Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

I remember going on trips to New Orleans with my parents when I was a child. I will never forget going to a very authentic Cajun restaurant near Bourbon Street. Since the place did not have a child's menu, my parents ordered me a bowl of gumbo. I looked in horror and in disbelief at the large crab claws, oysters and shrimp shells floating around in my bowl. My dinner looked like it was going to make a run for it back to the sea. Now days I would give anything for a wonderful seafood filled bowl of gumbo. It is hard to beat Cajun cuisine. From the sauces, fresh seafood, étouffées, jambalayas and beignets, I love it all. 

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 stalks celery, finely diced

1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced

1 pound fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled

1 -2 andouille sausage, cooked and sliced

1 cup white rice cooked according to directions 

1 Tablespoon Gumbo File

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 cup of canned diced tomatoes 

3-4 green chives or onions sliced for garnish

1 container chicken broth

1 container fresh okra, sliced 

salt & pepper to taste

Roux:

1/4  cup flour

4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium low heat. Slowly add in flour. Stir constantly until roux is a caramel color. If the roux starts to stick to the pan add more oil. For a thicker gumbo, add more flour.

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot. Add garlic, onions, celery and bell pepper. Saute until tender. Add gumbo file, thyme, Tabasco and salt and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl, ladle out 1 cup of the hot broth. Slowly incorporate the cooked roux. Pour back into the pot. Turn down to a simmer. Add  shrimp and sausage. Cook 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with cooked white rice. Garnish with gumbo file and green onions.

Enjoy!

Rustic Pizza Night

There is nothing better than a homemade pizza. The crispy crust, the sauce from scratch and hand picked toppings, will make you want to stay in rather than go out, for a slice of pie. Until I get my wood burning stove from Italy, (ha, ha, dream on) this homemade dough recipe is the next best thing. It's actually Wolfgang-Puck's pizza dough recipe. We cook the pizza on a pizza stone to make the crust nice and crispy. For the sauce I use a Classic Marinara. Add your on toppings and cheese and you are ready for some fantastic pizza. Enjoy!

  

Classic Marinara:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3-4 large garlic cloves

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 can (35oz) whole italian tomatoes with juice (San Marzano) crushed with your hands

1 pinch sugar

2 sprigs fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic and cook over medium heat, until garlic is golden. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, stir in sugar, basil and salt/pepper. Bring to a boil. Simmer sauce over low heat for 30 minutes.

Panna Cotta

Ever since traveling to Italy, I've been obsessed by this dessert. It is one of those dishes that just melts in your mouth, literally!! My husband and I decided to try to recreate this creamy, decadent dessert. Panna Cotta is typically served with fresh fruit. We decided to serve ours with macerated blueberries and candid lemon peels.The panna cotta recipe that comes the closest to bringing me back to that wonderful food memory in Tuscany is this Gourmet recipe:

Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)

2 tablespoons cold water

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half and half

1/3 cup sugar, Plus 1 Tbs.

1 whole vanilla bean, (1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)

Directions:

1. In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 10 minute to soften.

2. In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla seeds. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.

Yield: Serves 8

Enjoy!

Paging Matt Lauer

Attention Matt Lauer, I made your favorite chicken dish. Have to admit this dish has become a favorite of mine as well. When I first heard the ingredients in this recipe, my initial reaction was Yuck!! I think it was the dried prunes that elicited the response. Once I tasted the dish, my reaction changed to YUM!! The sweet prunes nicely off set the vinegar and complimented the salty olives. This is one of those go-to dishes if you are having company for dinner. Just make sure to give it enough time to marinate.

 P.S. Matt I have leftovers in the fridge if you want to stop by.

I used the Silver Palate's Recipe or you can try Matt's Recipe. I don't think there is much difference in the two.

Kale Chips

  

 

Kale Chips are a healthy easy to make snack. All you need is some Kale (I like to use the dinosaur kale variety), olive oil, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese to garnish. That is it!! First, wash the kale and dry it very well. I usually put mine in a salad spinner to get the excess water off or you could pat it dry with a towel. Then rub your kale down with olive oil. Give it a nice little massage, making sure to get the olive oil into the kale. Season with salt & pepper and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Curried Carrot Coconut Soup

Served with Cilantro and a Wedge of Lime

Wonderful roasted vegetable soup with a Thai twist.

Veggies Ready For Roasting
 

Spice Blend

Caramelized Goodness

Curried Carrot Coconut Soup Recipe:

1 Bunch Carrots peeled

1 Medium Sweet Potato peeled and sliced

1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced

1/2 medium Red Onion, Sliced

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Yellow Curry Powder

1 Teaspoon Red Curry Powder

Olive oil

1 Clove Garlic, Sliced

2 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1/2 can Coconut Milk

3 cups Chicken Broth

Arrange chopped veggies on a large baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over them and bake and 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. 

