Category Archives: Regional Louisiana

Crawfish Etouffee

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy 200th Birthday, Louisiana! I’m truly proud to live in this great state. Sure, it gets a bad rep sometimes but the residents know better. In honor of this monumental birthday, my post today is a classic Louisiana dish, crawfish etouffee.

Crawfish Etouffee

Last week we had a crawfish boil, and I always look forward to cooking something yummy with the leftover crawfish tails. Unfortunately, we were all piggies and I only had about a cup of leftover tails! I needed something that could stretch so I went to the classic dish, Crawfish Etouffee. Somehow, despite eating it millions of times, I had never made it myself. I looked through some of my favorite Southern cookbooks for the perfect recipe and found it in My New Orleans by John Besh.

Chef John Besh with James

Chef Besh is one of my husband’s favorite chefs. We were fortunate enough to meet him at a food blogger conference last year and I must say he is the most down-to-earth nice guy, we just loved him. He even took a few minutes to talk hunting with James! His recipe was pretty easy to make and the end results were great. We ate some over white rice and some over some leftover fried catfish. If you’re using leftover boiled crawfish, save the seasoning until the end because your tails might already be spicy. I also added a little cornstarch mixed with cold water in for thickening, as James likes his etouffee to be fairly thick. Next time you find yourself with some crawfish tails, here’s the one to try!

Crawfish Etouffee
Recipe adapted from My New Orleans

Ingredients:
3 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp flour
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
half a red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1 quart seafood stock
3 tbsp butter
1 lb. peeled crawfish tails (or however many you have!)
2 green onions, chopped
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
salt, pepper and creole seasoning to taste
white rice for serving
cornstarch for thickening, if needed

Method:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour to make the roux and stir constantly so it doesn’t stick or burn. You want the roux to reach a deep brown color, similar to a paper bag. (A silicone spatula works great for reaching in the corners of the pan.) Once the roux is browned, add your onions and cook until they have softened and caramelized. Next add in the celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, cayenne and paprika - cook until soft and fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and seafood stock to break up the roux and increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Once it’s reached a boil, decrease the heat and let simmer for five minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t stick.

Lower the heat and stir in the butter, then the crawfish tails, green onions, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces. Taste for seasonings, then season with salt, pepper and creole seasoning as desired. If you want your etouffee to be thicker, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add it to the pot, then increase the heat.

Once done, remove from heat and serve hot over rice.

Louisiana Crawfish Boil

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Posted in Regional Louisiana, Sauces and Dressings, Seafood

Praline Coated Oreos

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy Mardi Gras, ya’ll! Today is Fat Tuesday and in its’ honor I bring you a special treat – praline coated oreos. I spotted this on Pinterest recently and after checking out the attached recipe, I decided to do it my own way.

I’m kind of weird about my pralines. I don’t like those hard, dark-colored ones. The pralines we (my mom and I) make are soft and creamy. So rather than try someone else’s recipe and risk being disappointed, I stuck with what I know. These were pretty simple to make, just make sure you let your praline “sauce” (for lack of a better word) thicken some. I did some before it really thickened and they were a sticky mess. Still tasted good though! But the ones I did once it thickened were perfect. So make sure to reach that soft ball stage and beat a little!

Note: do not attempt pralines on a rainy day!

Praline Coated Oreos

Praline Coated Oreos

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3 cups white sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg oreos
chopped pecans for topping – I used honey sugared pecans for a little extra fun

Method:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the butter, sugar and evaporated milk to a boil, stirring well to incorporate. Continue stirring often until it gets to the soft ball stage, then remove from heat and add the vanilla. Start whipping the liquid until it thickens some, then quickly begin dipping the oreos and placing them on waxed paper. Make sure no kids are around because this stuff is HOT!

Before they start to harden, sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of each cookie.

