Recipe: Cream of Crawfish Soup

Cream of Crawfish Soup

Serves 6 to 8. Voted one of Baton Rouge, Louisiana newspaper's: The Advocate’s Best of the Best recipes in 2004.

From: “Roux to Do” cookbook, published by Covington, Louisiana Junior League


Ingredients:


1 lb. crawfish tails with fat

½ cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

2 cups chicken broth, heated

½ stick butter

1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

½ cup flour

2 cups whipping cream, warmed

2 cups milk, warmed

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Paprika for garnish


Directions:

Process the crawfish tails, green onions and mushrooms in a food processor until ground but not mushy, adding 1 cup of the chicken broth, if needed.

Melt butter in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour with a whisk. Cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add remaining chicken broth and stir until well blended. Add the ground crawfish mixture and mix well. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the whipping cream and milk. Season to taste with salt, pepper, Creole seasoning and garlic powder. Mix very well.

Bring to boil then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each lightly with a pinch of paprika.


Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: How To Make Chocolate Apples

How To Make Chocolate Apples - Now here's something we all should have thought of and didn't: Chocolate covered apples for Halloween or any time! So glad I ran across this wonderful recipe on HubPages.

Will set about converting the English measures to American. For those of you who already know how, enjoy this simple piece of chocolate heaven!

Update: here are the conversions

150 grams of dark chocolate = 5 1/4 oz. (oh, heck! just use 6 scant ounces!)

100 grams milk chocolate = 3 1/2 oz. (4 oz. sounds good to me!)

20 grams butter = 1 1/4 Tablespoons

Now that wasn't so bad now was it? To our British friends, thanks!

Recipe: Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Here’s a little beauty of a dessert high in protein! Perfect for the weekend gathering.

Cheesecakes are immensely popular in Louisiana. Because of the Italian and Sicilian descendants who made their homes in Louisiana over a century ago there is a great respect for Italian ingredients like ricotta cheese.

While it is true that ricotta cheese is high in fat it is also high in protein. Just anticipate your calories for the day, adjust them accordingly and then cut a smaller slice to enjoy without worry!


From: Pastry Chef Caroline Threinen, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Yield: 12 servings – preparation time is 1 ½ hours plus baking and chilling times


Ingredients for Macerated Strawberries:


Two (12-oz.) cartons fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

Ingredients for Pine Nut Crust:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk


Ingredients for Ricotta Cheesecake Filling:


8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup pine nuts


Garnish:

Sweetened whipped cream


Directions for Macerated Strawberries: Toss together strawberry quarters, sugar and Grand Marnier and allow to macerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or until strawberry juices are released.


Directions to make crust: Position a rack on lower shelf of oven and preheat oven to 350° F.

In bowl of an electric mixer, using paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, pine nuts, butter and egg yolk. Mix just until the mixture starts to come together as a dough. If it seems dry, add a little water. Shape dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out dough into a circle about 13” in diameter. Line an 11” tart pan with removable bottom with dough and trim off excess dough. Line dough with parchment and fill halfway with beans, rice or pie weights. Par-bake the shell for 10 minutes; remove the parchment paper and weights and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Lower oven temperature to 325° F.


Directions to make Ricotta Cheesecake Filling: Place cream cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and yolks in food processor and process until fully combined. With machine running, gradually pour in light corn syrup. Pour mixture into cooled tart shell. Sprinkle whole pine nuts over filling. Bake cheesecake for 40-45 minutes, until set.
Chill tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve each slice with macerated strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.


FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
31 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
612 – 216 - 3473

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake


Yield: One 9x13 cake

From: Brenda Caruso, Port Allen, Louisiana


This is one of those really easy cakes that do not require a lot of technical ability or knowledge, perfect for a beginner to get their feet wet in the world of baking and easy enough to do with children. And it’s chocolate!

It breaks all the baking world’s rules: no need to properly cream the sugar and butter and no waiting to ice a cake after it is cooled down from the oven. This crazy cake gets iced while hot!


Ingredients for Cake:


2 sticks butter

4 Tablespoons cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda


Ingredients for Frosting:


1 stick butter

6 Tablespoons buttermilk

4 Tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box confectioners’ sugar

1 cup chopped toasted pecans


Directions for Cake: Bring 2 sticks butter, cocoa and water to boil.

Put sugar in large bowl. Pour the hot cocoa mixture over the sugar. Mix in flour, eggs, buttermilk and baking soda.Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan.

Bake at 350° F. for about 30 minutes. When cake is done, test with a toothpick and it comes out clean; remove from the oven.

Directions to make Frosting: Melt 1 stick butter and mix with 6 Tablespoons buttermilk, 4 Tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar and pecans to make frosting.

Ice the cake while still hot.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

Recipes: Dennys Valentines Day Chocolate Crepes with Sweet Ricotta Cheese

Dennys Valentines Day Chocolate Crepes with Sweet Ricotta Cheese - Here’s a romantic idea for Valentine’s Day to serve your sweetheart. Maybe you will just make these easy decadent yet light calorie crepes all for yourself! These crepes are made with healthy whole wheat flour. You can use regular flour if you like as is done traditionally.

The beauty of this dessert is that it is also a protein sweet so it doesn't play roller coaster with your blood sugar like most sweets. Thanks to the Italian immigrants to Louisiana who introduced us to the wonders of high-protein ricotta cheese!

Video included to show you how easy it is to make your own crepes. Also, Valentines Day Cocktail made from Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and Expresso!

Note: For more fun recipes visit my other food blog -
Romancing The Chocolate