of famous Louisiana dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish bisque and more Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Cajun cooking has evolved over 244 years since the first Acadian settlers arrived in Louisiana. They were originally deported by the English from Nova Scotia and it was ten years later they migrated to Louisiana. For generations the French and English have carried on a cultural clash and divide so this deportation came as no surprise even in the New World. It did bring terrible hardships to the Acadians as they strove to develop a new life in an inhospitable environment.

The lines between Cajun and Creole cuisine have blurred over the past few decades ever since Justin Wilson popularized Louisiana cuisine back in the 1970's with what was locally known as "good hunting and fishing camp food." Wilson also was a fan of hot sauces and so the idea of Cajun food as "hot and spicy" stuck in the national mind ever since. The reality is that Cajun did not originate as one with fiery pepper sauces, cayenne pepper and spices but rather, to this day with the oldest generation, was a savory and flavorful cuisine style.

The authors of this regional cookbook offer up insight into the subtle differences from region to region in Louisiana because Louisiana is a lot like France in that respect. The 22 counties considered as Cajun Country (which includes some of the state of Texas), known as parishes here, are divided into cultural regions: Acadian Coast, The Wetlands, Upper Prairie, Lower Prairie, the Bayou Region, Southwest Louisiana and the Marshes and Coast.

French Onion Soup Image via Wikipedia

This regional, simple, 100 recipe cookbook (lots of illustrations but without photos) offers recipes from each region, so you get a look at six different versions of the celebrated and widely known gumbo dish. They include side dishes, traditional French soups like Belle Rose French Onion Soup and then on to desserts too, one known as Dark Sugar Pralines.

The cookbook has lots of great Cajun resources like listings for food festival events, Cajun web sites for food and events and tourism.

What this cookbook is all about is easy comfort food made by real people for home style cooking. It's also an easy pleasurable way to learn about a different culture through food!

*****



Photo by afagen @ flickr

Lily B's Shrimp Creole

From: “Cooking in Cajun Country” new cookbook by Karl Breaux with Cheré Dastugue Coen (Gibbs Smith, $16.99, paperback)

My Amazon store has the book for $12.74 and available for free shipping too! Check it out, go here.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined or 2 cups frozen shrimp*

(* Health Warning: try to buy Louisiana or American shrimp as Chinese and other Asian shrimp lives in heavily polluted waters, polluted with heavy metals! Check your package for country of origin before purchase.)

1/2 to 1 cup water

Cajun/Creole seasoning, to taste

2 cups cooked Louisiana rice

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, celery and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté 5 minutes more.

2. Add salt, pepper, basil and tomatoes and stir; add shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. If using fresh shrimp, add shrimp and 1 cup water and simmer until shrimp turn bright pink, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook.

3. Add Cajun/Creole seasoning to taste.

4. Serve over 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving.


Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for visiting! Good eating!


Cajun, Creole, Louisiana, shrimp creole, Society and Culture, Soups and Stews, Justin Wilson, Acadian, Cajun cuisine, Nova Scotia, Cook, Home

Recipe: Slow Cooker Shrimp Creole

Image by billmichalski via Flickr

From Denny: You are in a rush but want to eat something simply divine and are craving seafood. This recipe is the answer to your food prayers! Cook everything but the shrimp the night before or if you work part time cook it right before you get home. If you are out for the afternoon running errands and playing school taxi for the kids then this recipe is tailored for you. Cook the shrimp the last hour before dinner when you are home to tend it.

Normally, when cooking on the stove top you add the shrimp at the last minute before serving as it cooks up in 30 seconds to 2 minutes. With the slow cooker it is a much slower process. Cooking the sauce is the secret to any meal and the slow cooker specializes in that perfect slow blending of flavors we love so well in Louisiana!

Dedicating this awesome and easy recipe to the shrimp fishermen down Lafayette way who bring us these tasty crustaceans. The annual Shrimp Festival is going on right now and this weekend in Delcambre, Louisiana - make sure you pay them a visit!

From: Julie Kay @ 2theadvocate.com

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup flour

1 onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel brand tomatoes, mild

1 cup water

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 pounds raw, peeled shrimp

Hot cooked rice


Directions:

1. Put flour and oil in microwave dish and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes until light brown in color. Add in onions, bell pepper, garlic and Creole seasoning and microwave on HIGH for 2 additional minutes.

2. Transfer to slow cooker and add in Ro-tel tomatoes, water, green onions and parsley. Cook on LOW for 5 hours.

3. Add in shrimp and turn cooker to HIGH. Cook another hour, until shrimp are pink.

4. Spoon shrimp over hot cooked rice to serve. Enjoy!



Slow cooker, shrimp creole, Shrimp Festival, Baton Rouge Louisiana, Cajun, Creole

Shrimp Festival: In Delcambre, Louisiana Starts on August 12

Shrimp Festival is from August 12th to 16th outside Lafayette

From Denny: Looking for more Louisiana Bloggers. One new blogger friend posted up today on one of my blogs. She had a problem being able to leave a comment - turns out Blogger now knows about the issue. Same goes for the Followers from Blogger widget acting weird and not showing your friends and links to their blogs.



