Mint Beet Salad

I hate beets but I had this beet salad at Agora in D.C. that was bomb. It was just what I needed after eating all those buttery carbs on Thanksgiving. I had to try and remember what was in the beet salad to make it. This recipe feels more like a summer dish but if you can eat ice cream in the cold , then sure you can eat this.

Ingredients
2 Golden Beets
3 Red Beets
1 sprig Mint
1 sprig Basil
Blue or gorgonzola cheese
Almonds
1 lemon

Start boiling water in two separate pots about 4 cups each. Peel and cube beets. Place golden beets in one out and red in other. About 35 minutes beets should be cooked you can check to see if your fork goes through. Drain and let beets cool off. Place beets in bowl, squeeze in lemon, chop in mint, chop in basil and toss. Refrigerate for at least an hour. If you like, cruble cheese and almonds on top and eat. Enjoy!

Hearty Chunky Chili

I'm not sure there is a more classic and hearty "cold outside" meal than chilli. I usually make mine meatless but I decided to add some 93/7 ground meat. I like this lean to fat ratio because you won't have to skim off any fat, use different pots,  and your left with mostly meat after it cooks down. I also use serano and pablano peppers to give it a little Smokey flavor not to mention a tsp of liquid smoke, here's the recipe. 

Ingredients

Cooking oil  (I use avocado oil)

1 yellow onion

1 clove garlic

2 Serrano peppers

Half of a pablano pepper

1 lb lean ground meat  (I used 93/7)

2 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes 

1 can black beans 

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto or garbanzo beans

1 qt. water

2 tbsp cummin 

2 tbsp ancho chile powder

1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika

3 drops liquid smoke
Salt and pepper

Dice onion, wash peppers and chop the top stems off. Slice the peppers vertically and spoon the seeds out. Dice the peppers horizontally. 

Turn stove top on to medium heat. In a pot (I prefer dutch), add onions and simmer until translucent. Grate garlic into pot and then add peppers. Let simmer for about 1 minute then turn heat to medium high. Push to side and add ground meat to the other side. Stir and break up the meat with the onions, etc. Add crushed tomatoes to pot and stir let it summer for 5 minutes. Rinse beans in strainer then add to pot along with spices and stir. Add 1 qt. of water, reduce heat back to medium and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes and add salt and pepper to your liking, add liquid smoke. I have to eat mine with my creamed cornbread (in my recipes) . 

                                                                         

Creamed Cornbread

I know most people don't like cornbread because they say it's dry. Then the one's that do eat it are against using Jiffy. My cornbread is NEVER dry and yes, I use Jiffy! Before you knock it, try it.

2 boxes of Jiffy mix
8 oz sour cream
3 beaten eggs
1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup room temp melted butter

Pre heat oven to 375°. Pour in all ingredients and fold until mixed well. Pour into a buttered 2.2 qt. or 2 lt. baking dish. Put into oven for 35 minutes or until brown. Enjoy!

Hearty Red Lentil Soup

It is soup season!!!  In New Orleans we're going straight from 80° to mid 40's this weekend. I am not thrilled because I hate cold but I love making stews and soups to keep warm. Here's my easy hearty red lentil soup recipe.

Ingredients

Cooking oil

4 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion 

1 lb red lentils

1 ltr water

2 large carrots

3 large red potatoes 

1 tbsp chopped cilantro or culantro

Salt and pepper

Prep -Dice onions, chop carrots, grate garlic, peel and chop potatoes. Rinse lentils in strainer.

Use whatever pot you normally do to make stews. Place pot on stove to medium high. Drizzle oil just to cover bottom. Pour in onions and summer until a little translucent. Add garlic and stir making sure not to burn. Pour in rinsed lentils with spices and stir. When you smell the spices pour in water and stir. Cover for 12 minutes, if the water has gone down add enough just to cover lentils. Scoop out a cup and a half of lentils into a blender. Do not blend while hot. Once cooled blend and strain contents back into pot. Add a cup of water and add vegetables, stir well. Check and sir to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Add herb and let boil until vegetables are cooked (about 7 minutes). Add salt and pepper to your liking. I like to eat it with oven toasted naan bread.

