Laissez Le Bons Temps Rouler!

....It's been a long time since I've posted anything, but how can you not be motivated to talk food during this time of Celebration. Happy Mardi Gras people! As most of you know I hosted a party to celebrate the Mardi Gras season out here in California, since most of us out here can't get back there to join in the parade fun. I thought I would share with you one of the food favorites of the party. ENJOY!



Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya



ingredients:

2lbs smoked pork sausage, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

2 1/2lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh meat, cut into chunks

1 1/2 lbs onion, diced

2 TBSP minced fresh garlic

1 pound tasso (google it LOL), cubed

3/4 TBSP whole fresh thyme leaves

3/4 TBSP chopped fresh sweet basil leaves

1/2 TBSP coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 TBSP white pepper

1/2 TBSP red pepper flakes

1/3 gallon chicken stock

1 1/4 lbs long-grain rice

1 TBSP freshly chopped curly parsley leaves



directions:

Use your largest pot or dutch oven, I used a 9 QT and use a very strong metal chef spoon, cause you may break a wooden or weak spoon otherwise....I did.



Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using the spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. If you use a leaner sausage there should be little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.



Add the thigh meat and brow the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.



Lower the heat to medium and add onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.



Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.



Add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the strong spoon or paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!



After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for a least 25 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER while rice is steaming.



There is no salt added to this recipe because of the use of herbs, tasso and seasonings to satisfy the need for salt.

....oh lawd, please forgive me for what I'm about to communicate

...I don't know how to begin to tell this story.

.......I'm not a nutrition snop really...REALLY I'm not. I do enjoy a burger or pizza every once in a while. BUT ever since having Cash I do pay attention to food...food groups...ingrediants...origin and such, but I'm not a snob I swear. OK, I do enjoy good food, but I like all kinds of good. I like Indian right now sooo much and I can't get enough of middle eastern! Oh and Italian, geez of course, who doesn't like a good pasta or shank in red sauce for Gods Sake. I like...pizza and Super Mex! BUT my favorite....will always be...REDNECK COUNTRY COOKIN!!! Ok, back to the nutrition, I don't eat white flower of any kind any longer, only whole wheat (or sprouted wheat) pasta and bread for this family. I want to live to see my lil one have kids of his own and since I waited so long and I DON'T know where the fountain of youth is: I work out, eat right ummmm and I guess I still drink some....whatever don't judge...got a have some fun...right!!

All that being said, here is a recipe that I ran into recently and will carry it with me forever. Its for a burger of sorts...Steve said it was the best burger he had EVER had, and believe you me he has had some burgers. Its simple and cheap (my two fave's). Here it is:

...logan county burger
serves 6

• 1lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 medium yellow onion, half grated, the other half thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 12 slices white bread
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 12 slices American cheese

1. In a bowl, combine beef, egg grated onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form thin patties. Spread butter on one slice of bread.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Drain grease from the skillet.
3. In the same skillet, place six slices of bread, butter side down. Top each with a slice of cheese, some onions and a burger. Top with remaining slices of cheese and bread, butter side up. Cook each sandwich until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

You guy's know that usually I adjust recipes per my opinion and liking..........NO ADJUSTMENT needed. In fact if you like this but you're like "ooooohhhh maybe I could healthify it" DON'T! Just don't make it period. This recipe is for those that truly want joy from a burger.

Bon Apetit!!!

quick n easy ravioli...

....where have I been??? Here there everywhere. Sorry for the neglect!

I don't know if you've tried the Ravioli from Trader Joe's, but they are soooo yummy...and cheap. I get the mushroom ravioli, but they have several other flavors. So these are recipe's for when you want a QUICK, but very nice dinner.

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce:

8 cloves of roasted garlic, minced
1/2 tbs butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

• Melt butter in fry pan and saute the roasted garlic for 1 minute.
• Slowly add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in Parmesan cheese and continue to mix until well incorporated.
• Arrange ravioli on plate and top with sauce and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

The ravioli's from Trader Joe's are packaged and in the first isle between the meat, hummus and cheese's.

