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Archive for the category “vegetables”

21 Mar 2012

Fondue Feast

Is it French or Swiss in origin? I don’t know. The evolution in America of fondue is such a different animal compared to the simple cheese fondue I found to be served in Europe. Way back in the ’80s my family would join forces with other families and have fondue parties. At the time it was a throwback to the 1960s, when my parents stocked up on fondue sets. Regardless of when it peaked in popularity or where it first happened, it is still a fun time with abundant and delicious food.

I learned a number of things from those fondue parties when I was growing up. The first was you must commit to any dip you take with your loaded fondue forks, for double dipping in a pot of cheese or chocolate is frowned on in the fondue world. If you do such a thing there may be nothing said, but the vibes of the fondue tribe may change toward you. Those fondue forks can be lethal when stabbed into a hand guilty of double dipping! The second thing I learned was there is never enough room on the little divided plates for all the sauces. With divided fondue plates you need to commit to, like, four of the ten or so available sauces. Another option is to do a lot of dollop dropping on individual pieces you cook. The third thing was that it took a while to get full from fondue, and since the process took a while to cook and eat and reload and cook and eat…there was plenty of time to talk and sip wine and laugh and, especially, try and sneak other people’s forks when they are not looking so you get to double up on your pile of cooked bites. The trick to sneaking forks is to not have any of your own on your plate. Have your own forks cooking away before stealthily stealing your neighbor’s fork while they are gesturing dramatically during the telling of a story. Don’t forget to reload their fork with the same stuff. A bonus is their quizzical look when they check their fork and wonder why the chicken is still raw after their story about Uncle Festus at the family reunion.

Although it may take a while to fill up on fondue that full stomach will sneak up on you. Before the chocolate fondue is served you wonder if you have any room left in your belly. But it is just fruit, right? There is always room for fruit! Maybe not fruit covered with chocolate, but it is very much worth trying. And it will fit!

For our fondue feast we did a sample of four different fondues – cheese, oil, broth and chocolate. In the future I will probably limit myself to one fondue for a meal, surrounding it with non-fondue dishes. This particular meal was a chaotic mess of food and fun, and a great way to sample the different fondue types. Everyone had a blast.

The following recipes account for feeding seven people, since our fondue party included as many guests. After digging through the closets mom found four – count ’em – four fondue pots. We chose not to use the small one from France meant for chocolate fondue, but only because the sheer number of people, all that dipping would have overwhelmed the little thing. The meal called for a lot of preparation, but it can be spaced out in small chunks, mostly as early as the day before, and makes for quick set up when it is actually time to eat. I pulled everything out of the refrigerator (yes, even the meats) about 45 minutes to an hour before serving so things were cool but not chilly.

Everyone should scour their parents’ pantry, estate sales and thrift stores for fondue sets and be ready to pull them out for some fun eats. If you are short of cash the fondue feast can be turned into a pot luck where everyone brings a little bit but eats a lot. Have fun with it and be sure to make a mess!

I served the cheese fondue when people were first arriving and standing around in the kitchen, then served the oil and broth fondues at the table with all the sauces. In addition to the sauces I made, shown in the recipes below, I provided tartar sauce, BBQ sauce and creamy horseradish, all served simply in their pre-made states in bottles from the grocery. I did not even start preparing and melting the chocolate fondue until the table was cleared of the oil and broth. It was quick to do and a fun dessert. I remembered a lot of the recipes from when I was younger, but found a lot of helpful reminders here.

FONDUES

Cheese Fondue

2 garlic cloves, cut in half

1 cup dry white wine
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
8 ounces Havarti cheese, shredded
2 ounces Dubliner cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp Kirsch or brandy
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp paprika
Black Pepper (optional)

