Fat Tuesday Dinner

I hope you've enjoyed my series on Mari Gras. Today marks my final post (until next year!) about this special holiday because today is what is known as Fat Tuesday, which, marks the final day in the carnival season. Best of all, the traditional meal to serve for dinner on Fat Tuesday is (drumroll, please) pancakes! How can you not love a holiday that demands breakfast for dinner?

I wish I could tell you that every time I make pancakes that I make my own mix. But, although it's not complicated, I have to say I simply don't have the time nor the patience to do so. It also gives me an excuse to use my all time, hands down, favorite pancake mix on the planet.

William Sonoma's Flappin' Jack Pancake Mix

Williams-Somoma's Flappin' Jack Pancake Mix is out of this world delicious. I won't deny that it's more expensive than many other brands, but for a special occasion, it's worth splurging and giving it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed. Use it for a Fat Tuesday dinner or for a cozy Saturday morning breakfast at home.

Check out the blog tomorrow for some last minute Valentine's Day menus that will be sure to impress your Valentine.

AMA's Shrimp Etouffee

I love shrimp. I love garlic. I love wine. So, if you glance at the below recipe you can probably see why it's obvious that absolutely adore shrimp etouffee. It makes very generous portions, so when I make it for just the husband and  myself I divide up the leftovers into individual servings and freeze them in freezer bags. It makes a for future quick and delicious meals on weeknights.

When serving this dish, I recommend putting it over white rice, prepared according to the box for however many servings you need, along with a crisp green salad and warm french bread.

AMA's Shrimp Etouffee
Serves: 6 to 8

3 lbs peeled and deveined, large shrimp
1 1/2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
6 green onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 of a 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
Tony's Creole seasoning, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste

Spray a large nonstick pan with cooking spray. Heat over medium and add yellow onions, green onions, bell pepper, and celery. Saute until vegetables have softened and are glistening. Add in flour and oil and cook for ten additional minutes, stirring often,

Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to pan. Then, add 1/4 white wine and stir to combine.

Add shrimp to pan along with Tony's seasoning and cayenne (if desired). Add remainder of wine and one cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook until shrimp have turned pink and sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in parsley and add in 1/2 can cream of chicken soup.  Add salt or pepper, if necessary.

Remove bay leaves and serve over rice.

AMA's Jambalaya

My first introduction to New Orleans cuisine was my husband's jambalaya. When we first met, he had me convinced that he made his own jambalaya from scratch. I later learned that he was using a Zatarain's mix with a ton of Crystal hot sauce added to it. Fast forward five years and several pots of jambalaya later and I honestly still think that Zatarain's makes a fabulous batch of jambalaya. But, if you have the time, few things can beat making jambalaya from scratch. It's of course great to have during Mardi Gras, but it's also perfect for football tailgates or anytime you're cooking for a crowd (it makes a ton of food).

Making jambalaya is overall a super easy dish to make. However, it does entail a ton of prep in the area of chopping. If you're pinched on time, I recommend buying pre-chopped onions and celery, if your local grocery store has it. Also, it's easiest to do all of the chopping for the dish before you start cooking (which can also be done ahead of time).

Jambalaya is a simple recipe, so when buying your ingredients, it's important to get the best quality that your budget can afford. My favorite thing about this dish is that it tastes great when you make it, but is even better the next day, which makes it perfect for entertaining. Simply reheat it in a large pot (or the microwave) before serving (if it's dry you can add a splash or two of chicken broth). 

AMA's Jambalaya

Serves: 6 

6 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 large green bell peppers, diced

2 jalapenos, diced with seeds removed

1 head of minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped parsley

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lb andouille sausage*

1 6oz can tomato paste

2-4 cups chicken broth

Tony's Cajun Seasoning (or salt)

cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups long-grain rice (Uncle Ben's is best)

Hot sauce

Fill large pot with water and season with lots of Tony's. Bring to a boil. While water is boiling, cut chicken into large pieces. Add chicken to boiling water and cook for eight minutes (chicken will be slightly undercooked). Drain chicken in a colander  and allow it to cool slightly before handling. Then, gently shred with hands or forks.

Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add in green onions, yellow onions, green bell peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. Stir until soft and glistening, about 10 minutes. Add in the chicken and sausage and stir gently to combine. Stir in tomato paste and 2 cups of chicken broth. Season to taste with Tony's and cayenne. Add the  bay leaves, rice, and 2 more cups chicken broth. Cover and reduce the heat to meduum. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. 

Remove the bay leaves and adjust seasoning, if needed. Stir in parsley. Serve with hot sauce. 

*If you can't find andouille in your local store, you can use kielbasa

Happy Mardi Gras!

While I don't hail from New Orleans, my adorable husband does. So, when we got married I decided to start some Mardi Gras traditions of our own. Each year I cook up some of our Mardi Gras favorites to share with friends and family. On the menu this year? A delicious (and healthier) version of shrimp etouffe and shrimp and sausage jambalaya. Let's face it, if you're trying to watch your carbs, Mari Gras might not be the holiday for you, but, on the other hand, why not indulge? It only comes once a year!

