Cheese Ball

This Cheese ball is wonderful, like a scoop of heaven in your mouth.  I had to share it because of all the Christmas parties coming up and a lot of people like to have a pot luck where everyone brings a dish.  That is what we do in my family.  We have family Christmas, usually before Christmas at one of my Aunts or Uncles house, everyone brings something yummy to eat and we open presents and stuff ourselves so much that everyone is having to unsnap their jeans to make room for dessert!!!  It is usually best to wear pants with an elastic waist band so you can eat until your hearts content.  If you can imagine a bunch of Cajuns in a house and everyone bringing something to eat, you know there is going to be some damn good food their!

A co-worker of mine from a long time ago brought this cheese ball to a company party we had; it was devoured in minutes.  It was so good, and she was kind enough to share the recipe with us, thanks a million Beverly!!  I have made it several times now for different occasions and it is always a hit and everyone is always asking for the recipe.  The good thing about this recipe is that you make it the night before serving, because you have to let it chill and harden.  Which is what makes this great as a go to dish to bring to a party!   I so wish I had a picture to share, I always forget to take one and then it is gone.

2 – 8 oz. Packages Philadelphia cream cheese
1 – small can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/4 cup – finely chopped green pepper
2 Tablespoons – finely chopped onion
1 Teaspoon – Seasoned Salt (such as Tony’s or Lawry’s)
chopped pecans as little or as much as you like

Mix together the above ingredients.  Roll or pack into small covered container, in a ball shape, and chill overnight.  Once chilled, take out of container and you may need to form it into a perfect ball by using your hand to form the ball.  Roll in chopped pecans before serving.  Serve with Melba Toast, Bagel chips, or ritz crackers.

* Let cream cheese lay out for at least an hour to soften so that it is easier to mix.

**  Use a fork to press the juice out of the crushed pineapple while draining.  It helps to make the cheese ball a little bit more firm and easier to roll in the pecans.

 

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

If you read my about section you know I am a Cajun.  I absolutely love Cajun food and could eat it every day of my life.  My friends have always asked me how to make gumbo.  I have never been able to send them a recipe for Gumbo because well, there is no real recipe for gumbo, it is just something you make from the heart not a recipe.

So, this past week when I made a pot of Gumbo, out came the paper and pen and I wrote down everything I did so I could put together a recipe for Gumbo.

Ingredients

• 9 cups chicken stock (you can use water too but stock gives a better flavor)
• 3/4 cup of roux – I like to use roux from a jar because I never have the patients to make roux from scratch
• 1 lb smoked sausage or andouille sausage
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 bay leaves
• Tony’s seasoning
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon gumbo file powder
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

Directions: (these are directions based on using jar roux)

Place a large pot on the burner and turn the heat to medium.  Add the roux and let it start to get warm and melt a little.  Once it has gotten hot add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook until wilted.

Add the sausage bay leaves and cook (continuously stirring so you don’t burn the roux)  for an additional 5 minutes.  Add in the 9 cups of chicken stock or water.  This needs to be stirred until the roux is completely melted.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Season your chicken with Tony’s seasoning and add chicken to the pot.  Simmer for an additional 2 hours.  To keep the gumbo from being so greasy, skim off the fat as it rises to the top.

Remove all of the chicken from the pot and tear off the meat from the bones.  Shred the chicken up a bit large or small pieces, what ever you prefer and return to the pot.  The chicken will be hot and the best way to do this is to use two forks to pull it apart.

Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the gumbo from the heat and add chopped green onions and parsley and gumbo file powder.  Stir well and serve over cooked white rice.

The best condiments, in my opinion to serve with gumbo are as follows: saltine crackers, pepper jelly, potato salad, and hot sauce.

** special note….gumbo freezes very well so if you make too much, freeze it and have it in a couple of weeks.  It tastes just as yummy!!!!

 

Thanksgiving Pecan Pie

This is the best Pecan pie I have ever made.  I found the recipe in an old recipe book but I made some changes to make it really pop in your mouth with flavor.  I don’t like making my own pie crust because honestly I would rather spend my time with my family drinking wine and enjoying their company than slaving over pie crust.

I buy frozen pie crust and make the filling from scratch.  Marie Callender’s pie crust, they are the best.