Handful of Cubed bread per person
Vegetables also used with Broth Fondue

The measurements for wine and cheese should be enough, but you may want to have a little more on hand to adjust the consistency if needed. Add more cheese if it’s too liquid, add more wine if it’s too thick. I have found that if you mix the cheese fondue on the stove top or electric fondue pot about an hour before serving, then turn it off, but then start to reheat about ½ hour before serving it makes for quick set up when guests first arrive. To begin preparation, rub the garlic inside the fondue pot then discard. Pour the white wine and lemon juice into the pot and turn on the burner. Let the wine and lemon juice warm up without boiling. Reduce heat and add the shredded cheese. With a wooden spoon, mix well and stir regularly. Dilute the cornstarch in the Kirsch or brandy, and add remaining ingredients to the pot. Add pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with additional wine or cheese. Dip bite size pieces of bread or vegetables. Let the freshly dipped pieces cool off for a few seconds before enjoying. You may have to twirl the cheesy bits on your fondue fork until it cools and stops drizzling long strings of cheese before you eat them. Also, extra liquid may be needed after the fondue is half gone because it thickens as time passes.

Hot Oil Fondue

2 – 4 cups peanut or canola oil
4 ounces beef per person, cut in bite-sized cubes
2 – 4 ounces chicken breast per person, cut into thin strips
2 ounces per person medium size shrimp (cooked or uncooked), tails intact

Heat oil to 325 – 350F, either in the fondue pot if electric, which is best for oil, or on the stove top for flame pots. If using a flame pot carefully transfer the hot oil to the fondue pot. Do not fill the pot more than 2/3 full, to reduce splashing over the rim of the pot while cooking. Pierce the raw meat or seafood with fondue forks and submerge in hot oil for about a minute. Remove and let cool briefly before dipping.

Broth Fondue

4 – 6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbsp Worcestershire or soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

2 – 4 mushrooms per person, whole or halved, depending on size
4 – 6 broccoli crowns per person, blanched
2 – 4 cauliflower crowns per person, blanched
4 – 6 snow peas per person, blanched
2 – 3 mini carrots per person, blanched

Combine all ingredients (salt and pepper optional) into electric fondue pot or on a stove top pot if using flame pot. Bring liquid to a simmer (liquid is moving and steam coming off surface) and begin dipping. For flame pots bring liquid to a boil on the stove then carefully transfer to the flame fondue pot. Dip vegetables into broth until cooked to your liking, warm but still crisp, or soft and mushy. If you really want the vegetables cooked quickly, I recommend blanching all the vegetables (drop them for 2 – 5 minutes in boiling water, then stop the cooking process by dropping them in cold water, then drain) before cooking them in the broth. The blanching can be done in advance and then refrigerated until serving time.

Chocolate Fondue

½ pound semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup Light Cream
1/8 cup brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in pot on stove top or in a microwave-proof glass bowl. Melt on low heat until liquid and well combined. If using the microwave heat for 30 seconds and stir until mostly melted, then stir until all lumps are gone. Whether prepared on the stove top or in the microwave, transfer to fondue pot for serving and dip dip dip (but don’t double dip!).

SAUCES

Lemon Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbs Lemon Juice

Add all ingredients to a pot on the stove top. Heat until ingredients come to a boil. Let cool.

Hollandaise Sauce

4 oz Butter
2 Egg Yolks
1 tbs Lemon Juice
1 tbs Water
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter and let cool briefly. While butter is cooling mix the rest of ingredients in a blender but do not blend them yet. When butter has cooled a bit spoon out the foamy, bubbly top from butter, leaving the clear, yellow clarified portion. Begin blending the mixed ingredients and gradually and steadily add the butter. Let blend for about a minute. Leave at room temperature until served.

Spicy Oriental Sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 4.5 ounce can mild green chiles
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp Sesame Oil

Combine all ingredients in tall bowl. With hand blender combine ingredients to a uniform, slightly thick texture. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Garlic Lemon Dip

1 ½ cups mayonnaise
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp garlic, crushed
½ tsp hot sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients until well blended. Keep refrigerated until served.

Curry Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp ground curry
1 ½ tsp lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate until served.

Dill Dip

1 ½ cup low fat sour cream
½ shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp dill, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients well. Refrigerate until served.

