Tag: cooking

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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Jambalaya is as synonymous with NOLA Cuisine as Gumbo! There are vicious debates about whether the dish is of French or Spanish origin. The word itself is from the French & Spanish word for Ham, Jambon. The a la is French, and the ya is said to be an African word for “Rice”. Personally, I can’t see how someone could dispute the dishes similarity to the Spanish Paella, but hey, my opinion is like everyone else’s: Worthless. Here is what we do know about Jambalaya: It’s delicious! So everyone quick arguing and get cooking! (Although I love that people in Louisiana argue about food!) Here is my recipe:

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Red Beans and Rice

As I’ve said in the past, Red Beans & Rice is always fun for me to cook because I change the recipe everytime I make it. This one was probabaly the best batch I’ve made in years, so I’ll honor it with a side of Louis Armstrong singing and playing Basin Street Blues, because Red Beans & Rice just don’t seem right without Louis Armstrong.

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Creole Boiled Rice Recipe

The kind of rice I enjoy with Gumbos, Red Beans, Étouffée, etc., a lot of NoLA Cuisine dishes, is Creole Boiled Rice. I like it because the grains stay separate from one another, essentially, they let the main dish be the dish. Not that the rice is second fiddle, in fact, if your rice is terrible, it will ruin the whole dish. When I have a pot of Red Beans on the stove, my Rice is as important as my Beans, which means, Very important! I take Red Beans & Rice very seriously. Well, not too seriously, nothing should be too serious, but let’s just say I hold them in high esteem (more on Red Beans later). Anyway, this is a great, simple, Accompaniment Rice. Not great because it’s simple, just great!

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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

My go-to website for cajun recipes, nolacuisine.com, has gone defunct. I’ll leave the link active here in case it ends up being a temporary issue, but in the meantime, here’s a copy of the chicken and andouille sausage recipe.

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Date Night Eat

Roasted Greek Potatoes

This simple recipe is my go to for Greek style roasted potatoes.  They are so good and so versatile to go with so many dishes.  When shopping for red or new potatoes, I like to hand select small ones that can be cut in half or quarters to make bite sized pieces.  I’ve found that when buying the bag, you tend to get some big ones mixed in that don’t look so great when cutting them up and I’m really all about the aesthetics & the plating, so I want my wedges to look good!  I also use an old cake pan to roast mine.  It’s the perfect size for dinner for 2 and I also like to try and keep at least 1 cut side down which will give the potatoes a slightly crispy texture on that side.

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Date Night Eat

Date Night Dinner: Artichoke and Asparagus Flatbread

Hot and ready, but not Little Ceasars!
It’s hot and ready, but it ain’t Little Ceasars!

Here’s a pizza recipe that rocks for an awesome date night experience.  Don’t settle for Little Caesar’s when you can make your own gourmet flatbread!  For those of you who just want the recipe, I’ll make it quick.  For those who want some tips on making flatbreads, hang with me to the bottom of the post!

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Date Night Eat

Awesome Stir Fry Recipe

This is one of my “go to” recipes when I’m looking for something that’s fast, healthy & totally delicious! Especially if I’ve got some leftover brown rice in the fridge that I’m looking for something to do with. My version here is a knock off of a similar recipe that I saw in Runner’s World back in March and the variations are almost endless.

For me, stir fry comes in 2 categories: sweet and savory. This recipe is in the sweet category with a little heat mixed in. It’s really awesome and if you’re anything like me, you’ll look for a good excuse to have a second helping.

The thing I love about this one is that you can substitute the protein of your choice (shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu) and it’s still just as good. Also, play around with the veggie mix and get what you like. Be creative!

  • olive oil (about 3 tbs)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 small package frozen stir fry veggies (you can usually find a couple options in the supermarket freezer section; I like the ones with mushrooms and baby corns!)
  • 1/2 lb frozen shrimp (I prefer my shrimp peeled, but the packs at my local supermarket have frozen shrimp that aren’t, so I soak them for a few minutes in cold water before cooking and peel them myself)
  • 1/2 of a 20oz can pineapple chunks (with the juice!)
  • sweet and sour sauce (usually easy to find in the Asian food section of the local supermarket)
  • brown rice, cooked

    • The technique here is key. Once you get the flow down, you can make all kinds of substitutions and come up with your own variation.

