Cajun Chef Ryan

Roasted Vegetables with Polenta

Boudreaux Ryan — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:26:19 +0000

Roasted Vegetables with Polenta

If you read my post on Polenta with Feta, Tomatoes, and Kalamata Olives dated June 4, 2010 you know that we are fairly new to working with polenta. In that recipe we used a refrigerated polenta product found in the produce section of the store, and it was fairly good. However, this time around we tackled the procedure for making polenta from a recipe of ingredients including corn meal, milk, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and chili pepper flakes.

And the result, we will never go back to store bought polenta again!

Polenta is similar to grits in being a corn based product that is cooked with a liquid ingredient, along with spices, cheeses, and protein, then thickened up a bit and served either warm or paned, cooled and shaped. It has a similar characteristic in that of a blank canvas, add you own combination of spices, herbs, vegetables, protein, dairy, and you have an endless array of combinations and permutations with this polenta.

The vegetables in this roasted recipe can include any of your favorite, here are some suggestions; asparagus cuts, sweet peppers large diced, zucchini sliced, mushrooms quartered, yellow squash sliced, red onions sliced cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, baby carrots or slices, eggplant large diced, cucumbers. The vegetables used in this recipe are included in the ingredient list below.

The recipe…

Ingredients
6	Cups	Vegetables: sweet green peppers large diced, zucchini sliced, mushrooms quartered, yellow squash sliced, red onions sliced, tomatoes large diced
¼	Cup	Plus 1 Tbsp Olive oil
¼	Tsp	Plus ½ Tsp Sea salt
½	Tbsp	Garlic, minced
½	Tsp	Crushed red pepper chili flakes
2	Cups	Milk, skim
2	Cups	Vegetable stock, divided
1	Cup	Cornmeal, yellow
1	Tbsp	Fresh basil, chopped
1	Cup	Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
2	Cups	Mixed baby greens

Procedure Steps
1.	Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl combine the vegetables with ¼ cup of the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of the sea salt. Toss well to evenly coat, then add the vegetables to a 9×13 roasting pan. Roast in oven, uncovered for about 15 minutes, the stir once and return to oven, continue to roast for another 15 minutes or until al dente, or crisp but not over cooked.
2.	Meanwhile, to prepare the polenta heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Then add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and saute for about a minute or two, stirring often. Stir in the milk and 1 cup of vegetable stock, and bring to just under a boil. The liquid will steam up just a bit, but will not be boiling. While the garlic / stock / milk mixture is simmering combine the remaining 1 cup of vegetable stock with the corn meal and stir together well to a smooth paste. Slowly add the cornmeal mixture to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly. Bring this to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cook this uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened, stir frequently. Fold in the fresh chopped basil, and ½ cup of the shredded parmesan cheese along with the remaining ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
3.	To serve, spoon the warm polenta into a serving plate or bowl, then top with the roasted vegetables, then garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese and mixed baby greens.

Optional: Pour the warm polenta into a greased sheet pan and smooth the mixture evenly into the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature and set up, then cut into portions, such as squares, or cut out rounds with a mold, then serve as above.

Dinner is served …another view…

Roasted Vegetables with Polenta…another view

Roasted Vegetables with Polenta…another angle

Bon appetite!

CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR

Three Bean and Corn Turkey Chili

Boudreaux Ryan — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:40:30 +0000

Three Bean and Corn Turkey Chili

This is another crock pot slow cooker recipe that is sure to please any chili fan! Quick and easy to prepare, just add the ingredients to the crock pot and in about six to eight hours on medium heat you are ready to eat. I used a pint of my Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce for this recipe, and if you have the time or have some on hand this is a great sauce, if not, then 2 cups of other tomato sauce will suffice…I guess!

We made this dish as our contribution to the Wake Forest – Rolesville High School Band Parent’s Booster kickoff dinner meeting. The band gave us a preview of their halftime show routine, and then a short volunteer meet and greet, followed by the dinner. Since the meeting was set for 5:30, we needed something that would be easy to make and warm up, this fit the bill.

Monique even got to march with Ben in a short portion of the movements, it was a hoot! Each band member had one parent shadow them in the first movement of the routine and it was hysterical!

The recipe…

Ingredients
1	Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Lb.	Ground turkey
1 ½	Cup	Red onion, diced
¼	Cup	Shallots, minced
2	Tbsp	Garlic, minced
1 ¾	lb.	Tomatoes, diced
2	Cups	Red kidney beans, cooked
2	Cups	Garbanzo beans, cooked
2	Cups	Black beans, cooked
2	Cups	Whole kernel corn
2	Cups	Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
1	Tbsp	Worcestershire sauce
¼	Cup	Chili powder
¼	Cup	Smoky Paprika
1	Tsp	Cumin, ground
1	Tsp	Red chili flakes
½	Tsp	Cinnamon, ground
Optional		Shredded cheese and sour cream

Procedure Steps
1.	In a large saute pan heat the olive oil then saute the onions, and shallots until translucent, and then add the garlic, and ground turkey meat. Brown the meat until pink is gone.
2.	Add the browned turkey mixture to the crock pot, then add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover the crock pot and turn on the slow cooker to a medium setting. Allow to cook in the slow cooker for 6 – 8 hours.
3.	Stir well occasionally, serve with shredded cheese and/or sour cream of desired. And garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Dinner is served …another view…

Three Bean and Corn Turkey Chili

Bon appetite!

