Creole Crab Bisque

Monday May 20, 2013 Beck's Cajun Cafe, crabs, seafood, soup, soups

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We recently hosted a “Mardi Gras in May” themed party as a fundraiser for the local school.  We’ve riffed plenty about Cajun food in previous other posts, but we wanted to share this wonderful soup we developed for the event.    It was a huge hit, supremely elegant as a first course, and was pretty simple to make.

This soup is a spicy variation on the traditional crab bisque.   Our beloved Beck’s Devil Dust gave the dish some serious spice, but lent a complexity and depth of flavors that transcended the merely hot.   The bisque’s color is beautiful; served with finely chopped chives it makes an elegant first course.
Serves 4-6

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Beck’s Devil Dust
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound lump crab meat

1. In soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, forming a roux, and cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until it turns a light brown color.
2. Add tomato paste, onion, celery, garlic and seasonings. Saute 10 minutes or so until vegetables begin to soften. Add seasonings and broth.
3. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and puree soup with immersion blender or food processor.
4. Add crabmeat, heat, and serve.

 

Gluten-free Banana Bread with Choc Chips

Thursday May 16, 2013 gluten-free baked goods, gluten-free banana bread with choc chips

 

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Now this is a first.

A gluten-free baked bread recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard.

Months ago, I visited Williams-Sonoma (at the recommendation of my hairdresser) because they carry a wide range of hugely extravagantly over-priced baking mixes, including a gluten-free flour which is a composite of:

  • white rice flour
  • brown rice flour
  • tapioca
  • potato starch
  • cornstarch
  • milk powder
Check out Williams-Sonoma Gluten-free baking kits

Check out Williams-Sonoma Gluten-free baking kits

Who would have thought that so many substitute ingredients would be needed to replace flour?

Most of the recipes I’ve tried using this flour have been average to say the least.

There’s something just wrong about the texture of the dough / pastry / bread.

It lacks springiness and tends to leave your teeth coated in a fine powder (that’s the cornstarch and rice flour I think.)

I’m pleased to report that this recipe is truly awesome.  Thank you so much A Taste of Home website for this impeccable gluten-free banana bread recipe.

The texture is right.

The taste is right

And there’s no starchy aftertaste; I think this is possibly attributable to the apple sauce, which seems to bind all the ingredients together beautifully.

This recipe will be repeated ad nauseum.

Note:  I threw in a cupful of dark chocolate chips – just because I felt like it.

If you have any gluten-free baked goods recipes to share, I’d love to hear from you!

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Sour Orange Jicama Slaw

Monday May 13, 2013 carrot and jicama, Cuban pork, Cuban side, Jicama slaw
Jicama Slaw the orange and lime juice lends a nice twist

Jicama Slaw the orange and lime juice lends a nice twist

Now this was a wonderful surprise:  this Sour Orange Jicama Slaw will knock your socks off!

I’d read about the Jicama vegetable but had failed to find one in the mainstream supermarkets, so when one did cross my path, I decided to look for a suitable recipe.

Having visited Florida for Spring break, the whole family developed a taste for Cuban food.  It’s difficult to dislike the combination of sweet and sour that predominates in Cuban fare.

It is hard to describe how this slaw tastes.  Strangely enough, it’s most like a Szechuan dish in my opinion (with that combo of acidic sour lightened by an intense sweetness…but then there’s the crunch that follows.)  Do try this if you can!

I’ve seen Jicama described as a “Mexican turnip.”  I think that’s unfair.  It has a better texture and doesn’t have that earthy dirty taste that I associate with a turnip.

The Jicama is front left

The Jicama is front left

Sour Orange, Red Cabbage and Jicama Slaw:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 jicama, grated on large holes of box grater
1/2 small red onion, grated on large holes of box grater
1/4 head red cabbage, grated on large holes of box grater
1 large carrot, grated on large holes of box grater
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, honey and sugar in a large bowl. Add the jicama, onions, cabbage, carrots and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

This recipe was borrowed from the www.foodnetwork.com – my go to resource for online recipes.  The Food Network recommends pairing this with cuban pork tacos.  While we’ve not tried the tacos yet, the full recipe, together with the Chipotle Mayo is on our radar for this Summer.

 

Giada’s Pesto

Thursday May 9, 2013 Avocado, avocados, Giada DiLaurentis, pasta, pesto, simple recipes, vegetarian recipes

Giada DiLaurentis, we salute you!

avocadopesto

 Her Avocado Arugula Pesto recipe got my super finicky son–”Mr. I’ll have a Plain Hamburger, please” to eat a puree of green things.  For that reason alone it deserves an award in my book.

The recipe had been sent to me by my dear friend  Farah Kapoor, fantastic cook and epic hostess.  She had served it to 3 generations of her family, all with various dietary preferences and quirks, and they all loved it.  So I thought I’d give it a try.  Not one to tempt fate, I didn’t even bother offering it to Mr. Burger, for whom vegetarian, green, and flavorful are nearly curse words (can we say teen rebellion?  Remember, his mom is an avid foodie).  When he saw his sister’s plate heaped with fettuccine slathered in green goodness, he asked for some.  After recovering from severe shock, I scooped a generous mound into a bowl for him and away he went.  (Full disclosure, I did not reveal that it contained a variety ingredients that he would normally avoid, just said it was fettuccine with pesto.)

avocadopestoprep

Giada’s Pesto, pre-puree.

