Jambalaya, crawfish pie and a filet gumbo

If the title didn't tip you off, I was craving cajun food. I have made etouffee once or twice, it was good, and some cajun chicken pasta. But never tried my hand at Jambalaya. It awlays sounded like something I wouldn't be able to get David to eat. This particular recipe I came across actually called for baking and serving it in a zucchini boat. Now, while David has recently discovered that Zucchini is pretty good, I have to be very careful how I tread here. I don't want to scare him off. But I went ahead and gave it a go.
I find the biggest problem with cajun recipes is the green peppers. My hubs really doesn't like them at all. But from experience, I know you really need them to add that true flavor. So if I chop them super fine. I mean, almost pureed, i can get them in. If he doesn't see them, the taste blends in and contributes over all and it isn't an issue. It just means a little extra work.  I actually do put it through the food processor.
Bt this recipe turned out really well. REALLY Well. We loved it. And I would say it is simple enough for a week night meal. Give it a try.
Adapted from the St Pete Times
Jambalaya Stuffed Zucchini
2 medium zucchini - halved lengthwise
1/4 t salt
1/4t garlic powder
1/4t blk pepper
1 T Olive oil
1 small red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C diced green bell pepper
1/2C diced celery
1/4 C Tomato paste
1/2 t cajun seasoning ( I used Zatarains Creole)
1t hot sauce
1t Worcestershire
1/2 C chopped andouille sausage
1/2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C cooked brown rice
Juice of half lemon

Heat oven to 400.
Scrape out and discard seeds from zucchin, creating canoes. Sprinkle with S/ P garlic powder, set on baking sheet.
In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, 4- 5 mins.
Add green pepper and celery and cook another 4 mins until soft. Add tomato paste, cajun seasoning, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Cook until the mixture becomes aromatic and begins to darken in color, about 2 - 3 mins.
Stir in sausage and chicken and rice. Adjust seasoning with S/P and lemon juice. Scoop into zucchini boats.
Roast for 20 mins or until boat is soft.
(the recipe also called for shrimp, feel free to add that).

Catching up

Originally, the idea behind this blog was to be able to report on any number of projects. 

I never intended this to just be about cooking. While I certainly love to cook and that is something one tends to do consistently, I also like to make lots of things. I wanted a forum to be able to show those things as well. 

Summer tends to bring a lull in projects for me. I like to hit the beach and seems like there are more visitors. Whatever the reason I am rarely inspired to create much beyond food during that time. As we roll into fall I am thinking more and more towards things I want to create. I did actually finish up something I had started planning early in the summer. So that is going to be my first project post. Then I have a few meals I want to share. 

So my friend is pregnant, which has brought me around to more thoughts of babies than usual, (usual, heck, more than ever!). I started thinking about memory collages and such. My friend isn't due until Dec, so back in June I asked a co workers if she had any memorabilia from when her 5yr old daughter was born. And if she did, would she trust me with them to play around and create something for her. I was quite honored that she did. So she brought in a small bag full of little reminders of when she had brought little Nikki home. Among otherthings, there was a birth announcement, the plastic bracelets with their names on them, the little crocheted hat she wore home and a little dress and booties, and also a small lock of hair. I was immediatly inspired to create something of a vintage nature. Something that brings to mind warm fuzzy memories. It will hold special meaning for mom for the rest of her life. 

I recently discovered these beautiful little feet that turn a shadow box into a standing diorama. So much easier to display than to only be able to hang it. It transormf it into a more substantial piece in my opinion. 

 I asked her mama to write down the things she would like to wish for her little one, and I highlighted her pretty face with an optical glass. 

The top right corner holds a small glass vial with the hair, ribboned to a vintage key. (Lock of hair and a key. ;) )  Some translucent golden paper gives it that olden glow. Plus some beautiful staining ink. 

I was really pleased with this memory box. Mom was too. She was thrilled. 

Mission accomplished. 

Its (never) too late baby, now.

David went to a "meet up" tonight. Which is nothing like a "hook up". It is an iphone developers group.
So I decided to whip up a little combo of things for dinner (more on that later) and remembered I had recorded a performance by Carole King and James Taylor (reunited at the Troubador) 40 years (OMG 40yrs!!) after they first performed there in 1971. Wow. What a fabulous show. Right off the bat, "So Far Away", Gone to Carolina in My Mind" "Its too Late" "Walk on Down a Country Road". I am absolutely just LOVING This! They sound so great, exactly like they always did. Carole is on the piano, James on his guitar. And it is so neat, after some of the songs, he gets up and goes over and hugs her or takes her hand and it is so sweet to see the love and respect between them.
I sure do remember my sister having CK's Tapestry Album. Even as a kid I loved that album. Ahhh. Good stuff.
Speaking of Good Stuff...
I have been wanting to fix some Fava beans I had in the cabinet. Usually you buy them fresh from the produce dept., but I found some dried ones at the healthfood store and they have been in the cupboard. ( I like that word, 'cupboard') I also had some yellow squash and wanted to fix that so I decided to combine the two.