                                                                           Enjoy!

ChiThai Fried Rice Reipe

ChiThai Fried Rice

I love fried rice and I love Thai food, I will admit more than Chinese food. So I thought I would dress up my usual shrimp fried rice and add a little Thai kick to it.

Ingredients
2 cups day old rice
1 1/2 lb shrimp
1 1/12 cup of frozen or fresh carrots and green peas
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch or two pcks basil *not dried*
1 small onion
handful of sprouts
(optional) handful of cherry sweet tomatoes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp of red thai curry paste
1 tsp red chilli oil
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp high heat oil * I use avocado oil*


Peel,devein and rinse shrimp then. Place in ice water and put to the side. *if your using* Rinse and pit cherry tomatoes. Rinse and chop the basil, dice the small onion, grate the garlic and place on a chopping board or in a container. Place medium size pan on medium heat and add high heat oil. Crack 3 eggs, beat and scramble in pan. Push eggs to the side of the pan and add in shrimp. Once the shrimp is cooked, pour shrimp then eggs on top in a container and place to the side. In the same pan add in the frozen peas and carrots, onion and garlic. Once the water is out of the frozen veggies, add in the basil and sprouts. In a container add soy sauce, sesame oil, red chilli oil, curry paste and mix well. Add rice to the pan and then pour in sauce mixture. Fold everything together in the pot and add eggs and shrimp. Chow down! Serves about 4 healthy healthy appetites

Cozze Bianco(white mussels) with Orecchiette (pasta)

Cozze Bianco with Orecchiette

Or just call it drunken pasta with mussels because it calls for white wine AND anise liqueur. If you ever had the white mussels at Carrabba's Italian Grill, you know about that sauce! I can drink it as a soup or ...drink? I added one of my favorite pastas orecchiette because the grooves and dent in it makes it ideal to pick up sauce. I added shrimp to the mix because I had it already on hand so why not? Get your wine glasses out, pour some of the white wine you'll be cooking with *pinot griot* and let's cook.

Ingredients

1 box orecchiette pasta

1 1/2 mussels *pressed for time so I used frozen*

1 in shrimp

3 bunches of basil

1/4 cup white onion

4 cloves garlic

2 cups white wine * I used pinot griot*

1/4 cup anise liquor
Half lemon

1 cup ghee or clarified bitter
2 tbsp sea salt

Prep - Clean and devein shrimp, put in a bowl of ice to the side. Slice cherry tomatoes in half, pit them out and put to the side. Chop up basil leaves. Dice onion.

In a pot, pour in 2 tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add shrimp and cook on each side for 1 minute. Once shrimp is cooked, remove from pot and put in bowl to the side. In a still simmering pot, add dives onions. Once translucent, grate garlic into pot. Stir and add white wine to simmer for a minute. Then, add butter, 2 bunch basil, anise liquer, mussels and juice from lemon . Stir once and simmer for 3 minutes. Take mussels out and put to side with shrimp. Change heat to mid low. Add salt and cover. Cook pasta for 9-11 minutes and drain. Throw shrimp, mussels and tomatoes in with the pasta and fold them in. Let sit for 5 minutes so pasta and seafood can absorb the flavors. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Stuffed Eggplant

I was supposed to be cooking for a friend to help out with new healthy cooking recipes for his diet. However, he decided to get wasted and then wasted without me so I'm definitely not bringing him soup or anything, carry-on. I usually make eggplant casserole but one day I wanted to be fancy and stuff the eggplant. I didn't know exactly what to stuff it with as you can stuff anything with anything. 

    I thought about my very first night visiting New Orleans. My friend and I were starving but it was late and the restaurant selections were overwhelming. I can't remember how we ordered from Reginelli's Pizzeria, where we found the menu but I ordered the Dream State Sandwich. I loved it. So I thought what if I stuff all that and a little more in a eggplant? This is what came about. 