    First, heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Sauté the minced garlic & red pepper flakes briefly and then add the package of frozen veggies. Stir fry until they begin to get tender, around 5 minutes or so. Add the shrimp (read protein of your choice) and cook for 3-4 minutes until pink. Add 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and the juice as well as a generous pour of your jarred sweet & sour sauce. Stir fry together for another 2 minutes until all ingredients are hot & cooked. Serve immediately over brown rice.

    My version of this serves 2 people generous portions with sometimes a leftover serving depending on how hungry we are. Use more shrimp & the full can of pineapple chunks (with 1/2 of the juice) and you can stretch it to serve 4. For an added crunch, consider throwing in some unsalted peanuts or cashews.

    This is a delicious and really fast recipe and usually only messes up one pan, so cleanup isn’t bad. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! Let me know what you think.

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    Sun Dried Tomato, Basil and Feta Bruschetta

    Quick & Simple

    When I’m looking for a quick and simple appetizer for dinner, a bruschetta seems to be my go to option these days.  Probably because this is like a favorite pair of jeans that you can dress up or dress down depending on the mood and what ingredients that I have on hand.

    My Newest Recipe

    I threw this together last night just on a whim and it turned out great.  I love the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, basil & feta cheese.  I also did this same thing with Gorgonzola and it was equally as good.

    • 1 baguette or loaf of French bread (depending on what size you want your bruschetta)
    • Olive Oil
    • Sun dried tomatoes (the kind in the jar in oil work great!)
    • Fresh Basil
    • Feta Cheese (I prefer the feta that comes in brine, but any will do)
    • Kosher Salt
    • Pepper (preferably fresh ground)

    Directions

    The directions for this boil down to putting the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and then put on the baguette slices.  But here’s my attempt at something that at least sounds a little more official…

    Slice baguette diagonally into slices between 1/2″ – 1″ thick (this really depends on how you like it).  Slice as many slices as you plan on eating.  If I’m making a date night appetizer for 2, that usually means 8-10 slices.

    Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush tops completely with olive oil.  This creates a moisture barrier that keeps the juices of the bruschetta toppings from making the bread soggy.

    Bake in a 400° oven until crispy, but not burned.  If you’re in a hurry, you can broil the baguette slices, but you really need to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

    While you’re waiting on the little toasts, you basically want to prep the bruschetta toppings by putting the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped basil and feta in a bowl and season to taste.  I usually use about the same amounts (measured by mass, not weight) of each of the three, but this is where you want to eyeball it.  For me that usually works out to 3-4 forkfuls of sun-dried tomatoes, about 1/2 of the basil that comes in one of those pre-packaged fresh herbs packets at the grocery store and 3-4 spoonfuls of feta for my 8-10 slices.  Chop up the basil.  If you’re using the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, there will probably be enough oil dripping off the tomatoes to moisten the mix.  If not, drizzle a little olive oil in the bowl.  Don’t forget the salt & pepper.  Stir to mix and spoon on the baguette slices.  Arrange in some cool pattern on an aesthetically pleasing serving dish and serve with wine.  You’ll thank me.

    The beautiful thing about this fast & easy recipe is that if you’re running short of topping for your slices, you can mix up more on the fly!

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    The Best Chi Tea Recipe I’ve Found

    Try Chi! A Classic Recipe for Chi Tea

    I have recently been thoroughly enjoying a re-discovery of Chi Tea.  Yea, I know it’s been all the rage at coffee shops all over the place for what, years now?  And I’ve tried it too, and never really got it until I ran across this recipe and made my own.  I think the difference is the milk.  It’s just not the same with water…

    Here’s What You Need:

    • Cardamom pods (really just the seeds from 2 of them)
    • Star Anise
    • Cinnamon stick (I use half if they’re long like the one in the picture above)
    • Black Peppercorns
    • Cloves
    • Black Tea
    • Fresh Ginger
    • Water
    • Milk
    • Some kind of strainer (yes, you need it)

    Here’s What You Do

    To make your chi tea, Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot.  While you’re waiting on the water to boil, use a mortar and pestle (anyone know which is which?) to grind up the seeds from 2 cardamom pods, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 black peppercorns and 3 cloves.  You don’t have to make them powder, just smash ’em up real good.  When the water boils, add 1 cup milk, heat to boil, remove from heat and dump in the spices, 3 teaspoons of black tea and one slice of fresh ginger.  Steep for 3 minutes and then strain into 2 teacups (or 1 really big cappuccino cup).

