There's a fairly new southern restaurant in Inman Square. I went with Kel and Reba right after it opened about 6 months ago and I had the gumbo. I LOVED it, and I've been wanting to go back ever since. Luckily, my most recent Food & Wine magazine featured Tupelo and included their gumbo recipe. Now we can all make it and save our money for dinner out somewhere else.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
6 oz andouille sausage, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 TB jerk seasoning
1 TB dried thyme
1 TB paprika
3/4 lb fresh okra, thinly sliced
Handful of cooked, shredded chicken (good use of leftovers from a roast chicken!)
Salt and pepper
Steamed rice (1 cup dry makes the right amount)
1. In a large dutch oven or cast iron casserole, whisk the flour and oil until smooth and until it forms a paste. Cook over moderatly low heat until deep brown (this will take close to an hour).
2. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook over moderately low heat until soft - about 20 minutes.
3. Gradually add the stock and whisk until smooth. Add the sausage, bay leaves, jerk seasoning, thyme and paprika and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the okra and simmer in the soup until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken meat and season the gumbo with salt and pepper.
5. Serve in a bowl over a scoop of rice.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Shrimp & Cheese Stuffed Poblanos with Rice
Chiles Rellenos is probably my favorite Mexican meal. This is a great version and it's fast and easy to make.
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced
1 TB tomato paste
3 poblano peppers
1/2 lb shrimp
handful of mushrooms sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TB flour
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded queso blanco or Monterrey Jack
2 TB chopped cilantro
1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and stir well. Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low.
2. Turn your broiler on high and place the poblanos into the oven. Keep an eye on them and turn as they begin to char. Cook until all sides are bubbly. When done, remove the poblanos and place them in a sealed ziplock bag for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove the poblanos from the bag and deskin them. Carefully cut the tops off and remove the seeds.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan to coat and then add the shrimp and mushrooms and cook until shrimp is done - about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside
5. Add the garlic and the red pepper to the pan and saute for about a minute. Add the flour and stir until it forms a paste with the oil.
6. Add the milk and stir for about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. This should form a thick sauce. Add more cheese if you need to thicken it. When the cheese is melted, add the shrimp and cilantro and salt and pepper.
7. Scoop the cheese and shrimp mixture and fill each of the poblanos. Place on a lined cookie sheet and put back in the oven for about 2 minutes under the broiler.
8. Serve with rice.
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced
1 TB tomato paste
3 poblano peppers
1/2 lb shrimp
handful of mushrooms sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TB flour
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded queso blanco or Monterrey Jack
2 TB chopped cilantro
1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and stir well. Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low.
2. Turn your broiler on high and place the poblanos into the oven. Keep an eye on them and turn as they begin to char. Cook until all sides are bubbly. When done, remove the poblanos and place them in a sealed ziplock bag for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove the poblanos from the bag and deskin them. Carefully cut the tops off and remove the seeds.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan to coat and then add the shrimp and mushrooms and cook until shrimp is done - about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside
5. Add the garlic and the red pepper to the pan and saute for about a minute. Add the flour and stir until it forms a paste with the oil.
6. Add the milk and stir for about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. This should form a thick sauce. Add more cheese if you need to thicken it. When the cheese is melted, add the shrimp and cilantro and salt and pepper.
7. Scoop the cheese and shrimp mixture and fill each of the poblanos. Place on a lined cookie sheet and put back in the oven for about 2 minutes under the broiler.
8. Serve with rice.
Bibimbap
When I lived in Senegal, the most common rice dish was cooked so that the rice crisped and hardened at the bottom of the pot. Those chewy bits were the best and you were given a little as an added bonus, especially if you're a guest at someone's house. Well, Bibimbap isn't a West African dish, it's Korean. But it known for its brown, chewy, crispy cooked rice that forms a layer on the bottom of the pan. I love it. When you order it in a Korean restaurant, it's served in a red hot pot at the table. Need an excuse to eat veggies? You can substitute almost any veggies - bean sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. Here it is...
Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 lb thinly sliced pork tenderloin or beef - sliced as thinly as possible (note, this is a great use of leftover roast pork or beef that's been in the freezer - half frozen meat is a LOT easier to thinly slice)
2 green onions, chopped into thirds and thinly sliced, vertically
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 carrot sliced into matchsticks
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped/shredded
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups cooked sushi rice (substitute jasmine rice if needed)
1. Mix 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 tbsp garlic, the ginger, and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the meat and mix well. Marinate for about 1/2 hour (or while you're preparing everything else).
