Taste Louisiana
September 13 @ 6:30pm
Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.
Cajun Appetizer Meatballs
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Dirty Rice
Ambrosia
Bread Pudding
Key Lime Pie
Squash Rockefeller
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Dirty Rice
Ambrosia
Bread Pudding
Key Lime Pie
Squash Rockefeller
The one you are looking for is always in front of you.
Cajun Appetizer Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 t hot pepper sauce
2 T Cajun seasoning
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T dried parsley
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1/2 C fresh bread crumbs
1/4 C milk
1 egg
1/2 C barbeque sauce
1/2 C peach preserves (or apricot)
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix the beef, pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, onion, bread crumbs, milk, and egg. Form the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until there is no pink left in the middle. In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and preserves. When meatballs are done, place in a serving dish and cover with the BBQ sauce mixture. Toss to coat.
1 1/2 t hot pepper sauce
2 T Cajun seasoning
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T dried parsley
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1/2 C fresh bread crumbs
1/4 C milk
1 egg
1/2 C barbeque sauce
1/2 C peach preserves (or apricot)
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix the beef, pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, onion, bread crumbs, milk, and egg. Form the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until there is no pink left in the middle. In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and preserves. When meatballs are done, place in a serving dish and cover with the BBQ sauce mixture. Toss to coat.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb chicken gizzards, cooked and finely chopped
1/4 lb chicken liver, cooked and finely chopped
1 lb Andouille sausage, cooked and chopped small
1 lb Earl Campell sausage (reg), cooked and sliced
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 C yellow onion, chopped small
1/2 C green onion, chopped small
1/2 C celery, chopped small
1/2 C green bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped small
1/3 C parsley, chopped
2 T garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
2 T unsalted butter
2 T black pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t dry mustard
1 t ground cumin
1 t Tabasco
1/2 lb pecan pieces, roasted
2 C chicken or pork stock
1 lb uncooked rice, converted
In a large cast iron skillet, cover gizzards with water, add bay leaves and cook 30 mins. Chop. Save stock. Cook sausage and bacon and set aside. Using grease (add butter as needed), saute onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Add spices. Remove veggies. Add rice to grease and cook 3-4 mins; stiring constantly. Add stock and veggies. Cook over high heat 4 mins. Add stock as needed. Stir in livers and gizzards, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 mins. Remove from heat and leave covered until rice is tender (10 mins). Fork through rice to break apart. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Laughter is brightest where food is best.
Squash Rockefeller
Ingredients:
16 pc yellow crookneck squash
32 oz spinach, thawed, drained
3 oz sliced green onions
2 1/2 oz cracker crumbs
8 oz melted butter
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
2 t salt
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
16 oz prepared Hollandaise sauce
Preparation: Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Press excess moisture from spinach. Combine with green onions, cracker crumbs, butter and seasonings. Arrange squash, cut side up, on a sheet pan. Fill each half with 1 3/4 oz of filling. Bake at 375 for 15-20 mins. Top with 1 oz Hollandaise sauce.
When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C granulated sugar
4 T melted butter
2 cans condensed milk
1 C key lime juice
2 eggs
1 C sour cream
2 T powdered sugar
1 T lime zest
Preparation: Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9" pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. to room temperature before filling. Lower the oven temp to 325. In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 mins and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs. Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top and serve chilled.
The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude (Julia Child)
French Bread Pudding with Clear Rum Sauce
Ingredients:
1 C sugar
8 T butter, softened
5 eggs, beaten
1 pint heavy cream
dash of cinnamon
1 T vanilla
1/4 C raisins (or cransins)
12 slices, 1" thick, fresh or stale french bread
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. Mix well. Pour into 9" square pan. Arrange bread slices flat in egg mixture and let stand for 5 mins to soak up some liquid. Turn bread over and let stand 10 mins. Push bread down so it is covered. Sit the pan in a larger pan filled with hot water to within 1/2" from the top of the inner pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 45-50 mins, uncovering for last 10 mins to brown the top. Custard should be soft, not firm.
1 C sugar
8 T butter, softened
5 eggs, beaten
1 pint heavy cream
dash of cinnamon
1 T vanilla
1/4 C raisins (or cransins)
12 slices, 1" thick, fresh or stale french bread
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. Mix well. Pour into 9" square pan. Arrange bread slices flat in egg mixture and let stand for 5 mins to soak up some liquid. Turn bread over and let stand 10 mins. Push bread down so it is covered. Sit the pan in a larger pan filled with hot water to within 1/2" from the top of the inner pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 45-50 mins, uncovering for last 10 mins to brown the top. Custard should be soft, not firm.
Clear Rum Sauce
1 C sugar
2 1/4 C water
1 cinnamon stick or 1 t ground cinnamon
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 t cornstarch
1 T light or dark rum
Combine sugar, 2 C of water, cinnamon, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 C cool water and blend this into the boiling mixture. Simmer, stirring until the sauce is clear and thickened (it will be thin). Remove from heat and add the rum.
2 1/4 C water
1 cinnamon stick or 1 t ground cinnamon
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 t cornstarch
1 T light or dark rum
Combine sugar, 2 C of water, cinnamon, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 C cool water and blend this into the boiling mixture. Simmer, stirring until the sauce is clear and thickened (it will be thin). Remove from heat and add the rum.
Luscious Pastry Cream (alternate sauce)
5 egg yolks
1 C sugar
2/3 C flour
3 C scalded milk
3 T Grand Marnier or other liqueur (Amaretto)
1 T butter
Beat egg yolks until frothy, gradually add sugar, beating until thick. Add flour, beating constantly. Pour mixture into heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Beat with a whisk if lumps form. Remove from heat, stir in liqueur and butter. Cover the surface with plastic and cool completely.
1 C sugar
2/3 C flour
3 C scalded milk
3 T Grand Marnier or other liqueur (Amaretto)
1 T butter
Beat egg yolks until frothy, gradually add sugar, beating until thick. Add flour, beating constantly. Pour mixture into heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Beat with a whisk if lumps form. Remove from heat, stir in liqueur and butter. Cover the surface with plastic and cool completely.
Food can look beautiful, taste exquisite, smell wonderful, make people feel good, bring them together, inspire romantic feelings... At its most basic, it is fuel for a hungry machine.