Ingredients

2 egglants
2 roasted red bell peppers
Goat cheese *a cup each*
2 cups spinach
1 can bread crumbs
Salt to taste
Baking sheet is casserole dish

Take top leaf off of eggplant and rinse the eggplant. Cut in half from top to bottom. Hollow out one side of the split eggplant by carving inside rim with knife and spoon out inside and save the meat to the side. Cut skin off of the side not hallowed and cube the meat as well. In a pot or pan, add water just to cover the bottom and out on medium heat. Add cubed eggplant in and cover with lid. Leave covered for 15 minutes. Once all the water is cooked out of the eggplant, add the spinach and 2 pinches of salt to taste. This is not a really savory dish so really only add pinches. Chop bell pepper and add to pot. Stir. Once the spinach and eggplant are cooked down. Preheat oven to 400°. Grate or cube the goat cheese and put in to the hallowed eggplant.
Spoon the mixture from the pot into the egplant and continue to layer with cheese. When stuffed to your liking, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Place eggplant in casserole dish, or baking sheet and place in oven for 25 minutes. It can be a side or main dish.

Mushroom Cream Sauce with White Wine

Mushroom Cream Sauce w/ White Wine

I don't know what it is lately maybe the heat but I don't want to spend anytime over the stove. I thought of one of my least time consuming recipes *not many* and whipped this up. One day while I was trying to make some fancy stroganoff, I ended up making this mushroom sauce. Does not taste anything like stroganoff but it was GOOD! So, somebody is hungry and you're out of time? Here's a quick whip up, let's get to cookin.

Ingredients

For sauce

5 tbsp butter

2 cups chopped crimini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig rosemary

1/2 cup white wine *I use pinot griot*

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

In pot on medium heat. Add 3 tbsp butter, let melt and add mushrooms. Cover pot for 5 minutes. Check if the mushrooms have cooked and become dark. You should notice the mushrooms giving off a a dark color to the butter. If the mushrooms are cooked through, add 2 more tbsp of butter. Add the grated garlic and sprig of rosemary. After the garlic frying for 1 minute add wine. Turn heat down to simmer for 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add cream. Stir and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. 

*You can pour this sauce over steak, salmon, or chicken.*

Mash

4 red potatoes

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp heavy cream

Hand full Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until you can easily run a fork through. Drain. Start mashing potatoes with masher or spoon.  Add butter, cream and 2 pinches of salt and pepper. Mash up until smooth, then add Italian seasoning. Mash up until evenly distributed and start plating.

Crawfish Quiche Recipe

Crawfish Quiche

Hey y'all!  Remember when I asked you what foods you hated as a kid but now love as an adult?  Mine was eggs, even the smell would provoke vomit. It was just one of those things that I was ok with not eating for the rest of my life! Until one day I saw this savory pie named quiche, the main ingredient was eggs. I gave it a try and then thought to myself, hey, maybe eggs aren't so bad. Slowly I would eat egg whites, then scrambled, then a full omelet. I would later learn that the reason I hated eggs is because the first time I had it it had caramelized onions in it. My mother would load them with cheese and caramelized onions. Great on a cheesteak to me but for some reason to this day I will not eat eggs with caramelized onions. Weird? I know, you'll call me that more than once. Quiche I love 1, because of the pie crust and 2 you can put anything you like in it and eat it anytime of the day. It's like your own little custom masterpiece in a pie shell. I usually make quiche when I feel a little fancy so making it with crawfish adds to the being EXTRA.  Being that I live in Louisiana, I can find crawfish in abundance even when it's not in season right in that frozen isle. Just in case you can't find crawfish you can always use shrimp or even lobster...mmm that sounds good! Let's do this folks, it's so simple.

