Rantings of a Creole Princess

Jerk Shrimp Pasta

The other day I whipped up something for VeggieBee to eat since she only eats fish and shrimp using these ingredients:

Jerk Seasoning

Shrimp

Olive oil

Bruschetta

fresh spinach

olive oil

I put some jerk seasoning on the shrimp and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  I got the spinach pasta ready then I drained the seasoning off the shrimp, mixed it with the pasta and the bruschetta with a bit of olive oil.  The final thing I did was toss in a large handful of fresh spinach and folded it in until it was just a tad bit wilted but still good and green.

Yall...it was sooooooo delicious.  I made it for VeggieBee but everybody else had a scoop or two and raved about it.

Yall should try it.

 

Smothered Pork Chops

  

 

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6 - 8 centercut pork chops

8 cups of chicken broth

1 onion

1 bell pepper

flour

cayenne pepper

garlic powder

black pepper

seasoned salt

olive oil

green onions

 

 

In a large skillet, heat oil (enough to cover bottom).  In large bag or container, place pork chops in and season with spices.  Shake to coat well.  Then put some flour in and shake really well to coat both sides.

Place chops (3 - 4 at a time) in skillet.  Brown on one side until you see blood seeping through top.  Turn over and brown other side.  Remove and place in a dish.  Do the rest of the pork chops until done.  All pork chops should be in dish.  Saute onion and bell pepper, using a wooden spatula making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom.  "Scrape crust."  Do this until onion is translucent. 

In a nice sized skillet or pot, place chops in and pour sauted onion mix in.  Add broth and bring to boil.  Simmer on low/medium for about 2 hours or until meat falls off bone.  Stir often to make sure nothing is sticking.  If you've coated the chops well with flour....the gravy will be perfect. 

Slice green onions and drop handful in pot.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve over rice.  We like brown rice.

Kale Chips

My absolute fave kinda chips!

Toss some kale with a tablespoon of olive oil and sea salt. Place on top of parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until the edges are brown. 

Will totally satisfy the craving for something crunchy and salty. I promise!

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Recipes for Oysters

Yall have any super awesome recipes for oysters?????

This one looks like it's going to taste deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicous!  Drago’s Style Charbroiled Oysters Recipe

JCS Boston Jerk Seasoning

I HATE my friends!  They are always introducing me to some ish I can't go out and buy and have to order and wait before it comes in.  Butta makes the best jerk chicken wings in this entire world and she can't make them for me today because she's out of the sauce.  I EHAT  (yes...I said EHAT) her because I had to order 4 bottles and now I gotta wait until they come in before I can get my wings.

J C S Boston Jerk Seasoning by JCS

AND!  On top of that...they have to marinade overnight.

o_0

I swear Imma get me some new friends soon as I'm able.

Yall ever make jerk wings?  Have you ever tried this seasoning?  OHMGEE!  IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOO BOSS!

My FAVORITE Small Kitchen Appliance!

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

I've had several version of this countertop grill over the years and this one is, by far, the smartest.  I love that you can take the grill plates off and wash them and you can flip them over to be used as a griddle.  The thingy that catches the oil which runs off the meat is under it and is a neat and clean way to capture the grease. 

It's so easy to make quick and healthy meals with this whiz and it makes me happy.  GO ME!

Do YOU have a countertop grill?  Which one?

What would YOU do?

You're having a dinner party.

One of your guests has Celiac disease.

What do you serve?

Southern Comfort Cake

***NOTE:  I have modified this recipe slightly since the last time I posted it.

18-1/2 oz. yellow cake mix
3-1/4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup Southern Comfort
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I prefer walnuts.)

Glaze:
4 T. Butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Southern Comfort

Combine cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or 12-cup bundt pan. Bake at 325ºF for 1 hour. Cool on rack. Invert on serving plate; prick top repeatedly with toothpick and brush with glaze coating well.

IF YOU WANT TO....after cake has cooled, reheat any left over glaze and brush over cake. Sift 1 t. of powdered sugar over cake just before serving (OPTIONAL).

To make glaze, melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Southern Comfort.

I send these to Robby's office in Plain Cake Boxes which I buy from Michael's (Remember...never, ever, EVER go to Michael's without visiting their website first for a coupon.  They usually have one of those FABULOUS 40% off coupons!).  I also buy the 10 inch cake rounds to put the cake on before putting it in the box.  I think I get 10 in a pack for like $4.  I also print recipe cards with the recipe printed on them for him to put next to the cake in the event anyone wants to make it at home.  It's usually a MAJOR hit! 