Anyway, put Marguerite on my blog list so you can visit her blog, Cajun Delights. She lives in Lafayette, about a 45 minute drive from Baton Rouge. That's the beauty of south Louisiana for a tourist: you can fly into New Orleans, drive to the capital city Baton Rouge (Red Stick)in an hour 15 minutes, stay over a day or so and visit various attractions and eat well, then take a day drive to Lafayette in 45 minutes and definitely eat well when you arrive there! :)



Delcambre Shrimp Festival, go here. Delcambre is about 20 miles outside Lafayette where this time of year they perform the annual blessing of the ever so productive shrimp fleet. Many other attractions like yummy cook-offs (there goes my diet: again...) and as is typical in Cajun Country there is fun toe-tapping live music the whole family can enjoy!

Recipe: Eula Mae's Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Image by Southern Foodways Alliance via Flickr

From Denny: Just loading this recipe into the online editor is making my mouth water! This version of famous Cajun gumbo has shrimp and lump crabmeat in it. We love Honey-Baked Ham brand in our house as the smoky and sweet flavors go so well as a flavoring for seafood dishes. Cajun tasso is wonderful too - just use a lot less of that as it is salty like Virginia cured ham or country ham as some people know it.

Make sure you have some file powder on hand to sprinkle on your gumbo after you ladle it over the hot cooked rice in the bowl as you serve it. File powder is ground sassafras root which acts as a digestive. File came to us from the Choctaw Indians when the Cajuns settled south Louisiana. In fact, if it weren't for the Choctaw the early settlers would never have been able to navigate the natural winding and twisting bayous to discover Baton Rouge, the capital city! The Choctaw did a lot to help develop this area and food culture.

From: THE TABASCO® COOKBOOK 1993 by Paul McIlhenny with Barbara Hunter. The McIlhenny family are the original founders and creators of Tabasco sauce from Avery Island where there is the salt mine and bird sanctuary.

Serves: 12 to 16

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

2 pounds fresh okra, or 2 (16-ounce) packages frozen okra, thawed
and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

4 quarts water

2 pounds cubed cooked ham (about 6 cups)

3 large onions, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 head garlic, cloves peeled but left whole

1 green pepper, diced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 pounds lump crab meat, picked over

1 1/2 tablespoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce

6 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet (not cast iron) over medium heat. Add okra and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer ropy, about 30 minutes. Add vinegar; cook and stir another 10 minutes, until okra takes on a brownish color and is reduced to about a quarter of its original volume. Spoon okra into a bowl and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, add remaining 1/4 cup oil to skillet over medium-high heat; add ham and sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. With slotted spoon, remove ham to stockpot. In same skillet, combine onions, celery, garlic, and green pepper and cook, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring constantly; add to stockpot along with okra and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to very low, add shrimp, and simmer 10 minutes. Add crab meat and TABASCO® Sauce; simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve gumbo in soup bowls with mounds of rice.

Note: This recipe is HIGH in sodium so if you have a health issue take time to look at the recipe to cut the salt level. Remember, Louisiana in the summer time is a hot and humid climate where a high salt diet can be tolerated if there is no air conditioning.

Nutritional information per serving: 597 Calories (and worth every calorie!), 58g protein, 42g carbohydrate, 21g fat, 244mg cholesterol, 1799mg sodium


Avery Island, Cajun, gumbo, seafood gumbo, Tabasco, TABASCO Sauce, Fruit and Vegetable, Home, Okra, Cooking, Gumbo, Louisiana, soups and stews

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

From Denny: Use a larger slow cooker for this recipe, a 5 to 6 quart size is better as anything smaller is filled to the brim and may bubble over! Before you know the cats may be jumping up on the counter to lick up all the gumbo goodness... :)

From: Delicious Tabasco Recipes for your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup celery, coarsely chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts

1/2 pound andouille sausage or kielbasa sausage, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Tabasco brand pepper sauce, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 quarts water

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Hot cooked rice


Directions:

Image via Wikipedia

1. Add onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic to bottom of stoneware. In skillet, over medium-high heat, brown chicken pieces in 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil until almost golden. Add sausage to skillet and continue cooking meat until chicken is golden brown.

2. Add all browned meat and poultry to stoneware on top of the vegetables. Add parsley, bay leaves, thyme, Tabasco pepper sauce, salt and pepper to stoneware. Pour water over all. Cover and cook on Low 5 to 7 hours or on High 2 to 4 hours.

3. In skillet, over medium heat, mex flour with the remaining 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil and cook, stirring constantly until the roux is dark brown. Add 1 cup of hot liquid from the slow-cooker mixture to the roux, a little at a time, stirring until smooth.

4. Stir roux mixture into stoneware, cover and finish cooking, 1 1/2 hours on Low or 1 hour on High. Add green onions at end of cooking time and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Remove chicken bones and skin before serving, if desired.

5. Remove from heat and stir in green onion and parsley; adjust seasoning if needed. Let gumbo stand 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, mound about 1/3 cup rice in each soup bowl, then ladle about 1 cup gumbo around rice.