CCR

=:~)

Children and Kittens In The Kitchen

Boudreaux Ryan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:03:30 +0000

The times they are a changing, and seems like it get’s harder and harder to keep up every day. Benjamin learning to cook in the kitchen on his own, Sparky (our 14 year old mixed breed dog) escaping from the deck gate yesterday and today, and three kittens under foot, we have our hands full now. Not to mention what is happening in the outside world, what with the current egg recall, due to having “the potential to be contaminated with salmonella,” and deli meat recall with Listeria monocytogenes, all is spinning faster and faster these days!

Kittens in the Kitchen

Ryana asleep on Bryan’s lap

Yes, I said, kittens are underfoot! Three tuxedo kittens, named Ryana, Missy Bella, and Delilah! Backing up a little, it was just a year ago that our then fourteen year old cat “Kitty” had passed away, and about a month or so ago Monique and I started thinking of getting another cat. Well…three weeks ago we did just that, but times three! Yes, we have three kittens, they are ten weeks old now, but when we got them they were only seven weeks old.

Missy Bella with Bryan

We were at Pet Smart getting some treats for Paco (our tea cup Chihuahua) and started looking at the cat adoption section, and Monique started the process and paperwork for an adoption. Then we drove to the grocery to pick up a few things, and in the parking lot Monique thought we should check out Pet Mania, to see if they had any kittens. No kittens, but they did have a flyer posted on the bulletin board for FREE LOWE’S KITTENS!

Delilah sleeping on Ben

Yes, the Lowe’s cat, as it is named, because it lived in the Lowe’s grocery store parking lot for several months, was finally taken in by a kind family, but three days later they found out that it that it had six kittens. The kittens were in a box behind the grocery store, and were rescued by the same family.

Missy Bella up close and personal

Monique called the family and spoke with the ten year old granddaughter, who turns out had taken on the project of taking care of the cats, and she named all of them. Monique took down their address and made arrangements for us to meet with the family around eight o’clock that night. We hurried through the store and got to the “kitties” house shortly after eight thirty.

Missy Bella with Monique

Once in the sectioned off kitchen area of the house we finally got to meet the five kittens that were remaining, all girls, the lone boy was given away earlier. After introductions and several minutes of watching the kittens and mother playing I took a seat on the floor and started playing with the kittens. With my legs crossed, one of the kittens named Riana climbed between them and curled up and went to sleep. The family said that she has never gone to anyone before, and I was the first one it has ever approached. The story about Riana is that at first they thought she was a boy, and originally named her Ryan. Well, after that story how could I not keep her, I have renamed here Ryana.

Delilah resting on the bed

Missy Bella took to Bryan really well, in fact when we debated about which cats to take, every time we reconsidered Missy Bella she would look up at Bryan with those cute eyes full of love, we could not let her go. And the same with Delilah, she took to Ben really well, in fact, they both fell asleep in their laps and arms. It was so hard to say no to all three kittens.

Ryana in Ryan’s lap

Cooking with Benjamin – Beef Kabobs

Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook, 1973

Emeril’s There’s a Chef in my Soup cookbook, 2002

This summer was the first that Ben would be home alone most of the time following the traditional school schedule, the past three years he was on the year-round with 9-weeks of school followed by 3-weeks off. Now, with three contiguous months of time off he would be fending for himself with lunches. Until a few weeks ago, Ben was heating up frozen dinners, leftovers, or making the odd sandwich.

All this changed several weeks ago when Monique and I decided to approach Ben with the idea that he starts learning how to cook on his own two feet. Our two-pronged approach to saving money, and teaching Ben lessons on being self sufficient were enough to get his attention.

So with some quick brainstorming and ideas of grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, burgers, and such, Monique got Ben searching in several cook books with a bent on helping children prepare their own meals. Inspiration came from the old “Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls” cookbook from 1973 that was given to Monique when she was nine years old, and the other cookbook is Emeril’s “There is a Chef in my Soup”, from 2002, and Ben picked out three recipes, Beef Kabobs, Hamburgers, and Sloppy Joe’s, all beef related meals. With Monique and I starting up a twelve week regimen of the ETL diet we would not have much meat in the house, so Ben wanted to make up for that fact.

Ben’s menu planning and grocery list

With instructions to write down the reference pages for the recipes in the cookbooks and a separate list for the ingredients, Ben had completed his first task of meal and menu planning. With our shopping lists in hand we all took a trip to BJ’s and Lowe’s grocery to procure the ingredients.

Once home and all the spoils put in their proper places, I assisted Ben with prepping his first meal, the Beef Kabobs.

First, we got twelve bamboo skewers out and into a large flat container, and then covered them with cool tap water. Soaking the skewers for several hours or days in the water prevents them from burning while cooking under the broiler or on top of the grill.

Sloppy Joe recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook

Merry Christmas Monique 1974

The original recipe called for sirloin steak, we found some tenderloin filets that were only a few dollars more, so they were snagged up instead. Demonstrating the technique for cutting the silver skin and fat from the tenderloin filets, I always make a point of the fact that you always make cuts away from yourself, thus preventing any possibility of cutting your own skin. Once the filets were trimmed I showed Ben how to cut them into 1-inch chunks, then he finished the last of them.

