Steph's Mardi Gras Gumbo

Seasoning Mix:
2 t sweet paprika
1 ½ t Tony Chachere’s seasoning
¾ t dry mustard
¾ black pepper
½ ground cumin
4 bay leaves
2 T vegetable oil
2- 3 lbs. roasted chicken, smoked turkey, or whatever smoked poultry you have on hand
2 cups chopped onions 8 green onions, chopped
2 cups chopped green pepper
12-15 cups chicken broth
1 t minced garlic
2 links smoked sausage, beef or turkey
2 cans Trappey’s okra gumbo
1 cup prepared roux (found in a glass jar in spice section of grocery store)
cooked rice
Gumbo file
Season at end with peppers in vinegar or jalapenos

Heat 2 T vegetable oil in stock pot. Saute all raw vegetables. Add another T vegetable oil and roux. Stir together. When heated, add broth, seasoning mix, canned okra, sausage and chicken. Simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat or until visibly thickened. Cool in refrigerator overnight. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Reheat and serve with rice, gumbo file, and peppers in vinegar.

Southwestern Shrimp Ceviche

Makes 1 quart

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. shrimp boil or seasoning mix
3 green onions, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro, chopped
1-2 T. hot or tame pickled jalapenos, diced
¼ cup jalapeno juice
2 T. olive oil
2 fresh limes, juiced
1 T. ground cumin
1 large avocado, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
2 ears of roasted corn, kernels cut away from cob
1 can black beans, drained

Heat a gallon of water in large saucepan to boiling. Season with shrimp boil. Add shrimp and heat for only 2 minutes or until opaque. Remove quickly from water and drain. Add all other seasonings, diced vegetables, and ingredients while shrimp is still hot. Allow mixture to cool and refrigerate. Ceviche is better the second day when marinated. Serve as dip with toasted tortillas or as a salad or topping for grilled fish.

Oatmeal, Raisin, Bran Muffins

3 cups of bran cereal
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup boiling water
½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 cups raisins or mixture of dried cranberries, blueberries, and raisins
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/4 cup Agave nectar (I use Madhava Amber Nectar)
1/8 cup dark molasses
1-1/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine cereal, dried fruit, oil, and oatmeal. Pour boiling water over mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and mix has cooled. In another bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, nectar, and molasses. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Combine all and let stand another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a spray oil to grease 24 muffin cups and divide batter among them, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake 20-25 minutes until very brown.

Serve with nectar, honey, lemon curd, or jam.

Orzo with Chicken Pesto Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Serve 6

2 cups dried orzo
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup parsley, chopped
4 T olive oil
4 chicken pesto or chicken Italian sausages, diced (I buy these at Central Market)
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes (I like La Valle)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
½ lb goat cheese
¼ cup of fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Empty canned broth in deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add orzo, cook for 20 minutes until most, but not all, of broth is absorbed. Turn off heat, cover, and allow orzo to sit until all liquid is absorbed. In meantime, sauté diced sausage pieces in olive oil. Add garlic and parsley. Add canned tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until sun-dried tomatoes are softened. Combine cooked orzo, basil, tomato mixture, goat cheese, and grated Parmigiano. Stir well and serve warm over cooked spinach or with another green vegetable or salad.

Chicken Chili Verde with Tomatillos and Cannellini Beans

Serves 4-6

4 T. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 t. ground cumin
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans
1 can low-sodium chicken broth (or 2 cups stock)
1 lb. roasted Anaheim or Hatch peppers (I buy them frozen, already roasted), chopped
6 large tomatillos, roasted until brown and very soft, blend until it turns to puree
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups of chunky diced roasted chicken
1 T. Vegeta (a soup base) and/or roasted chicken demi-glace ( I use “More Than Gourmet’)
1 cup cheese, a grated mix of Mexican cheeses: Oaxaca, Queso Blanco, Monterrey Jack
4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, sautéing until soft. Add red bell pepper, sautéing until soft. Add green chile peppers. Then, add garlic, cooking until soft but careful not to burn. Add spices; add roasted and pureed tomatillos; soup base and demi-glace, if you have both; cook until simmering. Add chopped roasted chicken and 2 cans beans; simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into oven-safe bowls. Place on a cookie sheet, top each bowl with grated cheese mix. Heat under broiler until cheese is brown. Top with cilantro and serve with a side salad (See “Tangerine Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette" in July Post below) and tortillas or cornbread.

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Reduction Sauce

1 package unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche (can buy ready made at grocery store)
1/3 cup sugar
1 T Cointreau

Place 1 1/2 T cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top. let gelatin soften for 5 minutes. While gelatin softens, warm the cream and creme fraiche with the sugar over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add gelatin mixture. Stir until it dissolves. Then, stir in Cointreau.

Pour mixture into 6 8-ounce containers. Cover with plastic and chill until firm, about 3 hours.

Balsamic Reduction: Boil 1 1/2 cups of balsamic vinegar and 1 T brown sugar at medium-high temperature for about 15 minutes, or until thickened to the consistency of syrup. Cool and serve over Panna Cotta with fresh berries marinated in Cointreau.

Short Ribs in Sauce Pizzaiola

3-4 lbs beef short ribs
flour and seasoning for coating
4 T olive oil

Make Pizzaiola Sauce:
2 small cans Italian tomato paste
½ cup
1 T. packaged veal/beef demi-glace (I use “More Than Gourmet” from Central Market)
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 cups red wine

Saute garlic in olive oil. Add tomato paste, water, demi-glace. Cook and whisk until combined well. Add herbs and red wine. Allow to cool.

Coat ribs in flour and seasoning. Brown in large skillet with olive oil. Transfer to Dutch oven and cover with Pizzaiola Sauce. Cover and cook at 375 degrees for at least 4 hours or until meat begins to fall off bone. Drain off any oil from sauce. Serve over pasta and cooked fresh spinach. Top with freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.