Guacamole Dip

1 rip avocado, mashed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ cup plain low fat yogurt
½ cup low fat sour cream
¼ cup finely chopped pine nuts, walnuts or pecans
1 leek, white and light green part finely chopped
½ tsp hot sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the avocado flesh with the lemon juice. Mix avocado mixture with the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. If prepared ahead of time of serving, keep refrigerated.

Posted in avocado, bread, chicken, chocolate, dip, fondue, fruit, Mom's Kitchen, sauces, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
19 Mar 2012

Beef Curry

As promised to Big D weeks and weeks ago, I am trying out a spicy curry dish. He is usually the one that cooks dishes with curry sauces, but I am going to take a stab at it. His favorite is a chicken spinach concoction with curry sauce he first discovered in Anchorage, Alaska, at a little Indian restaurant. I am not going to try and copy it, since he does such a good job doing it himself, so I will aim for beefy. Trying new things is good, right? I also think my concoction went very well over saffron rice, which I was craving lately. My in-laws took a trip to Greece last summer and brought back some wonderfully strong saffron for me. Saffron is a flavor that does not go with just anything, and can actually make some foods almost sour, but I think it will be very complimentary to the beef and curry, while softening the bite of the chili. When Big D took his first bite I was sitting across the table from him – he smiled and his eyes got big as he quickly reached for his beer. I think I got it spicy enough for him!

Beef Curry

10-12 ounces tender cut beef steak, sliced into bite size strips
3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
½ yellow onion, cut julienne
1 pound broccoli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp dried chili flakes
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup long grain parboiled rice
2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 ½ tsp salt
10-15 strands saffron

Combine broth, 1 tsp salt and saffron in a medium pot over high heat on the stove. Bring it to a boil and add rice. Cook for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Let sit for about ten minutes before serving. While rice is cooking you can prepare the meat and vegetables. Add oil to electric or stove top wok on medium high heat. When oil is hot add chili flakes and garlic. As garlic begins to brown add onions and sauté until they are transparent. Add lemon juice, curry, ginger and ½ tsp salt. The spices will soak up all the oil and juice pretty quickly. Cook until the color of the mixture changes to a dark brown. If you are convinced the dish will not be hot enough for you, do what I did and stir in a squirt (about 1 Tbsp) of Sriracha hot chile sauce. Move onions to the outer edges of the wok. Add beef into the well and toss just until it begins to brown. Toss onion mixture with meat. Add milk and stir until combined. Add broccoli and cover, lower the heat and let mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. It is ready when the sauce is hot and the broccoli just tender but still bright green. Serve on top of the saffron rice.

Posted in beef, onion, Seals' Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
17 Mar 2012

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I began the month of March with potatoes and cabbage, now I end my mostly Irish theme here on St. Patrick’s Day with the same. How can I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in America without corned beef and cabbage? I guess I can, but I won’t! Boil, boil and boil some more! I included directions for doing the cabbage separately (boiling or sauteing) because as usual it does not fit with the meat and veggies in the crock pot. You would think a 6 quart crock pot would be big enough, but not for us! We like our cabbage in bulk! I will return now to my celebration with family and friends. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

“May the road rise to meet you and the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of your hand.”
-Unknown

Corned Beef and Cabbage

4 pounds corned beef
2 cups mini carrots or large carrots roughly chopped
5-7 small potatoes, halved
4 cups water
1 Tbsp pickling spices
1 head cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour water and spices into 5-6 quart crock pot. Add beef and cook on high for two hours, then turn to low. Add carrots and potatoes and cook for 4 to 6 more hours until vegetables are soft. Cut cabbage in half and remove core. Slice had lengthwise into wedges – enough to fit in one layer in a large pan with cover.

To boil cabbage: about 45 minutes before meat is done pour enough water in the pan until it is about ½ inch deep. Add some salt and bring to a boil. Place cabbage wedges in the water, lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes until tender. Gently remove from pan with a long spatula, trying to keep the wedges intact. Salt and pepper to taste.

To saute cabbage: about 30 minutes before meat is done heat large pan to medium high and add about 3 Tbsp butter. When melted spread it around the pan. Place wedges in pan and cook until browning begins. Flip wedges gently and let brown again. Cover pan and lower heat until cabbage is soft. Gently remove from pan to a serving dish, trying to keep the wedges intact. If they fall apart just go with the flow and make a pile. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the corned beef and vegetables with spicy brown mustard, creamy horseradish and dense, crusty bread.