    You certainly can boil the milk & water at the same time, but I found that sometime the milk will scald the bottom of the pot and make cleanup a pain.  And I’m all about easy clean-up.

    Why Should You Like Chi Tea?

    Well, aside from the obvious fact that it’s delicious and totally rocks, there’s evidence that cardamom counters oxidative stress and enhances the function of natural killer cells, and may even play a role in preventing certain cancers.  So get yourself on the chi tea band wagon with this awesome recipe.  You’ll thank me.

    Another Freebie Tip…

    Spices can be expensive.  But I’ve found if your grocery store has a good selection of Mexican/Latino foods, you can usually find spices there for sometimes half the price of the McCormick’s and Spice Island stuff in the traditional spice aisle.  Look around… you might save a few bucks.

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    Eat

    A Post Holiday Date Night Dinner

    After eating so heavy throughout the holidays, I’m always ready to try some lighter fare in January and this weekend we’re back to seafood.  We had a pretty busy Saturday so that meant by the time we got around to talking about dinner, it was after 4:00 in the afternoon and I went for my “go to” meal of tilapia.  I’m calling the entree Pan-Seared Panko Tilapia.  We often have grits as a side dish for seafood, but I’ve been itching to try my hand at a soufflé, so I attempted a Pepper Jack Cheese Grits Soufflé and then added an Arugula Salad.

    I’ve been on this appetizer kick for a little while so I wanted something that was light but had a little kick to it.  As I wandered around the grocery store, I thought some bruschetta would be just the thing, so I cobbled together some stuff to make a Spicy Shrimp & Arugula Bruschetta.

    Appetizer: Shrimp & Arugula Bruschetta

    This is one that I totally made up while walking around the grocery store.  It has a southwestern flare to it and a bit of a kick.

    • 1 Baguette or some french bread
    • Some Olive Oil
    • Enough shrimp for 2 people preferably peeled and deveined (I used 1/4 pound and it was just about right… remember, this is an appetizer.  If you go with the french bread over the baguette, you’ll need a little more of just about everything since the slices are bigger.)
    • About 1/2 can Lime & Cilantro Ro*Tel (yep, right out of the can, drained)
    • A handful of Arugula (slightly chopped)
    • Salt & Pepper (preferably course kosher salt & freshly ground pepper)
    • Some white wine

    I prepared the bruschetta before even thinking about getting the main dinner together.  I’ve started doing this with the appetizer so we could decompress from the “getting the kids down” ritual and take the edge off our appetite.  Especially since I knew this evening it would take a little while to cook the main course.  Not to mention it’s better not to drink the wine on an empty stomach if I want dinner to turn out decent!

    Slice the baguette diagonally into about 8-10 pieces or however many you think you’re going to eat for the appetizer.  Brush each piece with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.  We’re going to bake these at 350° until just before they turn brown (keep an eye on them!).  The olive oil forms a kind of protective coating so the juices of the topping don’t get them soggy.

    In a small frying pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and saute the shrimp (peeled and deveined) until pink.  Add a little kosher salt & pepper to the shrimp while sauteing.  Remove to a plate for a few minutes.  We’re going to add it back once we’ve cooked the other ingredients and we’re going to chop them up a little, so get a cutting board ready.  Add the drained Ro*Tel to the pan and swish it around a bit with the oil.  Pour in some white wine, around 1/4 cup, and let it reduce, stirring it around.  As it reduces but isn’t yet dry, add the shrimp back (chop it up a little into chunks if you haven’t already), and add the arugula (it should be coarsely chopped too).  Sometime while you’re doing this you’ll need to take the baguette slices out of the oven and set aside (keep a hot pad ready!).  Toss ingredients together until the arugula is slightly wilted, then remove from heat and spoon over the baguette slices.  Arrange them on some cool looking serving dish and serve with a white wine like a savignon blanc.

