Just a few days away from the Creole Superbowl (kinda catchy?!?)...& I'm reminded of my first visit to Louisiana.
The last few days of Summer before my Junior year at Baylor University, I traveled with a small group of my sorority sisters to Louisiana State University. Our mission...to support the ADPi House with their Summer rush for new pledges & to have fun in the process...the primary goal of any serious college student :)
We were welcomed enthusiastically & graciously invited into their House. After a full day of meet & greet with potential new sisters, we gathered eagerly around the long dining tables...this group of sassy young sorority girls...famished!
Dinner was served...& it was...looking at me!
Now I didn't know much about Cajun cuisine. I'm talking Yellow Rose of Texas Southern girl...& in Texas, you might get your steak rare...but even then, the eyes would NOT be included! There I was ...face to face with hundreds of tiny crustaceans...struggling...conflicted! What would Emily Post do right now? And if I were able to consult her Guide to Etiquette, what indeed would she say about sucking the brains out of the crawdad head after consuming the almond sized piece of "meat" they had to offer?
I did what any well-mannered Southern girl would do in this moment...I asked...very politely..."where is the closest pizza parlor?"
In the years since then, I have had the pleasure of experiencing a wide variety of Creole dishes...discovering along the way that most will NOT be looking at me! I have a personal favorite spice blend that I have used to give a number of ordinary recipes a little Louisiana Lagniappe (lan-yap)...translation: a little something special :)
Creole Spice Blend
2/3 cup
2 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp fine sea salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Place all spices in a blender & pulse until well blended. Store in an airtight container. (A good alternative to purchase is Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning which contains no MSG.)
Bayou Country Meatloaf
6 servings
1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
1 cup (8 oz) organic tomato sauce, divided
1 cup prepared brown rice
1/4 medium onion, chopped
4 drops Tobasco sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can organic stewed tomatoes
1 tsp prepared brown mustard
1 tsp Creole Spice Blend
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter or butter flavored cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine meat, 1/3 cup tomato sauce, brown rice, onion & Tobasco. Mix well. Press meat into loaf pan & bake for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine remaining 2/3 cup tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, mustard, & spice blend. Pour tomato mixture over meatloaf & bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven & let rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is a super moist meatloaf...good to the last bite!
Cajun in The City Salad
4 servings
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp Creole Spice Blend
6 cups Romaine lettuce
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 ripe but firm Bosc pear, cored & sliced
1 sweet tart apple (Honey Crisp, Pink Lady), cored & diced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Combine first four ingredients until smooth & well blended to make a dressing. Can be prepared a day ahead.
When ready to serve, toss Romaine lettuce with dressing & divide onto 4 plates. Top with remaining ingredients & serve.
Excellent accompaniment to roasted BBQ chicken or grilled salmon. As an entree salad, divide ingredients onto 2 plates & top with a serving of chicken or salmon.
The Waldorf salad was created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1896 by the maitre d'hotel, Oscar Tschirky, & became an instant success. The original version contained only apples, celery & mayonnaise.
So, even if you're not cheering for the Saints on Sunday, I hope you enjoy a bit of what their culture has to offer even in the most ordinary of recipes!
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler,
Cenee'
Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cooking for Michael Buble'...
I love a man who will sing for his supper...or better yet, sing for MY supper. While Michael croons away, I throw on my apron and put on the show!
On the nights I'm flying solo, I'll get a little creative. Try out something I've been brainstorming or try to re-create a dish I've enjoyed in one of my culinary outings (which are few). These are the nights I know I can't go wrong. I have seriously NEVER been known to complain about the chef.
On The Menu: Bay Scallops with Toasted Sesame Quinoa & Swiss Chard & Morrocan Salad with Almond Vinaigrette
Bay scallops happened to be on sale this week...so that was a given. And this particular salad has been on my mind for over a year now...about time to give it a go. I happen to like simple meals...with lots of flavor. I also like components of a meal that can be used...oh say, tomorrow. Here's how this all came together...
Swiss chard -- about 3 cups leftover from making my soup (Mushroom Swiss Chard Soup in a previous post), already rough chopped & sitting in my crisper ready to go
Quinoa -- pronounced "keen-wah", my favorite grain, a near perfect protein full of amino acids, very light with a wonderful nutty flavor, super versatile, so I prepared a double portion & will be using some of it for breakfast tomorrow (stay tuned).