Fava beans come with a very tough skin on them. Before you can even think about cooking them, you have to give them a quick boil, then a quick ice bath just to peel them. Then when they are peeld you can decide how you want to cook them. I like a nice saute on them. Once cooked they have a lovely creaminess and a flavor, that could almost make you feel like it has taken all its flavor from the other ingredients, but it has contributed its own taste.
I cooked a clove of garlic in some olive oil, added a little onion and then added the squash and beans. I was tasting a bit as I went, and it seemed to need something to brighten it up. So I chopped up a couple of 'ugly' tomatoes and added them. Just for fun I threw in about a tablespoon of coriander seeds. They didn't cook long enough to add any even flavor, but when you bight one, the perfume of it is just an exotic blast.

I also added salt and pepper of course, but the salt was a chunky smoked salt. That stuff is so deep & rich in flavor. look at it...

The dish came out very nice. A couple of things I would do different: I would put the beans in first, let them cook a bit more; then I would add the onions in AFTER the tomatoes, so they didn't cook down so much. What I ended up doing was adding some raw onion to the plate and a bit of butter on top, those last two touches really elevated it.
Between my healthy, veggie dinner and haveing dinner with Carole & James, I have really had a lovely evening.
Now if you excuse me, I need to go to iTunes and buy Tapestry. :)

I came upon a new food blog. Every time I do, I get a twinge of guilt, because I know that is one more day I won't open one of the cookbooks in my cupboard. I love those books, I do. I need to find a way to get them out of the closed up cabinet and displayed. I think that is my new goal. Now that I have a new goal with the neglected books, I can move on to the new recipe! 

So this new blog is "Big Girls, Small Kitchen". From what I can tell, the big means grown up, not large. They are two 20 somethings who have been friends and budding cooks since Jr High. Now they are providing recipes and entertaining tips for their generation using simple techniques and a simple pantry. I enjoyed browsing the site. They are doing noble work. And I will tell you, this recipe was AB FAB!! David and I reallllly enjoyed it. It has a mexican flavor and not an awful lot of effort. Thanks to the fine gentlemen at Surf and Turf, the chicken was cleaned beautifully and ready to throw in. I need to find a good reliable chorizo. The one I got is super tasty, but it is a dried sausage and can be tough. It is a perfect bite for a charcuterie tray, (with some Manchego cheese!) but it worked out ok in this one. Chicken, Chorizo (Spanish sausage), cumin, chili, and of course onions and garlic. (let me add real quick that Spice Islands makes some really stand out spices these days)  And two of my current go to favorite flavors, lime and cilantro. A delightful creaminess is the result of heavy cream and sour cream. Round this out with a couple of pantry staples; flour, chicken broth, butter S & P, and rice for girth and texture and you have a weeknight meal to make you feel like its Fiesta!! 

This dish is one of those that really lend itself to experimentation. I think it would be pretty amazing with some poblano peppers, maybe a Queso Fresco cheese, maybe some seafood. I would also like to try some different grains, not just a rice but maybe farro?  Lots of ideas, but try it straight up as the quarter century girls wrote it. It will make you feel young and 20 something again. Or not, but you'll enjoy it.  

Chicken/Chorizo Casserole adapted from BGSK

Ingredients
1/2 pound chorizo
1  pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons ancho chile powder (or chili powder)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 lime, juiced
3 cups cooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 cups coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chorizo until nicely charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and 1 teaspoon of the ancho chili powder. Add to the skillet and cook on both sides until browned and cook through, about 15 minutes. Note: if your pan is big enough, you can brown both meats at the same time.

Add the butter and the onions to the pan and saute, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remaining chili powder, cumin, salt, and flour. Cook for a few minutes, until the flour has become fully incorporated. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, sour cream, and lime juice. Gently simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In the meantime, cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, and slice the chorizo. Carefully fold in the meats, cooked rice, and cilantro. Use the back of your spatula to even the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown.

Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve straight from the pan.

Buns, Buns, Buns

Cinnamon Buns! I have been introduced to the bread machine. I know, I know, they have been around for ions! Where have I been? I actually have avoided them. The temptation of making that bread, so easy. Fresh Hot bread dough? In My Kitchen?? Whenever I pressed a button? Too much. I couldn't risk it.
But my sister made cinnamon rolls on fathers day. My husband's new boss was in town. He came to our brunch. He Loved the Cinnamon Buns. My husband was heading to my bosses and asked me to make those buns. Then the BREAD MACHINE came into my house. My sister gave me the recipe, which is the Cinnabon recipe. The machine creates the dough then I sprinkle it with magic cinnamon sugar, roll it up and slice up the beautiful pinweels.
I couldn't believe I had made these soft, sublime delights. I have never worked with yeast. It imtimidated me. And I am slightly impatient. :)
So I am anxious to try new things with the bread maker now. I saw a donut recipe and obviously the savory versions are on the list. If you have a bread machine, please try this. If you don't, go to your local thrift store, I guarantee you will find one that works just fine. Go ahead, don't be scared.
Bread Machine Cinnamon Buns
1/4C Water
1C Milk
1/2 C Butter
1 1/4 Large Egg (well Beaten)
1t vanilla
1/2t salt
1/2C sugar
4 1/2C flour
1/4 oz (1pkg) yeast
Let egg come to room temp. Melt butter, add water and milk and cool to 75-85 degrees.
Add remaining ingredients in order to bread machine and use dough setting.

