Let The Good Times Roll!

Every time I start to write my blog I think about what we can celebrate and what would be the perfect meal to accompany that celebration. This week is the best week to be thinking about Fat Tuesday a.k.a. Mardi Gras. In New Orleans, it really is the celebration of the year.

Mardi Gras is really the name for Fat Tuesday but also refers to the entire Carnival celebration which starts two weeks before Lent. Fat Tuesday is the last day to feast because the next day which is Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. Everyone celebrates in every possible way because it will be 40 days until the Easter feast.

Ah, celebration! Masks, elegant colorful costumes, parades, “mystic society” balls, the traditional throwing of special beads and dubloons in the streets, and of course, foods and spirits. Bourbon Street is ususally so crowded that it takes a great effort just to cross the street between the lines of celebrants.

A typical meal at this time can consist of Crab Cakes (you can email me for my recipe), Fried Green Tomatoes, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Corn Bread (see my blog from 2-15-11) and Caramel Banana Ice Cream.

QUICK and EASY SOUTHERN STYLE GUMBO

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Celery ribs with leaves, chopped

1 medium Bell Pepper, chopped

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 C flat leaf parsley, minced

olive oil

1 lb. Andouille sausage - 1/2” slices

1 (46oz) bottle spicy V8 juice

1 (14oz) can stewed tomatoes with juice

[1 (14oz) can chicken stock - optional - add as needed for liquid]

cayenne pepper to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce - 4 TB or to taste

2 cups frozen Okra, thawed, cut 1/2” slices

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

2 cans crab meat, flaked

Serve with long grain rice

Garnish with chopped scallions and chopped parsley

1. In a Dutch oven or heavy large pot, saute onion, celery, and green pepper in olive oil until tender. Add garlic, parsley and sausage - saute until sausage lightly browned being careful not to burn garlic.

2. Add V8 juice, tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire saving chicken stock for optional liquid. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in okra and shrimp and cook about 7 minutes until shrimp are pink but still tender. Stir in crab meat and heat until crab nicely mixed in with gumbo. Taste, reseason, add liquid as needed.

4. Serve with rice and garnish with chopped scallions and parsley.

“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!”

Chili for Vegetarians and everyone else!

VEGETARIAN FOOTBALL CHILI

(You Won't Miss the Meat!)

One Medium Onion - chopped

8 Cloves Garlic - chopped

3 Carrots - chopped

3 Celery Stalks - chopped

One Yellow Bell Pepper - chopped

Olive oil to saute veggies

Mushrooms fresh or canned - one cup chopped (drained)

Cilantro - 1/4 cup chopped

One can whole peeled Tomatoes with liquid (28oz.) - scrunch tomatoes by hand in the liquid so they are broken up into 1-2” pieces

2 cans Kidney Beans with liquid

1-2 Tb. Chili Powder

Ground Cumin - 1 tsp. or to taste

Dry Oregano - 2 tsp. or to taste

Dry Basil - 2 tsp. or to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot and saute onions, garlic, carrots until tender, about 5 minutes. Then add the celery and bell pepper along with the chili powder and saute for about 5 more minutes or until all are tender.

2. If you are going to serve with rice, start it cooking now.

3. Add the mushrooms and cilantro, cook for a few minutes more and then stir in the tomatoes and beans.

4. Add seasonings - cumin, organo, basil - then bring to gentle boil and reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with rice, salsa, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese and/or croutons.

Accompany with cornbread, tortillas, and/or corn chips.

Tea Duck for any celebration

SMOKED TEA DUCK adapted from a recipe by Judythe Roberts

Start preparations 2 days in advance.

1 duck, whole, 5-6 pounds, dry marinated for 2 days with:

3 TB Kosher salt

1 TB Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crushed (find this or substitution online)

2 tsp. Five Ingredient Spice

Flatten breastbone of bird (so that it looks like it got run-over!). Rub well with spices inside and out. Cover bird with plastic wrap on a baking sheet. Cover with another baking sheet and weight down so bird flattens out. Marinate in refer for 2 days.

