Tag Archives: recipes

Red Beans and Sausage with Rice

Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, , ,

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I promised my friend Girlie Girl that I would come up with a red beans and rice recipe she could make. I try to keep my promises although I have broken a few in my lifetime. Most of the promises were to myself but still I try to keep promises whether to myself or someone else.

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That being said, I did come up with a red beans and sausage recipe I think she and her hubby will enjoy. Like most of my recipes this one is made to tweak however you want. This can be a strictly meatless dish but I thought I would take it to another level by adding both andouille sausage and smoked sausage. Other Louisiana style recipes I have seen also include sausage or some type of ham. Since my family likes spice and lots of heat in my dishes I added the andouille sausage.

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Girlie Girl is from the mid west but I sometimes think she has the heart of a southerner. She enjoys down home cooking and seems adventurous when it comes to trying different foods. Truth be told I think her hubby does most of the cooking but she likes to eat which I appreciate.

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Red beans and sausage with rice is a great dish that becomes a great meal when you add a little corn bread on the side. Next time your family asks you what’s for dinner tell them red beans and sausage. They won’t be disappointed.

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Red Beans with Sausage and Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb andouille sausage sliced
1 lb smoked sausage sliced
1 smoked turkey leg or 2 smoked turkey wings
2 14 oz cans pinto beans undrained
2 14 oz cans pink beans undrained
1 medium onion diced
1 small green pepper diced
2 stalks celery sliced
4 cups chicken broth

Seasonings
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
1 tbsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 6 oz can tomato paste
4 slices of lemon (seeds removed)
½ jalapeno pepper diced

Place smoked turkey in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Add ½ of a onion sliced. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes to tenderize the turkey. If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, cook the smoked turkey in a large pot for 1 to ½ hours until the turkey is tender. Cool the turkey then pull the meat off the bone. Set aside and reserve broth from the turkey to add to the beans.

Add beans, veggies, seasonings, 4 cups of the smoked turkey broth, lemon slices and sausage to a crock pot. Add the turkey meat then stir to combine all of the ingredients. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hrs until the beans are tender and the sausage is cooked. Stir in tomato paste ½ way through cooking.

This dish can also be prepared in a large pot using the same steps as above. Beans and sausage will cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until tender.

Serve with brown or white rice.

 

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

Desserts, , , ,

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Anyone who really knows me knows I love good dark chocolate. It is the one sweet treat that is hard for me to pass up. I was looking through an old magazine recently and saw a recipe for a classic treat made with saltine crackers. I did not remember ever experiencing crunch bars but the picture looked wonderful.

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I was inspired to try making this tasty looking treat because of the dark chocolate and nuts. Of course I put my own spin on the recipe. I like saltines but I don’t like a lot of salt. I am one of those folks that scraps all the salt off of soft pretzels before I eat them. So, to make this treat I substituted graham crackers for the saltines.

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I also mixed up the nuts just because I like both walnuts and pecans. The two of them mixed together along with the dark chocolate gave the treat a nice rich flavor.

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Decedent, nutty and not too sweet. Chocolate Crunch Bars are a light treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth without a ton of calories.

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

Ingredients:
12 whole graham crackers
1 semi – sweet baker’s chocolate bar chopped
½ cup pecans chopped
½ cup walnuts chopped
1 stick of butter
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

Heat butter and brown sugar over low heat until butter is melted and blended with sugar. Bring to a low boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture evenly over graham crackers. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate over hot crackers to melt. Spread chocolate over graham crackers with the back of a spoon then sprinkle with nuts. Let cool completely. To speed up the process, cover with wax paper and let chill in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Separate bars and store in a plastic container in the refrigerator.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Uncategorized, Vegetables, , ,

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The holidays will soon be here so I have been trying out new recipes to bring in the season. Although stuffing is appreciated any time of the year, it graces most tables during the holidays. I absolutely love eating stuffing! I usually cut back on eating breads and sweets well in advance of Thanksgiving just so I can pig out on my mom’s cornbread stuffing.