Posted in beef, cabbage, potatoes, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
15 Mar 2012

Salsa Verde with Tomatillos

I have found the point where my intention of exploring Irish food takes a turn. And you are here to share it with me! Okay, so salsa verde is not an authentic Irish dish, but it is green, right? It will be fun! After boiling and sauteing Irish foods lately I felt the need to have something spicy on crunchy tortilla chips. The tomatillos at the store were looking good, so they led to a logical conclusion – green sauce! I did not really get much salsa verde until I started traveling to New Mexico about ten years ago. Each restaurant served the sauce with varying levels of heat, from mild and sweet and almost dessert-like to an addictive spiciness that leads to consuming many a chip and drinking margaritas much too fast. Out there it is usually heavier on the peppers than my version, but I dug into my tex-mex roots for this recipe and used only one jalapeno. The tomatillos were nice and tangy and the onion a bit sweet so this batch needed no sugar or salt at all. Yummy! I could not find my written recipe, so found this one, which most closely matched what I have done in the past…

Salsa Verde with Tomatillos

1 pound fresh tomatillos
1 small yellow onion
1 jalapeno
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lime, juiced with meat
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Pinches of Sugar and Salt to taste

Remove husks from tomatillos, wash well and cut in half. Remove dry layers from onion and cut it in half. Cut jalapeno in half. Remove seeds and discard if you want a milder salsa, but I leave them in. Set oven to high broil. Place tomatillos, jalapeno and onion on foil covered broiling pan, skin side up. The onion and jalapeno pieces should be on the outer edges, with the tomatillos in the center. Place under broiler and roast until tomatillo skins begin to blacken, at least 5 minutes and possibly up to 10, depending on the power of your broiler. Rotate the pan and broil longer if needed to maximize blackening*. Let vegetables cool. Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse to desired texture, or use a molcajete and break it up the old fashioned way. Refrigerate for at least an hour, but ideally overnight. Add additional salt to taste if needed before serving.

*Recently my mother in law was making a tomatillo sauce with avocados and I encouraged her to roast the tomatillos and peppers. She did, but…just…could…not let them get really black. The result was delicious, but we will never know how truly blackened tomatillos would have changed the flavor. I know the urge will be strong to take the pan out before the skins are truly black and smoking, but it really expands the flavor of the results if you control yourself and let them go black.

Posted in dip, onion, Seals' Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
09 Mar 2012
1 Comment

Mushed Peas

On the first day of my first trip to Ireland I stayed up for 36 hours straight. The original plan was to sleep on the flight over the Atlantic, but a merry band of fine looking Italian men decided to have a party about five rows away, so any thoughts of peace and quiet went out the window. There are worse reasons for not sleeping. We landed in Shannon, went through customs, found our B&B and took off in our little car to explore. Bumping along a narrow road on the way to the Cliffs of Moher we came across a little cottage converted into a small cafe. Our rumbling stomachs could be heard over the car engine, so we stopped for a bite. It may have been the beautiful, lush green surroundings, but the fish and chips with mushed peas we ate for lunch tasted magical. Our table of two made up half the customers in the place for the entirety of our meal. It was quiet, we could see through windows in three directions, and were slightly punchy from being awake in our 30th hour. It was a blissful break from the rushed feeling inherent in travel. A decade later I still recall the cup of bright peas, the subtle mint mixed in, and how amazed I was that I never thought of mushing them before. Some people call them mashed, other mushy, but I call them mushed because that is what they were called during my first encounter. Oh, and the Cliffs of Moher are really tall and otherwise left me speechless.

Mushed Peas

2 pounds frozen peas
½ small onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced leaves only
2 Tbsp whole milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a pot. Add peas and onion and cook covered on low until peas and onion are tender. Add mint. Mash with a potato masher, food processor, hand blender or other macerating device you may have handy. Add milk and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper – take care with the salt and pepper because a little goes a long way with mushed peas. Serve warm.