Praline Coated Oreos

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Posted in Cakes and Cookies, Christmas, Desserts, Holiday, Mardi Gras, Regional Louisiana

Lightened Up Crawfish Fettuccine

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

As you probably read in my last post, my brother-in-law (hubby’s brother) is getting married soon and last weekend was the bachelor/bachelorette party. The guys went to Dallas for some surprisingly tame fun (or so they say – wink, wink). Us girls stayed here in town and did a painting class then had a lingerie shower for the bride at my house. When I started planning out the food for the shower, I was looking at it as a big chance to cheat on my diet.

But for once, I’m doing really well on this diet. I mean hey, it’s February 1 and I’m still ON IT! That’s a record breaker right there! I stuck with the basic bones of the menu, but looked for lightened up versions of the recipes. The recipe I found for crawfish fettuccine was fantastic, a few of the guests at the shower were feeling guilty for getting seconds, until I told them that it was a lower-calorie version. Nobody could believe it. So if you’re looking for a nice dish to celebrate a special occasion, or just because it’s a Friday, then here ya go. I think this would be equally delicious with cooked shrimp or chicken as the protein.

Crawfish Fettuccine

Crawfish Fettuccine
Recipe from The New Holly Clegg Trim and Terrific Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked and rinsed under cool water
1 lb. crawfish tails, rinsed
1/4 cup margarine
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cups skim milk
1.5 lb. light Velveeta
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large pot, melt the margarine and saute’ the onion, bell pepper and garlic until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the flour until mixed and allow to cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth. Add the cheese, stirring until evenly melted and then add the crawfish, parsley, salt, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce.
Taste for seasonings then add the pasta, tossing to coat. Transfer to a baking dish coated with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve immediately.

8-10 servings at 378 calories each.

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Posted in Casserole, Light and Healthy, Menu Ideas, Pasta, Regional Louisiana, Seafood

Bacon Pralines

Posted on December 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yes, you read that correctly!

I first had bacon pralines at Cochon Butcher in New Orleans and it was fantastic! It was so good that I exercised extreme willpower and brought some home to my parents to taste. That was in August and three months later we were still talking about them!

When planning what I’d make for Thanksgiving, I automatically put pralines on the menu. We always have them. Then a couple of days before I had a lightbulb moment. Bacon pralines! Duh! I looked at a few recipes online but they called for things I don’t normally put in my pralines and I like mine soft and creamy, not brittle so I ended up going with my regular recipe, just adding in some thick cut crumbled bacon. The result was a definite win. This will be a version gracing our table often, I have a feeling!

Bacon Pralines

Bacon Pralines
A Cooking with Christen original

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3 cups white granulated sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pecans (make sure there are no shells!!)
1 pkg thick cut hickory smoked bacon (not maple), cooked and crumbled

Method:

Note: These MUST be made on a sunny day or they will not set!

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat up the butter, evaporated milk and sugar. Stir well so it’s all mixed. Continue to stir regularly so that it does not stick, until it reaches the soft ball stage. Once stage is reached, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, bacon and pecans. Continue to vigorously stir (but be careful not to get it all over the sides of the pot, thus wasting good stuff!) until it starts to lose it’s shine and is thicker. Then very carefully put spoonfuls onto waxed paper or silicone mats (love my silicone mats!). Allow to get firm and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s much easier to make when you have someone helping stir, as it gets to be tough on the arms! Just be careful when it’s time to put spoons of it out because the stuff is HOT!!

Bacon Pralines

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Posted in Desserts, Pork, Regional Louisiana

Chipotle Pork and Sweet Potato Posole

Posted on October 3, 2011 | 1 Comment

This past weekend marked the first official weekend of Fall. It’s one of my favorite times of year, I love the cooler temperatures and there is always so much fun stuff going on! It miraculously cooled off here so I wanted to cook something that would “feel” right with the weather.