Thanksgiving Planning Worksheet

 

I always like to have the majority of my Thanksgiving shopping done early and I consider myself pretty organized in how I get it done.

I made a sample spreadsheet for yall to use.  Mine is set up so that the only thing that prints is the "grocery shopping list."  The other stuff gets filled in while I plan around my dinner time and dishes.

It should be pretty basic so you can add your own items, etc. to it.

Hope it helps!  Download SAMPLE - Thanksgiving Planning

Thanksgiving Sides

What are YOUR favorite Thanksgiving sides?

 

2011 Thanksgiving Menu!

We prolly need to eat straight veggie until Turkey Day cuz seriously...it's about to go DOWN-T!

Turkey

Gumbo

Creole Cornbread Dressing

Stuffed Peppers

Green Bean Casserole

Dirty Rice

Kale

Roasted asparagus, portobella mushrooms and red onions

Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese

Cranberry Sauce

Southern Comfort Cake

Sweet Potato Pie

If yall are going to try and make ANY of these for the first time...ya better ask your questions now cuz ain't nobody gonna have time to answer questions closer up.

Oh...and yall all know my standard answer as to what to substitute for shrimp is GUMMY WORMS.

Cuz really?  That ish cray...

Oh...and yall know if you ain't got anywhere to be or where you WANT to be for Turkey Day...yall are welcome at our table.  Just let me know so I may plan accordingly.  Our table is always filled with some amazingly fun people and we have a BLAST!  LOL!

Yall getting ready?  What's going to be on YOUR menu this year??????

Smoked Turkey Wings

I pulled two out of the freezer and I'm going to do something with them for dinner but I don't know what.  What would YOU do with two smoked turkey wings?

Making it stretch...

We're having a guest for dinner tonight and I forgot so I'd only pulled out one pound of ground turkey and only had one jar of this fancy portobella mushroom and roma tomato pasta sauce that I enjoy.

And I needed to have enough for Robby and I for lunch tomorrow.

I swished some water around in the jar the pasta sauce came in and added it to the pot.  Then I started doctoring it up using, mainly, tomato paste in the tube.

And it worked out perfectly fine.

Then...I remembered that I learned how to do that from my mommy.  Just simply by watching her make do with what she had to feed her family when my father was showing his azz.

And I got sad.

And I started missing the hell outta her.

And being so very grateful and thankful that she taught me all that she taught me even when she wasn't "teaching."

I'm missing my mommy so much that her memory hurts.  Sometimes...it just hits me.  Sometimes I can't do anything but give in to the pain.

*sigh*

How did YOU learn how to "make it stretch?"  Did you? 

AWESOME!

Creative Cooking...Easy Baked Egg Rolls

Gumbo Crabs!

DC Metro is cool because you can get crabs pretty much throughout the year.  HOWEVER...crabs are the kinda thing you only think about eating when you can sit outside and eat them, apparently, so it's difficult to find them when it's cold out.

And it's already cold.

UGH.

One thing I'm not that crazy about is not being able to find Blue Crabs frozen throughout the year as you can in Louisiana.  It's just not possible in my "hood."  Because of this, I've learned to stay prepared.

The place near me where you can get crabs steamed is closing up shop on November 1, so I had to get some with the quickness before I forgot and missed out.  I figure I'll do two more big pots of gumbo before it's no longer "gumbo season" in my head, so I bought a dozen steamed crabs tonight.

I've since cleaned them and broken them in half and they are sitting on a cookie sheet drying.  Then...I'm going to double bag freeze them, half a dozen per bag. 

Oh...and I always ask for extra claws.

This way...I always have crabs for gumbo even if they aren't frozen and raw.  I just learned to put them in last so they don't overcook. 

If you're in the DC Metro area...check to make sure you can still get crabs in your area come the holidays.  If not...you'd better get to getting!  Hell...I've learned how to make this East Coast living WORK! 

GO.ME!

Monica Mingo's Creole Jumbo Gumbo - UPDATED!

**NOTE!  PUT THE GREEN ONIONS IN THE POT AT THE END WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE HEAT AND LET SIT FOR 30 MINUTES!!!!!**  THE DOWNLOAD LINK HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 12:18 PM, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011. 