Posted in Seals' Kitchen, side dish, vegetables, wheat free
07 Mar 2012
2 Comments

Oxtail Soup

Yet again, I am making soup. And yet again it is something my dad used to make, but I am putting my own spin on it. Hang in there with me – I promise that soup on my menu will decrease significantly as the temperature outside rises. I don’t do well with warm liquids in warm weather. Just doesn’t seem right. Now, on with the soup…

My dad learned how to make oxtail soup in Germany where, as in most places of the world, every bit and piece of slaughtered animals was used. It has a rich sauce and the vegetables melt in your mouth. He would leave the meat on the bones and we would each get one in our bowl. As a kid it was fun trying to get all the meat out of the little crevasses. The dog was always hanging around, trying to wait patiently for the bones.

Oxen have meaty tails, and the meat is pretty tender. Of course, most meat is tender after being boiled for three hours. The oxtail is traditionally considered one of the more lowly cuts of meat. I mean, you don’t typically find oxtails on the menu of fine dining establishments, but in many places of the world soup made with them is very popular. The marrow adds extra depth of flavor to the broth. The meat and simple vegetables in the soup are relied on to warm bellies on cold winter nights.

Since Ireland is one of the countries traditionally relying on it as a staple dish, and it is still soup season (aka winter) in some parts of the U.S., I give you as one of my Irish dishes – the lovely and rich oxtail soup. I actually decided to take pieces of recipes from my dad, my own recipe collection, as well as those from China, Korea, Jamaica, Hawaii, Germany, the US and of course Ireland…you get the idea. I guess it is more of an International soup made with an American ox.

Oxtail Soup

1 pound oxtail, cut into 2-inch thick slices
3 Tbsp oil
¾ cup red wine
3 garlic cloves, cut in half
8 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 large carrots, diced
1 medium turnip, diced
1 large or 2 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 small potatoes, diced
2 tsp chopped thyme
1 tsp chopped parsley
Additional salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp flour (optional)*

The day before making the soup the oxtail pieces need to be cooked. In a deep pan on the stove top (I used a dutch oven) heat the oil, add the oxtail pieces and sear on all sides. Add the salt, garlic, water and wine, bring it to a boil then lower heat, cover and let simmer for about three hours. When cooking is complete the meat should fall off the bones. Let cool until the meat can be handled and separate broth from the bones and meat. Store the meat and broth separately in the fridge overnight and give the bones to the dogs. The next day skim off/remove as much fat and garlic as you can from the broth and discard. The broth will mostly be in a gelatinous form, but will liquify when heated. If there is fat you can remove from the meat, then do so. Return broth and meat to the stove top pot (or a crock pot), add all the vegetables, meat and herbs. If the liquid is not covering all the vegetables you may need to add a cup or so of water or beef broth, but wait until it is warm because it might not be necessary. Simmer on low for about three hours until the vegetables are tender (or six hours in a crock pot). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

*A final, optional step can be to add some thickener to the soup. I do not take this step because I want the soup to be wheat free. To thicken, draw out about ½ cup of liquid from the soup. Add 3 Tablespoons of flour and whisk together until all lumps are gone. Add the thickener to the soup, combine with the rest of the soup and let cook for the last ten minutes.

Posted in beef, Seals' Kitchen, soup, vegetables, wheat free
01 Mar 2012
1 Comment

Colcannon

It is March! March means two things to me – the world changes from brown to green and the 17th of the month is one of my favorite days of the year. As St. Patrick’s Day nears I ponder more and more the Irish dishes I consider comfort food. Frankly, when I think of Ireland and food my thoughts do not often float beyond seafood and potato dishes. My ancestors survived on such things, so it is no wonder I enjoy exploring them. Traditional Irish-American foods that start popping up around St. Patrick’s Day usually include corned beef, but pork is more often the protein in Irish dishes. Over the next few posts leading up to St. Patty’s Day I am going to cover some of my favorite Irish dishes, prepared in ways my family enjoys them. Let’s see where this journey takes us! I am starting with colcannon, which goes well with pork. Go figure.

