It's Thanksgiving in July!

(I'm in the process of migrating some blog entries from an old blog into this one. I'd like to have all my recipes in one place. Please excuse the dust while I remodel a little bit. The good news is that I'm adding labels to each post, even the old ones, so we can all find what we are looking for much easier!)

From November of '07

Cajun Cornbread Dressing

3 T. butter

1 c. each chopped onion and celery

1/2 c. each red, yellow, and green bell pepper

2 c. chopped smoked sausage (I used Savoie's brand beef sausage. You could use andouille.)

2 c. chopped raw shrimp

1 stick butter

1 32 oz. box chicken broth

1 16 oz. bag cornbread dressing mix (I used HEB brand)

2 t. Tony Chachere's creole seasoning

In a large pot or skillet melt the 3 T. butter and saute the vegetables until soft. Add the sausage and continue cooking until browned. Add the shrimp and cook through. Add the remaining butter and cook until melted. Add broth and turn off heat. Stir in dressing mix and seasoning. Bake in 9 x 13 casserole dish at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy your leftovers!

Christmas Dinner–Just in Case

With Jaimee’s due date just days away, I thought an early Christmas dinner might not be a bad idea! This menu gave me a chance to try out several new recipes, all of which I can attest are easy to do after spending the day in line at the post office and grocery store. Enjoy!
Menu: Salmon with Cider Sauce, Butternut Squash Bake, Sauteed Spinach, Grand Marnier Cake with Chocolate Glaze.
(Note – I’m going to make an effort – gulp! – to use this space to keep track of recipes that work. I’m not a food photographer by any means; I’m a teacher. I can’t promise gorgeous pics, but I’ll do my best to explain things clearly. If you have questions just holler.)
Simple Salmon with Cider Sauce
1 salmon filet, fresh, figure about 1/2 lb. per adult serving
Seasoning, your choice. I like Paul Prudhomme’s Magic  Salmon Seasoning (grocery store) or Williams Sonoma Potlatch Seasoning
Olive Oil
Flour
Directions: Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Place the salmon, skin side down, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning. Dust with flour. Cook under preheated broiler, close to the element, until done on the inside (some like it more rare – your preference) and crusty on top. Should take around 10 minutes or so at the most. Serve with Cider Sauce.
Cider Sauce (can make ahead and warm later)
1 can frozen apple juice concentrate
3 large or 4 small shallots, sliced
2 T. whole black peppercorns
Directions: Boil the ingredients together until sauce is reduced by 1/2. You’ll have about a cup or so of liquid. Drain. Serve warm drizzled on top of salmon.
Butternut Squash Bake
(This is a nice change from the super-sweeet “It’s really a dessert” squash recipes that are common this time of year.)
2 small or 1 large butternut squash. Use a potato peeler to peel the skin off. Cut off the bottom rounded part and cut in half. Use the peeler to scoop out the seeds. Using a large chef’s knife slice the whole thing into 1/4” slices.
4 T. butter for sautéing squash
salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg
1 c. heavy cream mixed with 1/3 c. sherry
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs
2 T. butter for sautéing bread crumbs
Directions: In a large skillet melt 4 T. butter and sauté slices until brown, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg. Place half of slices in a buttered casserole dish (I actually used a deep dish pie plate. It was red. I love red.) Top with 1/2 of cream-sherry mixture. Repeat.
In the skillet where you sautéed the squash, melt the remaining butter and toast the pecans for just a minute. Mix in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle topping over squash. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Menu,mains,salmon,sides,squash,recipe

Purple Pantry Puzzle

It’s 5:00, I had no idea what to fix for dinner, and Ijust came home from an impromptu trip to Whole Foods. (I know, I know…shopping without a list is dangerous, especially there!) What I thought was in the freezer…wasn’t, so I faced this assortment of ingredients:

Here we have a red onion, red pepper, lemon infused olive oil, jalapeno-cilantro pesto, shrimp, zucchini, and purple potatoes! That’s right, purple as in “this is a lovely match to my cardigan” purple. How did it all come together?

I sauteed the shrimp with the bell pepper, zucchini, and onion. At the end I added the cilantro pesto for a little kick. On the side we have the lovely purple potatoes, sprinkled with lemon olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I added the cilantro because, well, it needed something green on top.
The verdict? The family, bless their adventurous souls, liked it! We all agreed that the potatoes wouldn’t have worked with the standard butter and milk treatment (Play-doh anyone?) but the snazzy lemon oil was just the right touch.
Who says grownups can’t play with their food?

A Month of Chocolate: In Which I Lose All Credibility

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Ok, readers, stay with me here. On vacation, 2 years ago, we visited Hershey, PA. Stayed in the Hershey Lodge, (where I swear they pipe in chocolate scented air freshener), rode roller coasters at Hershey Park, and ate salad with….Chocolate Salad Dressing. SIT RIGHT DOWN AND STAY PUT.
That’s right-I said chocolate salad dressing. What? You think I’m going to keep posting brownies, and cakes, and cookies, and leave out something as exciting as chocolate salad dressing? Course not!
Chocolate Salad Dressing from the Hershey Lodge
1 T. minced shallots
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 c. olive oil
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. Hershey’s special dark syrup
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
To serve: Sprinkle spring greens with sliced red onion, mandarin orange sections, and blue cheese crumbles. Pour dressing on top.

What’s Cooking Wednesday: “May I Have More Zucchini Please?”

When my 6th grade nephew asked for more green veggies, his mom about flipped! His dad, my brother, and I figured that it must be the bacon. The secret to any good vegetable recipe? Bacon. In case you have any finicky eaters at your house, I’m here to help. From Donald Link’s Real Cajun, comes this recipe for Smothered Okra & Tomatoes. What we can learn: 1. If your grocery store is out of okra and you don’t have a mess from your garden, use zucchini. 2. This spicy tomato sauce is so wonderful, that you might find yourself using it on just about everything (eggs, grits, rice, potatoes, pasta, green beans…. I made extra and used it with fresh spinach the next night). Enjoy!