In a large soup pot, combine 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, garlic and ginger. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Add your roasted veggies, spice blend and chicken broth. Puree in a blender, food processor or break out the boat motor (hand held blender). Blend until smooth.

Stir in your coconut milk. Serve with a wedge of lime and cilantro. 

 

Gnocchi Two Ways

Gnocchi with a Mushroom Arugula Sauce

Gnocchi with a Lamb Ragu

This past weekend we had a Gnocchi throw down. With two wanna be chefs in the house there is always room for some healthy competition. We started with some homemade Gnocchi... Yes, we are crazy enough to make Gnocchi from scratch. Then came the sauces. I made a Mushroom Arugula sauce while the hubby made a Lamb Ragu. The throw down was considered to be a tie... mostly because the participants wanted to come back and eat at our house again.

Mushroom Arugula Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

 2 cups beef broth

4 large portobella mushrooms, chopped

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup arugula 
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil 

parmesan to garnish

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add chopped portobella mushrooms. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add beef broth and cook for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced. Add in Arugula, salt & pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream.  Add homemade or store bought Gnocchi to the sauce. Drizzle with truffle oil and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Sugar High

If you want to get your sugar fix without actually consuming any, then this is the place for you: The Cake Bar. It is full of sugary confections that are a feast for the eyes.

Featured was this  Double Chocolate Malted Tart I made a while back.

This tart has a decadent malted chocolate-y taste. It goes perfectly with sweet raspberries. The recipe can be found on the Food Network's site here.

Texas Potato Salad

With Labor Day right around the corner, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite potato salads. It is perfect for picnics because there is no mayo, so you don't have to worry about leaving it out if it is hot. Speaking of hot, the secret ingredient to this delicious potato salad is...wait for it...pickled jalapeños.

This recipe and many more tasty dishes can be found in The Peach Tree Famliy Cookbook by Cynthia Collins Pedregon. 

Grains of Goodness

Quinoa is an ancient grain that has gone retro. You've probably heard about it or seen it, but if you were like me, maybe a little hesitant to try it. Once I found a way to prepare it that I liked, I was hooked. You can feel good about eating it since it packs a punch of protein and is rich in magnesium and iron. 

Quinoa Tabbouleh is my favorite way to enjoy this great grain.

 To get the recipe click here.
 

Top Chef in TX

When I heard that one of my favorite shows Top Chef 
was filming at my favorite local grocery store Whole Foods,  I could not believe it. It was as if two of my favorite things had merged to become one.


There are not many shows I watch, but this is one of them. Bravo, the cable channel that airs Top Chef, had the originality to put this type of show on TV before it became a completely overused format. Top Chef  features actual cooking and not just personalities like some other shows that will remain nameless. 


Can't wait to see what they cook up in the Lone Star state.

Liven up a Lentil Salad

I'm continuing on my summer salad theme with a Lentil salad. Lentils are very versatile. You can serve them warm by adding them to soups or serving them under a nice piece of fish like Halibut. They can also make a great side dish or just a meal in themselves. They are high in iron, folate and fiber. 

The key to this likable legume is not to over cook it. You want the texture to be al dente. 

I like to add fresh herbs, like parsley and dill to my salad. I also toss in some raw radishes, black olives, green onion and a bell pepper. The dressing is easy... It is a simple balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette.

You can learn more about lentils here.

Lentil Salad Recipe:

1 cup Lentils, washed and cooked according to the directions on the package 

1/2 cup radishes, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted or 1/4 cup capers

1 bell pepper (red or green), chopped

3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Cook lentils and let them cool. Combine lentils with remaining ingredients. 

 

Grilled Zucchini Salad

What do you do with all that zucchini from the garden? How about make a grilled zucchini salad. This recipe was adapted from the executive chef's recipe at the Lake Austin Spa Resort. I attended Terry Conlan's cooking class at Central Market and was inspired to make my own version of the grilled salad. 

I started with fresh oregano, black olives and feta cheese.  

I then grilled my zucchini and made my cooked vinaigrette dressing which consisted of Dijon mustard, olive oil and finely chopped onion or shallots. Just combine all the ingredients and you have a great summer salad. 

Not your homogeneous hummus

I was inspired at Central Market today by all the fresh herbs. I normally make my hummus the same way, but today I thought I would mix it up with some fresh rosemary and punch it up with some Meyer lemon juice. The flavor was light and reminiscent of a cannellini bean dip. The new twist on average hummus was perfect for summer. How do you mix it up when it comes to making hummus?