2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and green onions. Add salt and pepper, mix and set aside.
3. Heat a large cast iron pan on medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and when hot, add all of the rice and press down firmly with a spatula. Turn heat to medium and let cook for 15 minutes, until it gets brown and crispy on the bottom.
4. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add the carrots and cook until slightly softened. Remove from pan and set aside, covered to stay warm.
5. In same pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp garlic, and the kale. Saute until just soft. Remove from pan and set aside with the carrots.
6. In same pan, add the meat and meat and cook until heated through. Remove from pan and set aside with the carrots.
7. Finally, in same pan, fry the two eggs, keeping the yolks runny.
8. While the eggs cook, spoon the rice into bowls. Add some carrots, kale, green onions, and meat. Put the fried eggs on top.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken Wings
Paddy & I recently had over our good friends Reba & Andy for dinner. They love Asian cuisine and Andy makes fried dumplings that are out of this world! I need to get that recipe... Anyway, I went a little overboard with the food and made a ridiculous spread of Asian delights. I tried this recipe for sweet and spicy chicken and it was delicious. You can use either small drumsticks or chicken wings and this dish makes a great appetizer or part of a dinner buffet. Also good with full sized drumsticks.
2 cups orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup sugar
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 dozen small chicken wings or drumsticks
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro
1. Place the first 11 ingredients (through the red pepper) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring down to medium and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup (about 20 minutes).
2. Take the marinade off the heat and let cool almost completely.
3. Put the chicken in a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle with salt and pour all but about 1/4 cup of the cooled marinade into the bag with the chicken. Let the chicken marinate at least an hour but no more than a day. Put the unused marinade aside or in the fridge if you're not going to use it for more than an hour or so...you'll need it later.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Pull the chicken out of the bag with tongs and place the wings on the baking sheet. Discard the rest of the marinade from the bag.
5. Bake about 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is done. When done, remove from oven and drizzle the chicken lightly with the marinade that you had set aside earlier (not the marinade that was in the bag with the chicken!).
6. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped cilantro and sesame seeds if you have them.
2 cups orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup sugar
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 dozen small chicken wings or drumsticks
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro
1. Place the first 11 ingredients (through the red pepper) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring down to medium and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup (about 20 minutes).
2. Take the marinade off the heat and let cool almost completely.
3. Put the chicken in a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle with salt and pour all but about 1/4 cup of the cooled marinade into the bag with the chicken. Let the chicken marinate at least an hour but no more than a day. Put the unused marinade aside or in the fridge if you're not going to use it for more than an hour or so...you'll need it later.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Pull the chicken out of the bag with tongs and place the wings on the baking sheet. Discard the rest of the marinade from the bag.
5. Bake about 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is done. When done, remove from oven and drizzle the chicken lightly with the marinade that you had set aside earlier (not the marinade that was in the bag with the chicken!).
6. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped cilantro and sesame seeds if you have them.
Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake
I love the holidays, mostly because everything sweet is made with pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin spices...just opening the jar of nutmeg conjures elaborate images of pumpkin custard pies, turkeys, potatoes. My mom passed along this recipe for pumpkin cake and I make it at least 5-6 times a year - for myself, my colleagues, as Christmas gifts, thank you's, you name it. Everyone loves it and it's one of my favorites.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 can pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (sift to avoid lumps).
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the water until the batter is well mixed.
5. Pour into a lightly buttered loaf pan and bake about an hour or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 can pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (sift to avoid lumps).
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the water until the batter is well mixed.
5. Pour into a lightly buttered loaf pan and bake about an hour or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Cornmeal Crusted Catfish with Bacon & Cheddar Grits
As you may have noticed, I'm slowly working my way into southern cuisine. I used to be afraid of it...the okra, the tons of butter, the grits (what are those?). But I've developed a few favorites. I'd never actually bought or cooked catfish until a couple of weeks ago. It's very cheap and tasty and great with this rich side. My cousin and his girlfriend were visiting a few weeks ago and we went to a new restaurant. They had a catfish and grits special and it was great...here it is with a little bit of my own flare...
2-3 strips of bacon
1 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt (if you have it)
1/4 cup panko (if you have it)
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium catfish fillets
4 tbsp butter
2 1/3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup old fashion grits (not quick-cooking)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. In a large pan, fry the bacon on medium high heat until crispy.
