Gumbo

Gumbo

adapted from several recipes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Makes: 2.5 quarts (8-10 servings)

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart

1 lb smoked sausage

1 lb smoked ham

1/2 cup bacon grease

6 TBS coconut flour

6 TBS almond flour

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)*

1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)*

1 large celery rib, chopped*

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 - 32oz boxes Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Hot cooked cauliflower rice

Directions

Cut the chicken, sausage and ham into bite sized pieces. Cook the chicken over medium heat in a large dutch oven until browned.  Put into a separate bowl and wipe out the dutch oven. *You can skip this step if you use rotisserie chicken.

Heat bacon grease in dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the coconut and almond flours. Continue whisking constantly until the roux is a deep mahogany color. It will almost look like really dark peanut butter. 

Stir in onions, celery and green peppers. Cook about 5 minutes and add in garlic. Cook another 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add the chicken stock while whisking. Add the meats, thyme, red and black pepper. 

Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 hours. Serve over hot cooked cauliflower rice. 

*I make my life easier by buying a cajun mirepoix mix in the vegetable freezer section at my local Kroger. 

**You can omit the chicken and add 2 lbs medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

I won't lie. I googled the word "carnitas". I took French in high school and college so shoot me. I just didn't want to look like an idiot by titling this "pork carnitas" if carnitas meant pork. You feel me? Good. Now that that is out of the way, I did learn that carnitas actually means "little meats" and it's meat that's been braised in oil or lard. I did nothing of the sort here. So I guess I can't technically call these carnitas, but whatever. They are darn good. You are also welcome for the Spanish lesson. 

PS - You can see from the pic below that I used this in Pork Carnitas Bowls with Cilantro Lime Caulirice!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

adapted from The Recipe Critic

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Servings: 10+

Ingredients

4 pound pork shoulder roast

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1.5 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 oranges, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

In the bottom of your crockpot, put the last 4 ingredients. Place your roast down in the crockpot. 

In a small bowl, combine your dry spices. Sprinkle these over the roast. Set the crockpot for 8 hours on low. 

Once it's done, I shred mine right in the crockpot and left it sitting in the juices for another 30-45 minutes on low. 

Now if you really want to be fancy, take the meat out of the crockpot after it's been bathing in those juices in the crockpot for the last 30 minutes and place it on a sheet pan. Put it in the oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes. This will make some of the bits a little crispier. 

Enjoy!

Mom's Beef Chili

Mom's Beef Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Servings: 15+

Ingredients

3 lbs Ground Chuck

1 – 28 oz can Tomato Puree

2 – 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomato’s

12 oz can Tomato Juice (Campbell’s)

15 oz can Tomato Sauce

2 large onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

2 tsp salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

2 tsp oregano

¼ cup cider vinegar

Tabasco, a couple of shakes

Fresh ground pepper

Directions 

Over medium heat, brown ground chuck and diced onions together in large dutch oven, when onions are translucent toss in the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Drain fat from pan.  Add all spices / herbs to meat mixture and mix to coat.

Add all liquid ingredients and mix well.  Simmer, partially covered on low for about 1 ½ to 2 hours until thick, stirring occasionally.  If not thick enough for you – take of the cover and let it simmer longer.

Slow Cooker Saucy Beef Tips

So we have had a few bad runs with the slow cooker dinners. As you might know, I have class on Tuesdays from 9am-6pm and dinner is usually done in the slow cooker. Hubby and I have found that most things don't do well in the slow cooker if left in there for more than 8-10 hours. The only thing that seems to work is red meat. Chicken tends to disintegrate and soups get yucky. Yes, yucky. So I found this and we loved it!  I've made changes to the original recipe and you can definitely take out the red wine. I just thought that it might add a little 'je ne sais quoi' (that's 'I don't know what' in French, for all my mono-linguals out there).

Slow Cooker Saucy Beef Tips

adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

2lbs stew meat, cubed

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 packet lower sodium brown gravy mix

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 cup Ginger ale

4 TBS red wine (I used Merlot)

Cooked egg noodles

Directions

Put everything in your slow cooker with the exception of the egg noodles. Set it on low for 8 hours. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Italian Pot Roast

This was very easy and yummy! It was great for leftovers the next day, too. I served mine with some oven fries as I was all out of milk to make mashed potatoes. I will definitely be making this again and with no changes. It was that delicious!

Italian Pot Roast

adapted from Southern Living

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Servings: 4-6 

Ingredients

1 large Vidalia onion thinly sliced
2-3 lb boneless tender chuck roast
1 tsp pepper
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
14oz can beef broth
1/2 cup red wine (I used Merlot)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBS cornstarch

Directions
Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray. Place the onion in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the roast on top of the onion. Sprinkle with pepper and onion soup mix. Pour the tomato sauce, merlot and beef broth over the roast.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the roast and roughly shred with forks. Keep warm.

Mix together the cornstarch and 2 TBS water. Add this mixture and the Italian seasoning into the juices in the crockpot. Turn to high and cook for 20-40 minutes.