6 slices fresh ginger, cut into 3 inch pieces

6 whole scallions, cut into 3 inch slices

Smoking Mixture:

1 Cup raw long-grain white rice

1 Cup dark Chinese tea leaves (Jasmine)

1/2 Cup hickory chips

1/4 Cup dried orange or tangerine peel

4 cinnamon sticks

1/4 Cup brown sugar (optional)

Stuff cavity of duck with ginger and scallions. Steam duck. To steam, put water in bottom of wok and place duck on steamer or wire rack about one inch above water level. Cover and bring water to low boil, reduce heat and steam for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Drain duck. In a kettle style barbeque lined with foil, make a bed of charcoal, light, and when coals are ready, set a metal pie plate with the smoking ingredients on the coals. Note: be sure vents on both top and bottom of bbq are open). Cover with a grate and set duck on the grate. Smoke duck, covered, 45-50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Cool. Put under broiler for 15 minutes to brown: watch it VERY closely! Let bird rest.

Cut up* and serve either chilled or at room temperature. *To cut: use poultry shears and cut 2” pieces across the bird.

Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year 2012! Wow! Another year and another time to celebrate life with all of its possibilities. I read a blog the other day about making each day a New Year's day with a fresh resolution to go with it - a theme or intention for the day.

The refreshing of our lives and spirits should be accompanied by culinary refreshments and goodies too, don't you think?! Entertaining our family and friends is the greatest way to welcome in 2012 and to celebrate all through the year.

Dips are very popular when served with various munchies such as cheese, cut veggies, crackers, breads, and chips. They also make great hostess gifts. You can make a batch to keep handy for the holidays and when you are invited as a guest, just fill a pretty jar and voila! A homemade edible gift!

Some of my best gift and guest dips are the two recipes below and also another for Sweet Champagne Mustard which you can get online at my Blog site. They are easy to prepare and are not an exact science. Also, they travel well and keep for at least a month in the fridge. What delicious offerings!

GREEN PEPPERCORN DIP

Green Peppercorns - one/3oz. jar, drained

Garlic - 6 cloves, rough chopped

Green Onions - one bunch chopped (both the green and white parts)

Mayonnaise - 2 1/3 to 3 cups

White Wine Vinegar - 6 TB.

In a food processor, pulverize the garlic and peppercorns. Add green onions and process until nearly smooth. Do not breathe this in - it is very potent. Stir in the mayo and vinegar. Chill and serve with crudites and crackers.  Taste and if it is too strong, add more mayo. Enjoy!

BAKED ARTICHOKE DIP

Onion, 1/2 chopped
Artichoke Hearts, 1 can of UNmarinated, drained

Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 cup

Mayonnaise, 1 cup (or one small jar)

Lemon Juice, 1 squeeze or just shake in some lemon pepper

Salt & Pepper

Paprika (optional) or Bread Crumbs (optional)

Chop onion to be chunky in a food processor, add drained artichokes and process but keep a rough chunky texture. Pour into an oven-proof casserole and add the Parmesan, Mayo, and lemon juice. Taste, then season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes @ 350 degrees. Serve hot or at room temp. with assorted crackers or cut veggies.

ENJOY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2011!

There is something wonderful in the air at this time of year, the time when we are planning, decorating, shopping, and cooking. The lights are sparkling, the trees are decorated and lit, and the smell of pine is in the air. But most importantly, this is the season to be jolly and to give and receive.

Christmas dinner is an exciting event and no matter what holiday you celebrate at this time, there will be plenty of food, family, and friends. It is amazing how many side dishes you can give and receive along with your turkey or ham (or any entree): mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas with pearl onions, green bean casserole, stuffing and gravy, cranberries, pumpkin dishes, desserts galore, and the list goes on!

Today we are going to talk about two very of-the-season dishes that not only go well turkeyand ham, but with any number of dinners that you may want to serve over this holiday period.

Enjoy these recipes and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

Jenna's Cheesy Corn Casserole

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten

1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (16 oz) cream style corn, UN-drained
1 package (9 oz) Jiffy corn muffin mix (dry)
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F
1. In large bowl, mix together butter, sour cream and egg.

2. Stir in the cans of corn & creamed corn along with the corn muffin mix.
3. Spoon mixture into buttered 2-quart casserole.

4. Bake in preheated 375°F oven, 45 minutes.

5. Add cheese; stir well.

6. Cook additional 20 minutes, or until dish is slightly puffed & lightly browned on top. It will have a creamy texture - do not overcook!

Mom's Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

3-4 Sweet Potatoes (or Yams), cut into 1 1/2” chunks

1/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup

4 Tb. Butter, melted

1 Tb. lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

Sprinkle of chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Combine maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt & pepper & set aside.

3. Lay potatoes in an single layer in a 13x9 baking dish. Pour syrup mixture over potatoes and toss well so the potatoes are coated.

4. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.

5. Uncover, stir and bake until tender and brown on top, about 45 minutes or so. Be sure to stir potatoes every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the pecans.

