4 Simple Recipes 4 Entertaining

Carol Poche in her kitchen, photo from 2theadvocate.com


From Denny: Easy cooking is the trend here in Louisiana but we want the slow cooking results! A slow cooker is the answer for low maintenance and ease. When was the last time you made Enchiladas in a crockpot? Yeah, me neither. :) There's a wonderfully tasty salsa dip made with hummus, a chicken salad you could make as an appetizer served in puff pastry cups or place on your favorite lettuces for a larger serving and a recipe that makes three loaves of deliciously easy pumpkin bread.

All of these recipes come from former restauranteur Carol Poche who is now a real estate agent, recently featured in our local newspaper 2theadvocate. She regularly sends her business associates a monthly recipe she has tested in her own kitchen. Once a great cook, always a great cook! Take a look at her offerings:


Recipes Featured:

Enchiladas in the Crock
Mediterranean Salsa Dip
Honey Chicken Salad
Pumpkin Bread




Enchiladas in the Crock

From: Carol Poché

Serves: 6 to 8.

Carol: Home buyers requested a slow-cooker recipe that would fit their active lifestyles. This is a hearty meal that would satisfy a family after a long day of work and play.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 (10-oz.) bag of frozen seasoning blend
1 (15-oz.) can black beans or red kidney beans with liquid
1 to 2 (10–oz.) cans Ro-tel tomatoes
1/3 cup water
1 packet taco seasoning
8 (6- to 8-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8-oz). pkg. Mexican-style shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Sauté the beef or turkey and seasoning blend together until meat is browned and seasoning is wilted. Drain well.

2. Add beans, Ro-tel tomatoes, water and taco seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Starting at bottom of slow cooker, layer tortillas, meat and bean mixture and cheese and continue in that order until all ingredients are used. Top layer should be cheese.

4. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours. Serve with avocado slices, jalapeños and cilantro.



Mediterranean Salsa Dip

From: Carol Poche from a recipe from Patty Swanson

Carol: This looks great if you serve on an oblong platter, but it won’t last long. It’s always the first empty dish!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbl. Greek seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (10-oz.) containers of hummus
2-3 tbls. finely minced red onion
1 cup cucumber, chopped into fine pieces
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. To make dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning and garlic powder.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Layer large platter with hummus, minced onion, chopped cucumber, grape tomatoes, black olives and crumbled feta cheese.

4. Drizzle with dressing. Serve with pita chips.



Honey Chicken Salad

From: Carol Poché

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans.

2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, honey and seasonings. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently until combined.

3. Serve alone, on a bed of lettuce, in a scooped-out tomato or in individual pastry shells for a touch of elegance.



Pumpkin Bread

From: Carol Poché

Makes: 3 loaves

Carol: This recipe was given to me when I was cooking as a volunteer in the open-hearth kitchen at Magnolia Mound Plantation. It came from a 1796 recipe book containing recipes of Fanny Pierson Crane and was modified for today’s standards.

Ingredients:

1 cup corn oil
4 beaten eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin (a 15-oz. can works)
3-1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking soda
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins, if desired
1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 3 standard loaf pans.

2. Combine oil, eggs, water and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and sugar. Mix well. Add raisins and nuts, if desired. Fill prepared pans to just below rims.

4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for at least 1 hour.
Do not remove until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Stays moist for days. Makes a great breakfast treat.


*** For more of Poche's easy recipes: Valentines Day, Mardi Gras: 7 Yummy Snack Recipes


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!


party recipes, entertaining recipes, crockpot recipes
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Louisiana food, Louisiana recipes, Mexican recipes, chicken recipes, dip recipes, bread recipes, salsa, pumpkin, beef, turkey

Pumpkin Risotto, Crispy Bread Soffritto, and Pumpkin Chile Recipes

Photo by Nesster @ flickr

From Denny: There are only so many pumpkin pies and pumpkins breads a cook can make before they are wondering if there is any greater creativity that can be done with a pumpkin. Pumpkins are such a great food resource of vitamins and minerals. Look no further as these Southern chefs have been busy creating new and tasty recipes for the revered pumpkin, raising it to the table status of vegetable royalty! :)

They were featured in Country Roads Magazine - a Louisiana regional arts, culture and cuisine magazine (no photos for their recipes).

Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Bread “Soffritto”

From: Chef Alon Shaya of Domenica Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. butter, unsalted
1 cup yellow onion, diced a quarter inch thick
3 cups pumpkin, skinned and seeded, diced quarter inch thick
12 1/2 cups vegetable stock
4 cups risotto (rice), Vialone Nanno or Arborio
2 cups Castelmagno cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano is a fine substitute), grated
8 tbsp. bread Soffritto (recipe below)
Salt to taste

Place rice in a large saucepot and turn the heat on medium. Continuously stir the rice until it is very hot, but not turning brown. This will release the natural oils in the rice and give the dish much more flavor. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a different saucepot, place half of the butter, onions and half of the pumpkin and cook until onions are tender. Add vegetable stock and bring to simmer. Simmer until pumpkin is tender and purée mixture with a hand blender. Add the other half of the diced pumpkin and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until it is tender.

Place the pot with the rice back on a high heat and add half of the pumpkin infused stock. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding one ladle of stock at a time while stirring until each addition has been absorbed and all of the stock is gone. This will take 18-20 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the rice is completely cooked stir in the cheese. Keep stirring over the heat until the rice is tender with a slight al dente bite to it. Add the butter and serve with the crispy Bread Soffritto on top (recipe below).

Bread Soffritto

Ingredients:

2 cups ciabatta bread, no crust, diced an eighth of an inch thick
¼ cup shallots, sliced thin
2 oz. dried cherries, rehydrated in warm water
2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a sauté pan, place oil, rosemary and onions on medium heat and cook until onions just begin to turn golden. Add diced bread and cook until bread is crispy. Toss mixture with salt and cherries. Remove rosemary sprig and set aside for the garnish.



Roasted Pumpkin Chile

From: Chef Regina Charboneau of Twin Oaks, Natchez, Mississippi

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 tbls. olive oil
1 medium diced onion
1 medium diced sweet red pepper
2 fresh jalapenos
1 lb.yams
1 lb. pumpkin or squash
4 small new red potatoes
8 garlic cloves
2 zucchini
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with diced jalapenos)
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbls. ground chile powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

To roast pumpkin (or squash):

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut yams in half and cut pumpkin into eighths. Leave new potatoes, jalapenos and garlic cloves whole. Place on large baking sheet. Salt and pepper the tops and drizzle just a touch of olive oil on top of the pumpkin. Place in hot oven. Roast for 30 minutes then remove the Jalapenos and garlic cloves. Let cool and cut jalapeno into strips removing the seeds. Cut garlic into quarters. Continue to roast but every ten minutes, using a fork, check for doneness of vegetables. They should be firm but the fork should go through without excessive effort. Let vegetables cool. Peel the yams and pumpkin and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Leave the skin on the Potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

To complete chile:

In 4 quart pot add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Dice zucchini into 3/4 inch cubes and set aside. Add diced onion and peppers to hot oil and sauté for two minutes to brown. Add diced zucchini and sauté for one minute. Add roasted vegetables, garlic and jalapenos. Add cooked pinto Beans, Rotel tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Stir in chile powder and stir well. Taste and adjust salt, begin with 1/2 teaspoon. Simmer chile for 30 minutes.

Serve Chile in shallow soup bowls, topped with sour cream. Top sour cream with Spicy Corn.

Ingredients for Spicy Corn Topping:

Makes: 3 cups

2 ears yellow corn
1 16 oz. jar Mrs. Renfrows Spicy Green Salsa or any brand you like of spicy salsa verde
Sour Cream is optional

Directions:

Shuck yellow corn and remove kernels with a sharp knife. Get a cast iron skillet or sauté pan very hot. Place corn kernels into skillet and brown. Use a metal spatula to move the corn around to roast the kernels. Mix roasted corn kernels with green salsa. Serve on top of Roasted Pumpkin Chile.

*** Thanks for visiting and have a great Thanksgiving holiday!