One of my favorite pubs is The Lion and Rose British Restaurant and Pub, of which there are a few locations down in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The first one opened in a little shopping center in Alamo Heights, an old neighborhood in San Antonio near my alma mater. So far they have retained the deliciousness of their food, and hopefully continue to do so as the number of locations grows. I mention the pub because they serve a dish I love, but for some reason rarely make – colcannon. Uh, technically their menu item is bubble and squeak (an English stove top version of colcannon), but the flavor is much the same and so easy to make myself. When I eat mashed potatoes there are usually vegetables along side and I always end up mixing them together. Mashed potatoes and corn? Mix. Mashed potatoes and peas? Mix. Mashed potatoes and green beans? Mix. Mashed potatoes and cabbage. Yep, mix.

The traditional versions of colcannon I have come across include boiling. A lot of boiling. I can boil everything and mix it together as was done in the past, but I am partial to sauteed cabbage. The searing of cabbage that is barely crispy and just becoming tender makes me melt. I guess you can say I make a hybrid of colcannon and bubble and squeak. I am okay with that statement. If you are like me and serve colcannon with meat, at the last minute you suddenly worry that you forgot to make a vegetable for dinner. Never fear. The cabbage IN the colcannon is actually the vegetable! Big D got a laugh out of my omigosh-I-forgot-the-veggies moment.

Colcannon

3 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 small (or ½ medium) head cabbage
1 medium leek (green sections removed), thinly sliced
1 cup milk
½ cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop potatoes into equal sized pieces (about 4-6 pieces per potato). Drop potatoes into boiling salt water and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, core and thinly slice the cabbage. In a large skillet melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium high heat. Add cabbage and toss to distribute the butter. Turn down the heat to medium, add salt and pepper to taste and cover, cooking until cabbage is tender. Occasionally toss the cabbage, allowing some browning to occur. While the cabbage is cooking add the remaining butter to a small sauce pan and melt. Add leek to butter and cook until transparent. Add milk and simmer until heated through, using salt and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes until smooth (they may look dry). Add the onion mixture (the potatoes won’t look dry anymore). Add the cabbage, setting aside about one cup for garnish. Stir until all is combined. Top with the set aside cabbage. Serve hot.

Posted in cabbage, leeks, potatoes, Seals' Kitchen, side dish, vegetables, wheat free
26 Feb 2012
2 Comments

Jambalaya

When I was in 6th grade my dad had a business trip to New Orleans. It coincided with spring break so my mom, brother and I went along. The trip was exhilarating in a number of ways. 1) the old, European feel of the narrow streets and old buildings was a new experience for me, 2) even as a ‘tween’ I immediately recognized the potential for fun and folly inherent on Bourbon Street, which was apparent to me in spite of the fact I only saw it in daylight, and 3) the Mississippi was mighty. My brother and I got a brief chance to walk the streets together without the parents, got caught in a rainstorm and were mistaken for a young couple in love (it was a REALLY crowded elevator so we were scrunched together, we were freakishly tall for our age and we were sopping wet). Another discovery was the food in New Orleans. It is sometimes subtle and sometimes spicy, but always has roots in simplicity. Jambalaya is a popular dish found in New Orleans. It is consistent with an international tendency to create a one-pot conglomeration of ingredients that is delicious, filling and representive of local ingredients. Jambalaya is similar to risotto in Italy, paella in Spain, pilaf in Greece/Turkey and fried rice in Asia. Although the ingredients may seem exotic in some regions of the U.S., the following recipe is typical for the Creole tradition of cooking, and close to Cajun methods, even though Cajuns tended not to use tomatoes.