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This Thanksgiving I thought I would give my mom a run for her money and make a stuffing that had fewer calories but was still full of flavor. I came up with the idea of a sweet potato stuffing while shopping at Trader Joe’s and saw a big display of Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons. The thought of sweet potatoes and pumpkin just seemed like a natural combination.

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The great thing about this recipe is that it very basic. As I have said on other occasions keeping it simple usually works best. I found the croutons provided a lot of spice so there was no need to add a lot of other seasonings. Salt, pepper and nutmeg was all that was needed to bring out the wonderful deep flavors of sweet potato and pumpkin.

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As usual, I used my family as guinea pigs to try out this new dish. I served the stuffing with pork chops and greens beans and had smiles all around. So, this Thanksgiving there will be extra stuffing on the table. We just won’t tell my mom.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Ingredients:
8 oz pumpkin cornbread croutons (Trader Joe’s)
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a medium non-stick frying pan. Add onions, celery, salt and pepper.. Saute until veggies are soft. Set aside.

Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and golden.

In large bowl add croutons, sweet potatoes, celery and onions. Gradually, add chicken broth to stuffing mix until croutons are softened and stuffing is well blended. Place mixture in a greased casserole dish. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes.

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Tortilla Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, , , ,

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For me and my family, soup is always a good go to comfort food. I can eat soup any time of the year while others only like it during the cold weather months. The type of soup I eat may depend on the time of year. I like thick creamy soups when the weather is cold and lighter soups like Chicken Corn Chowder when the weather is warm.

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Some of the soups I create are based on what is in season at the time I have a desire to make a big pot of soup. Tortilla soup, I think, is one you can make any time of the year because is light yet filling. In the summer, you can use corn fresh off the cob or carrots out of your own garden. In the winter, you can use canned corn and you can still get fresh carrots from the grocer.

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Soups like any other dish can be dressed up or dressed down. The first time I made Tortilla Soup I dressed it up by adding chicken to turn it into a meal. On other occasions I have used only beans and vegetables in the soup so that it was more of an appetizer or side dish.

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However you decide to make Tortilla soup, I am sure you will find it full of flavor if you follow my basic recipe. Top it off with homemade cheese tortilla strips and you will definitely have another winning dish to add to your cooking repertoire.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked chicken breast cubed
1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 14 oz can corn drained
2 14 oz cans black beans rinsed
1 14 oz diced tomatoes
1 12 oz container of fresh salsa (hot or mild)
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fajita seasoning
½ medium white onion diced
½ medium red onion diced
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp parsley

Place all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 more minutes. Turn off heat. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepper jack cheese or toasted sliced tortilla strips.

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Lemon Squares

Desserts, , ,

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Lemony is the best way to describe my new lemon squares recipe. I like the taste of lemon although I could never actually suck on a lemon the way my cousin JB did when we were kids. It would make my mouth pucker just watching him suck on lemons and then eat them without flinching.

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I call this a new recipe because my original recipe had a little too much sugar in it. I think I was trying to counter the lemon flavor to make sure no one’s mouth would pucker up. However, that did not work since my taste tester’s mouths puckered up from too much sugar.

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Now I think I have a healthy balance between the lemon and the sugar with a nice lemony finish for the taste buds. I was surprised at how easy it was to create these tasty little treats. There are only a few basic ingredients which are staples in most households. Lemons, sugar, eggs, butter and flour. Throw in a few flavors like vanilla or almond extract and you have yourself a lemon square.

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I have said on other occasions that I am not a baker but after making lemon squares, pumpkin spice cupcakes and few other desserts I may have to stop saying it. I am becoming a decent baker and I actually enjoy it. For anyone who doubts their baking abilities remember, if I can do it so can you. Just give it a try and don’t give up the first couple of times if you fail. Keep trying and one day you may call yourself a decent baker like me.

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Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 stick of butter room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar and softened butter in a bowl until a dough is formed. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Press dough in the bottom of the baking pan and slightly up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes until light golden brown.