2. While bacon is cooking, beat the eggs in a bowl and pour the cornmeal and panko onto a large plate.
3. One at a time, dip the fillets into the egg and then dredge in the cornmeal/panko mixture until well coated. Set the fillets aside.
4. Put the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
5. Add the grits to the broth and reduce heat to low. Add salt and cover. Stir occasionally.
6. When bacon is done, pull out of the pan and lay on a paper towel until cool.
7. Take a paper towel and soak up about 1/2 of the bacon fat in the pan - leave enough so that a thick layer remains.
8. Add a little olive oil if you need to.
9. Add the catfish to the pan. While the fish is frying, chop the bacon into small bits and add to the grits.
10. Fry the fishuntil browned on both sides and then remove from heat.
11. When grits have absorbed all of the broth and are creamy, add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
*Serve the fish over the grits. Great with a side of steamed broccoli!!
2-3 strips of bacon
1 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt (if you have it)
1/4 cup panko (if you have it)
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium catfish fillets
4 tbsp butter
2 1/3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup old fashion grits (not quick-cooking)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. In a large pan, fry the bacon on medium high heat until crispy.
2. While bacon is cooking, beat the eggs in a bowl and pour the cornmeal and panko onto a large plate.
3. One at a time, dip the fillets into the egg and then dredge in the cornmeal/panko mixture until well coated. Set the fillets aside.
4. Put the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
5. Add the grits to the broth and reduce heat to low. Add salt and cover. Stir occasionally.
6. When bacon is done, pull out of the pan and lay on a paper towel until cool.
7. Take a paper towel and soak up about 1/2 of the bacon fat in the pan - leave enough so that a thick layer remains.
8. Add a little olive oil if you need to.
9. Add the catfish to the pan. While the fish is frying, chop the bacon into small bits and add to the grits.
10. Fry the fishuntil browned on both sides and then remove from heat.
11. When grits have absorbed all of the broth and are creamy, add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
*Serve the fish over the grits. Great with a side of steamed broccoli!!
Seafood & Butternut Squash Risotto
The leaves are changing and I wanna eat butternut squash. Shrimp and scallops make it so much better, especially with creamy risotto. Risotto really doesn't take that much effort to cook...this is restaurant quality in your own kitchen!
1 cup Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sage
6 sea scallops, cut in half or quarters
4-5 medium sized shrimp, tails off and cut in half
1 handful of mushrooms, chopped into chunks
1/2 butternut squash in 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
1. Pour the broth into a saucepan and heat at medium high.
2. In a different medium sized saucepan, saute the onion in a little olive oil. Add garlic once the onion starts to get soft. Add the sage and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms get softer.
3. Add the rice to the onions and mushroom mixture and stir until it turns a light brown.
4. Add the wine to the rice and simmer until reduced by half.
5. Using a ladle, add about 1/2 cup of the hot broth to the rice and stir. Simmer and still frequently until the broth is almost absorbed. Then add another ladle of broth and repeat the process until all of the broth has been used and the rice starts to soften.
*Be careful not to let too much liquid evaporate in between the addition of broth...it'll make the rice sticky and pastey instead of creamy.
6. When you're down to about 2 ladles of broth left, add the squash. The squash should soften up by the time the risotto is done.
7. When about half of the final ladle of broth has been absorbed, add the scallops and shrimp. Stir gently until the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1 cup Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sage
6 sea scallops, cut in half or quarters
4-5 medium sized shrimp, tails off and cut in half
1 handful of mushrooms, chopped into chunks
1/2 butternut squash in 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
1. Pour the broth into a saucepan and heat at medium high.
2. In a different medium sized saucepan, saute the onion in a little olive oil. Add garlic once the onion starts to get soft. Add the sage and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms get softer.
3. Add the rice to the onions and mushroom mixture and stir until it turns a light brown.
4. Add the wine to the rice and simmer until reduced by half.
5. Using a ladle, add about 1/2 cup of the hot broth to the rice and stir. Simmer and still frequently until the broth is almost absorbed. Then add another ladle of broth and repeat the process until all of the broth has been used and the rice starts to soften.
*Be careful not to let too much liquid evaporate in between the addition of broth...it'll make the rice sticky and pastey instead of creamy.
6. When you're down to about 2 ladles of broth left, add the squash. The squash should soften up by the time the risotto is done.
7. When about half of the final ladle of broth has been absorbed, add the scallops and shrimp. Stir gently until the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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