You can either add the roast back in, pour the sauce over the roast or dip into the sauce.

Enjoy!

Pork Cutlets and Brown Butter Gnocchi

The cutlets turned out to be very delicious! The gnocchi not so much. They were chewy and sticky. Now, I've had gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) before so I know that it shouldn't be like this. It could have been that I cooked them too long or that I just didn't buy a good brand. The chewiness is often because they are over mixed. So I definitely think if you found a good brand (or made your own) and didn't overcook them, then they would be yummy. Although, hubby thought they looked like little bugs and was not impressed.

Pork Cutlets with Brown Butter Gnocchi

adapted from Rachael Ray 

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 lb lean boneless pork, thin cut (about 8 in a pack)

1 cup whole milk

1 cup flour

3 large eggs, well beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp paprika

Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup of Parmesan

1 lb gnocchi

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to warm or 200.

Melt a stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until foamy. Remove from the heat and allow the milk solids to settle; slowly pour off the clarified butter and wipe out the milk solids. **Mine didn't settle so I had to fish them out with a spoon.

Soak the meat in milk for 15 minutes. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the nutmeg, paprika and Parmesan with the panko. Coat each slice of meat in flour, then egg and panko mixture. 

 

Heat a few TBS of olive oil and clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cutlets and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes on each side. Repeat the process for each batch. Keep the cutlets warm in the oven. 

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions and drain.

Wipe out the skillet and brown the remaining butter (about 2 TBS) for 4-5 minutes. Add the gnocchi, coat with the butter and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Rigatoni alla Carbonara

I have been making this for almost as long as we've been married. It's definitely one of our favorites. The original calls for pancetta, a cured Italian meat, but I use bacon as it's cheaper and more readily available. It's great any time of the year!

Rigatoni alla Carbonara

adapted from Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni

1/3 lb bacon, chopped

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 large egg yolks

3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserve a ladle full of pasta water. 

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bacon in 1 TBS of olive oil until it browns about 4-5 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce the liquid by half, about 3 minutes.

Beat together the egg yolks and cheese. While whisking, slowly add a ladle of boiling pasta water. Set aside.

Drain pasta and add it to the pan with bacon sauce. Toss together and add egg mixture. Toss for 1 minute and remove from heat. Continue tossing until sauce is absorbed by the pasta.

Enjoy!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Another thumbs up from the hubby on dinner! This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted just as good. I definitely don't recommend leaving it for longer than 8 or 9 hours on low. I left mine in for almost 11 and it wasn't as tender as I would have liked. Hubby ate the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

adapted from AllRecipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

3 cups low sodium beef broth

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 packages dry Italian dressing mix

2 1/2 lb chuck roast

Hoagie buns (not pre-sliced)

Sliced Provolone cheese

Directions

Place the roast in the Crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, starting with the dry ingredients (except bread and cheese).

Turn the Crockpot on low and cook for 8 hours. 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, shred the meat and add it back to the juices. 

Slice the bread open almost completely. Add some meat and top with one slice of cheese. Put under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Aunt Cindy's Beef BBQ

Oh yum. This was so delish. My aunt always made this one of the nights before Thanksgiving when we traveled to her house. It definitely brings back fond memories. It does take a little time, but I think it could be converted into a slow cooker meal. In fact, I think next time I make it I will try it in the slow cooker. We serve it on buns with some mac and cheese. My mom likes it with a dollop of coleslaw on top. What can I say? She's a yankee! 

Aunt Cindy's Beef BBQ

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb beef brisket

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire

2 TBS yellow mustard

2 tsp instant coffee granules

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp Tabasco

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

Wrap the beef brisket in heavy foil, place in a 9x13 dish and bake for one hour. Remove the brisket from the oven and cut off the fat layer. 

Combine the other ingredients, heat to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the brisket back in the pan, top with sauce and cover pan with foil. Bake for another 2 hours. Shred meat with two forks. 

Enjoy!

Steak Diane

The first thing I said after popping a bite in my mouth was "Oh my gosh, this is as good as I remember!" It really is divine. The flavors in the sauce are so perfect. I could have probably licked my plate clean, but I seriously had to restrain myself. Even my picky hubby and my 3 year old niece liked it! As my picture of dinner looked wholly unappetizing as it was taken with my Blackberry since the camera battery was dead, I leave you with a picture of Julia.

Steak Diane

adapted from Julia Child & Company

Ingredients

3 strip steaks

soy sauce

olive oil

black pepper

5 TBS butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/4 minced parsley

1 cup beef stock

1 TBS dijon mustard

1 TBS cornstarch

4 TBS Brandy or Cognac

1 1/2 TBS Worcestershire

Directions
Trim out the strip steak and pound it out until it's 1/4-1/2 inches thick. Drizzle with soy sauce and olive oil and rub it in. Sprinkle with pepper. "Roll them up like a rug" says Julia. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. I stuck mine in the fridge for 3 hours.