I followed the recipe  pretty much verbatim–but I skipped toasting the almonds, just tossed them in as is.  So, thank  you, Farah, and thank you Giada, for this wonderful new addition to our family’s meal rotation.

Have you discovered any fabulous recipes of late?

We all really liked it, although my husband, a traditional pesto devotee, said he’d like more basil and less arugula.   Good news!  In this recipe, there is a lot of potential for variation.  Next time I’ll honor his request.  Farah tells me she is going to try adding fresh spring peas.  And now that the Headhouse Farmers’ Market is open, with a bountiful selection of locally grown green things, I’ll experiment with all kinds of things.  Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

Welcome Back, Headhouse Farmers’ Market

Monday May 6, 2013 Headhouse Farmers' Market, spring vegetables

headhousefarmersmktsignOh, happy day!  We are delighted to welcome back our favorite Sunday ritual–second only to the New York Times Crossword.  The beloved Sunday Headhouse Farmers’ Market resumed this week and we’re over the moon.  I just about danced down 2nd St. on my way there.

Here’s what I gathered at my inaugural visit:

Chives–couldn’t resist those lovely purple buds…

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My adored peashoots. I awakened Sunday morning dreaming of peashoots, knowing that the Farmers’ Market would be open and likely stocked with these seasonal lovelies…
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Pistachio Butter. This stuff is addictive. Like Crack addictive.hhfmpistachiobtr

Maple Syrup.  Who cares that I’d already eaten waffles that morning?

hhfmsyrup

 

Baby Broccoli Rabe–I’m excited to try this. I’m a huuuge fan of the mature version, so this was irresistable. The farmer told me that these greens were great served raw in salads, as well as prepared the traditional way with olive oil and garlic.

hhfmbroccolirabe

Tomatoes.  Ok, they’re hothouse, but still superior to the anemic selection at most supermarkets.

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Lest you think I am interested in food alone, I also fell in love with this flower pot, which is a lovely addition to the garden.hhfmflowers

Apple Pecan Pie

Thursday May 2, 2013 apple pie, desserts, spiced pecans
Apple Pecan pie

Apple Pecan pie

We never really ate pecans in the U.K, (European cooking tends to focus on walnuts or pine nuts instead), I’m drawn to pecans now I live in the U.S.  Walnuts are bitter and leave an after taste, whereas pecans give you as much crunch but are far sweeter.

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I’m rather partial to Trader Joe’s spiced pecans (with a hint of chili).  They’re not overwhelming, but have a great bite to them.

Having found some pre-made gluten-free pasty cases (which came in packs of two thus necessitating a baking session involving back to back pie-making), I made a savory pie (quiche) and this apple pecan pie with spiced walnuts.

Now I’m sure everyone has their own favorite apple pie recipe, so there’s not much point sharing mine with you now, but do try adding these spiced nuts as your topping.  The end result was superb. (Problem was I couldn’t stop snacking on the nuts while prepping the rest of the recipe…)

 

Spicy Pecan Topping

1 heaped cup of spicy pecans

4tbsps of salted butter

1 heaped tsp of brown sugar

(You may want to adjust these quantities depending on how wet/dry your apples are)

Directions

1. Melt butter on low heat in pan and add sugar

2. Stir and keep stirring – do not allow sugar to burn

3. Once sugar granules have disappeared add the spicy pecans and ensure that they are all well covered with the sugar concoction

4. Pour over the top of your apples and bake pie as per your normal recipe.

Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Apples and Pecans make for a great dessert

Apples and Pecans make for a great dessert

Quiche with Spring Vegetables

Monday April 29, 2013 asparagus, broccoli quiche, gluten free, Quiche

 

The asparagus is tasting better and better...

The asparagus is tasting better and better…

I thought that pastry and pies were out of my reach (and I’m a sucker for an easy Summer fruits pie).

Teen daughter can’t eat wheat, so was dutifully investigating alternative pastry crusts (think almond flour, coconut flour….and did you know you can even get potato flour. Yukk).

All hail to Wholefoods.  They’ve gone and done it again.

Checking out the frozen – gluten-free – section, I came across Wholefoods ready made pie crusts.  More often than not the prepped gluten-free alternatives are better than what you can make yourself at home, so I snapped up several pie crusts and started dreaming :)

Quiche is one of my favorite light bites for Sunday brunch and, with the new batch of Spring veggies hitting the stands, I grabbed a huge bunch of asparagus (the Winter asparagus has been getting tougher and woodier, so we stopped eating it for much of the season.)

This quiche features veggies, eggs and cream, prosciutto, bacon and is very rich indeed.  Delish!