Aiight people!  Yall have been asking for a more intense gumbo recipe than the lightweight one I created for yall before:  Super Simple Super Bowl Gumbo

The last time I made gumbo...I changed my family recipe up enough so I could make it work into something I was comfortable with sharing for those of you who want to try your hand at something a bit more intense.

(Mainly because I couldn't find some key ingredients that I needed for my family recipe.)

Here it is.  Use it wisely.  Don't make me cut yall. 

Download Monica_Mingo's_Creole_Jumbo_Gumbo

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Dinner Tonight!

Basil, Shrimp & Zucchini Pasta

What are YOU having for dinner tonight?

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Lentils

 

 

OH.

M.

GEE!

This looks sooooooooooo good!  Roasted Fall Vegetables with Lentils

Homemade Croutons

Do you ever make your own croutons?

"The secret to crispy croutons is tearing the bread - the nooks and crannies absorb more olive oil than evenly sliced pieces!"

Tear up bread, drizzle with olive oil and season. 

Put in oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.

CROUTONS!  And MUCH healthier than the pre-made ones you buy because I'm certain you will use better quality ingredients!  GO YOU!!!!!!!!!

Robinator Roux Maker

It is finally gumbo weather folks so we are doing it up big time at 13700! Whatchall eating for dinner today?

SIP: When you're cooking a big meal...do you eat your normal meals too? Or do you find yourself waiting for the big meal like Monnie's crazy azz?

Remember...I developed a super simple gumbo recipe that anyone can follow even if you're not a big cook!  Vid-yo below!

Honey Do List!

*PUT IN OVEN ON TOP OF COOKIE SHEET FOR 1 HOUR!!  LOVE, MONNIE*

I'll be gone all day tomorrow and we usually have really big Sunday dinners, as yall know.

Tonight...I took the time to prep a pan of Spinach Lasagna for The Robinator to put in the oven tomorrow.  He should probably put it in the oven at 5:30pm for 6:30pm dinner right?

I bet he puts it in around 11:30am for 12:30pm lunch.

Whatchall wanna bet?

Does YOUR S/O follow directions well when it comes to food you've already prepped to cook? 

Shrimp Rolls and Corn on the Cob!

I read this article this evening and decided I needed some of this in my life. "8 & $20 Recipe: Shrimp Rolls, Corn on the Cob and a Zingy Greek White"

So I make a list and head out to get the ingredients necessary to make.

The Rover wouldn't start.

Let me repeat that.

The Rover wouldn't start.

*sigh*

It was after 5:00pm so it was too late to do anything and The Robinator is out of town and his truck?

At the airport.

*sigh*

I was annoyed.

I called a neighbor.

Me:  Mandy...I need to go to the store.

Mandy:  Okay...give me 10 minutes.

She took me to the store and I got what I needed and then we hit the wine store and I was disappointed to find they didn't have the Greek white the article suggested I pair with it.

I was annoyed but found something else.

Then I came home and cooked it.

I, of course, added far more cayenne pepper than they suggested and, instead of salt, I used Tony Chacherie.  They were out of brioche buns so I used whole grain hamburger buns.

Yall...this was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!  I enjoyed every bite of it!  You should try it soon! 

Oh...I didn't let the shrimp cool TOO much.  Why?  Because I started eating them and they were soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!  LOL!

Yall gotta try this!

Mmmmmmmmm...

This looks good huh?  Grilled Fish Sandwich

Veggie Lent - Mixed Mushroom Stroganoff

In our effort to extend the "till death do us part" part of our wedding vows...The Robinator and I decided to cut waaaaaaaay back on our consumption of meat.  To kick off this plan we decided to use Lent as a precursor for the rest of our left together.

It's not going well yall.

Eating meat is a part of who I'm IZ.

Seriously.

I've been struggling even though I haven't cut out seafood.  Robby on the other hand?  Dude is embracing it and is EXCITED about the possibilities.

SIP:  I want a gotdamn steak.

Now keep in mind that, as far as food consumption goes, we're ri-damn-diculously healthy you know?  I do everything pretty right for us.  We don't eat crap and I buy organic FIRST.  Our numbers are off the charts when we go take our physicals and our doctor is really, really, REALLY happy with us.

But we wanted to do better.

Lemme tell you something.  I love food.  Like...I love good, tasty food.  It brings me happy, happy, joy, joy.  Coupled with the fact that I'm VAIN.AS.HELL, however, and you won't be surprised that I don't eat junk crap.  In fact...I CAN'T any longer.  When I eat something crazy...oh I pay.