Ben put together the marinade which consists of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper, steak sauce, and a little olive oil. Once mixed well the beef tenderloin chunks are well coated and allowed to marry for several hours.

Onions, mushrooms, and sweet red peppers are then prepped and cut into large 1-inch chunks, these are all tossed together into a large bowl and covered until ready too make and cook the kabobs.

When it is time to eat, preheat the broiler to the highest setting, or if grilling, get your coals hot and ready.

Ben threading the ingredients on the skewers for kabobs

Get the marinated beef chunks and prepped vegetables to the preparation table. With the soaked bamboo skewers start with a mushroom, then an onion, and then a sweet pepper, then a chunk of beef, repeat until you have two beef chunks and end with another mushroom. Set up two skewers per person, and then return the remaining ingredients to the fridge.

Ben with two kabobs ready for the oven

If broiling the kabobs, just place them on a lightly coated sheet pan and broil about 6-inches from the heat, turn after six minutes, then continue for six more minutes for medium, less time for medium rare beef, or more for well done beef. On the grill, place them over the hot coals, and turn after six minutes, follow the same time remaining as for broiling, depending on the doneness that you proffer.

Ben, the proud chef and his broiled kabobs

When the kabobs are done, use a fork to gently release the ingredients from the skewer and slide them onto your serving platter or individual plates.

Ben removing the broiled ingredients with a fork

We used one and a half pound of tenderloin made six meals for Ben, or about twelve total kabobs.

Of course, I would image that lamb chunks from the leg meat would be just as good in this recipe also.

The recipe…

Ingredients
1 ½	Lb.	Beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1	Tbsp	Finger Lickin’ Rub
¼	Cup	Soy sauce
1	Tbsp	Worcestershire sauce
1	Tbsp	PickaPeppa sauce
2	Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar
1	Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Tbsp	Garlic, minced
½	Lb.	Button mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed
1	Lg.	Sweet Red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1	Lg.	Onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

Procedure Steps
1.	If using bamboo wooden skewers you will want to cover them with cool tap water and soak for at least several hours before using them on the grill.
2.	Place the cubed beef in a medium bowl then coat well with the Finger Lickin’ Rub. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Stir well to combine, then cover and marinate chilled for at least 2 hours. Can be left to marinate for several days under refrigeration.
3.	Have mushrooms, sweet red pepper, and onions prepped and ready in another bowl.
4.	When ready to cook, pre-heat the broiler to the highest setting. Thread a chunk of beef, then an onion, then a pepper, then a mushroom, and repeat this process until you have two or three of each on the skewer.
5.	Place the skewers on a baking sheet pan and then broil 6-inches from the flame for six minutes, then turn and broil until your desired doneness, continue for six more minutes for medium, less time for medium rare beef, or more for well done beef.
6.	Using a fork, push the cooked ingredients from the skewer and onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Dinner is served…

The Beef Kabobs

Ben and his kabobs!

Ben and the kittens reclining after dinner…

Missy Bella and Delilah resting

Ben and the kitten taking a break

Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Boudreaux Ryan — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:13:36 +0000

Stuffed Sweet Pepper

The trip to Philadelphia back in May of this year was mostly work, but we did get to dine around and taste some of the fine cuisine in the city where Freedom Rings. One such place was the hotel’s standard restaurant, 13 Restaurant, which was a good place to sit, relax, enjoy a cocktail, and wind down from a day of conferencing.

13 Restaurant, Stuffed Sweet Peppers

On our first night in town after a day consisting of travel and then walking about town for most of the afternoon, back at the room we decided to just make it to the lobby and wander into the restaurant, which was fine for us, we were beat.

13 Restaurant Menu

The restaurant boasts an eclectic menu of seafood, meats, and some vegetarian offerings as well. I selected the sweet peppers vegetarian item, and Monique ordered the crab cakes. Both were great, in fact, the crab cakes were mostly crabmeat, which is far and few between most restaurant fare these days.

Therefore, on to the stuffed sweet peppers, this dish is worthy of a remake, especially since at this time, we had just wrapped up our 6th week on the ETL diet. Moreover, vegetarian entrees at traditional restaurants are always a welcome treat!

The real challenge is the ability to take an item from a restaurant menu without a recipe, deconstruct the ingredients, proportions, preparations, flavors, and methods, and then recreate it from the bottom up. This is exactly what I did with this recipe. Knowing the foundations of how a bell pepper gets stuffed, constructing a balance of the stuffing ingredients, and improving on the flavor are the keys to this dish.

Look at the photo at the top, the one of the lone stuffed pepper, that is representative of this recipe.

Do you notice anything different between that one and the second image of the sweet peppers that the restaurant served?

Notice how our pepper is standing up with a firm yet al dente flesh, no sauce, and is garnished with micro greens. Now, look at the restaurant stuffed peppers, they are limp, laying on their sides, and charred on the top, and with the tomato garlic sauce on the bottom of the plate. The main differences in how we prepared our stuffed peppers and how the restaurant did theirs is that we did not par-boil our peppers, we did not char-broil the tops to brown the cheese, and there is no sauce with our version.

This is how the item is displayed on the Thirteen dinner menu:

Stuffed Sweet Peppers Garbanzos/Spinach/Mushrooms/Rice/Tomatoes/Vermont Cheddar/Chunky Tomato Sauce 16

What follows is our take on the recipe based on the menu description and more from the look and taste of them, I ate this dish on both visits to the restaurant. Our version is so moist that there was no need for the chunky tomato sauce with garlic, however, it would not take away any of the flavor from the sweet pepper should you decide to incorporate one into the recipe.