You can mix the beef stock, dijon and cornstarch together and let it sit on the counter to save time later. I did this about 45 minutes before I was ready to start cooking. I also mixed together the brandy and Worcestershire at this time and set it aside.

Shallots and parsley can be done ahead of time, just remember to cover them with a damp paper towel.

Over medium high heat, melt 1 TBS butter with 1 TBS olive oil. Saute the steaks just to brown.

In the same pan, add 4 TBS butter and melt. Toss in shallots and parsley. Cook for a minute or so, until slightly translucent. Stir in stock mixture then brandy and Worcestershire.

Whisk and turn down heat to medium-low. Put steaks back in, cover and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Friday Favorites - Comfort Meals

So my mom made this multiple times when I was a kid and it was a favorite all around! I'm not going to lie to you, this meal is a production and the chili powders are not something you are going to pick up at Kroger or Publix. This is definitely one of those meals you plan for in advance and do it on the weekend! With that being said, once you've made this you will not regret it. It was as yummy as I remember. 

Now if you are not a type-A like me with the compulsive need to follow the original recipe in regards to spices (I mean it was written that way for a reason right?), my consultant (aka Mom) says that you can substitute 3 tsp pure ancho chili powder for the others. If you want to be compulsive like me you can check out your local Mexican markets or shop at MySpiceSage.com to pick up the original spices. MySpiceSage.com sells all but the New Mexico chili powder, which is the easiest to find elsewhere. Spice Sage has great prices and throws in free spices too! 

Chicken Fried Steak

from Paul Prudhomme

Ingredients

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp guajillo chile powder

1 tsp arbol chile powder

1 tsp New Mexico chile powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 pound boneless beef tenderloin steak, filet, or other tender cut of beef steak, cut into 4 equal portions

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, in all

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a small bowl to make the seasoning mix.

Place the meat on a flat surface and pound each steak with a meat mallet or the side of a saucer, turning the meat as you pound it, until about ¼ inch thick.  Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the seasoning mix on each side of each steak and rub it in well.                                              

Combine ¾ cup of the flour with 1½ teaspoons of the seasoning mix in a shallow bowl.  Whisk together the egg and milk in another shallow bowl, beating until very frothy and pale yellow.

Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over high heat to 350°, about 5 minutes.  While the oil is heating, dredge the steaks one at a time in the seasoned flour, then let them soak 1 to 2 minutes in the egg mixture.  When the oil is hot, dredge each steak one at a time in the flour again, pressing the steak into the flour to coat it thoroughly, and immediately place it in the hot oil.  Fry the steak until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.  Remove it from the skillet, set aside and keep warm, and repeat the process with the other 3 steaks.  You can fry more than 1 steak at a time, if you can keep track of which one needs to be turned or removed, and as long as you place each steak in the skillet directly after the second dredging in the flour.

Pour out and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet in which the steaks were cooked, leaving the residue of juices from the meat and any brown crust remaining on the bottom.  Heat over high heat, and when the oil sizzles, add the onions and cook until light golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and gradually add the stock, whisking constantly.  Add the remaining seasoning mix and continue whisking until the gravy comes to a boil, about 2 minutes.  Add the cream and parsley and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Okay so I will say that this recipe comes from my mom and I know that it works. I tried to half it and it didn't work so much. I got a little distracted when I was putting in the chili powder so I'm not sure if I added 1/2 TBS too much or what. 

Now the great debate with Cincinnati-style chili recipes is chocolate or no chocolate. My mom says no chocolate, but if you taste it and feel like it's missing something then you could probably add 1/2 oz of unsweetened chocolate, something like Baker's. One square is an ounce and it's scored so that you can easily divide it to get 1/2 an ounce.

For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati-style chili, it's more like a sauce then actual "chili". I do not advise you to put it in a bowl to eat like other chili recipes! It's traditionally served over spaghetti with cheese (3-way) or over hot dogs on a bun with cheese (Cheese Coney). You can also add kidney beans, onions or both - 4-way for just one or 5-way if you add both.

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Ingredients

2 lb ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 TBS vinegar

8 oz tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

4 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS Worcestershire

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp paprika

5 bay leaves

1 qt water

Directions

Put the water into a pot and add the meat breaking it up until it's fine. I just did it with my hands. Simmer until the meat is done - by the time it starts simmering it will most likely be done - about 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve over spaghetti or hot dogs with finely shredded mild cheddar cheese.

This can easily be frozen for future meals!

Enjoy!

French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches
adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
3 pound sirloin tip roast
1 -10.5 oz can beef broth (I use Kitchen Basics)
1 - 10.5 oz can condensed French onion soup
1 - 12 fluid oz can or bottle beer (I used Fat Tire)
2 TBS Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 French or sub rolls
2 tablespoons butter

Trim excess fat from the roast and place in a slow cooker. Add the next 6 ingredients. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. Remove the roast and slice it down. Add the meat back to the juices for another hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Split the rolls and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes or until heated through. Add the sliced meat and top with cheese (we used provolone). Place in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

I served the au jus on the side in little ramekins with mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Enjoy!