Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

This is my favorite gumbo to make in the summer as it's light and loaded with market fresh veggies.  I usually make it after a Saturday trip to the farmers' market.

Prep time- 30-40 min
Cook time 30 min
Yield - 3qt serves 8-10
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1 1/2 lbs. sliced okra (sauté' separately before adding to remove slipperiness)
I large onion diced
2 green onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 stalks celery diced
1 bell pepper sliced
2 large tomatoes - blanched to remove skin, seeded and diced or can use a large can of diced tomatoes
2 lbs peeled shrimp ( cover peels w 8 cups water, salt and pepper, onion halved, celery and carrots to make stock)
Sea salt to taste
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cayenne to taste
2 bay leaves
1 t Fresh thyme
1 T fresh parsley
Rice for serving - 1/2 cup dry per person

Sauté okra until slime is mostly gone, while cooking, begin shrimp stock with shells and Heat oil in  6 qt Dutch oven or cast iron gumbo pot.  add flour and stir constantly over medium heat.

When roux is a nice dark brown, about 15 min., add onions, stir and sauté for 1 min. Add garlic, celery, bell pepper, and tomatoes, after each addition, stir and sauté for 1 minute. Add peeled shrimp and sautéed lightly. Add drained stock and spices.  Turn to low heat and simmer for 30 min.  Serve over steamed rice.

Best of all- cooking with my beautiful daughter!

Karen's Gumbo Ya-Ya (chicken and sausage)

This is actually the gumbo I make the least.  My mom was from New Orleans and always made a classic New Orleans File' Gumbo ( a seafood version) on Christmas Eve.  I still carry on that tradition and in the summer I love a light gumbo made with fresh shrimp, okra, and other vegetables that are in season.  Gumbo Ya-Ya is usually a chicken and sausage version.  Ya-ya actually means everyone talking at once, which is typical of a south Louisiana gathering and the joie de vivre! Today has been a cool gray rainy day and a hearty gumbo makes the perfect  dinner.

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose 
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 diced bell peppers, 1 green, 1 red
• 1 large firm tomato(blanche to skin) peel, seed and dice
• 1 lb sliced okra, saute to remove slime
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley 
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to,taste
• 1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices and roasted in cast iron pan in oven
• 2 1/2 lb. chicken, roasted, skinned or breasts ( w onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper)
• I use stock from chicken and add a carton of low sodium Swansen's if needed)
• hot sauce to taste
• boiled rice as accompaniment

Place sausage in cast iron pan in 350' oven for 30 min

Cover chicken with water and add a halved onion, 2 celery stacks, carrots, salt and whole pepper corn.  Cook until breast cooked or whole chicken falls off bone. Strain and reserve stock.  Dice chicken meat.

 

In a 8 quart cast iron pan melt butter over moderately low heat. Add oil. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and cook, while stirring. Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until it is the color of dark chocolate about 30 min.

     

Add onions and stir while cooking until translucent.  Add garlic, then celery, bell peppers, tonatoes, then stock and spices and stir constantly.  Cooking and stirring for about 2 min. Between the addition of each ingredient.

Add the stock to roux, add the okra , stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add all remaining ingredients, except rice, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer gumbo, uncovered, 45 minutes


, skimming off any fat and stirring.  Adjust seasoning with hot sauce. Serve over rice.

Yield:

Dessert- Chocolate Orange Creme Brûlée

This is based on John Besh's blood orange creme brûlée.  This is a great dairy free version. My blood oranges were harvested before Christmas and I couldn't find any at the local markets.  So I used regular oranges and added an ounce or so of dark chocolate, 75% cacao.  The result was superb!

• 1 cup ground blanched almonds ( no skin)
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 ounce melted dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 325°. Put the almonds, orange juice, and granulated sugar into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow the almonds to steep in the orange juice for 5 minutes, then strain the juice through a fine sieve. Let the juice cool.

Whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl until they are thick and pale yellow.  Whisk some eggs into the melted chocolate and then slowly incorporate the two together, stirring continuously. Continue whisking as you slowly add the strained orange juice.