The recipe…

Ingredients
4	Large	Sweet peppers, red, yellow, or orange
		Spray olive oil
¾	Cup	Red onions, fine chop
¼	Cup	Shallots, minced
1	Tbsp	Garlic, minced
3	Cups	Mushrooms, sliced
1	Tbsp	Lemon juice
2	Cup	Tomatoes, diced
1	Cup	Brown rice, cooked
1	Cup	Garbanzo beans, cooked
4	Cups	Spinach, fresh, chopped
½	Cup	Vegetable stock
To taste		Salt and white pepper
1 ½	Cups	Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded
½	Cup	Parmesan cheese, shredded
½	Cup	Warm water

Procedure Steps
1.	Slice each pepper in half at the equator; remove any seeds and ribs from the inside. Place the eight halves with the open side up in a 9×9 pan. Pre heat oven to 450° F. Prepped sweet peppers ready for filling
2.	Using an oil mister, spray enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a sauté pan. Add the onions, shallots, and sauté until soft and translucent over medium high heat, then add the garlic and continue to sauté, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and continue to sauté until mushrooms are soft. Add the tomatoes, stir well, and then cover to stew down for about ten minutes.
3.	Remove the cover and allow the moisture to reduce to almost dry, and then add the rice and garbanzo beans stirring well. Mash several of the garbanzo beans to help thicken up the stuffing. Add the vegetable stock and stir well. Season the filling with salt and white pepper.
4.	Toss in the spinach and stir well, then turn off the heat. The spinach will wilt gently into the filling, and stir well to spread out the ingredients among the filling. Stuffing for the Sweet Peppers
5.	Spoon the filling evenly between the eight open peppers. Combine the two shredded cheeses and evenly sprinkle over the tops of the filled peppers. Sweet peppers filled, ready for cheese Shredded Vermont Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses top the stuffed peppers
6.	Pour in the ½-cup of water, or about ¼ inch of water into the pan, making sure you do not get any water in the peppers.
7.	Cover the pan with heavy-duty foil and place in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes.
8.	Remove the foil and continue to bake in the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Once out of the oven allow the peppers to cool for about 10 minutes, then serve them on individual plates.

This recipe will serve eight.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers out of the oven

Dinner is served!

Taking the first bites from the Stuffed Sweet Pepper

If you are in downtown Philadelphia and want to try out 13 Restaurant…

13 Restaurant
Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 625-6795

Breakfast: 6am-11:30am
Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner:
Monday – Thursday 5pm-10pm
Friday – Saturday 5pm-11pm
Brunch
Sunday 11-2pm

Payment Information:
American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Master Card, Visa

Bon appetite!

CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR

Oven Fried Catfish

Boudreaux Ryan — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:04:01 +0000

Taking a traditional fried catfish recipe that has been in the repertoire for decades and only changing the final cooking method, results in an easier to prepare at home meal for anyone who loves to eat fried fish.

Back in the restaurant days, we would run through about 100 pounds of catfish filets every Friday, it was the featured fish. Served with hush puppies or French fries and this was always a sell out menu item!

Marinated catfish with breading and pan

Using our yellow mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar marinade, then dredging the coated fillets in the seasoned corn meal and corn flour mixture creates the crispy crust coating that pleases most aficionados of fried catfish; this really is a crowd-pleasing fried catfish.

Breading and panning up the catfish filets

The yellow mustard and red wine vinegar add a tasty twang flavor, sort of a hot and sour to the catfish, which permeate the tender flesh, then hidden beneath the crispy corn meal / flour coating provides an explosion of tongue tantalizing delicacy!

The catfish filets breaded and ready for the oven

Crispy crust on the outside, hot and sour catfish on the inside, this dish guaranteed to become one of those gastronomic sensations that are certain to add fond memories for you and your dining guests.

The recipe….

Ingredients for Marinade
2	Lb.	Catfish filets
1	Cup	Yellow mustard
½	Cup	Red wine vinegar
1	Tbsp	Crushed red pepper flakes
1	Tsp	Salt

Procedure Steps for Marinating the Catfish
1.	Combine the yellow mustard, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl, then mix well.
2.	Gently add the catfish filets and coat them well with the mustard marinade. Allow to sit covered and chilled for several hours.

The high oven temperature of 475° F ensures that the catfish filets get the same treatment as with deep-frying, yet without all the mess and bother of cooking with a large pot of hot oil at home!

Ingredients for Coating
1	Cup	Corn meal, yellow
1	Cup	Corn flour, yellow
1	Tsp	Garlic salt
1	Tsp	White pepper, ground
½	Tbsp	Garlic powder
½	Tbsp	Onion powder
½	Tbsp	Cajun Spice blend
		Cooking spray

Steps for Coating and Baking the Catfish Note: Pre-heat oven to 475° F.
1.	Combine all the coating ingredients into a large shallow dish or pan with high sides. Stir well to ensure that all the seasonings and the corn meal and flour blend well.
2.	Lightly coat a sheet pan with the cooking spray, then dredge one catfish filet at a time into the coating mixture ensuring that all surfaces of the filet are well and evenly coated with the corn meal / flour mixture. Gently transfer the catfish filets to the cooking sheet pan with the flat side of the filets down. Make sure there is some space between the fillets, you want to ensure even baking, and inch or so of space should be good.
3.	When all the filets are coated and panned, place them in the 475° F oven for 15 minutes. Then check on them, you may want to turn the pan around for even cooking, and continue another 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are browning on top. You know when ready, as they flake easily when tested with a fork.