I picked this posole recipe because in the picture, it looked a lot like chili and I love chili! I was a bit skeptical of how it would turn out because for one, it called for hominy (which is a main ingredient of posole, you shouldn’t substitute it) which I’ve heard mixed reviews on. Also, it called for TWO cans of chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce, which equals super spicy! Now don’t get me wrong, I am no wimp when it comes to spice. But while I like spice, I also like to actually taste my food, not just spice. So my recommendation to you is that you only use ONE can. Also, the recipe called for leaving them whole, which is not very appealing to eat. I suggest either puree’ them or dice them. That’s how I’ll write the recipe.

It really was a great dish, it was hearty and the chipotle flavor is great, it is understandable how this was the winner in the entree category of the Sweet Potato Recipe Contest!

Special Note: The day after making this, I ended up with half of a can of pumpkin puree leftover from a baking project so rather than waste it, I stirred it into the posole and it was wonderful! It would be a great addition – I used probably about a cup!

Chipotle Pork and Sweet Potato Posole
Recipe adapted from Louisiana Cookin’, courtesy of Devon Delaney

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into cubes (I used thick pork chops)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 sweet potato (about a pound), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups chicken stock
2 15-oz cans hominy, drained (I used one white hominy, one yellow hominy)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 7-oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, drained but 1 tbsp adobo sauce reserved and peppers chopped
1 4.5-oz can diced green chilis, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
desired toppings: cheese, cilantro, lime, avocado, sour cream

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the pork.
Brown on all sides, then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about three minutes.
Add the oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook about a minute, until fragrant.
Add the sweet potatoes, stock, hominy, tomatoes, chili peppers and reserved adobo sauce and cook until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 15 minutes before adding the beans.
Cook uncovered for another ten minutes, then cover and let simmer for a half hour or so (the extra simmering is optional, I feel it tasted better that way). Serve with your favorite toppings.

Chipotle Pork and Sweet Potato Posole

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Posted in Beans, Pork, potatoes, Regional Louisiana, Soups, Stews, Chili and Gumbo

Andouille and Swiss Chard Turnovers

Posted on September 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

I don’t know what it is, but I really love Swiss chard! When flipping through Louisiana Life magazine, I spotted a recipe for andouille and Swiss chard turnovers and couldn’t wait to make them.

I decided to make them to go along with our vegetable tortellini soup. My 3-year-old daughter “helped” me (and I use that term loosely) and they were surprisingly easy to make. I had never made any sort of hand pie but the process wasn’t bad at all. They were a great accompaniment to our soup and the rest my husband enjoyed for his breakfast!

Andouille and Swiss Chard Turnovers

Andouille and Swiss Chard Turnovers
Recipe from Louisiana Life, May/June 2011

Ingredients:
filling
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 lb. andouille, chopped
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste

dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening - I used the butter flavor one
7-8 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp milk (for the glaze)

Instructions:

Filling

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute’ until soft and beginning to brown - about five minutes. Add the andouille.
Discard the large stems from the Swiss chard and chop the leaves into large chunks. Wash in a colander and add the wet chard to the skillet, cover and cook until wilted, about five minutes.
Remove cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the cheese and seasoning and remove from heat to let the filling cool.

Dough

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, mix in the shortening until you have a coarse mixture.
Drizzle in water, mixing with a fork until it forms a dough. Knead a few times and cut the dough in half. Form each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut 4-inch rounds, rolling out the scraps when needed. You need at least 18.
Place a spoonful of filling onto a round. Lightly moisten the edges of the dough, then fold over and press the seams together. You can also press with the tines of a fork to create a crimped edge. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the other rounds.
Before baking, lightly brush milk on top of the dough. Bake 15-18 minutes, until golden.

Andouille and Swiss Chard Turnovers

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Posted in Appetizers, Freezer-Friendly, Regional Louisiana, Side Dishes

Grillades with Cheddar and Goat Cheese Fried Grits

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

We have a little tradition at our house where Sunday night is our “good meal” night of the week. It’s usually something that is a little more time or labor intensive, something you wouldn’t be up to tackling during the week. Often it’s something on the grill, or sometimes it’s something that has to simmer or roast for a while in the oven. This week it was grits and grillades.

