Hey Jolie

[wobblypops]

I know you're from N.O area & I have a huge craving for red beans & rice with smoked sausage. Can you give me a fairly easy starter recipe for this?

[Jolie Rouge]

yeah ... no problem. Right now I am watching the Sportsline report on the high school play off games. My son's team was seeded at #32 which put us against the #1 ranked, undefeated powerhouse team in the state. Teams we beat got easier berths then we did... word was out that we were the "sacrafical lambs". We WON !! We WON! 35-28 !! And the other teams that we played ( and beat :p ) have already been eliminated despite all the trash talk.

[Jolie Rouge]

Looking for Red Beans and rice.... but meanwhile I found this... taking it to MIL Sunday

Muffaletta Pasta from Sharp Cook

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of Spiral Pasta, cooked and drained

• 1 Jar of Italian Olive Salad Mix (16 oz.)

• 1 Bag Parmesan Cheese, shredded (6 oz.)

• 1 Package of Mini Pepperoni (4 oz.)



Cook pasta according to package directions. Pour cooked pasta into a colander and run cold water over pasta until cool. Drain pasta completely. In a large bowl mix cooked pasta, olive salad (drained of oil), parmesan cheese, pepperoni, and season to taste. Toss and serve.

[Jolie Rouge]

More traditional "cajun" food :

Crabmeat and shrimp-stuffed mirliton from Chef John Folse
Prep Time: 2 Hours Yields: 6 Serving

Mirliton, which originated in Mexico, is known by many Americans as "chayote squash" or "vegetable pear" and by the French as "christophene." The vegetable was brought to Bayou Country by the Canary Islanders or "Los Isleños," who relocated to Louisiana when Spain took ownership of the territory from France. This South Louisiana delicacy is wonderful when stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat.

6 mirlitons, sliced lengthwise
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1 pound (70–90 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ pound butter
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced red bell peppers
¼ cup minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped basil
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs, divided
12 pats butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Boil sliced mirlitons in lightly salted water 30–40 minutes or until meat is tender enough to scoop from shells. Once tender, remove from water and cool. Using a teaspoon, remove seeds and gently scoop all meat out of shell, being careful not to tear shell. Discard excess liquid accumulated while scooping meat. Reserve meat and save shells for stuffing. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt ¼ pound butter over medium-high heat and sauté onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic and basil for 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Blend in shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes or until pink and curled. Mix in reserved meat from mirlitons. Cook 15–20 minutes, chopping large pieces with a cooking spoon. After most of liquid has evaporated, remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, hot sauce and parsley. Fold in crabmeat, being careful not to break lumps. Sprinkle in approximately 1½ cups of bread crumbs to absorb any excess liquid and to hold stuffing intact. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and stuff into hollowed-out shells. Place stuffed mirlitons on a baking pan and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs. Top each mirliton with 1 pat of butter. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve 1 mirliton half as a vegetable or 2 halves as an entrée.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3


Creole-stuffed Bell Peppers from Chef John Folse
Prep Time: 1½ Hours Yields: 8 Servings

4 green bell peppers
1½ pounds lean ground beef (look for 93/7 or 95/5 on the package)
1 cup brown rice
1 small yellow onion, chopped
½ tsp Creole seasoning
2¬–3 dashes hot sauce
6 slices processed, American cheese (2% Milk)
2 (15-ounce) cans crushed or diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (2% Milk)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside. Wash each bell pepper; be sure to remove any stickers that may be attached. Slice each pepper down the middle so that the tops and bottoms remain intact. Remove the seeds and stem. In a large skillet, cook the onion and ground beef over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon to stir, cook until each grain of meat is separated. Continue cooking until all meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Add Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Add the American cheese slices to the meat mixture. Blend until cheese is melted thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice. Pour tomatoes into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Stuff each bell pepper half with an equal amount of meat and rice mixture then place in baking dish directly in the crushed tomatoes. Top each bell pepper with equal amounts of the shredded Cheddar cheese. Cover baking dish loosely with aluminum foil. If the foil touches the cheese, the cheese may stick. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove dish and turn each pepper so that the portion facing outside of the dish is now facing inside. Return covered baking dish to the oven to bake 20–30 additional minutes or until peppers are tender and meat is slightly browning on the top. Baking time may vary. Serve each bell pepper with a bit of the tomatoes on the side along with a mixed green vegetable salad, corn on the cob, whole wheat roll and a glass of milk.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[Jolie Rouge]