    Main Dish: Pan Seared Tilapia with Pepper Jack Grits Soufflé

    The Grits

    First I’m going to prep the grits since they will bake for around 40-45 minutes.  This was a challenge for me since all the recipes I found for a similar souffle made a lot… usually calling for at least a cup of grits.  If you’ve never cooked grits before, that’s a ton of grits.  For my purposes, I’m cooking for two, so here’s my modified version.  You’ll probably need to play with it a little and it still makes too much.  I just threw the extra away.

    Soufflés are basically made using egg yolks and egg whites to make the dish puffy and light.  So the basic process is to make the grits, add the flavoring of your choice (in this case pepper jack cheese flavor) then the beaten egg whites and bake until fluffy.  If it were always that simple…

    • 1/2 cup grits
    • 1 1/2 cup water
    • salt
    • 1/4 stick of butter
    • 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese (more or less to taste)
    • 2 eggs, separated
    • Dash of cayenne pepper (if desired)
    • Some 1 cup ramekins, greased (custard dishes will do, but ramekins look a lot better)

    Preheat the oven to 350°.  Cook the grits per the package directions.  I used Quaker grits with the 2 serving directions and it was still too much.  Cook the grits until smooth.  Add butter, pepper jack cheese and egg yolks (and cayenne if desired).  Remove from heat and stir until smooth.  Let the grits cool while you prepare the eggs.    Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form but they are not dry.  After the grits have cooled for a few minutes, gently fold the egg whites in, but don’t mix too much.  Spoon grits mixture into the ramekins, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes until puffy and golden brown on top.  Keep an eye on them, every oven is different.  This will probably make around 6 ramekins with grits left over.

    The Fish

    While the grits are baking, prepare the fish.  I’ve found that 4 fillets at the grocery store is fine for 2.  Sometimes we have a fillet left over and sometimes we don’t.  Tilapia is great because it’s a mild fish that most folks like and it’s also usually pretty cheap at the super market.  Smell it before you buy though.  Don’t be embarrassed to ask.  Trust me, you don’t want to eat fishy fish for your date night dinner.

    • 4 Tilapia fillets
    • Olive oil
    • Panko bread crumbs
    • White Cornmeal
    • Parmesan cheese (plain old grated Kraft will do just fine)
    • Cracked fresh pepper
    • Some buttermilk or a couple egg whites (whichever you happen to have on hand… this is for the wash to coat the fish)
    • Lemon slices (for the garnish)

    You can bake or pan fry this dish, but tonight I pan seared it because I wanted to little more of a crunch to the fish.  I guess that kind of matched the appetizer and also is a sort of balance for the fluffy grits and the salad.

    Wash the tilapia and pat it dry with paper towels.  When the grits have about 10-15 minutes, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium to med-high heat.  Combine roughly equal parts of the panko bread crumbs and the cornmeal.  Probably 1/3 cup of each will do for 4 fillets, but you basically want to have enough to coat the fish.  Add about half as much grated Parmesan cheese along with enough cracked fresh pepper to where you can see the specks and mix it all up in a bowl or something that is big enough to make sure you can evenly coat the fillets.  I usually use a glass pie shell, which is convenient since it doesn’t take up too much space in the dishwasher.  Soak the tilapia fillets (I usually do 1 or 2 at a time) in either a bowl of buttermilk or beaten egg whites to coat thoroughly.  Dredge the fillets in the panko/cornmeal/Parmesan cheese mixture until evenly coated on both sides and pan sear for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the fish is thoroughly cooked.  The breading should be slightly golden brown and crispy.  Remove to a plate with a paper towel.  Sear remaining fillets.

    The Salad

    This salad is probably too simple.  Just some Arugula, some fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (you can use the stuff out of the shaker, but for presentation the fresh grated looks and tastes much better), and the salad dressing of your choice.  For this recipe I prefer Brianna’s Real French Vinaigrette (the one with the artichoke on the front), to me it’s the perfect compliment for the peppery arugula.

    Then plate, serve and enjoy, again with that same Savignon Blanc if you have any left over after the appetizer and make it a Date Night!