Filling:
4 eggs room temperature
1 tbsp lemon zest
Juice from two lemons
2 tbsp lemon curd
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over warm crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set (jiggles just a little). Let cool completely then sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into squares and wrap individually with plastic wrap.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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I was chatting with my youngest son the other day about ideas for the blog and he told I needed to come up with a few ethnic dishes. I already had a few ideas in the back of mind but decided I would try to create an ethnic dish using ingredients I had on hand.

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There are certain staples I keep on hand because I use them in a number of dishes. Things like onions, various hot peppers, fresh salsa and cheese. While I was looking through the pantry and cabinets I realized I could create my own quick version of chicken enchiladas. I happen to have tortillas and pre-cooked chicken that was meant for another dish but that one could wait.

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Although I am mostly a northeastern girl with southern roots, I appreciate and enjoy all types of foods. Hispanic foods are often spicy and always full of flavor which reminds me of the foods I grew up with. Hot sauce was always on the table growing up and hot peppers were infused in a lot of my mom’s recipes that I love.

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Chicken Enchiladas is one of those easy go to recipes you can prepare whenever you have run out of ideas on what to make with chicken for the third time in a week. Try it. I know you will like it.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
10 oz pre-cooked chicken roughly chopped
6 medium sized tortillas
1 large shallot or 1 small onion sliced
4 medium jalapeno peppers sliced thin (remove seeds for less heat)
½ cup fresh salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bottle of enchilada sauce (Trader Joe’s)
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray long baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan then add onions and sliced jalapeno peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute veggies until soft. Set aside.

Take one tortilla and layer a small amount of cheese, veggies and chicken in the middle of the tortilla. Gently fold over the tortilla then fold in the sides towards the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in a long baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas then top with salsa and cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes to melt cheese.

 

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Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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For a while now my hubby has been asking me to make a “brothy” soup. My most recent soups have been thick and rich like my Carrot soup and my Leek and Potato soup.

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Vegetable soup seemed a simple choice but I wanted to make a soup that reminded me of the fall weather and colorful changing leaves. I love to see the trees speckled with orange, red and green leaves. That was the inspiration for the butternut squash and mixed baby kale soup. The soup is full of fall colors from the orange of the butternut squash, the red of the tomatoes and the bright green leaves of the mixed baby kale.

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I know. Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup is a long name. But, it would have been even longer if I added the names of some of the other ingredients that make this soup so delicious. I added Daddy’s to the title because my hubby claimed it to be his soup once he tasted it.

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Butternut squash is quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables. It is great all by itself or tastes even better when paired with vegetables like sweet potatoes or in this case mixed baby kale. The sweetness of the butternut squash along with the slightly bitter kale and spicy Italian sausage created a wonderful combination of flavors that swirl in your mouth.

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It’s the little things in life that often inspire us whether it is leaves changing colors in the fall or a nice pot of hearty soup.

Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian hot sausage
2 14oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed
1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 bags mixed baby kale
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
3 lemon slices
In a dutch oven or large pot brown sausage then drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off grease from the sausage and add olive oil to the pot. Add onions and Add broth, water, seasonings and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage, butternut squash and lemon slices. Stir and cook for 25 minutes. Add baby kale and cook an additional 10 minutes then turn off heat. Serve with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.

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Macaroni and Cheese

Pasta and Grains, , ,

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Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods ever made. Recipes for mac and cheese have been passed down from generation to generation. My family is no different. My mom passed on her mac and cheese recipe to me when I started learning how to cook. I am sure it is the same recipe my grandmother passed on to my mom and her sisters.

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Tradition is important when it comes to family and cultures. Without traditions our histories would not be as rich and wonderful. We would not know or understand the meaning of true love, sacrifice and success. Yes, traditions are important and each family has at least one tradition that is passed on and on. However, as new families are created so are new traditions.

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Although I have made my mom and grandmother’s mac and cheese for years, I recently decided to try a new recipe. I was inspired by a show on Food Network where Giada  featured a macaroni and cheese dish she loves. Giada’s macaroni and cheese included fontina cheese among other cheeses. I had never considered using fontina cheese in my mac and cheese. Fontina cheese is a semi-soft Italian cheese that has a rich and creamy texture with a slightly nutty flavor. My traditional mac and cheese called for extra sharp and sharp cheddar cheese period.