Oven Fried Catfish out of the oven and ready to serve

Dinner is served, the Oven Fried Catfish is accompanied with two sides which I will provide recipes in future posts, the Rockin Herb Roasted Potatoes, and the Braised Cucumbers.

Oven Fried Catfish is served, along with Rockin Herb Roasted Potatoes and Braised Cucumbers

Bon appetite!

CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR

Dreamy Peach Pecan Praline Cobbler

Boudreaux Ryan — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:49:26 +0000

We owe this one to my dear wife Monique, for she is the inspiration found in this recipe, she is always searching for new ingredients to cook and especially bake, desserts are her favorite.

While flipping through several cookbooks in our collection, she ran across another for the 9×13 pan, and this happens to be about the sixth successful find in as many weeks.

A basket full of peaches

On Saturday, our dear friend Janet dropped by with a basket full of fresh ripe peaches that her dear husband Chris had picked up for us on his travels back from business in Atlanta.

This was our second such basket of bountiful peaches bestowed upon us, and we had devoured the first basket before any hesitation of cooking their tender, juicy, flavorful fruit. This time around, we were not going to let them all go to just snacking, Monique had a mission.

The basket purchased from roadside fruit stands near the Georgia and North Carolina borders, contains several varieties of locally grown peaches, including a white fleshed, orange fleshed, and several cling types.

A cursory search for Georgia peaches turns out that there are 40 varieties available and grown in the state. It appears that our basket has three or four peach varieties included.

Dreams…peaches….pecans…pralines…cobbler…

These all seem like such great ingredients on their own, so why not put them together into one dish.

Dreams

If you can dream it you can believe it, all things start from a dream! I believe it is time to create a dreamy dessert!

The Peaches

Hemispheres of peaches

After slicing eight of the peaches for this recipe, it appeared that three varieties are in this particular basket; the noted tell tale flesh of each one with its varied color and texture.

Each peach is cut from the top of the stem end and then around the circumference using the chef knife, then separated into two hemispheres exposing the firm yet juicy, tender flesh, and pit. With the pit removed, and using the chef knife again, all the peaches sliced into nice equal wedges, ten slices per peach in fact.

Peach slices

Eight cups of peach slices

We decided to keep the skin on because peeling them seemed like torture, and such a waste of good nutrition, not to mention the loss of the juicy, delicate, tender flesh.

The Pecans and Praline flavor

The pecan meats chopped with the chef knife, and then added to the melted butter, combined with brown sugar, thus transformed into the praline filling.

Cobbler

Filling, a fruit concoction made with fresh, canned, or frozen fruit, mixed with water or fruit juice, thickened with cornstarch, and spices added, typically cooked until thick and bubbly. This is the fruit filling.

Dough, typically a sweet biscuit type, and this time turned on its head with the addition of the pecan praline filling in the fashion of a cinnamon or Danish roll.

The Recipe

Yield 12 servings, pre-heat oven to 400° F.

Peach Filling
Ingredients
8	Cups	Fresh sliced peaches
1	Cup	Granulated sugar
1	Cup	Cool water
2	Tbsp	Cornstarch
1	Tsp	Ground cinnamon

Procedure Steps
1.	Cut the peaches into wedges and reserve.
2.	In a large saucepot, combine the sugar, water, cornstarch, and cinnamon, stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch, then turn on the heat to medium and add the peaches. Stir well evenly coating the peaches, continue to cook until thickened, and just starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and cover, keep warm.

Pecan Praline Dough Filling
Ingredients
¾	Cup	Brown sugar, packed
¼	Cup	Butter, melted
1 ½	Cups	Pecans, chopped

Procedure Steps
1.	Melt the butter in a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, and then stir well to dissolve.
2	Add the pecans and stir until well and evenly coated, and then reserve for filling the dough.

Pecan Praline Dough, rolled out

Pecan Praline Dough, filled

Dough
Ingredients
¾	Cup	Milk
2	Tsp	Lemon juice
2 ¼	Cup	All-purpose flour
2	Tsp	Brown sugar
2	Tsp	Baking powder
½	Tsp	Baking soda
½	Tsp	Salt
½	Cup	Shortening or butter

Procedure Steps
1.	In a small bowl combine the milk and lemon juice, and then set aside.
2.	In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If no food processor is available, use a large bowl.
3.	Cut in the shortening or butter using the food processor, or in the case of manual cutting, use a pastry blender or pastry knife tool. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbles.
4.	Turn out the flour / shortening mixture into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the milk mixture and stir just until the dough clings together and is in one solid mass.
5.	Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and kneed gently for ten to twelve turns.
6.	Roll the dough into an 8-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Then spread the reserved pecan praline filling evenly over the top of the dough.
7.	Roll up the dough from one of the long sides, and then cut into twelve 1-inch pieces.