I'll be posting some favorite Mardi Gras recipes on the blog the next few days, but to get in the spirit, I'd like to share some of my Mardi Gras essentials!

You can't have a Mardi Gras celebration without King Cake! 

First on the list: King Cake! I first tried this yummy treat when my husband and I were dating and I flew into New Orleans for Mardi Gras. If you've never had it, I can only describe it as cinnamon roll cake (and even that doesn't do it justice!). You can order about a million varieties, but my favorite is the "traditional style". Inside each cake is a small plastic baby. According to tradition, whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby has to buy the next king cake. Our favorite is from Haydel's Bakery, but Gambino's also has a delicious one. Tip: king cake is absolutely delicious in the morning with coffee.

Abita strawberry beer is the perfect drink to go with all of the spicy Mardi Gras food

Abita beer is available all year long, but their strawberry blend is only available around Mardi Gras time. It's tough to find in Los Angeles,  but we've been able to find it at Bevmo! If you can't find strawberry, the Purple Haze variety is yummy as well.

Lastly, you can't make great New Orleans food without a dash of Tony Chachere's. It used to be touch to find, but I've found that most major supermarkets carry it.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Chocolate...Need I say More?

I have a slight obsession with Nutella. When I go grocery shopping I literally have to stop myself from buying it because I will seriously eat the whole container within days of purchase and, to top it all off, I will find anything and everything to eat with it.

However, I feel that birthdays give me a valid reason to incorporate a little Nutella into my life. So, when I recently had to make a birthday cake for a loved one, I searched like a mad woman  stumbled upon an amazing recipe by Nigella Lawson for a flourless chocolate Nutella cake. Nigella's recipe is written using metric measurements, but I was lucky enough to find an adaptation via The Painted Peach blog. I topped mine off with raspberries and the recommended toasted hazelnuts, but I think that quartered strawberries would be really yummy, too!

Enjoy!

Nutella Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache

Adapted from Nigella Lawson via The Painted Peach

Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce container Nutellla
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and
cooled

Ganache:
4 ounces whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup half and half (she calls for heavy cream but I was out, half and half worked well)
1 tablespoon rum
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add
the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in melted chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl (preferably metal),

Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, or toaster oven shaking them around frequently. Do it for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If hazelnuts came with skins on, put them in a towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove most of the skins.

Chop chocolate, and add to sauce pan with half and half and rum over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool. Remove rim of cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, spreading lightly to create a smooth, shiny surface, and apply hazelnuts all over.

Birthday Season

It's officially "Birthday Season" in my home.  I have 5 family birthdays to celebrate (including the Husband) in a 6 week time span. That makes for a lot of birthday shopping in a very short amount of time. It also forces me to get a little creative; four out of the five people celebrating birthdays will be at each others birthday celebration and, I want to make sure that each has their own unique gift.

Thus, I squealed with delight when while reading the most recent edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray, I came across a feature about Serenade Chocolatier. Their chocolate creations are literally works of art and one of my favorites is this beauty:

 The cakes are from their Piñata Cakes  collection and they are absolutely divine. The recipient gets a "chocolate cake" along with a mallet. They then get to use the mallet to break through the decadent chocolate shell to find that the cake is filled with a plethora of goodies. It's the perfect (and delicious) gift for the person who has everything!

Images via Seranade Chocolatier

Black Bean Quesadillas

I'm always on the quest to find vegetarian recipes that will satisfy both myself and my meat-and-potato-loving husband (neither of us are vegetarian). I believe that eating meatless several times a week for non-vegetarians has a multitude of health benefits, and when planned correctly, can save money, too! This recipe satisfies both criteria- it's a tasty recipe that is easy on the wallet.

So, is there anything that can make this recipe even better? Why yes, there is. It takes about five minutes to prep and about 10 minutes in the oven- woo hoo!

I originally found the idea recipe on Real Simple Magazine's website, but made some adjustments to it. Also, I've used both store bought salsa as well as this homemade recipe that I found via Pinterest- it's delicious both ways!

This recipe also gets better the longer the bean and corn mixture sits. I often make it the night before we're having it which lets the flavors come together overnight.

fresh avocado and salsa are my favorite ways to finish this dish

Black Bean Quesadillas

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained

1 11 oz, drained

3/4 c salsa, drained
3 tbsp. adobo sauce

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Mexican Cheese blends work well, too)

8 flour tortillas    

Cooking spray (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray (this helps make them get slightly crunchy and crusty while cooking). 

Drain and rinse black beans. Transfer to a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Repeat with corn. Combine black beans, corn, salsa, lime juice, and cumin in a bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Place four tortillas on baking sheet and divide the cheese among them. Using a slotted spoon, top each tortilla with the bean and corn mixture; top with the remaining tortillas. 

Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Flip halfway through cooking time to allow the tortillas to crisp up. 

Garnish with additional salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or red onion. 

Note: If you'd prefer to not have a vegetarian dish, you can add in chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp- any of the above leftovers work beautifully in this dish. Also, when you buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce it keeps in the refrigerator for a very long time.