Upon our return to Texas from that first trip to New Orleans there was a flurry of Cajun dishes made in our house. I am not kidding – my dad purchased cookbooks, multiple iron skillets and a propane burner for use outside to make things like blackened redfish. I spent a lot of time chopping up the holy trinity – equal parts green bell pepper, celery and onion. We grew up eating many servings of jambalaya, gumbo, and occasionally etouffee. He sprinkled many a dish with Paul Prudhomme’s magic seasoning blends. Dad was a master meat griller and among his secrets for preparing meat (which he shared with me but I will not divulge here) he relied on the seasoning blends to give the right spiciness and flavor to meats. Such influences still linger with me today, and were part of the reason I was inclined to spend three additional vacations in New Orleans, and spend six months living there. I really want to return again and further experience the magic of one of the oldest and most culturally diverse cities in our country. It may be because I miss my dad, but it may also be that the charm of the city is undeniable and cannot be understood unless you walk the streets and open your heart to the experience.

Jambalaya

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper (or less if you want to curb spiciness)
2 tsp salt
1 pound alligator meat, cubed
1 pound andouille sausage, quartered and sliced
2 cups long grain parboiled rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat
1 pound uncooked small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 green onions, chopped

In a large Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat on stove top. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, oregano, cayenne and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping bottom until vegetables are wilted and mixture is becoming a caramel color. Push vegetables to the edges of the pot to create a well on the bottom. Add sausage and alligator; cook until it begins to sear, about five minutes, then combine with vegetables. Scrape the bottom of the pan regularly while the meat sears. Add rice, tossing it until thoroughly coated. Add chicken stock, water, tomatoes with their liquid and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 25 minutes. Do not remove lid during cooking time. Rice should be almost cooked but some liquid not absorbed. Add shrimp and crawfish tails. Cook on low another 10 minutes, until shrimp is cooked, crawfish heated through and liquid absorbed*. Remove from heat and stir in green onions. Let sit for 10 minutes. Taste before serving and add salt as needed to enhance flavors. Before serving remove bay leaves, or at least warn your guests to look out for them.

*To make the jambalaya without seafood use 6 chicken thighs (skinned and diced into large cubes) instead of the alligator. Add the chicken instead of alligator along with the sausage and skip the step later when the shrimp and crawfish are added.

Posted in rice, seafood, Seals' Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free
24 Feb 2012

Tilapia Tacos

One of my favorite past times is kayaking. Big D and I have sit-on-top kayaks we use in warmer climates, while our sit-inside kayaks and spray skirts are reserved for colder places. Besides allowing us to paddle to shallow nooks and crannies boats often cannot go, the kayaks keep me on top of the water. I never really like that vulnerable feeling when I have my feet dangling down where they cannot touch the bottom, wondering if my wiggling toes are calling large sea mammals to come feast. It is irrational and I do not get to the point where I freeze with fear, but my imagination sure runs wild. Yes, I may be able to blame images from Jaws or Deep Blue Sea for giving me trepidations, and (mom, don’t read this) I have in fact landed in the ocean with feet dangling over the abyss, hanging on the edge of my kayak while waves roll me around. Good thing I can swim and can heave ho myself back into my kayak. I can stand here today and say with confidence that I have not yet been eaten by any sea creatures, though I am pretty sure a few have come close and considered a snack. All of this kayak talk is leading me to my solution for using up some beautifully ripe tomatoes and avocados.

I appreciate the taste of fresh fish on fresh corn tortillas, topped with things like the previously mentioned beautifully ripe tomatoes and avocados. Such concoctions are called fish tacos in my world. When I am done kayaking for the day, and famished, I am rarely interested in cooking. I want food. Immediately. Made by someone else. Since it is a must to be near water when kayaking, it is pretty much guaranteed there is someone cooking up seafood at nearby restaurants. I will trudge over to the nearest joint, regardless of my sandy and salty and bedraggled state, drink a ton of water and chow down. When I am not eating shrimp or oysters at said restaurants I like fish tacos – a mix of fresh vegetables and fresh fish all swaddled in corn tortillas. After watching fish swim by and under me all day I can’t help but think about eating them. I have discovered in my travels the preparation of fish tacos varies in the U.S. from coast to coast to coast (yes, there are at least three in the contiguous U.S.). Here is the way I like them.