Ingredients for filling:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely crushed (use a food processor it saves time)
• 1 cup pecans, quartered
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 pinch fresh nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of bourbon

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, light and dark corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla,  butter, bourbon, nutmeg, salt and finely crushed pecans.

3. Spread quartered pecans over the bottom of the pie crust then pour syrup mixture over top of pecans, then arrange pecan halves on top of pie.

4.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until firm;  Let the pie cool one hour before serving.

Useful Tips:

Cover the outside of the pie crust with a foil ring to keep the crust outside edges from burning.  Take foil off during the last 30 minutes of cooking so the crust can brown.  If you find the crust is getting too brown, cover it with foil again until the pie is cooked.

Serve with Hagan Daas Vanilla Bean ice cream!!  ENJOY!!!!

 

Lightening McQueen Birthday Cake

I made this cake for my son’s 2nd birthday back in September who loves the movie Cars.  We had a Cars theme birthday party and it was a hit.

 

Sushi

I have always wanted to try to make my own sushi.  I made this platter for my husband and I this past summer and it came out very nice.  I purchased all of my fish at Whole Foods Market, they serve the freshest sushi grade fish, in my opinion.

This was so much fun to do and would be great to have as an appetizer for a dinner party or for a little get together with friends.  I also made spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce to go with the sushi as an appetizer.

Of course you have to serve hot or cold sake with it.  I prefer cold sake, it is more expensive but so worth it.  My favorite cold sake is organic and is made by Takara. 

I grabbed this information from their website.

Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama

It’s totally natural, using OCIA certified rice harvested from the Sacramento Valley with absolutely no preservatives, no brewers alcohol added, no sulfites. It is brewed under the direction of Takara’s master brewer combining the most traditional methods with modern technology to arrive at the Ginjo grade.

Type: Junmai Nama/ Draft(Organic)

Character:

Full, dry and balanced flavor with fruity and fresh taste

Dry/Sweet: +5 (dry)

Texture: Soft and smooth

Aroma: Pleasant ginjo aroma

Suggestions:

Serving: Chilled

Pairing food: Cold or vinegar-marinated

Alcohol: 15%

Size: 300ML

 

Pecan Panko Crusted Salmon

This is my new favorite way to eat Salmon.  I love Salmon and it is really good for you.  I have been cooking Salmon the same way for a really long time and was getting bored with it so I found a few recipes and combined them all into one.  This is so yummy, you will never cook Salmon any other way!!  This recipe serves 4 but you can easily cut it in half for a serving for two.

• 1/4 cup unsalted organic butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (fresh is best not dried)
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon cut into wedges for serving

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.

3.   Season the Salmon with salt and pepper to your liking  and brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture (this works best with a pastry brush), sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.  If you like lots of crust on your stuff (like I do) You can also spread the honey mixture on the sides of the salmon, like I did in the picture, and press the bread crumb mixture into the sides.I like to press the breadcrumb mixture down a little into the fish so it sticks well.

4.   Bake salmon 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.**  A good tip for baking salmon in the oven is to line your baking pan with foil so the clean up is easier.

 

Classic French Mussels

I love seafood.  Classic French Mussels are so good and my husband is “the man” when it comes to cooking this dish.  This is such an easy recipe and does not require many ingredients.  You can usually find mussels fairly inexpensive in most stores.  I like buying mine from Whole Foods Market, they always have the freshest ones and every time I buy them, the personally pick through the ones I buy and pick out any bad ones!  How awesome is that!  The grocery store usually has them pre-bagged and just sells you the bag and does not pick through them, so you could end up with a lot of bad ones when you get home.  This dish is very impressive, so if you are having guests over and want to make a “gourmet” appetizer this will blow them away!!!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned (click here to learn how to clean mussels)
• 1 cup dry white wine, use same for serving with your dish
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (do not use dried it does not taste as good)
• Kosher or Sea Salt
• Crusty Bread

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, cook until softened, for about 5 minutes, add in the garlic and cook for about 1 – 2 minutes – do not burn your garlic it will taste bitter and ruin the sauce.

Next add the dry white wine, butter, cream, and once the butter is melted, add the parsley.  Season with Salt and pepper then add the mussels. Give the mussels a good stir, cover the pot, and cook until mussels open and are cooked thoroughly; about 10 minutes for smaller mussels and 15 minutes for larger ones.