6. Check to be sure potatoes are tender. Remove from stove and sprinkle a handful of chopped pecans on top.

Enjoy!

Let's Talk Turkey

We are inching up on two of the most important days of the year: Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving. Both of these days are the days we remember to be grateful.

And what is a better way to say “Thank You” to our Vets and our families than to serve a roasted turkey dinner? My mom made one every year complete with all the sides: stuffing, gravy, cranberries (see blog recipe), green beans, cranberry nut bread (see blog recipe), mashed potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie ... I think I left out a few items, but I already feel stuffed. Maybe a nap for me after I finish writing!

My mom's turkey sounds too simple to be true but I stand by my guarantee that this is a scrumptious method producing great results. It is cooked breast side DOWN so that all the juices flow into it to make all that white meat very moist and tender. She never basted, not even once, and the turkey always came out perfect. Oh, and she cooked it unstuffed and cooked the stuffing on the side though you can stuff it if you wish. Simple and delish.

MOM'S ROASTED TURKEY

One turkey (one pound per person + 1/2 pound per for leftovers): consider the size of your oven!

Preheat oven to 325.

Rinse turkey, pat it dry.

Rub all over, inside and out, with half a lemon. Save lemon.

Oil it inside and out (use your hands).

Season inside and out with granulated garlic, lemon pepper, salt.

Put into the cavity: the cut lemon, 2 half celery stalks, apple cut in quarters

(or any variation - carrots are okay too). Do NOT pack it tight. If you are stuffing it then forget these veggies).

Sprinkle paprika all over outside. (makes nice browned color)

Place on rack BREAST SIDE DOWN and put into preheated oven.

Bake: 8-12 lbs: 2-3.5 hours

12-16 lbs: 14-16 minutes/lb. or 3-4 hours

16-20 lbs: 13-14 minutes/lb. or 4-5 hours

20-25 lbs: 12-13 minutes/lb. or 5-6 hours

For a stuffed turkey, add an additional 5–7 minutes per pound.

**Please note that your turkey does not need to be overcooked.

All baking times are variable so please check your turkey about 30 minutes before it is supposed to be done. Use your meat thermometer - it is the most accurate.

Nowadays turkeys come with thermometers but do check your turkey with your own meat thermometer as suggested. Prick the drumstick at the joint (use meat thermometer's point) and if the juices run clear, it is done. Then insert thermometer and to check temp. The skin on top will serve for your crispy skin and it is worth it to actually have moist breast meat (a rarity with most turkey dinners).

Let sit one half hour before carving. (Yes!)

Have a memorable Vet's Day and a happy Thanksgiving.

An Exotic Culinary Trip

I love exotic foods from exotic places and do not always have the time to get up and go to, say, India. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the most populated city in India and one of the most populated cities on the planet. It is the commercial and entertainment center of the country and offers so much culture: food, music, theater and many festivals. This is the birthplace of Bollywood movies some of which are musicals that feature colorful dancing and beautiful cinematography.

When I watch films from the Mumbai International Film Festival my appetite goes crazy and all I care to eat is Indian cuisine. In honor of the wonderful and colorful Indian culture I offer you a simple yet rich and delicious curry dish. This dish is versatile and can be cooked with a mild or hot flavor depending upon your personal taste buds. Serve it with rice and the tantalizing condiments offered here or make up your own. Enjoy!

Bombay Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts - halved & skinned

Flour to coat

Salt and fresh ground pepper

3 Tb. Olive Oil

2 Tb. Butter

1 can chicken broth (about 14 oz.)

1/2 dry white wine or white grape juice with a squeeze of lemon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C fresh parsley chopped

1/4 tsp. ginger powder

1 Tb. curry powder (or to taste)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (about 13 oz.)

Condiments:

Shredded unsweetened coconut

Chopped peanuts

Choppe green onions

Raisins

Chutney (Major Grey's)

Accompaniment:

Basmati or Jasmine Rice

1. Rinse chicken, pat dry and put into plastic bag with about 1/2 C. flour and salt and pepper. Shake to coat then take out of baggie and shake off excess.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for five minutes on each side until lightly browned.

3. Add chicken broth, wine, onion, garlic, parsley, ginger and curry powder. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for five minutes. Cover, then simmer for about 10 more minutes.

4. Remove chicken and set aside

5. Stir in coconut milk and reseason. Heat on low and while this is heating up, slice chicken into 1/2” strips. Add back into pan and gently heat.

6. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice with Chutney and condiments on the side.