Arugala -- you can see that I already had a salad with this earlier in the week with a completely different flavor profile, surprisingly also very versatile considering how peppery it is & besides, it is too good to let any of it go bad
Preparing Quinoa: Rinse your quinoa in a small sieve so that it won't be bitter. Prepare in a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (i.e. 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup water). Bring your water to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes and then remove from heat. The little quinoa grains will open up and look like tiny little spirals. You will fall in love with this grain...I promise!!
Tip: While your quinoa is cooking, prepare your salad dressing. You could also prepare these a day ahead to save some time!!
Almond Vinaigrette
3/4 cup
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup almond oil (can use grapeseed oil but almond is worth the investment)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp water (could also use unsweetened coconut juice)
1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Heat oven to 350. Place the almonds on a baking dish in a thin layer and bake for 5 minutes, until just golden. Remove from pan to let cool.
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit more water if necessary. It will be thick (think Ranch dressing from a bottle). This makes 3/4 cup. You will only use about 1/3 of it and it will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days.
Moroccan Salad
2 servings
3 cups Arugala
4 Medjool dates, pitted & rough chopped
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Toss arugala with 2 generous Tbsp of vinaigrette. Top with dates & gorgonzola.
Toasted Sesame Swiss Chard & Quinoa
2 servings
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 cup prepared quinoa
3 cups swiss chard, stems removed & rough chopped
Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about a minute. Add quinoa and saute for an additional minute. Add chard to pan, mix well and saute down until chard is wilted. This is a yummy side dish for just about any meal.
Pan Sauteed Bay Scallops
2 servings
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine (I use an inexpensive Pinot Grigio -- Fish Eye $5 bottle)
1/2 lb tiny bay scallops
In a medium pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add scallops and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. You don't want to overcook them or they will get rubbery.
Remove the scallops from the pan with a slotted spoon and serve them on top of the cooked chard. (I started my scallop dish at the same time I added the swiss chard to it's dish & they were ready at the same time. I already had my salad plated so my scallops didn't get cold while waiting.)
Serve immediately & Enjoy!!
A note on the oils: I love having these special oils on hand. They add a whole lot of flavor and make your dishes really special with no additional effort. Olive oil is always a good backup, but I like to add variety and this is a really easy way to do that. Just keep all your oils in the refrigerator so that they will stay fresh--rancid oils are very bad for your body. Your olive oil will solidify, but all you need to do is run it under some warm water for a minute before you use it or set it out a little before cooking time.
I have it on good source that Elvis may be coming for dinner next week! I plan to break him out of his jelly-filled doughnut and peanut butter banana sandwich phase while he sweetly sings Love Me Tender :)
Bon Appetit,
Cenee'
On the nights I'm flying solo, I'll get a little creative. Try out something I've been brainstorming or try to re-create a dish I've enjoyed in one of my culinary outings (which are few). These are the nights I know I can't go wrong. I have seriously NEVER been known to complain about the chef.
On The Menu: Bay Scallops with Toasted Sesame Quinoa & Swiss Chard & Morrocan Salad with Almond Vinaigrette
Bay scallops happened to be on sale this week...so that was a given. And this particular salad has been on my mind for over a year now...about time to give it a go. I happen to like simple meals...with lots of flavor. I also like components of a meal that can be used...oh say, tomorrow. Here's how this all came together...
Swiss chard -- about 3 cups leftover from making my soup (Mushroom Swiss Chard Soup in a previous post), already rough chopped & sitting in my crisper ready to go
Quinoa -- pronounced "keen-wah", my favorite grain, a near perfect protein full of amino acids, very light with a wonderful nutty flavor, super versatile, so I prepared a double portion & will be using some of it for breakfast tomorrow (stay tuned).
Arugala -- you can see that I already had a salad with this earlier in the week with a completely different flavor profile, surprisingly also very versatile considering how peppery it is & besides, it is too good to let any of it go bad
Preparing Quinoa: Rinse your quinoa in a small sieve so that it won't be bitter. Prepare in a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (i.e. 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup water). Bring your water to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes and then remove from heat. The little quinoa grains will open up and look like tiny little spirals. You will fall in love with this grain...I promise!!
Tip: While your quinoa is cooking, prepare your salad dressing. You could also prepare these a day ahead to save some time!!
Almond Vinaigrette
3/4 cup
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup almond oil (can use grapeseed oil but almond is worth the investment)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp water (could also use unsweetened coconut juice)
1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Heat oven to 350. Place the almonds on a baking dish in a thin layer and bake for 5 minutes, until just golden. Remove from pan to let cool.
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit more water if necessary. It will be thick (think Ranch dressing from a bottle). This makes 3/4 cup. You will only use about 1/3 of it and it will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days.