Put 4-5  3-ounce ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Add enough hot water to the pan that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Fill the ramekins with the egg and juice mixture and bake until the custards have set in the center, 30-40 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, transfer ramekins to a wire rack, and allow to cool completely.  Sprinkle caster sugar on top of each custard and broil with a small kitchen torch until the sugar melts, browns, and covers the top completely.  Nice with Grand Marnier, Amaretto, or a glass of champagne.  Enjoy!

Valentine's Dinner - Tournedos Rossini

I ate this entree on my first trip to France a few years ago.  We ate at the restaurant of the famous chef, Paul Bocuse, in Lyon France and got to meet him as well.   That dinner that night was the most perfectly elegant and superb meal I have ever eaten.  Below is my recreation of the entree.

Two 6-oz prime filet steaks, at room temperature

Two 2-oz slices foiegras (use real foils gras, not terrine or mousse)

1/2 ounce fresh black truffle (thinly shaved)

1 cup veal stock, 

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon truffle oil

1/2 cup minced shallots

1/2 cup Madera wine

1 small bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 for the sauce, 2 for garnish

1/2 teaspoon white truffle balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced

2 teaspoons butter to cook steak

Cauliflower or celery root purée or 2 slices toasted brioche

Instructions:

Prepare the stock from concentrate.  If serving the dish with vegetable puree, prepare the puree prior to making the sauce and keep warm or gently reheat at serving time.

To make the sauce, melt a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat until translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes, add truffle oil  Add the Madera wine to the shallots and cook until the wine is reduced by half and is somewhat thickened.  Add the bay leaf, thyme, and veal stock and cook until reduced by half again, leaving about 3/4 cup of sauce in the pan.  Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Slice the black truffle thinly with a truffle shaver or sharp knife and set aside.  Whisk in the cold, cubed butter to the sauce a few pieces at a time. When the butter has been incorporated into the sauce, add the truffle slices.  Keep the sauce warm over a double boiler for at least 30 minutes, allowing the black truffle flavor to permeate the sauce. Alternatively, allow the sauce to sit, covered, for 30 minutes, then gently reheat when ready to serve the dish.

Heat a frying pan to medium. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in the pan. Sprinkle Beef filet with sea salt and pepper.  Add the steaks to the pan and cook on each side about 2 minutes or until the steaks are rare.  Set aside and cover with foil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the foie gras. Sear the foie gras in a frying pan over medium heat, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.  Set foie gras on a paper towel.

To serve, place about 1/2 cup vegetable puree in the middle of a heated plate. Or use brioche. Place the filet on top of the puree and top the filet with a piece of seared foie gras.  Spoon the warm sauce and black truffles over the foie gras and steak, allowing a pool of sauce to remain in the plate.  Garnish with fresh thyme.  Serve with a heart red burgundy.  

Crawfish Bisque

This crawfish bisque is an amalgamation of a classic bisque and a Cajun bisque.  I adapted a John Besh (classic New Orlean's style) recipe for the bisque with a Chef John Folse (Cajun style) recipe for stuffed heads or boulettes. You can use crawfish leftover from a boil but if you do be careful of adding seasoning!

Bisque:
Prep time: 1 1/2 hours
Serves 8

1/4 cup olive oil

2 lbs whole crawfish or 1 1/2 lb tail meat and some shells

3  tablespoons flour

• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup raw white rice, finely ground in a food processor
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 4  cups Crawfish stock
• 4 cups heavy fat free half and half
• a dashWorcestershire
• a dash Tabasco
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 
  

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Crush the whole crawfish and add them to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 15 minutes.

2. Stir the flour into the pot, mixing it into the oil and crawfish. Then add the onions, garlic, and celery. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes.

3. Add the ground rice, thyme, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and tomato paste, stirring to mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the brandy and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 more minutes.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the Stock and cream. Bring the bisque to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes.

5. Remove the pot from the heat. Purée the bisque in a blender, then strain through a fine sieve if needed. Season with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper.

Stuffed Heads or Boulettes - John Folse

1/2 pound crawfish tails, cleaned

20  cleaned crawfish heads

1/2 cups minced onions

1/2 cup minced celery

1/4cup minced bell peppers

1 tbsps minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 egg beaten

2/3 cups Italian bread crumbs

salt and black pepper to taste

Clean heads

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, grind crawfish tails, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic and parsley.