Pecan Praline Dough, rolled

Pecan Praline Dough, cut

Putting it all together

Filling and dough in pan

Transfer the hot peach filling into an ungreased 9×11 pan or baking dish. Place the filled dough rolls with the cut side down on top of the peaches.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and the dough appears fully baked.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Cobbler cooling on wire rack for 30 minutes

Serve warm and if desired serve with heavy cream or half-and-half drizzle.

Dessert is served!

Bon appetite!

CCR

=:~)

Grilled Chicken Tenders

Boudreaux Ryan — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:09:30 +0000

Chicken Tenders on the grill

This recipe happened by accident as we thought the package was for boneless chicken breast, at least it was in the same section with all the other boneless breasts. Somehow, it was shifted from its spot in the meat case at the grocery. So at home when we started opening up our chicken breasts, the packages looked identical, with the exception of a few changes in wording we had one package of chicken tenders and one package of boneless chicken breasts.

Ingredients
1	lb.	Chicken tenders
1	Cup	Italian dressing
½	Tbsp	Finger Lickin’ Rub
½	Tbsp	Fresh rosemary, chopped
½	Tbsp	Fresh thyme, chopped
½	Cup	Barbeque sauce

Chicken Tenders on the grill, getting ready to flip

Procedure steps

I marinated both the tenders and breasts in some Italian dressing with the addition of some of my Finger Lickin’ Rub, because I now keep a large container of it in our easy reach kitchen cabinet, and because we love this stuff. We also added some fresh herbs from our garden, chopped them up first.

Just take the tenders and put them into a zip type plastic bag, add enough of the dressing to coat well then shake some of the rub and toss well. Seal the bag removing any excess air space, and then refrigerate overnight or for several days if you wish.

Chicken Tenders on the grill, with barbeque sauce, almost done

Once you are ready to grill, skewer several tenders onto a 12-inch bamboo stick, and then grill on your hot fire until browned well on both sides. We like to brush on some of my East Meets West Barbeque sauce at the last 10 minutes of grilling, flipping sides after about 5 minutes and coating it well.

Chicken Tenders done, and ready to serve

Variations

For Indian influences cut the Italian dressing by ½ the amount and add the remainder of plain yogurt to the mix, so you now have ½-cup Italian dressing and ½-cup yogurt, along with some curry powder and turmeric. Marinate, skewer, and grill as usual.

For Asian influences, eliminate the Italian dressing and use ½-cup of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil, ½ tbsp grated ginger, and ½ tbsp garlic. Marinate, skewer, and grill as usual.

For Southwest influences, eliminate the Italian dressing and rub the chicken with Annatto paste and season with 1 tsp chili powder, and ½ tsp cumin. Marinate, skewer, and grill as usual.

Grilled Chicken Tenders with East Meets West Barbeque, and grilled vegetables

Bon appetit!

CCR

=:~)

Heavenly Hash Brownie

Boudreaux Ryan — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:49:41 +0000

Heavenly Hash Brownie

This is a recipe handed down from mother, who would make it for every holiday dinner, and it was always a favorite. Therefore, we asked her for it several years ago, she recited it to the dear wife; and then she detailed it onto a note card, and now makes it often in our home.

What makes this a quick to fix dessert is the use of a typical box of brownie mix, one that will yield a batch in a 9×9 or 8×8 pan. Of course, a from scratch brownie recipe would do just as well, so please feel free to use your own if you so desire.

Elmer’s Heavenly Hash Egg

Please note that this recipe and the name has nothing to do with illicit drugs, or anything with cooking with drugs. The name is derived from the Elmer’s Candy Company famous Easter candy aptly named Heavenly Hash Egg, please refer to this nice review of the famous Easter candy egg. It is one of our favorites, however, typically only sold in the New Orleans area.

Ingredients
1	Box	Brownie mix for a 9×9 or 8×8 pan
1	Cup	Walnuts, chopped
2	Cups	Mini marshmallows
1	Stick	Butter, melted
¼	Cup	Milk
2	Ounces	Baking chocolate
½	Pound	Confectioners sugar

Procedure Steps
1.	Prepare the brownie mix per the package directions, with the addition of the chopped nuts in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
2.	When fully baked, remove from oven and top with the marshmallows, allowing them to melt slightly.
3.	In the melted butter, add the baking chocolate, and milk, and allow to melt over a very low heat.
4.	Transfer the butter chocolate mixture to a large bowl then whisk in the confectioners sugar creating a chocolate icing.
5.	Pour the icing over the top of the marshmallows and allow to set up before cutting.

Heavenly Hash Brownie

Heavenly Hash Brownie, another angle

Heavenly Hash Brownie, another angle, and shade

Bon appetit!

CCR
=:~)

Chocolate Mocha Bavarian Crème filled Crêpes with Bananas Foster Sauce

Boudreaux Ryan — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:21:00 +0000

This is a recipe created a little over two years ago in celebration of the dear wife’s birthday. She has a passion for desserts, and at one time could recite the desserts for which their reputation stood on restaurants fame in New Orleans, and made them popular. Now that memories are fading, newfound fame is upon us as we attempt to create a new taste sensation. This dessert is completely made from scratch, the crepes, the chocolate mocha custard (or Bavarian Cream variation), and the bananas foster sauce. All combine for a sweetness and flavor explosion not seen in these parts for some time.

First, we will start with the crêpes or better known for their French heritage…

Crêpes Fines Sucrées, which translates into Sweet Delicate Crêpes

Fair warning, this recipe takes a bit of skill, and would say is on the advanced end of the culinary scale. Making the thin French pancake style crêpes from scratch takes some skill, but with practice this is one of those “aha” moments and skills that you never forget once you have mastered the technique.

