Isleños Shrimp-Andouille Paella

I was born in Louisiana.
I didn’t stay here long.
By the age of 3 I was in San Antonio, followed by Topeka, Stillwater, Sacramento, and a score of other places as my family traveled. I think the longest we were anywhere was 9 months.

No, we weren’t running from the LAW, we were running with the Air Force.

It wasn’t until I was college bound that I returned to Louisiana to stay and it wasn’t until WAY {and I do mean WAY!!} after I was married that I learned to cook and appreciate the wide range of flavors found in Louisiana Cuisine. Mostly French with a little of everything else thrown in for color. I started with simple things from older Louisiana Cookbooks and have worked my way up to more complicated dishes. Like this one!

The Paella is not a regular Spanish Paella but rather that of the Isleños, immigrants from the Canary Islands, who settled around New Orleans in the late 1700s. They were an attempt by Spain, who controlled Louisiana at the time, to increase population and therefore power in the area. This is one of many dishes still made by the descendents of the Isleños living today in St. Bernard Parish.

Shrimp-Andouille Paella {Louisiana Cookin’ October 2012}

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced {If you cannot find Andouille I would think any smoked sausage would work.}
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped .
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Y2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 (2-ounce) jar pimientos, drained
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add 2 cups water, rice, tomatoes, bouillon, paprika, cayenne and black pepper, and saffron. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in shrimp; cook, covered, another 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Stir in peas and pimento. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Despite all the ingredients it is amazingly easy to put together in just one pot. Just one!!

IF you want to learn more about this cultural group that has colored the cuisine of Louisiana you can find more HERE!

 

{Sunday Sweets} Sweet Potato Praline Brownies

Earlier this summer I subscribed to a new magazine. A cooking magazine of course. Louisiana Cookin’. While it is not a new magazine I just found out about it. When the October 2012 issue arrived I scanned through it and was immediately drawn to a brownie recipe. No ordinary recipe. The brownies were one of the winners of the magazine’s annual Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest. And it wasn’t really the sweet potatoes in the brownies that caught my eye, it was the topping – Pecan Praline. WOWZA!! How could I pass that up?

Sweet Potato Praline Brownies {submitted by Dana Territa}

1 large sweet potato
5 large egg whites
1 cup softened unsalted butter, divided
1 cup sugar
l/2 cup (hopped pecans, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Prick sweet potato allover with a fork. Wrap in a wet paper towel, and microwave on high heat for 5 minutes. Continue to microwave in 2-minute intervals until soft. Set aside to cool. Once potato is cool, peel, mash, and reserve pulp.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup butter and
sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until combined.
Add cocoa powder, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gently fold in egg whites to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans and sweet potato. Transfer to prepared pan, and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is firm.

In a heavy saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. And brown sugar and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and slowly whisk in evaporated milk. Return saucepan to stove and bring mixture to a boil again. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 230° on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from heat, and stir for 2 minutes; let cool to lukewarm. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Stir until combined. Pour mixture over warm brownies, and top with remaining 1 cup pecans.

Let cool to room temperature before cutting.

I made these exactly as the recipe listed except I made up my own evaporated milk. I don’t know if that was a good idea or not. The brownies NEVER got solid enough to slice. I had to chill them before I could slice them and even then they could only be eaten with a fork. I have no idea why this happened.

These were so completely delicious. You could not really taste the sweet potato in the brownies. Or at least I couldn’t. But THAT TOPPING!! O My Word!! I might use the topping on my favorite brownies. And maybe add in the sweet potatoes.

Okay, one more look!!

 

Spinach-Pork Stuffed Shells

So many recipes from magazines, so little time. At least that is how I feel sometimes. I would have to cook 3 new meals a day for the next 20 years or so to fix all the dishes I have saved from mags.

So here we are – one down – 1 million to go!!!

Spinach-Pork Stuffed Shells

6 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1/4 pound ground pork
4 cups water
3 cups torn fresh spinach
1 egg, lightly beaten ,
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 to 2 cups marinara sauce

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook pork over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In a saucepan, bring
water to a boil. Add spinach; boil for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Drain andI sauteed the spinach in a little olive oil and butter until wilted.
Pat dry; chop the spinach. In a bowl, combine the pork, spinach, egg, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, cream, garlic, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
Drain shells; stuff with the pork mixture. Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce in an ungreased 1-qt. baking dish. Place stuffed shells in dish; drizzle with remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through.

All that cheesey goodness.

These were fairly quick to make (about 50 minutes) and quite tasty. I did add 2 tsp Italian seasoning and wish I had added more. I had already subbed in the marinara sauce for speghetti sauce. I think it gave it a lighter taste.

Thanks to Becky Butch of Missouri and Taste of Home’s Cooking for Two (Spring 2005) for this dish.

 

Shrimp Spaghetti

There are two distinct ingredients that always catch my attention. Pasta! Seafood! Any kind of seafood. If I can put those two together I know it will be a great dish and everyone in the family will enjoy it. Looking thru an old Paula Deen magazine I found the perfect mix.