Add a nice lite salad with butter lettuce, candied pecans, panchetta cracklins or bacon (if your not watching the calories), slices of pear, tiny tomato's and top it with Trader Joe's pear champagne vinaigrette.

Have fun and enjoy!!

some of my fav's...

have any of you heard of Greenpan?? I saw it on an infomercial and immediately was like "I gotta have em!)...Steve said no, you have pots and pans and they are in good condition...buzz kill. Well, over time he heard more and more about them and got on board with me. I'll attach a website that you can look up and read all the technical stuff. For ex: the dangerous chemicals that are released when Teflon reaches a certain temp and how harmful it is to us and the environment, NOT to mention that babies can not filter toxins thru their lil bodies like we can. OK, I'll let you read about all that...sorry...got off on a tangent.

what I like about them is the clean up and the ability to cook with little or no oils. When I'm not cooking from my roots I like to cook clean and these pans make that soooo easy. The clean up is unbelievably EASY! No elbow grease needed at all! I love to cook, but I hate to clean.

I have the Martha Stewart line from Macy's, but you can find original Greenpan on the Internet and Target is now selling a limited selection.

http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/todd-english-thermolon_c-qc_a-2117-4808_xc.aspx?prev=hp!4808&rdr=1&sourceid=ysmbg&cm_mmc=Paid%20Search%20Brand-_-Yahoo-_-Cooking-_-green%20pan

http://www.target.com/gp/search/191-7543383-7520657?field-keywords=green_pan&LNM=green_pan&CPNG=Home&AFID=yahoocom&LID=63661071&ref=tgt_adv_XSYH0808

http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Collection-GreenPan-Fry/dp/B0012GM19E

Mac Pie....

ok, here it is...
where do I begin....

growing up in South Carolina is where I draw most of my cooking inspiration. Most family's gathered every Sunday for a family meal, sometimes feast. I was privy to more than a few of these and there was usually a MAC PIE on the table. But that's not where I learned to make Mac Pie. My sister and I used to go next door to our neighbors house for dinner A LOT. Aunt Grace and Uncle Manning's house for dinner YAAAYYY!!!...these evenings, I believe would be where we developed our passion for food and cooking. My personal favorite was when Uncle Manning made his roast, broccoli cooked well beyond al dente and.....the ever famous and loved MAC PIE. Top that off with biscuits and sweet tea!!

over the years many people have asked me for the recipe, but the truth of the matter is...there is no recipe that I use or have ever used. My sister and I both make it from the wonderful memories of standing in the kitchen watching Uncle Manning and/or Aunt Grace make our favorite dinner. Quite honestly it still baffles me how much people go nuts for this simple 5 ingredient dish. Now, there are many variations to MAC PIE, but you really only need to keep it to these 5 items: large elbow macaroni, CHEESE, butter, eggs and milk. That's it folks, that is the magic 5. You can play around with what cheeses you like and what kind of dairy you use ( I do use some 1/2 and 1/2), but that is it really. So go to the store and get the fab five and have some fun...your family will love you for it!

I still reminisce about those Sunday lunches and dinners with Aunt Grace and Uncle Manning and what it boils down to is...family. Food and cooking bring family together and make lasting memories.

orecchiette with roasted broccoli and walnuts...

I've made this pasta a couple times now and it is soooo good and soooo easy! I did however make a few adjustments to better suit my taste which I have noted at the bottom. If you choose to make this dish please give us all some feedback as to how you like it and if you made any other adjustments that made it your own.

orecchiette with roasted broccoli and walnuts

12 oz orecchiette or some other short pasta

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chooped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

2TBSP unsalted butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• Heat oven to 400 F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. ( add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

*I added the butter before the broccoli mixture so that the butter coated each piece of pasta.

*I added more broccoli, garlic and walnuts.

*Oh and I also added Spicy Italian Sausage, pulled out from casing and sauted. I added sausage to pasta at the same time that I added the other goodies. It is however awesome without the sausage.

MAC PIE coming soon......stay tuned