When I serve this dish, I will divide the mussels into two bowls, then pour the juice over them.  Also, if your bowls are too small you can put the remaining mussels in a large serving bowl and pour the juice over them so they are at the table with you when you run out of them in your bowl!!

It is a must that you drink the same wine you use in the recipe, it totally brings out the flavor of this dish and I also highly recommend not skipping the crusty french baguette for dipping in the juice.

Bon Appetit!!

 

Easy Margaritas

I thought I should post a great drink recipe in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  The Margarita.  Ahhh….who doesn’t like a good frozen margarita on a nice warm day?  I love Margaritas and some of the best Margaritas I have ever had are when I lived in Houston Texas at El Tiempo on Richmond Avenue.  They are awesome, but beware…you only need one.  If you drink two you need to take a cab home and three or more you are guaranteed to have a hangover the next day.

Here are some fun sites  about Margaritas:

Margarita Texas

The Bar Mix Master Has Spoken

Margaritaville

Places I like to drink Margaritas:

El Tiempo in Houston Texas – this place has the BEST fajitas I have ever eaten!!  YUMMMO!

Cadillac Bar in Houston Texas

Rio Grande in Boulder Colorado

Tequila’s in Bridge City Texas

Pappasito’s in Houston Texas

I like making these margaritas at home because they are simple, easy and tasty margaritas that are sure to please your guest.  They are so refreshing on a hot summer day hanging out on the patio, you will need to make more than one blender full.

These are restaurant quality margaritas and in my opinion even better.  I don’t like to use fresh squeezed lime juice because it is way too tart for me.  Using the Limeade adds sweetness to the margarita that I really like.

• 8 0z. Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate
• 8 oz. Sauza blanco (white) tequila
• 4 oz. Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• ice

Directions:

Add all ingredients into blender, fill the blender the rest of the way with ice and blend.

If you like salt, wet the rim of your margarita glass with Roses lime juice and then place wet rim into coarse salt to coat the rim of the glass.

Cheers!

 

Healthy Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas are very high in protein and are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking.  Chickpeas are used to make hummus, a very yummy dip and are great additions to soups and cous cous.  Also, if you are vegan, can be an excellent source for added protein to your diet.

This chickpea salad is so light and refreshing and really easy to make.You can make this quick and simple salad with ingredients you most likely have in your pantry and fridge.  It goes great for a light lunch served alone, or with soup.  For a nice side dish serve with grilled chicken or fish.

This salad is also great for a potluck because you can make it the day before.  The longer this salad sits in the fridge, the better it tastes.  It is also very easy to double or triple if you are serving a big crowd.

Ingredients:

• 15 ounces garbanzo beans, drained (I like Whole Foods organic brand)
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot house tomato, seeded & chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 2 hours and up to overnight before serving.

This serves approximately 4 people or 2 people with a big appetite.

There are some variations for this salad.  You can use cilantro instead of parsley for a different flavor.  Try Balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice for a bold flavor.  Apple cider vinegar even taste great in the place of lemon juice.  If you only have grape tomatoes on hand, use those they taste wonderful.

Make extra because this salad can be addicting!!

ENJOY!!

 

Caprese Salad

This is a simple salad that will easily impress.  This is a great salad for entertaining and there are several ways to make it.  I like using vine ripe tomatoes, I think these have the best flavor in this salad.

The first way to make this salad is by slicing the vine ripe tomatoes, mozerrela ball and alternatly lay them on each other.

The second way to make this salad is to use small mozerella balls and grape tomatoes.  You can usually find the mozerella balls in a plastic, clear container and they are packed in water or whey and are sometimes referred to as bocconcini.  This is a fun way to make the salad as well because if you are having a party it can be made the day before and taste wonderful.  If you are serving a lot of poeple, you can make as much as you want and put in a really nice container with a spoon for scooping.

Caprese Salad Recipe

• 2-3 vine ripe tomatoes
• 1 lb mozzarella ball
• 1 package fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

Slice tomatoes, slice mozzarella ball.  Alternate mozzarella slice and tomato slices on a plate or a nice serving tray if your having a party.  Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  You can do what you like with the basil.  I like to take the leaves, stack them and slice them in small strips with kitchen sizzors and sprinkle the strips on top of the slices.  This makes the basil look like long, green confetti which is fun.  You can also just place a leaf with each set of mozzerella and tomato slice.  Serve and enjoy!!