Recipe: Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Cajun Red Beans and Rice: "It's another Saturday night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and we are hungry for some Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage. Um Um! That's some good stuff cher!" 1 video.

By Mike Stokes

Recipe: Black Caviar Pie

Caviar Pie

Serves 6 to 8.

From: artist Marguerite Robichaux, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Maine

The artist says she first tasted a version of this caviar pie in Perth, Australia in 1978 when she flew there to celebrate friend Jud Strunk’s 50th birthday. This dish is one of the favorites the honoree’s wife prepared. Over the years, Robichaux has adapted it to her taste.


Ingredients:

6 eggs, hard cooked and chopped fine

6 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Black pepper to taste

6 Tablespoons grated onion

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream, room temperature

4 ozs. red or black caviar, drained and chilled

Lemon wedges

1 French bread banquette, thinly sliced and toasted


Directions:


Mix eggs and mayonnaise and season with pepper. Spread in bottom of a glass pie plate.

Sprinkle grated onion over egg mixture and press lightly. Chill.

Mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Drop by spoonfuls onto the layers in the pie plate. Smooth over the top and seal the edges. Chill.

Just before serving, sprinkle caviar on top and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Recipe: Chocolate Carrot Cake

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

From: mOOnchild

Ingredients
For cake layers:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 medium carrots, shredded coarse (about 2 cups)

For cream cheese frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup confectioners' or powdered sugar

For chocolate glaze:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 ounces fine-quality BITTERSWEET chocolate
(not unsweetened)

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup confectioners' or powdered sugar


CAKE LAYERS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. and grease and flour two 9 by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking of excess flour. Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs and oil on low speed until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in carrots and devide batter between pans. Bake cake layers in middle of oven 35 to 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pans on a rack 10 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and confectioners' sugar and beat untl creamy. Spread frosting on top of 1 cake layer and top with other layer

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

In a small saucepan combine glaze ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and glaze is smooth. Remove from heat and cool glaze slightly. Spread glaze over top and sides of cake and chill 1 hour, or until set.

Serves 6 to 8.


Photo by scubadive67 @ flickr

Simple Easy Ways to Update Loved Recipes to Healthy

Simple Easy Ways to Update Loved Recipes to Healthy: "Bon Appetit!
There are small tweaks you can do to update and still retain the pleasure of eating well! 4 videos."

Have you learned how to make ghee or clarified butter yet? It's easy AND healthier! The taste is awesome too.

In this article I took an already tasty Swiss Green Bean Casserole and tweaked it to a healthier and still tasty version. Try it yourself on your old but well-loved recipes!

By Denny Lyon
Photo by iLoveButter @ flickr

Neighborhood Restauraunts of New Orleans

Neighborhood Restauraunts of New Orleans - Plan on visiting New Orleans soon and want to make your dollar stretch? Then do what the locals do and go eat where they eat. Here are several choices.

By NOLA in the ocho
Photo by Lyndi & Jason @ flickr