Dearly.

My palate is sexy.  I love gorgeous foods which aren't fattening and most of those dishes include...

MEAT.

*sigh*

But my husband wants to keep on so I'm going to keep it up.

Even if it KILLS ME!

Which it might.

Tonight we had the following dish:  Mixed Mushroom Stroganoff

It was the first time I've ever purchased tofu for OUR consumption and not for the consumption of Rach or a guest at 13700.  We were skeptical to say the least.

Honestly though?  It wasn't bad.  Once I dumped a heap load of crushed red pepper and T-Sat on it mind you.  It was okay.  In fact...I'll have it for lunch tomorrow because we have a crap load left over.  Robby gave it 2 out of 4 stars with smothered pork chops being 4 stars so that's not really all that bad if you think about it cuz baaaaaaaaby...my smothered pork chops are OFF.THE.CHAIN!

Mmmmmmmmmm...smothered pork chops.  I might make that for Easter dinner.  *sigh*

I got meat on the brain BIG.TIME.

What did YOU have for dinner?

Quick Healthy Meal

 

Sorry for the sucky pic but I took it with my phone in a hurry.

This meal was quick and DEEEEEEEEEEEElicious!

• Salmon
• Lemon
• Cauliflower
• Tomato
• Basil
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Oil two baking sheets.

One one...place the salmon.  Drizzle with oil and lemon juice.

On the other one...break up enough cauliflower and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Put in oven for 15 minutes.

While cooking...dice up one tomato and one tablespoon of capers per two salmon fillets.

Season with basil, salt and pepper.

Serve salmon with tomato salsa on top.

The roasted cauliflower was so good I'm mad I didn't make more.  Ugh!

What did YOU have for dinner?

 

Purple Mustard Greens

I was in the grocery store recently and saw a green I was TOTALLY unfamiliar with. There wasn't a sign so I found a produce employee and asked what it was.

The answer?

Purple mustard greens.

MUST.TRY.NOW.

I'm past the stage in my life where I cook the life outta greens along with their nutritional benefits and add crap.  Now...I lightly saute them in olive oil.  With the purple mustard greens I sauteed fresh garlic in olive oil, added the greens and splashed them with the pinot noir we were drinking.  Then...I seasoned to taste with a bit of fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY!  DE-LI-CIOUS!

I can't even begin to describe how good they tasted.  They had this little tang that was actually kinda horse-radish-er-ey.  Weird huh?  But yeah...delicious.

Have YOU ever had purple mustard greens?  How do YOU cook your greens? 

Holiday Bark Recipe!

It's easier to do one bark at a time.  Why?  Cuz the chocolate hardens pretty quick.

• 8 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, broken up in small pieces (I chop it up in the processor.)
• 8 ounces very good bittersweet chocolate, broken  up in small pieces
• 1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• Parchment paper

Pull out a piece of parchment paper and, using a pencil, take a 9" x 10" rectangle dish and trace the outline onto the paper.  Turn it over on a flat surface.

Boil some water in a pot that you can sit a good glass bowl "on top of but inside too."  (I know that's confusing but it's like...the bowl isn't sitting completely IN the pot.) 

In the bowl...put the chocolate and start stirring until melted.

Once melted...spread on the parchment paper staying within the lines.  Place the cashews, apricots and cranberries all over it evenly. 

Let it harden for about 2 hours and then break up into pieces and put in a decorative bag with a cute label.  If you want to use white chocolate too...just use a full pound block of white chocolate.  In each of the bags I make I put in an assortment.  Be creative and use whatever you think will go well together.  Walnuts, almonds, other dried fruit, etc.  One year I was REALLY behind schedule and simply bought a jumbo bag of trail mix with dried fruit and nuts and used that.  LOL!  Just make sure it "looks" good and you're good!  (Don't use the mix with some kinda fake M&M.  That wouldn't be a good mix nor would it look good.  I also wouldn't use a mix with peanuts.  Why?  BLECH!)

This is such a quick and easy gift to make and it doesn't cost a lot.  GO YOU! 

 

Turkey Math

Do YOU know what's going on here?

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: Super Food

Yesterday I put a whole chicken in a steamer basket of a pot with two carrots, two celery stalks, a whole onion and a whole bunch of garlic.  All the veggies were cut up coarse and thick.