RED BEANS & RICE

1 pound dried red beans (soak them overnight in warm slighty salty water)
2 quarts water or chicken broth
1 ham bone (optional)
2 pounds smoked sausage, ham, tasso or andoullie - cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green onion (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped celery (about 6 - 8 stalks)
2/3 cup bell pepper, chopped (1 large)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Tony's to taste (start with about 1 - 2 teaspoons, work from there)

3 cups cooked rice

Rinse & drain beans.
In large pot with lid, place beans and cover with water/broth.
Add ham bone and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes.
Add sausage, cover and cook about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, onions, celery, bell pepper, & bay leaf.
Continue cooking, cover 1 1/2 hours.
Add Worcestershire sauce, parsley, & Tony's.
Simmer about 5 minutes before removing bay leaf (discard).
Serve over rice.


Serves 6

Best if made ahead and allowed to simmer all day....

[wobblypops]

Thanks for the time you spent doing those recipes for me!!!!! I am going to try the red beans soon! What is Tony's though?

[Jolie Rouge]

What is Tony's though?

Tony Chachere's is THE seasoning here... People take it when they are leaving on vacations and our care packages overseas ALWAYS include it ( specially the little packets, cause they fit in the pockets and make even MRE's better ) http://www.tonychachere.com/

[DAVESBABYDOLL]

Tony Chachere's is THE seasoning here... People take it when they are leaving on vacations and our care packages overseas ALWAYS include it ( specially the little packets, cause they fit in the pockets and make even MRE's better ) http://www.tonychachere.com/

THANKS !! I just placed an order. My son LOVES cajun (and I do to) He'll love this Christmas gift lol

[Jolie Rouge]

:bump:

[wobblypops]

I thought I had asked you this before! I forgot to print it out. Thank you so very much! How on earth did you remember this & how to find it?

[Jolie Rouge]

LOL - I remembered being asked - so I used the search feature -plugged in my user name and "beans and rice" ... came up with several threads. I had forgotten it was YOU that asked before. ENJOY !

[Jolie Rouge]

Tony Chachere's is THE seasoning here... People take it when they are leaving on vacations and our care packages overseas ALWAYS include it ( specially the little packets, cause they fit in the pockets and make even MRE's better ) http://www.tonychachere.com/

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Recipe By : Tony Chachere
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

26 ounces salt
1 1/2 ounces black pepper -- ground
2 ounces red pepper -- ground
1 ounce garlic powder -- pure
1 ounce chili powder
1 ounce Monosodium glutamate -- (Accent)

Mix well and use like salt. When it’s salty enough, it’s seasoned to perfection. For barbeque and fried foods: Season food all over. Cook as
usual.

NOTES : Tony Chachere is from Opelousas, Louisiana - my hometown. I was 11 years old when his first cookbook came out. This is the first recipe in his “Cajun Country Cookbook”. In the cookbook, he says “THIS RECIPE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK”. He’s right ! <3 Right after the cookbook came out, everyone was making this and storing it in those large plastic ice cream cartons. Within a short while, he started marketing this himself. Now you can find the green cans of this stuff all over the country. Where I'm from, this is the only seasoning anyone uses. That sounds kind of strange, but try it and you'll see. It’s been a standard around my house for over 20 years.

[wobblypops]

As soon as I return to work I will have this thread printed out. I took a PTO day because I totally feel like crap :(

[Jolie Rouge]

Cooking for a ( Cajun ) Crowd ?


Tony’s Garlic Cheese Grits

6 cups Chicken Broth or Stock
2 cups Golden Grits (not instant)
1 Tb Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup Butter
3 eggs mixed with ½ cup Milk
1 lb Cheddar Cheese, shredded or chopped

Bring broth to a boil. Add grits and Tony's Creole Seasoning.
Stirring occasionally, cook at a simmer for ten minutes.
Add Butter, egg and milk, and cheese. Stir to combine then transfer to a buttered casserole pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven to 40 minutes or until browned and bubbly.