I know you’re thinking grits and grillades don’t really take all that long to cook, and you’re right. They don’t. But these are special grits. They’re grits mixed with two different cheeses, cut into squares, battered and fried. So when you top the crisp little boxes of grits with that savory beefy gravy and dig in, you get a small taste of crunch with the creamy cheesy grits. And you keep digging in, way past when you should have called it quits. Because it’s just so good. So good.

I should note for those that can’t imagine what this tastes like – the grillades reminds me very much of boeuf bourguignon. In fact, it made me say “hmmm, maybe next time we make b.b. we can make fried grits!

Grillades with Cheddar and Goat Cheese Fried Grits
Recipe adapted from my dad, Gerry!

Grillades Recipe:
1 lb. sirloin tip steaks

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ cup flour

2-3 slices bacon, browned and crumbled, grease reserved

1 onion, chopped

15oz can diced tomato

1 can Rotel Original tomatoes

2 cups red wine

5 squirts Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. basil

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Method:

Remove and discard fat from meat. Cut into ½ inch wide strips. Lay several pieces of meat on a cutting board, sprinkle with seasoning mix and a little flour. Pound each piece of meat with a mallet till slightly flattened. After all of the meat is tenderized, heat the bacon drippings in a large black iron pot and brown the meat on both sides. Add seasoning blend and cook till veggies are tender, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add both cans of tomatoes and their liquid, reducing heat to medium. Add mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, wine, basil and thyme. Cook for an hour or so, until meat is tender. If gravy becomes too thick, add wine or beef broth. Just before serving, you can add chopped green onion tops. Serve over fried or baked grits.

Grits Recipe

Cooked grits (make 8 servings)

½ cup shredded cheddar

4 oz. garlic and herb goat cheese

green onions

seasoning mix (I use Tony Chachere’s)

seasoned flour

egg wash

vegetable oil

Method:
Make grits according to package directions. Mix with cheese, green onions, and seasonings. Pour into greased casserole dish. Put into fridge overnight, or at least a few hours. Cut grits into squares, dip into egg wash, then into seasoned flour. Fry in about an inch of oil in a fry pan till browned. Serve with grillades poured over it.

Grillades with Cheddar and Goat Cheese Fried Grits

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Posted in Beef, Goat Cheese, Mardi Gras, Regional Louisiana

Cracklin’ Golden Cornbread

Posted on June 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Last weekend we had a houseguest, it was one of our friends that recently moved back to our area from Portland. We were happy to get to spend some time with him and he was nice enough to bring us some delicious boudin and cracklins from Don’s Specialty Meats in Carencro, LA. It so happened that I was making my Meaty White Bean Stew with Collards (try it, delicious!) and thought some cracklin’ cornbread would be the perfect side dish.

I’ve learned the trick to really good cornbread is to heat your oil in your cast iron skillet while you’re mixing the rest of the ingredients, then pour that oil into the batter, mix it really quickly and while the skillet is still piping hot, pour the batter in. Makes it so crisp and wonderful. The cornbread was demolished in no time at all!

Cracklin’ Golden Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup enriched yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
cracklins, slightly smashed up
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
honey to drizzle over the top

Method:
Coat a cast iron skillet with the vegetable oil, making sure the sides are also well-coated. Place in the oven and preheat to 425 (with it in the oven). In a large bowl, mix together the corn meal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the milk and egg and mix well. Mix in the cracklins. Once the oven is preheated, carefully take out the skillet and pour the hot oil into the batter and quickly stir to incorporate. As quickly as you can, pour the batter into the skillet. You should hear a sizzle, that mean s you’ll have a great crust! Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove and place the butter pieces on top and drizzle honey over the top. Use a silicone basting brush and gently spread the butter and honey evenly over the top. Allow it to soak in a couple of minutes before cutting and serving.