I brought it to a boil and then let it cook down slow for 2 hours.

Then I removed the steamer basket and poured the broth through a strainer.

And I added that back to the pot.

In the pot I put three cut up carrots, three cut up stalks of celery, a handful of pasta noodles, garlic and mushrooms.

I seasoned it to taste.

Then I stripped the chicken off the bones leaving the skin behind.

And I added that to the pot.

Just like my mommy would do.

Then I fed Robby because the poor, sweet, gentle dear is sick and he ate it with a loving smile and no complaints.  He felt instantly better and all warm and cozy inside then he quietly dozed off to sleep with a soft doughy smile on his cherub cheeks.

Ahhhhhhhh...life.

Turkey!!!!!

Turkey Brine

I use the Citrus and Herb turkey brine from Williams & Sonoma.

Judge me cuz I DON'T care.

The first time I was going to brine a turkey I enlisted the help of Martha.  I had a grocery list full of all types of herbs and stopped at Williams & Sonoma first and found their Citrus and Herb which included MOST of the ingredients that was on my damn list.  It only cost like $17 so DING, DING, DING!  This was for me ba=by!

For some odd reason the Citrus & Herb brine isn't on the website but I bought mine in the store so I'm good.  The only one they have online is the apple one.  I don't like apples with meat.  I don't know why. 

But I don't.

What brine do YOU use?  Do you brine?  If you don't...why?  Have you ever tried?

Lentils

I have a SERIOUS love for lentils because of how easy and quick they are to cook.  Because of their size you don't have to soak them overnight so they won't be dry and baaaaaaaaaaby...they taste delicious!

For a small pot the recipe is so easy I'm not even going to break it down really.  Basically you saute your trinity and add 1.5 cups of broth/stock per cup of lentils and season 'em up well.  I add some kind of smoked meat to it but I cut the smoked meat up into bite size chunks first.  They cook down in about twenty minutes.  Serve over rice and baaaaaaby...tastes like you've been slow cooking beans all day long.

Do YOU cook lentils?  If not...why not?

It's all in the prep work!

When you have something going on and a major cooking endeavor in front of you...your absolute best friend are ziploc bags.

Prep work is the messiest part of cooking ya see.  There's always scraps of something all over the place and it's really easy to lose sight of just how big the mess is.  So yeah...taking some time the day before to cut up everything you're going to need and measure the amounts into ziploc bags.  Put those puppies in the fridge and VOILA!  Less mess the next day when you're getting your cooking on!

I have a lot to do today because I apparently really hate myself for always doing everything in a manner by which I always have a hectic azz pace but thank goodness the prep work is done for my REAL gumbo and the kitchen is clean.  Gumbo cooking is going to be a breeze for me.

Do YOU do prep work the day before?

Baked Chicken Recipe?

I don't know that I actually have one to be honest.  Just dry off the chicken parts after rinsing, coat with olive oil and season to taste.  Start off cooking it at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes with some aluminum foil over it and then lower the temp to 350 for 25 more minutes or so with the foil off.

Wait...I guess that's a recipe huh?

Okay...there ya have it inboxer.  CHEERS!

SIP:  What about the gravy?

Me:  They didn't ask about gravy so huRsh!

How do you make YOUR baked chicken?

Dinner Tonight!

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Avocado

What are YOU having?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

Have you ever made a recipe from Oprah's magazine?  How'd it turn out? 

Chipotle and Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

Okay...this right here?  DEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!  That is all!  Chipotle and Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

Oh...and it was SUPER easy and quick!

Strawberries and Cherries Sangria!

I posted the recipe to Strawberries and Cherries Sangria after I found it looking for a FABULOUSLY fun drink to make for Saturday night.  Being a child of brain deadness I didn't read the recipe through...I simply saw the words strawberries, cherries and sangria and, coupled with the DELIGHTFUL photo thought...WOW!  THAT'S AWESOME!!!!!  Imma make it!

So I made my list of ingredients and off to the likka store, THE DAY OF THE PARTY, I went to get my one, two.

Here is the list:

3 2-inch cinnamon sticks

1 cup orange juice

2 full bottles of good-quality red wine

3/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1/4 cup Cointreau

1/4 cup agave nectar

Lots of strawberries and cherries (trimmed and pitted, of course)

Quick Lamb Chops

1.   Cut up the lamb chops.

2.  "Paint" the lamb chops with olive oil (I put garlic in mine).