Moroccan Salad
2 servings
3 cups Arugala
4 Medjool dates, pitted & rough chopped
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Toss arugala with 2 generous Tbsp of vinaigrette. Top with dates & gorgonzola.
Toasted Sesame Swiss Chard & Quinoa
2 servings
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 cup prepared quinoa
3 cups swiss chard, stems removed & rough chopped
Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about a minute. Add quinoa and saute for an additional minute. Add chard to pan, mix well and saute down until chard is wilted. This is a yummy side dish for just about any meal.
Pan Sauteed Bay Scallops
2 servings
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine (I use an inexpensive Pinot Grigio -- Fish Eye $5 bottle)
1/2 lb tiny bay scallops
In a medium pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add scallops and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. You don't want to overcook them or they will get rubbery.
Remove the scallops from the pan with a slotted spoon and serve them on top of the cooked chard. (I started my scallop dish at the same time I added the swiss chard to it's dish & they were ready at the same time. I already had my salad plated so my scallops didn't get cold while waiting.)
Serve immediately & Enjoy!!
A note on the oils: I love having these special oils on hand. They add a whole lot of flavor and make your dishes really special with no additional effort. Olive oil is always a good backup, but I like to add variety and this is a really easy way to do that. Just keep all your oils in the refrigerator so that they will stay fresh--rancid oils are very bad for your body. Your olive oil will solidify, but all you need to do is run it under some warm water for a minute before you use it or set it out a little before cooking time.
I have it on good source that Elvis may be coming for dinner next week! I plan to break him out of his jelly-filled doughnut and peanut butter banana sandwich phase while he sweetly sings Love Me Tender :)
Bon Appetit,
Cenee'
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy New Year of Healthy Choices...
I trust you are all having a Happy New Year thus far...cannot believe that we are already 11 days in to 2010 (I say that twenty-ten, by the way).
I started mine with a good ol' fashioned rhinovirus! Fortunately, it has been a long time since I have endured said virus. I forgot just how fun it could be!! I offer up thanks for new things like tissues with lotion, day versus night cold meds, fuzzy chenille socks and EmergenC but more importantly juicy oranges, hot green tea with mint, and soothing warm chicken noodle soup.
Today was the first day that I have felt relatively normal. I spent most of the morning attacking all my surfaces with disinfectant, washing bed linens, and tidying up in general. Amazing how out of sorts things can get when you're not doing anything but lying around trying to breathe...this must be one of Murphy's Laws...or maybe just one of Mother's Laws!
I decided that just for extra good measure, I would pack my lunch full of immune boosting goodness. This delicious salad featuring a good dose of vitamin C and a bit of Omega-3 is what brought a smile to my face.
Roasted Chicken, Grapefruit & Arugala Salad
2 servings
2 oz oven roasted chicken, rough chopped
1 Ruby Red grapefruit, segmented
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
6 oz arugala
Feta cheese
Dressing:
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
cracked black pepper
fine sea salt
Combine dressing ingredients & whisk together. Combine all salad ingredients, except for Feta, in a large bowl. Toss well with dressing. Divide onto two plates & sprinkle with small amount of Feta cheese. Enjoy all that juicy goodness while your immune system rejoices!
Bon Appetit,
Cenee'
I started mine with a good ol' fashioned rhinovirus! Fortunately, it has been a long time since I have endured said virus. I forgot just how fun it could be!! I offer up thanks for new things like tissues with lotion, day versus night cold meds, fuzzy chenille socks and EmergenC but more importantly juicy oranges, hot green tea with mint, and soothing warm chicken noodle soup.
Today was the first day that I have felt relatively normal. I spent most of the morning attacking all my surfaces with disinfectant, washing bed linens, and tidying up in general. Amazing how out of sorts things can get when you're not doing anything but lying around trying to breathe...this must be one of Murphy's Laws...or maybe just one of Mother's Laws!
I decided that just for extra good measure, I would pack my lunch full of immune boosting goodness. This delicious salad featuring a good dose of vitamin C and a bit of Omega-3 is what brought a smile to my face.
Roasted Chicken, Grapefruit & Arugala Salad
2 servings
2 oz oven roasted chicken, rough chopped
1 Ruby Red grapefruit, segmented
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
6 oz arugala
Feta cheese
Dressing:
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
cracked black pepper
fine sea salt
Combine dressing ingredients & whisk together. Combine all salad ingredients, except for Feta, in a large bowl. Toss well with dressing. Divide onto two plates & sprinkle with small amount of Feta cheese. Enjoy all that juicy goodness while your immune system rejoices!
Bon Appetit,
Cenee'
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