Note: Leave yourself a little time for deboning and removing the skin from the chicken meat, adding to the overall time to prepare this slow cooking dish.



chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, Soups and Stews, gumbo, Slow cooker, slow cooking, Tabasco sauce, Cook, Home, Tabasco, Chicken, chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, Cajun and Creole, Baton Rouge Louisiana, New Orleans

Video: Easy Shrimp Dip!

From Denny: This is something we really enjoy here in Louisiana. If it isn't a gravy with rice, a soaked cake then it's a dip of some kind, preferably with seafood. Shrimp is the number one choice for dips!



From CajunCookingTV.com:

Yield: This quantity will serve a party of 15-20. Just double the ingredients if you’re having a larger party.

Ingredients for Shrimp Dip:

½ pound medium to large boiled shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 package cream cheese (softened)

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon ketchup

½ teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 stalk celery (cut very small)

Tony’s Creole Seasoning

Directions:

Using a food processor, place all ingredients except the celery. Pulse several times until mixed well leaving a bit of chunky shrimp.

Remove mixture to a mixing bowl using a rubber spatula. Carefully remove the mixture from the blade.

Fold in the chopped celery. The celery gives the dip a good crunch.

Mix in a sprinkling of Tony's Creole Seasoning.

Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Dip:

Pour into a pretty bowl or hollowed out Hawaiian sweet bread or serve with Petite Mini Toasts.

Videos How to BBQ a Turkey on Your Grill & Deep Fry Turkey Safely

From Denny: We love our deep fat fried turkey here in Louisiana but it can be a mess and even dangerous to prepare if you don't know what you are doing. This video is from Canada and these guys had a great idea of how to BBQ a turkey for Thanksgiving on a normal outside grill for just a few hours. How they packed the turkey was smart.

Though they could have added the bacon on top of the turkey at the beginning of the grilling instead of stopping it toward the end, adding raw bacon (hello, bacteria!) and then overcooking the bird just to cook the bacon.

The video is sped up to fast forward that it is witty and funny, really easy to watch - AND you get a great, easy and fast idea of how to cook a turkey on your grill! Why wait until a holiday and do like we do in Louisiana: cook it any time you "have a taste" for a special food!



Here is the smart way to deep fry a turkey - funny AND informative video:



For safety and grilling tips:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Be a lean, mean & safe grilling machine (nationalpost.com)

Recipe: Southern Louisiana Molasses Cake & Cookies From Scratch

Louisiana Brand Of Molasses STEEN'S Image by scottpartee via Flickr

Southern Louisiana Molasses Cake & Cookies From Scratch:

An excerpt from the article:

"Cakes from scratch - Back to basics

Not that long ago, molasses was a common kitchen staple in the well-stocked pantry. Today, many people would not know what it is.

Molasses Spice Cookies Image by ilmungo via Flickr

Additionally, even if someone has heard of molasses -- it isn't the first ingredient most of us today would think about, if we were going to make a cake.



Therefore, if you've never heard of molasses, it is a thick syrup by-product obtained by making sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar.

Basically, there are three main types of molasses: Unsulphured, sculptured, and black strap molasses:
Unsulphured molasses is considered molasses of top quality. It has only the smallest amount of sugar has been removed. It is made from the juices of sun-ripened sugar cane that has been refined and concentrated."

By Jerilee Wei @ HubPages

From Denny: Jerilee lives in Califonia now but was born and steeped in the Louisiana culture. This thorough well-written article has several recipes, a bit of culture and three videos. Just click on the title link to take you there, enjoy!

Recipe: Crawfish Pie

From Denny: Crawfish Pie is easy to make and a huge favorite around here. During crawfish season (from about March through the end of May, sometimes into the first week of June) we enjoy these simple pies. If you don't have crawfish available, use shrimp! We don't use Chinese crawfish because of the heavy metals contaminants found in them. Use Louisiana crawfish whenever you can - just buy it as the frozen tails already shelled for you.

From: Shelley Boudreaux and given to publish in the 2theadvocate.com food section (local newspaper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Makes 2 (9-inch) pies.

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts

1-1/2 sticks butter

2 onions, chopped

1 bunch green onions, washed, dried and chopped

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, washed, dried and chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 lbs. crawfish tails

Tony’s Cajun Seasoning or salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

2 (14-oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup

2 (14-oz.) cans cream of celery soup

2 to 3 cups cooked rice


Directions:

1. Place pie crust in bottom of 9-inch pie dish. Repeat with second crust. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large skillet, melt butter and sauté onions, green onions, parsley and garlic until onions are soft.

3. Add crawfish tails and season to taste. Cook, uncovered for about 10 minutes.

4. Add cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups. Cook another 5-10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and gently stir in at least 2 cups of cooked rice. You will have to judge if it looks too soupy and if so add more rice. Allow the filling to cool slightly.

6. Spoon into prepared pie crusts. Crimp top edge of pie or gently fold it over the pie filling. Repeat.

7. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until each pie crust is nicely browned and pie is heated through. If after 15-18 minutes pie crust top is getting too browned, cover top edges with strips of foil to prevent burning. Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

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.