3.  Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt.

4.  Place on griddle on "high" for 3 minutes on each side.

5.  Voila!  Non-traditional 4th of July meal.  Dirty rice, roasted veggies and lamb chops.  GO US!

What did YOU eat today?  (By the way...yes we have grilled chicken and corn, etc.  I just wanted this and hey...I do what I want.)

How to Cook a Simple Brisket

Ingredients:

Brisket

Rub

Smoked Wood Chips

I made a brisket the other day that reminded me that I am a damn good cook.  Like...it's not that I was doubting my abilities mind you...but our weekly meals are simple, clean foods so when I'm in a cooking mood I REALLY want to do it up big time.

Brisket is the hardest thing to cook I was once told because it's very easy to mess up.  If it's done right you'll know immediately and if it's done wrong...well...it will chew like a leather belt.

My Mommy's Red Velvet Cake

When I was growing up you got whatever kind of cake you wanted for your birthday.  These cakes weren't store bought, of course, they were home made by my mommy.  My cake?  Red Velvet.

Yup...once a year my mommy made me a Red Velvet cake and as I got older...she let me help her make them.  I totally enjoyed baking with her and don't really bake much because I don't really eat cake all that much so it doesn't really make any sense for me to bake unless it's holiday time and we were going to have lots of people in and out.

On Sunday I thought about baking with my mommy and thought about baking one but didn't follow through.  Since then I've had two or three people say something about one so I figure...hey...I'll make one.  

(It should be noted I've NEVER baked one for Robby and he's giving me the boot lip currently.  LOL!)

So yeah...my mommy's recipe is as follows:

Dinner Tonight!

Mediterranean Stuffed Swordfish

What are YOU having?

Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds and Green Beans

This recipe has made the regular rotation at 13700 because it was sooooooooo good! 

Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds and Green Beans!

Super Simple Super Bowl Gumbo!

I'm on the phone with Shelly and we are trying to figure out how to work a gumbo with just chicken and sausage.

See...we don't make just chicken and sausage gumbo.  We don't make just seafood gumbo.  Playa...we puts alllllllllllllllllllllll of that in there plus some mo!

Gumbo to us is an ALL.DAY.AFFAIR!  Hell...if you wanna get REAL about it...the cooks in my family make it the day before so it's super marinated by the next day!  My gumbo recipe is a family recipe and I don't give it to ANYONE!  When people taste my REAL gumbo recipe they look at me like I've sprouted wings and a halo.  Sure...I've developed an easier, tasty version to give to folks...but yeah...the real deal is not passed around.

What's in YOUR gumbo?  Do you make gumbo?  Have you ever tried my super simple gumbo recipe that Robby and I developed? Super Simple Gumbo

An oldy but goody! LOL!

Aunt Nettie's Clam Chowder Recipe Review

So...I had everything except for clam juice, clams and parsnips. 

I ran out to get them and made the soup.  I had concerns, of course, but I plowed through it.  The recipe was VERY labor intensive and required lots of cutting and chopping which I usually enjoy but I got a late start so I was annoyed.

But I continued.

My main concern was the amount of parsnips.  To me parsnips are too sweet for that kinda soup and they were going to be a part of the base for the soup.  I don't cook with salt initially so yeah...I was expecting it to be sweet by the first taste was SO horrid that I knew I needed to make some DRASTIC changes before it would be good to our pallets.

So I took another taste (this was BEFORE the clam addition) and I decided I needed more heat.  AND...I decided I needed some chicken broth as the veggie broth just wasn't hitting it for me.  So I added some broth and tasted it. 

BLAH.

Dude...it's time for drastic measures.

So...I whipped out the T-Sat and some chicken bouillon cubes and kept adding and tasting and adding and tasting until I felt better about the whole expensive azz fiasco meal.

I added the clams and let them cook removing the shells after they opened.  Yeah. 

Didn't help.

So I added some Rotel 'maters with chili peppers, jalapeno pepper flakes and HORROR OF HORROR...salt.

*sigh*

All in all the dinner was bearable but only because I tap danced over the pot all hands on and whatnot for like an hour and some change.

Oprah owes me forty bucks.  I KNEW I shouldn't have trusted a recipe in her magazine but I did and I tried and now I know to never do so again.

Humph.

COLOR.ME.PISSED!

