Monthly Archives: April 2016

Holy Guacamole!

28 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Appetizers and Dips, Uncategorized

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I’ve just recently returned from an amazingly relaxing vacation in Cancun, Mexico where in only 8 short days I was able to accomplish several things:

  1. Get an amazing tan.
  2. Drink several gallons of tequila.
  3. Read 6 novels by the pool.
  4. Eat enough guacamole to feed a small 3rd world country.

Upon my return I’ve really let my reading habits go back to shit, however, I’m determined to keep my tan, tequila-drinking stamina, and new-found guacamole habit at their heightened levels.  I’m an achiever.

Guacamole is one of those things that’s super simple to make…it’s really all about finding the best ingredients.  First and foremost, the perfectly ripe avocado.

My proven method is to squeeze every avocado in the store until I’ve either found the ones I guess are perfect (just enough give) or ruin the entire bunch for all the other shoppers.  But, apparently, there are more foolproof methods.  The Kitchn Blog suggests checking under the stem to see if the fruit is ripe and perfect.  While another touch-and-go method I’ve used in the past is to simply buy them unripened (too hard to the touch) and put them in a brown paper bag overnight with the top rolled closed and the next day–Viola Davis!–they’re perfectly ripe and ready to use.  Great guacamole really does come from using the perfectly ripened, creamiest avocados you can find though…so do your best.

The ingredients:

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  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1 lime
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 handful of cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt
  • crushed red pepper flakes

Half your three avocados.  Remove the seeds.  Score the avocados into large squares with a paring knife and scoop the sections into a medium sized mixing bowl.

Zest the lime and add the zest to the bowl.  Now coat the avocado with the juice of the lime and add about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and red pepper flakes.  Stir to coat.

Next, finely mince about 2 tablespoons of cilantro and add that in.  Finely dice the small tomato and squeeze out the majority of the juice before adding it to the bowl.

Now just finely mince 1 clove of garlic and about 1/4 cup of red onion and add that in, as well.

Just mix all that together, mashing some of the larger avocado pieces and leaving some whole for chunkiness, taste it to be sure it’s spicy or salty enough for your tastes, and enjoy (with or without tequila).  Ole’!

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Red Beans & Rice

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Cajun dishes, Soul Food

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A Louisiana classic!  Let’s make some red beans!

Your ingredients:

  • 1 lb red beans, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 3 tablespoons of bacon grease
  • 2 small or 1 large yellow or white onion
  • 5 stalks celery
  • 1 1/2 lbs. smoked sausage
  • 1 ham bone with meat or 1 lb. cubed smoked ham
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base (stock starter)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 5 scallions
  • Seasonings:  Tony’s, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Salt, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Hot Sauce

Soak your beans overnight in cold water (or follow the package instructions for the “quick soak”), then rinse and drain.  Set aside.

Add about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat to a large heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat.  Here in the south, we’re raised to save bacon grease and store it a mason jar in the refrigerator.  I don’t know a self respecting southern cook who doesn’t have a jar of bacon grease looming in the back of the fridge.  If you’re not one of us, just cook a little bacon and use the grease left in the pan.  Yes, it’s an essential step in this process.

Next, finely dice your onion, celery and green onion and add that to the pot to cook.

Allow the vegetables to cook and soften and add the following seasonings, to your taste–but be liberal:  Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, tony’s, and cayenne.

Now finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and add that to the party.  The veggies should be getting soft and translucent by this point.

Now, it’s time to add the meat.  I used about a pound of Cajun andouille sausage, and a few links of regular smoked sausage.  Chop into bite size pieces and add it to the pot.

I made a ham for Easter Sunday and reserved the ham bone specifically with these red beans in mind.  If you don’t have a ham bone lying in wait in your freezer, then you can simply grab a package of diced smoked ham from the grocery store.  I just added the big, frozen bone directly to the pot.

Now toss in your beans and cover it all with water, by about an inch.

At this point, I like to add a big, heaping tablespoon of chicken base, which is the same as stock starter or bouillon.  It adds more flavor along with about a dozen shakes of your favorite hot sauce and a few bay leaves.

Now bring the uncovered pot to slow, rolling boil and cook for about an hour.  You’re looking for some of that liquid to cook out.

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Give it a taste and reseason as needed.  If it’s too liquidy (you know how you like it), remove a bit of the liquid from the pot with a measuring cup.  Are the beans super soft?  If yes, then you can proceed to the next step.  If no, let the pot cook another half hour or so, continuing to stir often so nothing sticks to the bottom.

At this point, it’s safe to remove the ham bone (the meat should’ve all fallen off by now) and the bay leaves.

Once the beans are super tender, I take the back of a large spoon and SMUSH (technical term) about half the beans against the side of the pot.  That’s how they get all delicious and creamy.  You know how SMUSHY your like yours, so SMUSH to your own liking.

Then I add about 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley and let it cook over super low heat about another 20 minutes.

Serve with steamed white rice and enjoy!

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*Note:  Red beans freeze really well for up to six months.  I spoon them into quart size freezer bags once cooled and lay flat to freeze for easy storage.

Rotisserie Chicken and Gravy

05 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Challenge, Soul Food

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Ever buy a rotisserie chicken, eat half of a breast for dinner standing over the kitchen counter, then put it in your fridge to throw the rest away 3 days later?  Yeah, uh huh, me either.

Actually, this used to be my M.O. until I started making a conscious effort to waste less food.  When you live alone but love to cook, it’s not an easy thing to do.  Especially when you’re not a fan of reheated leftovers.

I give loads of meals away to friends and my favorite bartenders, and I freeze what can be frozen for later, but still lots was getting tossed into the garbage.  The leftovers from the go-to easy dinner grab, rotisserie chicken (found ready-to-eat in practically every grocery store), always seemed to end up there.

This post begins our series on great ideas for rotisserie chicken leftovers.  There are tons out there!  Tell us about yours in the comments below!

The other night after about 8 straight days of working without a break and surviving on Cheez-It snack packs and granola bars, I started craving rice and gravy…a southern girl staple.  I happened to have a 3 day old rotisserie chicken in the fridge, mysteriously missing half a breast, so I got to work.

Your ingredients:

  • Leftover rotisserie chicken
  • 1 yellow or white onion
  • 4-5 stalks celery
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or preferred cooking oil)
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 cups chicken stock (warm on the stove)
  • Seasonings:  salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, kitchen bouquet

Start with your chicken.  Separate the individual chicken pieces and then make slices with your knife in each piece.  I leave the bones in the dark meat but remove the breasts from the bone.  Set aside.

Next, finely chop one onion and 4-5 stalks of celery.

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Begin to saute the onion and celery in a large skillet over medium heat in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme to season.  Stir and cook until the vegetables soften.

Next, add about two tablespoons of flour and stir for a few minutes over medium heat until the flour is cooked.

Now, slowly, begin adding your warm chicken stock about a half cup at a time, whisking as you go to incorporate it without lumps.

Bring this back up to a simmer and allow it to thicken into a gravy.  This should take just a minute or two of simmering.  Now, add a capful (from the 4 oz bottle) of kitchen bouquet.  I’d bet that’s about 1 teaspoon.  A little of this stuff goes a long way.  That’s going to make your gravy nice and brown and add great flavor, too.  Once that’s mixed in and everything is simmering, give it a taste and reseason to your liking.

Now add in your chicken pieces, cover and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is falling apart.  Stir it often during this time to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.

Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!