Tilapia Tacos

2 tilapia fillets
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced with meat included
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
¼ head green or red cabbage
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Crystal® hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup cilantro leaves
6 corn tortillas

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, chili powder and salt in a bag that can be sealed. Add fillets and toss gently until the fish is covered by the marinade. Push air out of the bag and seal, marinating for at least an hour, flipping it over about half way through. For the coleslaw chop the cabbage thinly and then across, making short, bite-size pieces. Combine vinegar, sour cream, hot sauce, salt, pepper and cumin. Toss with cabbage. Refrigerate until tacos are served. Preheat oven to 300F. Brush the remaining olive oil on both sides of the corn tortillas, placing them on a large cookie sheet. While cooking the fish pop the tortillas in the oven. They should be ready about the same time as the fish – they just need to be heated up, not browned or crisped. Heat a pan on the stove top to medium high. Cut each fillet into three or four pieces, depending on the size of the fillets. Add the fish to the dry heated pan and cook about three minutes on each side, until cooked through. There should be enough oil on the fish to cook them without adding more oil, but if not, you may need to add a splash more while cooking. Remember: dry fish is gross fish! Before serving break up the fish into even smaller pieces, allowing them to better mix with the other ingredients when added to the tacos. Fill tortillas with fish, coleslaw, tomato, avocado and cilantro. Eat up! I tend to put the slaw on top so the dressing can drip down onto the rest of the taco contents. After a few bites sprinkle on some hot sauce if the tacos are not spicy enough.

Posted in avocado, cilantro, fish, Seals' Kitchen, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
20 Feb 2012

Two Day Chicken Vegetable Soup

When it comes to soup I prefer mine chunky. I also make creamy and pureed soup, but rely on them mostly for appetizers or snacks. Otherwise, I feel like I am having a meal of baby food, though much more flavorful (believe me, I made baby food for Little B – TMI warning: if it was not bland the results on the other end were disturbing). A main course soup needs to be chunky in my world. My chicken soup comes with yet another dimension – slow cooked chicken. I have tried to sear the chicken right before adding it to the soup, or steaming it just enough to avoid adding raw meat to the soup, but it just does not work for me. I like chicken in my soup that has the flavor of slow cooked meat. My chicken soup is a two day process, so don’t think you can just throw things in a crock pot one morning and return that evening with dinner ready. No no no. You can return two nights later for dinner. It is a double crock pot meal, and not because you might happen to own two crock pots. It is a consecutive process, not concurrent. I slow cook the meat one day, prep it, let it rest, then slow cook the soup the next day. It really does taste better. Really.

Two Day Chicken Vegetable Soup

Day 1
6 – 8 chicken thighs
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chiles*
Salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken thoroughly by sprinkling it with cumin, salt and pepper. Pour half the can of Rotel in a 5-quart crock pot. Arrange chicken on top of the Rotel®. Chop garlic and sprinkle on top of chicken, then add the rest of the Rotel®. Cover and cook on high for first two hours, then lower temperature and cook for four more hours. If you are gone for the day it can be cooked on low for eight hours with similar results. When cooled debone and remove skin from the thighs. Shred meat into bite-size pieces. Retain liquid, including any pieces remaining of the tomatoes and chiles. Store meat and liquid separately overnight in the refrigerator.

*If no Rotel® is available it can be substituted with a 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and a small 4.5 ounce can of green chiles.

Day 2
Chicken meat and liquid from Day 1
5-6 cups water
20 mini carrots, quartered
2 potatoes peeled, halved and sliced thin
2 cups peas
2 cups corn
1 bunch celery hearts with leaves, chopped
2 cups mixed cauliflower and broccoli, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp ground sage
Salt to taste

Remove chicken meat and liquid from fridge. Skim fat off top of liquid and discard. Pour liquid (which will include some flavorful gelatinous/fatty substance) in the bottom of the crock pot. Add vegetables and herbs, topping with chicken meat. Stir together all ingredients. Add water until meat and vegetables are just covered with liquid and stir again. Cover and cook six hours on high. Turn off heat and taste, adding salt and pepper if desired. Let soup sit for about an hour before serving. Serve with fresh bread or biscuits.

Posted in chicken, Seals' Kitchen, soup, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment

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