• Transfer ingredients to a mixing bowl then blend in egg.
• Add bread crumbs, a little at a time, using just enough to hold mixture together. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff equal amounts into crawfish heads.
• Bake on a cookie sheet 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.NOTE: If heads are not available, you can simply roll the stuffing into small meatballs or boulettes and bake them on a cookie sheet.

French 75

In a shaker mix:
2 oz. gin, 1 t lemon juice, 1/2 t sugar over ice and shake vigorously.
Pour into glass and add 3 oz. champagne.

Artichoke Tarts

• 2 sheets of frozen Pillsbury puff pastry, thawed
• 1 14.5 can small marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium sized leek, sliced
• assorted cheeses, shredded (Parmesan, Mozzarella, etc.)
• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste 
  

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a single layer of the puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and score it with a sharp knife into 12 squares, without cutting all the way through the pastry. Repeat the process with the second package of puff pastry. Bake the pastries for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

While the pastry is baking, stir together the artichokes, tomatoes, leeks, and cheeses. Set the filling aside for a moment.

When the pastry has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, leaving the large pastries still intact. Spoon the filling into the center of each smaller pastry square, making 24 small pastries, still attached together. Bake the pastry for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown and the cheese bubbles.

Separate the artichoke tartlets from each other and drizzle them with olive oil.

More Super Bowl Sunday!

Since the Super Bowl almost always falls during Mardi Gras, King Cake is always a favorite Super Bowl snack.  In South Louisiana, with a predominantly Catholic population, King Cake is served from the Feast of the Epiphany, (Kings' Day) January 6 th, until Mardi Gras day and the beginning of lent on Ash Wednesday.  Here's my version:

Karen's King Cake

2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
3  large eggs, at room temperature
5 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Praline Filling:

1/2 stick butter, melted

About a 1 ½ cups of brown sugar

And pecans if you like

Icing|

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Purple-, green-, and gold-tinted sugar sprinkles

Preparation
Combine the yeast and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the milk. Let sit and yeast will foam.  Add flour (with salt sifted in) and alternate flour with an egg while beating slowly. Beat at low speed for 1 minute.  Add in softened butter, beat for 1 minute at medium-low speed. Beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and starts to climb up the dough hook. (If the dough is uncooperative in coming together, add a bit of warm water (110 degrees), a tablespoon at a time, until it does.) Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil or spray with Pam. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with a cloth or tea towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine butter and brown sugar. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide. Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, 

then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

Cover the ring with kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the icing. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and the remaining 3 cups confectioner's sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

Super Bowl Sunday Line-up

Mediterranean White Bean Hummus

If you like regular hummus, try this great variation, creamy and smooth!

2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

Garlic powder, salt, paprika to taste

1/2 t minced rosemary

Blend it all together until smooth, serve with veggies or pita chips.

Pizza Monkey Bread

This Monty's cooks country featured a recipe for this.  As a working mom, sometimes their recipes are too time consuming and labor intensive.  Here's my shortcut version!

Prep, 15 min Cook time, 35-40 min.

2 cans Pillsbury Pizza Dough 13.8 oz

Pepperoni slices - about 4 oz.

8 mozzarella sticks

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Jar of pizza sauce

Pre heat oven to 375'

Spread out the pizza dough rectangles on wax paper, roll each to 18x6 rectangle.

Place the pepperoni slices about 2" up from the bottom of the long side and layer them across.

Place 4 mozzarella sticks on top, from end to end.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the Parmesan on top.

Repeat process with 2nd rectangle

Pull up bottom 2" covering the pepperoni and cheese.  Continuing rolling longwise until you have an 18" log.  

Seal ends.  Cut each log in 1/2 and 1/2 again.  Cut each smaller piece into 1/3. Thus you will have 12 small logs from each 18" roll.  24 total.

Seal the ends, creating a dough ball with each small piece

Place dough balls in layers in bundt pan greased with olive oil..

Spritz top w olive oil.  Bake at 375' for 40 min.  Serve w sauce.