Review as is?  D-

Review with Monnie-Modifications? C-

Cost per pot?  About $40

Family likability?  F  (NOBODY ate all their food and yes I'm PISSED!)

Aunt Nettie's Clam Chowder

I saw this recipe in Oprah's magazine back in November and marked it to remember.  I've decided we're going to have it for dinner tonight.  Monnie-Modified of course.  Aunt Nettie's Clam Chowder

What are YOU having for dinner tonight?

Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Last week one of my Twitterati made Potato Leek soup and I thought...wow...it's been a minute since I made some too. 

But I'm old and that was a fleeting thought as it was quickly replaced by something else cuz again...I'm old and wishy washy in my old age seemingly because...I DO WHAT I WANT!

Then...Erica B. told me she was making some the other day and I was like...Imma make some too.  I asked her if she put bacon in hers and her Queen Elizabeth behind shared..."Um...no...I used pancetta." 

Fancy azz.

ROFL!

She be KILLING.ME!

N.E.Way!

I use bacon.  Oh...and I don't really use a recipe so I decided to try and recreate my recipe by writing it down so you TOO can make it happen if you so choose.

I recognized that I'm not really good at passing along recipes because most of the stuff that I cook is by taste.  MY taste.

Yup...I'm odd.

So looka here.  Based on how much soup you're gonna make you use the ration of two potatoes to one cup of chicken broth.

Aiight...so I used 12 potatoes.

12 potatoes peeled and diced (small)

6 cups of broth

3 leeks

1 lb of bacon

Boil potatoes in chicken broth until tender in a nice size pot.  (Season the broth.  I used dried jalapeno flakes.) Cut the bacon into like half inch slices and cook in a big skillet.  Cut the leeks thin.  Rinse VERY WELL (leeks always seem to have dirt hooked up in em so it's easier to clean when they have been cut up in my opinion).  Remove the bacon from the skillet and pour out most of the grease leaving enough to coat the bottom of the skillet.  Sautee the leeks for about 10 minutes.  Add bacon and leeks to potatoes and blend.  (I use an immersion blender but you can use your regular blender too.) Once it's blended it's going to be thick.  MOST folks put cream in it at this point but I have a problem with adding that many more calories to it.  Sure...the cream thins it out and gives it a creamy color and texture but um...yall know I'm vain so I mix in low sodium chicken broth until it's the consistency I want it to be.

Trust me when I say...it's DEE-LI-CIOUS!  Sure it's green but hell...it's good.

Whup yourself up a pot and see if you don't like it too!  Yall know I Monnie-Modify stuff all the time.  LOL!  Why?

Cuz I DO WHAT I WANT!

Do you like potato leek soup?  Would you ever consider making it without the cream?

How to Cook Black Eyed Peas

Forgot to post this.  Sorry.  Put it in your recipe book for next year.  I'm a bad big sister.  :)

1 lb black eyed peas (SOAKED IN WATER OVERNIGHT!)

1 ham bone or 1 lb ham hocks (this is why you save the bone with the difficult to cut meat on it from the Christmas ham...just wrap it good in foil and put in a ziploc freezer bag!)

1 yellow onion

1 bell pepper

5 stalks of celery

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of thyme

9 cups of chicken broth (yes I use boullion cubes)

Salt and pepper (black and cayenne) to taste  *NOTE!  I DON'T PUT IN SALT UNTIL THE VERY END AS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW SALTY THE HAM HOCK WILL BE!  WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR LAST "TASTE" ADJUST SALT THEN...YOU PROLLY WON'T NEED ANY!

In olive oil, saute diced onion, celery and bell pepper for about 10 minutes.  Add thyme, bay leaves,  black and cayenne pepper.  Add beans and broth, then ham hock.

Bring to boil uncovered. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.  YES...I SAID TWO HOURS!  The best cooking is done slooooooooooooooow!

After two hours, remove ham bone and put on plate.  Carve meat off bone into bite sized pieces.  Put meat ONLY back in pot.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Cover and let sit for like 20 minutes. 

Serve over brown rice.  Oh yeah...they will be muuuuuuuuuuch better tomorrow!  LOL!

You do red beans the same exact way cept you add sausage after you add the chicken broth.

SMOOCHES!

P.S.  For you non-pork eaters...I guess you can use smoked turkey...but I wouldn't know cuz I use pork...the pig ain't never done nuttin to me!  I eat it "from the rooter to the tooter!"

Frozen Peach Margaritas from "Everyday Food"