Cracklin' Golden Cornbread

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Posted in Breads, Pork, Regional Louisiana

Crawfish Smothered Grits

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Looking for something quick and easy to do with the leftovers from yesterday’s crawfish boil? This recipe is perfect. And YES, I am slightly obsessed with (fill in the blank) and grits. I know I recently posted a recipe for shrimp & grits on the blog and you know what’s sad? Between that post and this one, I ordered that in a restaurant for our anniversary! I’m obsessed!

This recipe has it all. It’s full of flavor, really quick to cook and only uses minimal dishes in the kitchen, making cleanup a breeze. It also doesn’t call for a ton of ingredients – a little unheard of in an Emeril recipe. We were really pleased with this recipe and I think it would work with shrimp also, just cook them first. Love.

Crawfish Smothered Grits
Recipe seen on Elizabeth’s Edible Experience, originally from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
1 lb peeled crawfish tails
salt
cayenne pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups beef stock (I used broth)
3 cups half & half (I used fat-free half & half)
1.5 cups quick cook grits
1 half cup freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggianno cheese

Method:

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, season with salt and cayenne. If your crawfish were not leftover from a crawfish boil (aka store-bought), season those with some salt and cayenne too. Let the onions cook until tender, then add the crawfish and garlic. Stir well and cook another two minutes. Add the stock and half & half, season generously with the salt and cayenne (you really could just use some Cajun blend) and bring to a boil.

Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer two minutes. Add the grits and stir constantly until they are tender, about ten minutes. Add the cheese and stir in until it’s well incorporated and melted. Serve hot.

Crawfish Smothered Grits

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Posted in Quick Fix, Regional Louisiana, Seafood

Cajun Boudin Blanc

Posted on May 3, 2011 | 1 Comment

It was recently my husband’s and my anniversary and rather than getting traditional gifts, we like to get stuff that the other actually would really want. This year I got my husband a meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachment for our stand mixer (we call it Sir Mix A Lot) and my hubs was really excited about his gift. I also got him a cookbook about making his own sausages.

Since we were having a bbq for Easter, he decided to try out his new equipment and make homemade sausage for the get together. After looking through the cookbook, he picked a recipe for boudin. Boudin is a sausage casing filled with spicy rice and meat mixture, similar to a rice dressing. It’s delicious! Lots of people cook it in a crockpot but we like it on the grill so it gets crisp.

It took a while to make and filling the casings is DEFINITELY a 2-person job, but it is worth it because the end result was delicious! This recipe made just under five pounds.

Cajun Boudin Blanc
Recipe from: Home Sausage Making by Susan Mahnke Peery & Charles G. Reavis

Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch chunks (include some fat) – we had to use a bone-in pork butt
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp butter
1.5 cups long-grain white rice
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped
9 feet small hog casing
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Cajun seasoning to taste

Method:
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. In a pot combine the pork, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with the boiling water and simmer for two hours or until the pork is cooked but so tender its falling apart.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and refrigerate. Strain the broth and set it aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter then add the rice, onion and green onions and saute until the rice is translucent. Add 2.5 cups of the reserved broth and cook covered over low heat until the rice is tender (any leftover broth should be refrigerated).

Prepare the casing: Cut off about 4 feet of casing and rinse it under cool water to remove any salt. Place in a bowl of cool water and let it soak about thirty minutes before rinsing again under cold running water. Hold one end open under the faucet and let the water run through the insides of the casing to flush out any salt on the insides.

Soak the casing again in cold water with 1 tbsp white vinegar to each cup of water. When you’re ready to stuff, rinse well and drain.

Using the coarse disk for the meat grinder, grind the meat into a large bowl. Add the cooked rice mixture, the remaining salt and the parsley, cayenne and crushed red pepper. If it seems dry, add some of the reserved broth and mix well. Taste for seasonings – we added just a little Cajun seasoning (Tony’s) at this point.

Stuff into the casings per the manufacturer’s instructions, and prick air pockets occasionally, Twist off into 20-inch links as you are stuffing it. Refrigerate, covered for up to three days. Cook either on the grill or covered by simmering water for 15 minutes.