Jalapeño pepper adds a kick to this bright mango salsa, which I like to serve with baked or broiled fish. This recipe is an accompaniment, but can easily stand alone as an appetizer with chips.
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Tag: cooking
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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya
Jambalaya is as synonymous with NOLA Cuisine as Gumbo! There are vicious debates about whether the dish is of French or Spanish origin. The word itself is from the French & Spanish word for Ham, Jambon. The a la is French, and the ya is said to be an African word for “Rice”. Personally, I can’t see how someone could dispute the dishes similarity to the Spanish Paella, but hey, my opinion is like everyone else’s: Worthless. Here is what we do know about Jambalaya: It’s delicious! So everyone quick arguing and get cooking! (Although I love that people in Louisiana argue about food!) Here is my recipe:
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Red Beans and Rice
As I’ve said in the past, Red Beans & Rice is always fun for me to cook because I change the recipe everytime I make it. This one was probabaly the best batch I’ve made in years, so I’ll honor it with a side of Louis Armstrong singing and playing Basin Street Blues, because Red Beans & Rice just don’t seem right without Louis Armstrong.
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Creole Boiled Rice Recipe
The kind of rice I enjoy with Gumbos, Red Beans, Étouffée, etc., a lot of NoLA Cuisine dishes, is Creole Boiled Rice. I like it because the grains stay separate from one another, essentially, they let the main dish be the dish. Not that the rice is second fiddle, in fact, if your rice is terrible, it will ruin the whole dish. When I have a pot of Red Beans on the stove, my Rice is as important as my Beans, which means, Very important! I take Red Beans & Rice very seriously. Well, not too seriously, nothing should be too serious, but let’s just say I hold them in high esteem (more on Red Beans later). Anyway, this is a great, simple, Accompaniment Rice. Not great because it’s simple, just great!
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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
My go-to website for cajun recipes, nolacuisine.com, has gone defunct. I’ll leave the link active here in case it ends up being a temporary issue, but in the meantime, here’s a copy of the chicken and andouille sausage recipe.
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Roasted Greek Potatoes
This simple recipe is my go to for Greek style roasted potatoes. They are so good and so versatile to go with so many dishes. When shopping for red or new potatoes, I like to hand select small ones that can be cut in half or quarters to make bite sized pieces. I’ve found that when buying the bag, you tend to get some big ones mixed in that don’t look so great when cutting them up and I’m really all about the aesthetics & the plating, so I want my wedges to look good! I also use an old cake pan to roast mine. It’s the perfect size for dinner for 2 and I also like to try and keep at least 1 cut side down which will give the potatoes a slightly crispy texture on that side.
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Basic Pan-Seared Tilapia
Making a pan-seared tilapia is really easy. The hardest part is deciding what kind of seasoning or sauce you’d like to have on the fillets, but with fresh tilapia, they’re good even with just salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice. This recipe is really just to instruct on the cooking method for pan searing the fillets.
Ingredients
- 1-2 fillets per person
- Salt
- Pepper
- Seasoning of your choice (I like Cavendar’s)
- Lemon for searing and garnish
Directions
- Pat fish dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle fish with salt & pepper and seasoning
- Heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil and 1 Tbsp Butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the skillet time to get hot.
- Sauté the fillets for about 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness) on each side, squeezing lemon juice on them during cooking. Tilapia should be lightly golden and just cooked through. Use a fish spatula (larger, thin & slotted) to turn the fillets without tearing them up.
- Transfer to the plate and serve warm with lemon wedges
Here’s a pizza recipe that rocks for an awesome date night experience. Don’t settle for Little Caesar’s when you can make your own gourmet flatbread! For those of you who just want the recipe, I’ll make it quick. For those who want some tips on making flatbreads, hang with me to the bottom of the post!
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Awesome Stir Fry Recipe
This is one of my “go to” recipes when I’m looking for something that’s fast, healthy & totally delicious! Especially if I’ve got some leftover brown rice in the fridge that I’m looking for something to do with. My version here is a knock off of a similar recipe that I saw in Runner’s World back in March and the variations are almost endless.
For me, stir fry comes in 2 categories: sweet and savory. This recipe is in the sweet category with a little heat mixed in. It’s really awesome and if you’re anything like me, you’ll look for a good excuse to have a second helping.
The thing I love about this one is that you can substitute the protein of your choice (shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu) and it’s still just as good. Also, play around with the veggie mix and get what you like. Be creative!
The technique here is key. Once you get the flow down, you can make all kinds of substitutions and come up with your own variation.
First, heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Sauté the minced garlic & red pepper flakes briefly and then add the package of frozen veggies. Stir fry until they begin to get tender, around 5 minutes or so. Add the shrimp (read protein of your choice) and cook for 3-4 minutes until pink. Add 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and the juice as well as a generous pour of your jarred sweet & sour sauce. Stir fry together for another 2 minutes until all ingredients are hot & cooked. Serve immediately over brown rice.
My version of this serves 2 people generous portions with sometimes a leftover serving depending on how hungry we are. Use more shrimp & the full can of pineapple chunks (with 1/2 of the juice) and you can stretch it to serve 4. For an added crunch, consider throwing in some unsalted peanuts or cashews.
This is a delicious and really fast recipe and usually only messes up one pan, so cleanup isn’t bad. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! Let me know what you think.
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Sun Dried Tomato, Basil and Feta Bruschetta
Quick & Simple
When I’m looking for a quick and simple appetizer for dinner, a bruschetta seems to be my go to option these days. Probably because this is like a favorite pair of jeans that you can dress up or dress down depending on the mood and what ingredients that I have on hand.
My Newest Recipe
I threw this together last night just on a whim and it turned out great. I love the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, basil & feta cheese. I also did this same thing with Gorgonzola and it was equally as good.
- 1 baguette or loaf of French bread (depending on what size you want your bruschetta)
- Olive Oil
- Sun dried tomatoes (the kind in the jar in oil work great!)
- Fresh Basil
- Feta Cheese (I prefer the feta that comes in brine, but any will do)
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper (preferably fresh ground)
Directions
The directions for this boil down to putting the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and then put on the baguette slices. But here’s my attempt at something that at least sounds a little more official…
Slice baguette diagonally into slices between 1/2″ – 1″ thick (this really depends on how you like it). Slice as many slices as you plan on eating. If I’m making a date night appetizer for 2, that usually means 8-10 slices.
Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush tops completely with olive oil. This creates a moisture barrier that keeps the juices of the bruschetta toppings from making the bread soggy.
Bake in a 400° oven until crispy, but not burned. If you’re in a hurry, you can broil the baguette slices, but you really need to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
While you’re waiting on the little toasts, you basically want to prep the bruschetta toppings by putting the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped basil and feta in a bowl and season to taste. I usually use about the same amounts (measured by mass, not weight) of each of the three, but this is where you want to eyeball it. For me that usually works out to 3-4 forkfuls of sun-dried tomatoes, about 1/2 of the basil that comes in one of those pre-packaged fresh herbs packets at the grocery store and 3-4 spoonfuls of feta for my 8-10 slices. Chop up the basil. If you’re using the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, there will probably be enough oil dripping off the tomatoes to moisten the mix. If not, drizzle a little olive oil in the bowl. Don’t forget the salt & pepper. Stir to mix and spoon on the baguette slices. Arrange in some cool pattern on an aesthetically pleasing serving dish and serve with wine. You’ll thank me.
The beautiful thing about this fast & easy recipe is that if you’re running short of topping for your slices, you can mix up more on the fly!