Filling
1C light brown sugar
5T cinnamon*
1 stick margarine

Roll dough out to 15x 24 rectangle. Spread with margarine and sprinkle with cinnamon / sugar. Roll into log and cut and place in pans. (I use a deep sided metal pan) Let rise for one hour or until double in size.
Bake at 335 degrees for 20 minutes.
If you want to make ahead, roll and and place in pans then cover and put in the fridge. You will need to remove from fridge and let come to room temp and then rise (approx 1.5hours) before baking.

*I used McCormicks roasted Saigon Cinnamon, it is a much better flavor than regular.

Monday Meal in a Minute

Maybe it took more than a minute, but not much. Pork with cashews and Snow Peas. Really simple. Relatively few ingredients. Depending on what kind of pantry stock you keep, you may have everything on hand. I always have these items on hand. I love the flavors they add to a lot of different styles of cooking. Mirin (sweet cooking wine) it's not actually sweet, but it is not dry either. Think Yin and Yang.
You balance the semi sweet wine with a tangy Soy sauce or even Fish sauce. You can balance it with lemon or line in non- Asian cooking. I have used it with seafood and veggies. And doesn't everyone always have soy sauce and chicken broth on hand? The questionable ingredients for me are cashews and snow peas.  I frequently have fresh ginger on hand, but I do have to double check when I want to make this. Other than that;  garlic, cornstarch and Pork.  9 ingredients and oil. And dinner is so delicious!!
Now I did not include rice, because we try to avoid the starches most nights. But it would certainly round the meal out nicely. Try it this week. You wil feel very accomplished, and satisfied.
Cashew Pork and Snow Peas (adapted from Cooks Country)
1/2 c Cashews - raw or roasted (if raw, toast in a dry pan until golden) largely chopped.
1c Chicken broth
1/4 c Mirin
1/4c Soy sauce
3T Cornstarch (didvided)
1lb Pork Tenderloin
1T + 6 t vegetable oil
8 oz Snow Peas strings removed
6 garlic cloves, minced
1T grated Ginger

Whisk broth, mirin, soy and 1T cornstarch in a bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.
Cut pork crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, then cut each slice into strips. Toss pork and 1T oil in large bowl. Add remaining 2T cornstarch and toss to coat.
Heat 2t oil over medium high heat until just smoking. Brown half of pork, 3 to 6 minutes, transfer to plate and tent with foil. Repeat with 2t oil and remaining pork.
Cook snow peas and remaining 2 t oil in now empty skillet until bright green, about 1 minute. add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk broth mix to recombine and add to skillet. Cook until thickened, about two minutes. Return pork and any accumulated juices and cashews to skillet and cook until heated through.

(sorry, I have to get back in the groove and take pics. I forgot)

I'm Back!

We had a lovely vacation. A whole week, saturday to saturday on Anna Maria Island. We spent most of the time laying by the pool and watching the sunset on the beach. I poked around a few shops, got my annual souvenir from Ginny and Janey's and really relaxed.
This is a lovely "old Florida" beach town, established in the early 1900's. Most of the neighborhoods were established full on in the 60s, but there are a number of historic homes and sites on the small island. But having been vacationing there for abut 16 yrs, we have seen lots of development as well. Its to be expected. I remember when I lived in the keys, one of the things you heard a lot, was "everyone wants to be the last one there". Which is true. You want to get in and enjoy the place and then have all further development stop. It just doesn't work that way. But I will keep going and enjoying the amazing little place it is and if I ever win the lottery, I will buy in and hope I am the last one in. :)
We came home this morning. One thing that runs true in my family, we do not try to eek the last minute out of a vacation. When it is time to go, we are up and out! ASAP. Today was check out by 10am, we were out the door by 8. As soon as we woke up and got the car packed, we were headed home. We would have headed home last night if we had thought of it before a few beers.
But we are home today and my sweet Dad brought me some beautiful steaks so I didn't have to go to the store. I did end up running out and getting some potatoes to bake.
Last week my dad brought me some blue cheese. So tonight I made some Blue Cheese dressing and had a wedge salad. Then we fired up the little grill, put the steaks on and baked a couple of potatoes. David has some seasoning called Citizen Kane, (from a famous St Louis restaurant) and we sprinkled that on the meat.
What a delicious and simple meal. Perfect for the first day back from vacation.
I will be back in the kitchen this week. So stay tuned. One thing I can't get out of my head is some fries we got at a restaurant called 'Eat Here'. French fries with gravy and parmesan cheese. Oh My!! I may have to come up with those for my dad this week. Maybe I can get him to eat more than a few bites.