Okra & Tomatoes
(Or forget the okra and just make the sauce! It’s a wonder of fresh herby, spicy deliciousness!)
1 T. bacon fat
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T. tomato paste
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 bay leaves
1 t. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/3 chicken broth
(3 c. okra sauteed in 2 T. olive oil)
In a medium skillet heat bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, salt and pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, red pepper flakes and vinegar. Cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down and form something of a paste, then add the broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes longer over low heat. (Stir into the sauteed green veggies of your choice. )

Love My Skillet

Two new skillet recipes in one weekend – and both successes! I don’t remember if this was a wedding gift 27 years ago or a hand-me-down from mom, but it has achieved Legendary Kitchen Workhorse status. It’s perfectly seasoned and don’t you dare soak it in hot water!
The first recipe is great for taking to pot-luck suppers or serving up with a bowl of chili. (Who cares if it is 100+ degrees? It’s never too hot for chili! ) The second is a tropical twist on an old-fashioned favorite.

Green-Chili Cheese Cornbread

1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. each baking powder and salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
3 T. melted butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained
1 c. milk
Combine dry ingredients first, then add remainder. Pour into an oiled cast-iron skillet that has been preheating at 350. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
The second recipe is not as complicated as it seems. It’s a great twist on the traditional upside down cake and the caramel sauce is incredible! (Credit where credit is due: inspired by Stephan Pyles New Tastes from Texas)

Pineapple Macadamia Upside Down Skillet Cake with Orange Caramel Sauce

Cake
3/4 c. light brown sugar
4 T. melted butter
1 1/2 c. fresh pineapple, cut in small chunks
3/4 c. chopped macadamia nuts, plus extra for garnishing
Mix together: 1 1/2 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. salt
Cream together: 4 T. butter, 1 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle brown sugar in a 9” cast-iron skillet. Top with melted butter, pineapple, and nuts. Add sifted dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Pour into skillet and bake for 40 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes and invert onto plate. Garnish with orange slices and extra macadamia nuts. Serve with orange caramel sauce.
Orange Caramel Sauce
Melt 1 c. sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 c. fresh orange juice and 1/4 c. water. It will sputter so be careful! Whish in 2 T. butter and juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Just Peachy!

This is one happy baby! Maybe she is wishing that she had enough teeth to enjoy this yummy summer salad? This new dressing recipe is sweet, tangy, fruity, and deserving of a spot on one of your summer menus. The dressing comes from the Loveless Cafe, but the salad is my own adaptation.

Peach Vinaigrette

1 c. frozen peaches
2 T. diced onion
1/4 c. each cider vinegar, orange juice concentrate, and honey
1 c. canola oil
salt
Blend everything except oil in a food processor until smooth. Add oil in steady stream. Refrigerate.

Blue Ribbon Salad

Ribbons of romaine and leaf lettuce
Blue cheese crumbles
Candied pecans (I use a recipe that calls for sugar and cayenne, but anything will work fine. Just throw in some chopped nuts if that’s what you have on  hand)
Shredded carrot ribbons
Peach vinaigrette dressing

Make-Ahead Summer Supper

I know these aren't pictures of my grilled chicken skewers or the orzo salad, but what would YOU rather see? :-)
This is Emmie at 3 weeks in her new outfit and also making one of her cute faces.

Now, on to the recipes. I am always on the lookout for recipes that are easy to make ahead of time, flavorful, and family friendly. I adapted these 2 and this is what I came up with. The original called for curry powder, which I can't stand, and raw white onions, which my husband can't stand. Read to the end and find out how to customize this for a whole different flavor profile.


Grilled Chicken Skewers

Marinade:
8 oz yogurt
1 T. Tony's Creole Seasoning (It's spicy and it's red. Who needs curry?)
1 T. minced ginger
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. cooking sherry
salt and pepper

3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut in strips, place in a zip-loc bag with the marinade and refrigerate for several hours. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading chicken on and grilling. (If you have stainless kebab skewers, this can be done even faster!)

Orzo Salad
8 oz. tri-colored orzo pasta, uncooked. (Plain is fine, but this is prettier)
1/2 c. chopped cucumber
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped greek olives
4 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
juice from half a lemon
1/3 c. olive oil

Cook the pasta, rinse and drain. Mix with olives, onion, cucumber, parsley, and cheese. Blend lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Ready to change things up a bit?
Southwestern Grilled Chicken and Salad-
For the chicken, substitute 2 t. chili powder and 1 t. cumin for the ginger. Substitute 2 T. lime juice for the sherry.
For the salad, substitute avocado for the cucumbers, queso fresco for the feta (a mild, crumbly Mexican cheese), and cilantro for the parsley.

Going Crackers

When I was visiting my post-surgical, convalescing mother 2 weeks ago (hah! That woman can run rings around me even after having an appendectomy. At 70.) we enjoyed this yummy snack, a recipe from her friend Dot. The very next week, one of my students brought a similar treat to class. And this week, we are pleased to announce that we are expecting grandchild #2. Jaimee is eating crackers, but not this recipe!

Spicy Crackers

1 box saltine crackers, with unsalted tops
1 cup canola oil (I'm told that canola is a must!)
1 pkg Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix oil, dressing and pepper well. "Un-sleeve" the crackers and place them in rows on a cookie sheet. Drizzle 1/2 the mixture over crackers, then fan them the opposite direction and drizzle the rest. Toss the crackers to absorb any remaining oil in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and store. Best if made a day in advance.