Real Dirty Rice for 20

1 lb of hot-seasoned ground pork
1 lb of ground meat
1 pt of chicken livers – boiled and smashed
1 medium onion quartered
2 large onions chopped
6 cloves garlic – minced
5 sticks celery – whole
5 sticks celery – chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley – chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 cups of white rice

PROCEDURE

Cook 6 cups of white rice. Don't use quite as much water as required because you will be mixing the rice with the meat and liquid mixture.

To create a stock:

•Lightly season chicken livers with salt and pepper. Place in sauce pan covering the livers with water. Add 1 medium quartered onion and 5 celery sticks. Boil until livers are soft. Keep liquid for stock. Smash livers for meat mixture.
•In large skillet, brown pork and ground meat in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. After browned, drain meat in a colander and discard oil. Then add meat back to skillet and add chopped onions, garlic, and celery and smashed livers. Mix well. Cover pan and simmer until vegetables are soft. Stir often so meat doesn't stick to pan.
•Add 2 cups broth, stir, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste before adding salt and pepper. Remember that the pork sausage is already seasoned with pepper.
•Add half of cooked rice to meat mixture and broth. Then, use discretion and keep adding rice to the meat mixture until preferred consistency for your dressing is reached. Remember, an extra bit of broth is always available in cans, if you run short.
•Place finished rice dressing in roaster or buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle melted butter and chopped parsley and green onions on top of rice dressing.
•To heat: 350 degrees is always a good temperature in oven. If you keep the dressing on the stove top, stir "every once in a while" while heating on medium.


More : http://www.wafb.com/category/95247/pasta-rice-and-stuffing

[wobblypops]

I'm getting the ingredients today for my red beans and rice. I also have to buy accent for the seasoning and I'm all set. I am so excited!!!! I have this ham bone in my freezer that I have been wanting to use up for a while now!!!

[pepperpot]

I have a ham bone too that I am dying to make lentil soup with. I haven't had it in such a long time, but my apprehension is......it makes me so gassy. Really, it will keep me farting for days.....and I need to be around people all the time. Not a good mix.

[baragabrat]

I have a ham bone too that I am dying to make lentil soup with. I haven't had it in such a long time, but my apprehension is......it makes me so gassy. Really, it will keep me farting for days.....and I need to be around people all the time. Not a good mix.

That's one of the advantages of being retired....you can fart as much as you like at home. I have a ham bone too and plan to make bean soup and fart! fart! fart! I suppose I could take some Beano but that would take all the fun out of it.

[wobblypops]

I love to fart!!!!!

I thought I had a ham bone but I don't. Now what? I do have a small ham with the bone in it, should I use that or go get one or two ham hocks?

[pepperpot]

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/154409_467720289959077_1916354558_n.jpg

[wobblypops]

LMAO that's just wrong :)

[CARROLIN]

Lmbo!!! (((pepperpot)))), seriously...

Thank you for my giggles

smiles.
Carrolin

[baragabrat]

*chuckle*

[pepperpot]

I made lentil soup today....it is so good! :proud:

:ahhhhh:

[pepperpot]

Okay folks, are we ready for the first round of "Name ! That ! TUNE!!!" ????? :rolling

:hello:

:faint

[wobblypops]

I love love love lentil soup.

All my tunes will be in tenor today!

[Jolie Rouge]

Shrimp-and-Grits Casserole
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

3 cups water
3½ cups half-and-half
2 cups quick-cooking grits
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
8 slices bacon
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sliced green onion
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 pounds medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ teaspoon Creole seasoning


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and half-and-half to a boil over medium-high heat. Add grits, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cheese, egg, salt, and red pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

3. Bake until set, approximately 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

5. In the same skillet, heat bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook for 3 minutes. Add flour; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and cream; stir until combined. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Add Creole seasoning, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture over grits. Top with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :egg:

[Jolie Rouge]

Do you know the difference between Creole and Cajun?
YES, there IS a difference!
By Caroline Gerdes

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/files/2012/10/Robert_Giglio_Jackson_Square-590x393.jpg

When strolling through the French Quarter, you’ll notice several obvious connections to its namesake motherland. Many of the street names are French — Rue Bourbon, par exemple — and corner bistros send aromas of pralines, beignets, and bread pudding wafting across the neighborhood.