Ingredients
1- Pillsbury deep dish pre-made pie shell *if you have time to make your own, I recommend it*

8 -eggs *for deep dish, 4 eggs if regular

1 cups spinach

1 1/2 hand full of crawfish or shrimp

2 cups parmesan cheese

Creole seasoning
Salt

Preheat oven to 400°. In your thawed pie shell. Layer spinach, then cheese, then crawfish, sprinkle seasonings lightly and layer again. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and a pinch of salt (because eggs can get salty, real easily)  and pour over layers in pie crust. Lightly sprinkle with seasonings again and place in preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool a little and serve with grits, croissant, or by itself. 

Aloo Chole Recipe

It's pretty hot outside and I sure am not standing over a boiling pot for any long amount of time. My geaux to for a quick fix meal is Aloo Chole pronounced like roll . A common dish in India, depending on what region it can be made different. It's what influenced my favorite Trini dish chana and aloo, aloo being potatoes. You can add any type of meat or seafood but it's usually made as a vegetarian dish. I add coconut milk sometimes which is not common but it makes it that much more yummy. Whenever I'm taking a break from meat, on a budget, or just need a quick meal you can smell the spices of this dish seeping out my windows. It takes less than 20 minutes to make but taste like you've been cooking for hours.


Aloo Chole w/coconut milk

Ingredients
2 golden potatoes
1 16oz can garbanzo beans
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 bunch cliantro
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp menthi aka fenugreek powder
1 tbsp ginger root or powder
1 tbsp all spice
1 tbsp chili flakes

*if you have none of these spices just get yourself some curry powder .*
Peel and cube potatoes. Rinse and chop cilantro. On medium heat, pour two drizzles of oil into pot. Add all spices. Stir when you start to smell the spices and grate the garlic in. Garlic burns quickly so make sure it doesn't stick. Add 1 cup of water. Add cilantro, potatoes, and chickpeas. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 12 minutes. When you notice the water is low, stir in coconut milk. Add salt to your liking. Serve with roti as a snack or rice as a meal.

Essence Fest (geaux to food guide)

Since 1994 the Essence festival has been held in New Orleans with the exception of 2006 after Hurricane Katrina. People walk around in the sauna like heat mostly to enjoy the festivities around town. Outfits ready? Check! Hair done? Check! Tickets ready? Check!  Essence iteniary ready? Check! All that running around and you forgot to stop and eat. All the places recommended to you have an hour or longer wait and you don't have time. Check these spots out off the beaten path and ditch the crowds.

Pra_Lees
https://www.instagram.com/pra_lees/
3600 St Bernard Abe
Stimulating overload, this unassuming take-out joint is a foodie heaven. I have to visit at least once a month. Although you'll have to follow their instagram to see everything not listed on the menu this place is legit! Everything from fried or grilled salmon, ro mein (their version of lo mein) and crab rice. Then on top of that their pineapple lemonade....how about that praline cupcake and brownie. You get my drift. GEAUX!

Sweet Soulfood-Nola Vegan Cuisine
http://sweetsoulfood.net/
1016 N Broad St.
Where else can you get vegan gumbo, jambalaya, and chicken fried cauliflower. On top of that some bomb vegan ice cream! Carmo and Seed restaurant are other honorable vegan mentions.

Heard Dat Kitchen
https://www.instagram.com/_hearddat_/
2520 Felicity St.
I was skeptical about portions that seemed small but proven wrong by the second sip of the house drink (Dat Shyt). I couldn't breathe I was pretty full and even though I was that full I wanted to eat some more. My favorite is the Bourbon Street Love, that chicken is fried so friggin perfect on top of some bomb crawfish mac..oh my gah!

Mr. Everything Cafe
http://www.mreverythingcafe.com/menu.html
400 S Broad St.
A self-explanatory name that doesn't fall short. specializing in wraps subs and burgers. Serving everything from lean lamb burgers to salmon patties, everything is good. Everything is made fresh to order so any wait will be likely due to the cooking time.