With all the individual recipes shown first, and then the final finishing technique presented at the end.

TIP: You will need an electric blender for preparing the batter. Should you be without an electric blender, a manual mixing method will work just fine, but you will want to put the flour into a large bowl first, and then gradually work in the egg yolks with a wooden spoon. Then beat in the liquid ingredients a little at a time until all incorporated. The final step for the manual mixing method is to strain the batter to remove any lumps, insuring a smooth batter.

Notes:

This recipe will yield about 18 to 20 crêpes, 6-inches in diameter.
You must know and prepare ahead of time, once the batter is prepared it should be covered and refrigerated for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight before actually making the crêpes.
The flour measurement in the crêpe recipe is a leveled cup. This means you scoop the flour with a 1-cup measure, and then use the back of a knife to level out the flour.
Grand Marnier orange flavored liquor is in this recipe, however, you can use any rum or brandy.
Once made, the crêpes can be refrigerated for several days, or frozen for up to several months.
Reserve the two egg whites from this recipe for use in the Bavarian Crème.

Ingredients
¾	Cup	Milk
¾	Cup	Cool water
3	Each	Egg yolks
1	Tbsp	Sugar, granulated
3	Tbsp	Grand Marnier, orange liquor
1	Cup	Flour, all-purpose, level
5	Tbsp	Butter, melted

Procedure Steps
1.	Place the ingredients in the bowl of a blender in the order listed starting with the milk and ending with the butter.
2.	Cover and blend on the highest setting for at least 1 minute, or until smooth. If clumps of flour adhere to the sides, scrape them down with a rubber spatula and blend for several seconds more to incorporate.
3.	Transfer to a small bowl and cover, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preparing the Crêpes

Have a sheet pan ready and at least six to eight sheets of wax paper ready before you start cooking the crêpes.
Heat a 6-inch non-stick or coated sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add a small amount of butter to just coat the pan, or spray it with a light coating of no-stick butter spray, allow the pan to heat the butter or coating.
Ladle 1 fluid ounce of the crêpe batter into the middle of the sauté pan, immediately start turning the pan to coat the bottom with the batter until a thin pancake forms and the batter starts to cook. Continue to cook the crêpe until you hear a slight popping or sizzling sound.
Turn the crêpe onto one side of the sheet pan that is covered with a sheet of wax paper. Place a sheet of wax paper over each layer of crêpes to keep them from sticking.
Continue with step 2 through 4 to make up to 16 or 18 6-inch crêpes. Once completed with the entire crêpe making, cover them and refrigerate until ready for use.

Chocolate Mocha Custard (and a Bavarian Crème variation follows)

This recipe combines the custard made from semi-sweet chocolate and strong coffee with egg yolks and sugar custard. A variation offered for preparing a Bavarian Crème using whipped egg whites and additional whipped cream.

Notes:

Reserve the egg whites for use in the Bavarian Crème.
The double boiler method employed here for making the chocolate mocha custard; however, a large stainless steel bowl covering a saucepot filled with hot water over a low flame will work also.
Tempering the egg yolks first with a little of the hot chocolate/crème/coffee mixture will ensure that the custard will not break.
The Bavarian Crème requires refrigeration for at least 6 hours or overnight, you will want to remember that when preparing this variation.

Ingredients
2	Ounces	Semi-sweet chocolate, 2 squares bakers
2/3	Cup	Heavy cream
1 1/3	Cup	Strong coffee
3	Tbsp	Cornstarch
2	Tbsp	Cold strong coffee
4	Each	Egg yolks
1	Each	Whole egg
¼	Tsp	Salt
1 ¾	Cups	Sugar, granulated

Procedure Steps
1.	In the top of a double boiler, add the chocolate, heavy cream and 1 1/3 cups of the strong coffee. Heat over medium flame and melt the chocolate into the mixture until smooth.
2.	Combine the cornstarch with the 2 tablespoons of cold strong coffee until a smooth paste forms. Add the paste mixture into the chocolate/cream/coffee mixture and stir well to incorporate. Continue to heat and cook for 8 minutes. Then cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
3.	Meanwhile, combine and beat together the egg yolks, whole egg, and the granulated sugar until smooth.
4.	Pour a small amount of the hot chocolate/cream/coffee mixture into the egg mixture to temper. Then add the entire egg mixture into the chocolate/cream/coffee mixture and stir well to incorporate.
5.	Continue to cook for 5 minutes in the double boiler and stir lightly.
6.	Remove the custard from the double boiler and allow to cool until thickened.

Bavarian Crème variation

This is a three-step procedure, as we will be preparing the egg whites, and then preparing the whipped cream, and then adding them both to the chocolate mocha custard. Both of these two preparations combine with the cooled chocolate mocha custard to create the Chocolate Mocha Bavarian Crème.

The egg whites

Ingredients
7	Each	Egg whites
¼	Tsp	Salt
2	Tbsp	Sugar, granulated
½	Tsp	Cream of tarter

Procedure Steps
1.	Combine the reserved seven egg whites from the previous recipes and place them into the bowl of a mixer with a wire whip attachment.
2	Beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and cream of tarter and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
3.	Using a rubber spatula, delicately fold the egg whites into the cooled chocolate mocha custard.