Quiche with Spring vegetables in a gluten-free pie crust

Quiche with Spring vegetables in a gluten-free pie crust

 

 

Ingredients:

* Ready-made pie crust – baked blind for 20 minutes

* 5 eggs

* Small bottle of half and half – or use small carton of heavy cream if you want the quiche to be even richer

* 1/2 bunch of asparagus – steam for 5-8 minutes to soften

* 2-3 florets of broccoli – as above

* 1 medium yellow onion – sliced finely into rings and fried until soft

* Salt, pepper, and seasoning to taste (I like Beck’s Devil Dust)

* 2 small garlic cloves, minced finely and fried in with the onions

* 1 cup of grated strong cheese (cheddar preferable)

* 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese

* 2 strips bacon, diced finely

* 2-3 slices of proscuitto

* 1 tablespoon of parmesan shavings

 

Instructions:

1. Fry onion, garlic and diced bacon

2. Prep the green veggies as directed.  (Don’t overcook you still want a crunch to them)

3. Bake the pastry at 325 for about 20 minutes.  Prick the crust all over with fork to prevent pastry from trying to rise. (This helps keep the shape of the pastry case and is called baking blind).

4. Once pastry cake set and your onion and veggies are cooked then put these in the pastry case.

5. In bowl, whisk eggs and cream and add all the seasons and add the strong grated cheese and then pour into pastry case.

6. Fry proscuitto until crispy.  Once cold, crumble proscuitto on top of your quiche.  Ditto shaved parmesan.  Arrange parmesan artfully on top of the quiche mixture.

7.  Cook for 1 hour at 350.  Check that the quiche is done by pressing the top of the quiche.  If it’s solid and not wobbly then it’s good to go!

 

Kick back…Serve with a green salad and maybe even a Caprese Salad and think of the Summer to come…

 

 

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Thursday April 25, 2013 Appetizers, seafood, shrimp, simple recipes

shrimpcocktailroastedShrimp cocktail is a sure fire hit–and we gave it some additional pizzazz by marinating and roasting the shrimp.  We got to thinking that simply boiling and chilling the shrimp wasn’t that exciting.  Not to mention the fact that sometimes you just don’t have time to boil and chill it before the party starts.  Never fear, this newly discovered method works wonderfully well, and if your guests run late, it’s no big deal.  These shrimp are grand at any temperature.

Here’s what we did:

1.  Peel and clean 2 lbs large shrimp, and toss with 4 cloves sliced fresh garlic, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, juice from 2 lemons and 1/4 cup olive oil.    Marinate 30 minutes- 2 hours.

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2.  Spread shrimp onto rimmed baking sheet and roast in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Check and stir occasionally.

3.  Remove from oven and serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

How to Make Beer Bread

Monday April 22, 2013 recipe, recipes, simple recipes

 beerbread

Three ingredients.  Completely idiot-proof.  Not many recipes can boast that, and turn out as well as this one.  I bashed this together yesterday to go with corned beef and cabbage–remember how I said I wanted to bring that into the rotation more frequently than once a year?   It was a great accompaniment to the meal, but it works equally well with beef stew, chili, vegetable soup,  or brunch.  And if there’s any leftover, it’s delightful toasted with butter for breakfast the next day.

 

Here’s the method:

Beer Bread

makes 1 loaf

3 cups self-rising flour (see note)

3 TBSP sugar

1 12 oz bottle or can of beer (see note)

1.  Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 loaf pan.

2.  Mix all ingredients by hand til blended–it takes about 15 seconds–and pour batter into pan.

3.  Bake 45 minutes until top is crisp and light brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Butter top immediately.  Serve warm.

NOTES:

  • If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can substitute 3 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp salt, and 3 3/4 tsp baking powder.
  • Feel free to add to the batter any of the following, or a combo thereof:  3/4 cup raisins; 3/4 cup dried cranberries; 3/4 cup walnuts; 3/4 cup pecans; 2 TBSP chopped chili peppers; 1/2 cup chopped onions; 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
  • In terms of the beer, you can use any type at all.   Darker beers and ales produce a slightly richer bread with a deeper flavor, but any beer works just fine.

Accordian Potatoes by Food and Wine Magazine

Thursday April 18, 2013 Food and Wine Magazine, Potatoes, side dishes

 

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I’ve mentioned before my obsession with potatoes.  In truth, I’ve never met a spud I didn’t like.  So discovering fingerling potatoes as the featured ingredient in this month’s Food and Wine I couldn’t resist giving these little gems a try.

 

I prepped the potatoes as directed, slicing them part-way down the middle and leaving the bottom edge attached.  I have to admit, this prep was a bit precious for my efficiency driven kitchen, but I persevered.    I tossed them, as directed with paprika and olive oil, and put them in the oven.paprika

Here’s where they lost me: Half way through the roasting, the recipe directed me to remove the pan from the oven and  insert a bay leaf into a slit in each of the potatoes.   I rolled my eyes, tossed a handful of bayleaves into the pan, stirred, and continued to roast the cute li’l tubers.

The result:  They were delicious.  Would I make them again?  Yes, but with two caveats:

1.  The slicing is superfluous.  Cutting them in half would be just as effective, but might not look as dramatic.   And the day I insert bay leafs into half-roasted potato slits, well, never mind.

2.  They needed salt, although the recipe did not call for it.

Any favorite potato recipes you’d like to share?

 

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