Hook's Seafood
https://hookscatchingandfrying.business.site/
2100 St Bernard Ave
I really can't explain my love affair with this place. I'll just say, a whole fried snapper in this damn seasoned batter! That mixture has to be top secret and you just have to go experience that food.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp Pasta Recipe

     BBQ  Shrimp ?!!  It  didn't  sound  appetizing  to  me  the  first  time  I  read  it  on  a  menu.  I  was  out  trying  the  local  cuisine  in  New  Orleans and  I  tried  to  reason  why  anyone  would  like  to  ruin  shrimp  by  drowning  it  in  bbq  sauce?   After  the  waitress  assured  me  I've  never had  anything  like  it,  I  convinced  myself  to  give  it  a  shot.  Usually  served  with  bread  to  sop  up  the  leftover  sauce  your  even  given  a  bib  at  Mr.  B's  Bistro  in  the  quarter  (French).  Unfortunately  Mr.  B's  wasn't  my  first  bbq  shrimp  try  and  I  landed  in  a  tourist  trap  that  basically  had  the  shrimp  swimming  in  a  sea  of  salt , pepper  and  butter.
        After  I  was  told  by  a  native  what  actually  goes  into  the  recipe,  I  gathered  there  was  no  way  that  I  was  served  the  recipe  correctly.  On  my  29th  birthday,  I decided  to  give  this  coveted  dish  another  try  at  Muriel's  Restaurant.  I  GOT  TO  TOWN!  I  wanted  to  put  in  another  order  and  now  understood  why  the  dish  was  a  big  deal.  I  love  rosemary  and  although  the  original  recipe  does  not  call  for  it,  it  made  my  night  what  it  was.  I  had  it  again  during  lunch  at  Mr.  B's  and  I  was  like  damn , I  could  drink  this  sauce  as  a  soup!  Only  problem  I  had  is  that  it  would  take  a lot  of  it  to  fill me  up.
     After  experimenting  recipe's  I  got  it  the  way  I  wanted  it  and  served  it  with  rice  but  it  was  kind  of  boring.  I  then  thought  it  would  be  great  as  a  creamy  pasta.  Usually  when  you  go  to  a  restaurant  that  claims  to  serve  New  Orleans  cuisine,  there  is  always  some  type  of  jambalaya  pasta  that  I  never  eat .  Of  course  we  can  turn  the  bbq  shrimp  into  a  pasta, so  without  further  ado  here  is  my  tried  and  true  recipe.

New  Orleans  Style  BBQ  Shrimp  Pasta

Ingredients
1 bag  or  16 oz  of  your  pasta  of  choice ( I  like  fettuccini  or  fusilli)
1 1/2 lbs of  shrimp
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup  heavy cream
hand full parmesan  cheese
1/2  cup  worcesterhire sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1 1/2 cup butter (I use ghee from Trader Joes)
2 lemons
1 tbs creole seasoning
1 tbs italian seasoning
1/2 tbs black pepper
1 sprig rosemary
 serves 2 normal people serves one Rosy

Instructions
Peel, devein  and  rinse  shrimp then  set  aside.  Grate  garlic  cloves  and  toss  into  an  oiled  or  buttered  sauce  pan on  mid  low  heat.
Pour  in  worcestershire  sauce,  juice  from  lemons,  seasonings  including  rosemary.  Add  shrimp.
After  both  sides  of  shrimp  are  cooked ( minute  on  each  side)  remove  shrimp  and  place  in bowl  on  the  side.  While  the  sauce  mixture  is  lightly  simmering,  add  melted  butter.  Liquid  should  start  to  look  a  little  thicker,  add  heavy  cream.  Keep  stirring  sauce  to  blend  and  keep smooth.  Boil  pasta  to  al  dente and  then  drain.  Stir  in  parmesan  to  sauce  and  keep stirring.  Add  shrimp  back into  sauce  then  stir  in  pasta .  Let  pasta  sit  in  sauce  for  2   minutes  before  serving. 

Eat up!