The whipped cream

Ingredients
1	Cup	Heavy whipping cream, chilled

Procedure Steps
1.	Beat the cream in the bowl of a mixer with a wire whip attachment until doubled in volume and the wire whip leaves faint traces through the surface of the whipped cream.
2.	Using a rubber spatula fold the whipped cream into the custard and egg white mixture.
3.	Transfer the Bavarian crème to a storage container, and cover, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Bananas Foster Sauce

Bananas Foster Sauce

This is one of those recipes that always just gets throw together when we want some quick foster sauce for ice cream, and I had to actually measure everything this time around so that it could be documented for your benefit and mine.

Once the crêpes are filled with the Chocolate Mocha Bavarian Crème then the Bananas Foster sauce can be made, it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, so can be made at right before service.

NOTE: Pour the liquors into a separate container and then slowly add them to the saucepan away from the flame, then add the pan back to the flame. If the liquors ignite, the flames will die down within a minute or so, be sure that no flammable material is near the pan.

Ingredients
1	Stick	Butter, melted (8 Tbsp, ¼ lb.)
½	Cup	Brown sugar, firm packed
¼	Cup	Crème de Banana liquor
¼	Cup	Light rum
2	Tbsp	Lemon juice
½	Tsp	Cinnamon, ground
¼	Tsp	Nutmeg, fresh ground
4	Medium	Bananas, cut into 6 lengthwise pieces
¼	Tsp	Salt

Procedure Steps
1.	Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add the sugar to dissolve, stir well until smooth and bubbling.
2.	Add the liquors and lemon juice and stir well, simmer for a minute or so, it will be bubbling. See note above on adding liquor to the pan.
3.	Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and then add the sliced bananas, continue to simmer until the bananas are soft.
4.	Serve the sauce over the filled crêpes.

Putting it all together

To fill the crêpes you can use either a spoon or a pastry bag, ultimately you will be adding about 1 cup of the filling into each crêpe, and then rolling them up, and placing two filled crêpes on each plate for service.

Take a crêpe and be sure that the cooked side is facing down on your cutting board or preparation table, then spoon or pipe one cup of the chocolate mocha filling onto the bottom 1/3 of the crepe, be sure to keep the filling on the lower 1/3 of the crêpe. Then lifting up the bottom edge of the crêpe from the side with the filling, gently roll the remaining crêpe over and around the filling, ensuring that no filling falls out and that the crêpe covers all of the filling. Gently transfer the crêpe to a serving plate. Do this for all the crêpes, placing two filled crêpes per plate.

Once you are ready to serve, and actually, the crêpes can be filled ahead of service and chilled. When ready for service, just pour about ½ cup of the foster sauce with at least four banana slices over the top of the two crêpes and serve immediately.

A few snaps of the plated creation!

Pic 1: Chocolate Mocha Bavarian Crème filled Crêpes with Bananas Foster Sauce

Pic 2: Chocolate Mocha Bavarian Crème filled Crêpes with Bananas Foster Sauce

Bon appetit!

CCR

=:~)

Canned Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

Boudreaux Ryan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:22:43 +0000

Canned Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

The procedure for preparing the sauce changes a bit to aid in a successful canning project. Once canned, this sauce should keep for up to one year from the processing date, and requires refrigeration once opened.

A variation on the original Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce posted on March 19, 2010, now with the addition of extra Concasee tomatoes, some sugar, and a touch of Worcestershire sauce. All the ingredient amounts have increased with the larger batch; this recipe will yield eight, 1-pint jars when finished.

Yield eight 1-pint jars

Ingredients
		Cooking spray
30	Each	Roma or plum tomatoes, halved
1	Tbsp	Garlic salt
2	Tsp	White pepper
4	Lb.	Concasee tomatoes, diced
6	Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar
1	Tbsp	Crystal hot sauce
1	Tbsp	Chili powder
¼	Cup	Smoky paprika
¾	Cup	Fresh basil, chopped
3	Tbsp	Fresh oregano, chopped
3	Tbsp	Fresh thyme, chopped
1	Tbsp	Worcestershire sauce
2	Tbsp	Granulated sugar
½	Tsp	Liquid smoke

Procedure Steps Note: Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
1.	Place halved tomatoes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season them with the garlic salt and white pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. If roasted in the pan on indirect heat on a charcoal grill double the cooking time.
2.	In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add 22 of the tomatoes (44 halves) with the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
3.	Transfer the blended sauce into a large saucepot. Dice the remaining 8 (16 halves) tomatoes and fold into the sauce. Add the diced tomato concasee and stir well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Allow the sauce to maintain a temperature of at least 180° F or higher for the entire 30 minutes of simmering.
4.	Have eight 1-pint canning jars with lids and rings prepared in a canning pot, and ready to fill. Fill the hot tomato sauce with ½” head space, clean the rims, and then seal tightly with the lids and rings. Process the filled and sealed jars in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow to sit in the water bath another 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water bath and allow to cool for 24 hours. Label the jars and store in a cool dry place for up to one year. Be sure to refrigerate any opened and unused sauce.

Canned Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce, jars labeled

Canned Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce, another angle

If you don’t have Roma tomatoes, then any good full fleshed tomato will do for this sauce, just like the tomato on rail below.

Garden Tree Tomato on Rail

Bon appetit!

CCR

=:~)