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New traditions call for new ingredients. My new mac and cheese includes five different cheeses. After all, the main attraction in macaroni and cheese is the cheese. Bringing together several different cheeses raised the flavors to a new level of goodness. Also the various textures of cheese which were hard, soft and semi-soft made the dish extra creamy.

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I will always love my mom’s mac and cheese but with my family I am creating new traditions to pass on to my children and grandchildren.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups medium pasta shells
5 oz Gruyere cheese grated
3 oz fontina cheese grated
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
¼ cup pepper jack cheese grated
3 tbsp Velveeta cheese cubed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp pasta water
¾ cup half and half
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to package adding 1 tsp of salt to the water. Drain and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the pasta to coat. Season with black pepper.

Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle a tablespoon of each cheese in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add half of the pasta and half of the cheese. Add remaining pasta and cheese. Pour half and half along with 2 tablespoons of pasta water over cheese and stir to mix cheese into pasta. Make sure cheese is well blended into the dish. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and paprika on the top of the dish. Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

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Apricot Glazed Chicken

Meat/ Poultry, ,

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If I took a survey about chicken and asked how many times per week do you eat chicken, I would bet it would be at least twice if not more. Having chicken a few times per week means coming up with a number of ways to prepare it. Fried chicken is good but I would not recommend eating it more than once per week. Baked chicken is healthy but can be a little on the boring side.

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We eat a lot of chicken in our family so I try not to repeat the same chicken dish in the same week or couple of weeks. I put baked chicken into my dinner rotation every couple of weeks. The last time I thought about preparing baked chicken I wanted to put a slight twist on baked chicken to keep the dish healthy but packed with more flavor. I decided adding an apricot glaze to the chicken would boost up the flavor and compliment the other seasonings on the chicken.

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Apricot glazed chicken sounds like it could be hard to prepare but really isn’t. The glaze is a simple combination of apricot preserves and butter. If you really what to shake things up, add a little brandy apricot liqueur to the glaze.

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Try making Apricot Glazed Chicken the next time you serve chicken. Yummy will be the main word you all around the dinner table.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken drumsticks
1 lb chicken wings
1 medium onion sliced
1 tbsp Adobo seasonings
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp cilantro
2 tbsp butter
½ jar Smucker’s apricot preserves
½ cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt apricot preserves and butter in a microwave safe bowl.

Layer bottom of baking pan with onions. Place chicken on top of onions and season with salt, pepper, Adobo and parsley. Sprinkle with with paprika. Pour preserves and butter mixture over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and cooked through.

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Black Forest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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Every kid at least once during their childhood has eaten a grilled cheese sandwich. Crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Cheddar cheese was usually the center piece of the sandwich and was complemented by tomato soup.

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Remember dipping your sandwich into the soup and letting it soak in the all that tomato goodness? I loved grilled cheese sandwiches back then and I still love them today. Only now I make big kid grilled cheese sandwiches.

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Cheese, of course, remains the center piece of my big kid grilled cheese sandwiches. But, this version uses 3 types of cheese to create the gooey goodness inside. Swiss, Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese (for the extra kick) combine to make a nice creamy tangy sandwich. To top it off I added black forest ham. Now that is a big kid grilled cheese sandwich!

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Since I decided to make a big kid grilled cheese sandwich I decided to also make a grown up soup to go with it. Leek and potato soup.  A thick and creamy soup to go with a wonderful creamy sandwich. You can check out the recipe for the Leek and Potato Soup at dmariedining.com.

Black Forest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:
¼ lb black forest ham sliced thin
¼ lb Swiss cheese
¼ lb pepper jack cheese
¼ lb Monterey Jack cheese
4 tbsp soft butter
1 French loaf of bread
cooking spray

Spray a griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

Spread a generous amount of butter on one side of a slice of bread. Place butter side down on the griddle. Layer bread with 3 cheeses and 2 slices of ham. Spread another slice of bread with butter and place over ham with the butter side up. Brown bread then flip to brown the other side. Repeat with other slices of bread. Serve with chips or your favorite soup.

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