Yes, New Orleans is a French place. Some locals may call it Creole, but you won’t hear them call it Cajun.

Acadians were expelled from Canada, including Prince Edward Island, in the 1700s. While there are some Cajun influences in New Orleans, the bulk of Louisiana’s Cajun culture is found in the southwest corner of the state.

Yet Cajuns are French, too.

But, they are French by way of Acadia, the area colonized by France in North America (what is now the Canadian Maritimes) in the 16th-18th centuries. When the Acadians were expelled from Canada during the French and Indian War, many made their way south to Louisiana, eventually settling in an area that became known as Acadiana.

Cajun people pride themselves in their unique food, dialect, celebrations, and culture — all of which are separate from what many French New Orleanians identify as Creole.

Here’s a primer on the difference between the two terms from a New Orleans native:

Creole can mean French mixed with Spanish and/or African and/or American Indian. But as many purely French New Orleanians call themselves Creole, defining the term can be complicated.

Amanda LaFleur, an instructor in Cajun Studies at Louisiana State University, explained that Creole is derived from a Portuguese term meaning “born on the continent.”

According to LaFleur, the term Creole originally applied to the children of the first colonists to indicate that they had been born in the New World. Marriages between French and Spanish colonists (and extra-marital contact with black residents — both slave and free) did occur, which caused the word to become almost synonymous with mixed descent.

This is no surprise to Richard Campanella, geographer and professor at the Tulane University School of Architecture, who emphasized that the word’s definition has evolved over a period of 500 years. “The Creole identity is very fluid…there is no one right answer. The multitude of answers is the answer,” he said.


But one thing’s for sure: the accent you hear in movies and TV shows that are based in New Orleans — a syrupy Southern accent with a slightly French inflection – is pure fiction. But something similar can be heard in Acadiana.

During the first and second World Wars, French was stigmatized as un-American and banned from Louisiana schools. The prohibition against French had a profound and long-lasting effect, but it didn’t stop Cajuns and Creoles alike from continuing their French customs. There has even been a Cajun French revival movement in recent years.

It’s my party

The difference between the two cultures can be observed in their respective Mardi Gras celebrations. Parades with large, colorful floats and flashy, avant-garde presentation are typical of New Orleans Carnival, while in Acadiana, the festivities are more pastoral.

The famous Fat Tuesday custom in Cajun Country is the Courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras run. Groups travel from house to house, begging for food that will be used to make a communal gumbo at the end of the route. Ingredients collected may include anything from flour to a live chicken.

LaFleur said Cajun Carnival is steeped in old European tradition. Society, she said, is turned upside down. Historically, the wealthy are mocked and the poor become royalty for a day.

Costumes reflect this hierarchal satire, as three traditional guises mark society’s most powerful groups: cone-shaped hats mock nobility, bishop’s miters represent the clergy, and four-corner hats represent academics.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans engages in similar role-play with costumes and faux royalty. But unlike Cajuns, who come together to share a meal, New Orleanians represent sharing wealth by throwing beads and coins.

The proof is in the gumbo

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/files/2012/10/travel-blog-creole-cajun-gumbo-480x327.jpg
A traditional Creole gumbo -- notice the okra and clear broth. (Photograph by Robert Giglio)


Gumbo variations also demonstrate the difference between Creole and Cajun culture. LaFleur said Creole gumbo is prepared with okra, tomato, and a mix of meats and seafood.

In Cajun gumbo, game and seafood are never mixed, the okra is usually left out, and the roux — a mix of flour and butter (or vegetable oil) – is the real focus. The farther north one ventures in Louisiana, the darker the base becomes.

But while there is pride in individual traditions, there are not always stark contrasts. The groups have been living together and learning from one another for centuries, while blending with other influences — Spanish, African, Caribbean, German, Irish, and Italian, to name a few — in Louisiana’s melting pot.

“None of this is static. [Foreign elements] threaten a culture, but they are also what makes it relevant,” LaFleur said. She added that the various French settlers have all brought one common sentiment: “The joie de vivre, the sense of humor, that notion that having fun is part of what you deserve in life.”

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/04/cajun-or-creole/

[wobblypops]

I never cared for Creoles, Cajun & gumbos.