Cheesey Shrimp Speghetti

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbl dried parsley flakes
1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 lbs medium fresh shrimp
1 (12 oz) box thin spaghetti, cooked, drained
1 (8 oz) package processed cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350°
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat
Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper basil, thyme, and garlic powder.
Pour mixture into a 13″x9″ baking dish.
Add shrimp and toss gently to coat.
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from oven, stir in spaghetti and cheese. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Stir all to combine.

DELICIOUS!!! Cheesy, rich, and wonderful!!. Now, I have a confession to make. I could have eaten this greedily without the cheese. Just toss the shrimp/butter/seasoning mix with the pasta and you have a completely different dish. Neither of them is low cal. But both of them equally GREAT!!

When I made it I did the whole dish in an oven proof skillet. That worked out very well and only one large dish to wash!!

Recipe comes from March/April 2008 issue of Cooking with paula deen

 

Sweet Potato-Pecan Muffins

Muffins!

Cupcakes without frosting. Or maybe cupcakes are muffin ‘wanna-bes’ just waiting to be stripped of their frosting cover {Which is why, maybe, lots of people lick off the frosting before eating the cupcake.} While cupcakes are ‘fussy’, Muffins always tend to feel comforting to me.

Whatever is right muffins are tasty little handy breafasts/snacks in a paper holder crying out to be cupped in the hand warm from the oven and savored slowly.

See, they even make me wax a little poetic!

Sweet Potato-Pecan Muffins

I ran across a Muffin Mini-cookbook while cleaning out 30 Years of Country Living Magazine. {And no, I don’t know why I kept them…and yes, I know there are others out there …you know who you are!!} By cleaning out I mean tearing out all the recipes, paper clipping them by month and throwing out the rest of the magazine. There were 12 muffin recipes to choose from. This is the first of many. The mini cookbook is still on my counter which means I will make, probabaly, 11 more from it.

And if they are all as good as this one…. There was a hint of sweetness from the grated sweet potato and a nice little crunch from the chopped {and toasted} pecans. Beware CupCakes, these don’t need no stinkin’ frosting to be very very tasty!!

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 sweet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and finely grated
2/3 cup chopped pecans

1.Heat oven to 375’F.
2.Prepare muffin pan.
3.In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until blended.
4.In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
5.Add flour mix¬ture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating just until combined.
6.Fold in sweet potato and pecans.
7.Using ice-cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter among greased muffin-pan cups.
8.Bake muffins 25 to 30 minutes or until centers spring back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes.
9.Remove muffins from pan and serve warm.

Country Living October 1993

Submitting to

 

Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage-Tomato Sauce and Spinach

There is nothing more comforting than PASTA. There is always some type of pasta in our pantry. Or I make some fresh to try out new recipes and an excuse to use the pasta roller. I needed something new for dinner and settled on some type of pasta dish. I just didn’t know which one until I was looking through all the magazine recipes I have torn out over the years. I came upon this one.

Rigatoni with spicy sausage-tomato sauce, arugula spinach, and parmesan

The original recipe called for arugala, but since the only grocer that carries it is on the other side of the river on the other side of town I subsituted spinach, even tho…

“The classic meat sauce gets some oomph from the peppery arugula.”

The oomph wasn’t worth the 40 minute round trip drive.

Ingredients

1 Tbl olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lbs hot Italian sausages casings removed {I used fresh ground Italian sausage.}
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
8 ounces rigatoni
2 cups (packed) fresh arugula, stemmed {Subbed in Spinach}
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 Tbl shopped fresh oregano {I used 1/2 Tbl dried}
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

~ Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion; saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.
~ Add garlic; stir 1 minute.
~ Add sausage; cook until browned, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
~ Drain drippings from pot.
~ Add wine, diced tomatoes with juice, and crushed tomatoes; increase heat and bring to boil.
~ Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.
~ Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
~ Stir pasta, spinach, basil, and oregano into tomato sauce. Simmer until arugula wilts, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
~ Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Recipe adapted from bonappetit June 2008

This was so good. Everyone liked it. Definitely a repeat.

 

Tacoritos – Easy TexMex

We have been eating a lot of chicken lately. And a lot of hamburger. To that end I am always in the market for new ways and easy and quick ways to fix said chicken and hamburger. I knew one day all those Taste of Home Mags would come in handy. From Feb/March 2010 I came across….

….Tacoritos

According to Monica Flatford who developed the recipe, this is a cross between a burito and a taco. And I say it is like a really simple enchilada. I modified her recipe a tad to more suit our tastes.

1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups water {I really only needed about 2.5 cups}
3 tablespoons chili powder
{1 Tbl tomato paste}
{2 Tbl Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning}
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup refried beans {Left these out, not a bean lover}
8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced ripe olives and sour cream

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Add in SW seasoning and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage, and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. {I added extra SW seasoning to the meat, too} Stir in refried beans; heat through.
Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with optional toppings if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

This was quick, easy, and tasty. If you don’t have time to make enchiladas, don’t want to mess with tacos, and want something moister than buritos, these are perfect. Served with Mexican rice and a small green salad, it is a nice meal.

Thanks Monica, and Taste of Home.

 

Sunflower Oatmeal Bread

If you came here expecting Ellie’s weekly dish I am sorry to disappoint you. Just couldn’t bring myself to do this one. Love pasta. Love crab, but the recipe just wasn’t calling my name. So instead of pasta I give you bread.

Sunflower Oatmeal Bread

This was a delicious bread. Nutty. Sweet. Healthy. Did I say it was delicious. A wonderful combination of whole wheat flour, molasses, rolled oats, and sunflower seeds. The texture was perfect for toasting or just eating plain.

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 – 115 degrees)
1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
Pinch sugar
1 1/4 cups warm butermilk (105 – 115 degrees)
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbl molasses
2 Tbl butter at room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular rolled oats
3/4 cups shelled sunflourew seeds
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
5 1/4 – 5 1/2 AP flour

In a medium mixing bowl combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. In another bowl stir together buttermilk, honey, molasses, and butter.

In a very large mixing bowl stir together whole wheat flour, oats, sunflower seeds, egg, and salt.
Add the yeast mixture and buttermilk mixture. Bet with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 3 minutes.
Stir in as much of the AP flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). {I used my stand mixer and switched to the bread hook after the mix came together adding a little flour until the dough formed a smooth ball.}
Cover and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down dough and divide into 3 portions. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape each portion into a round loaf.
Brush each round with beaten egg and sprinkle with rolled oats.
Place loaves on a greased baking sheet(s). Cover and let rise until nearly double(about 30 minutes).
Bake in a 375 overn for 30 to 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove bread from baking sheets and cool before slicing.

The recipe is enough for 3 loaves. I made one free form. Made one in my 7″ spring form and one in a regular loaf pan. They all came out beautifully. This bread recipe has been moved from my ‘gotta try’ folder to my ‘Tried and Liked’ folder.

Recipe came from a September 2006 Country Home magazine. Which means you will find this one listed with

 

Indian Chicken Curry.

I told my son last night that if it wasn’t any good we would eat out.
We ended up at Dairy Queen.
But only for dessert. Thankfully.
For Blizzards.
AFTER we ate a wonderful Curry.

I do love curry. And if I am cooking just for me, Curry is always my first choice. I have one recipe I have used for years. It is a yellow curry. And it’s pretty good. But it was time for a change.

Indian Chicken Curry
2 tsp ground red pepper { I only used 1/2 tsp, but Cayenne}
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbl butter
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 1″ pieces {I used boneless thighs cause that is what I had}
1 8-ounce carton plain yogurt
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
5 cups cubed peeled baking potatoes (about 2.5 lbs)
4 cups water

Combine first 8 ingredients.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Stir in spice mixture, cook 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add chicken, cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine yogurt and tomato paste and whisk together well.
Add yogurt mixture, potatoes, and water to pan. {I used chicken broth and only about 1 cup}
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice.

It’s not very photogenic. It’s the taste that counts. And it tasted FANTASTIC!! The spice! The heat!

It was perfect with Naan spread lightly with garlicky olive oil. (Sorry no pics – had to eat fast before it cooled)

The recipe for the curry came from Cooking Light Magazine (some time early this decade).

And the only reason we ended up with Blizzards is because my dessert wasn’t ready in time.

Pista Kulfi

Kulfi is an Indian ice cream that is often flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, or saffron. Mine is based on Manjula’s kulfi. While she freezes hers in a mold I used my ice cream maker and put it in small molds after taking it from the machine. Flavored with cardamom and topped with pistachios it offers a cool refresh after the spice of the curry.

 

Seafood Fettuccine – Quick and Delicious.

If it was possible, I would have seafood every nite. Doesn’t matter if it’s oysters, shrimp, fish of any kind, scallops. Add in some pasta and I am in Seafood heaven.

Like this pasta with shrimp and scallops.

Seafood Fettucine
1 1/2 Tbl butter
1 cup chopped green onions
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled
1 lb sea scallops
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
3/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan Cheese, divided
8 cups hot cooked fettuccine (abt 1 lb uncooked)
1/4 cup fresh parsley {I used dried}

Pat the shrimp and scallops dry before cooking with paper towels so they don’t dilute he sauce.
Melt butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions and garlic.
Saute 1 minute or until tender
Add shrimp and scallops.
Saute 3 minutes or until done.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add 1/2 and 1/2, salt, pepper, and crabmeat.
Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly (do not boil)
Gradually sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over seafood mixture, stirring constantly.
Cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat
Combine pasta and seafood mixture in a large bowl.
Top each serving with 1 1/2 tsp cheese and parsley.

This was really good. And very quick and easy. Once the shrimp are peeled that is!! One change I would make – sear the scallops before adding them to the mix. I think that would enhance the flavor and give them a better texture. This makes quite a bit of pasta. I hope it freezes well.

Recipe is from Cooking Light. I don’t remember which issue.

BTW this week’s host for Presto Pasta Friday is Pam of Sidewalk Shoes. Make sure you go by her site and look at the round up of great pasta dishes.