Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

Well, my husband really loves the Gumbo at The Faded Rose.  They make their roux soooo dark and rich, and that's what he was craving one day.  Have you ever made a roux?  Now, I have seen my girl Ginger Love throw out a roux that she has stood over for 30 minutes, waiting for it to get to the perfect consistency and color.  There seems to be some fine line between a good roux, and a burnt one.   

So let me just say that I don't often have the time or patience to stress over such things.  My Gumbo is sort of the quick and easy kind.  Here, I used an entire stick of butter.  It's not like me to splurge on Paula Deen's favorite ingredient much, but I got over the guilt after I saw someone put 2 sticks of butter into their mixing bowl to make some kind of desert.  Besides, it's not like I'm eating the entire thing by myself.

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick of Butter 
• 1/4 Cup of Flour
• Medium Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 1 Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Pound of Large Peeled Deveined Shrimp
• 1 Package of Smoked Sausage (I use turkey)
• 4 Cups of Chicken Stock
• 1 Bag of Frozen Okra
• Louisian Hot Sauce
• File

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, melt the butter and the flour, stirring often.  Season with kosher or sea salt.
2. When the color gets as brown as you like it, add the onions and bell peppers.  Let them cook down for about 7 minutes.  Then add the garlic.  Continue to season each layer with a little bit of salt.  I learned that from Michael Symon - his book Live to Cook is awesome!
3. When the vegetables are soft, add the smoked sausage.  My husband says he thinks I should brown the sausage first.  If I have time between work, 2 daughters, and this blog, maybe I will do that next time!
4. Next, add the chicken stock. 
5. Bring it up to a boil, then add the okra.  Once it gets back up to a boil, lower heat to low and cover with a lid to let all the flavors simmer for 30 minutes.
6. During this time make your rice:  1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest, cover with a lid, and let cook for 20 minutes.  After 20, take off the heat.

7. Next, bring the Gumbo back up to a boil.  Add the shrimp and as soon as they turn orange, turn off the heat so that you don't overcook the shrimp.
8. Top with file and hot sauce.

Muffaletta Panini

I love New Orleans - and the food of the Cajuns.  I have so many memories of this popular city, from Mardi Gras in 1995 when I took my first trip there with best friends Angelica, John, & Lisa.  I still smile when I think about that trip.  We were young, barely in our 20's...tattoos, tequila, and the Bourbon Street mosh pit!  At the mall in Metairie, John and I snuck off to look at engagement rings for Angelica. 

Then there were the Ginger years!  One of my besties is from New Iberia, LA.  I met her one day at Dillards when we both worked at cosmetic counters across from each other - I was at Origins, and she was at Estee Lauder.  After I met her, I noticed that she laughed a lot.  I wanted to know what she was laughing about all the time.  Eventually we became roommates at Vantage Point, and she met her husband at my wedding.

So Ginger went to college at Loyola.  Jereme and I visited her often.  Wow, some of those memories...my brother Huy (Brian) Nguyen has always worked in the car industry, and when it was time for our annual New Orleans trip to see Ginger, we didn't have a car for some reason or other.  So we were able to test drive a sweet little BMW coupe.  There were motorcycles involved on the interstate.  Yeah, we raced them.  Jer recalls going, uh nevermind, our daughters may hold that against us.

And then one of the greatest girls I've ever known is also from there - an LSU girl - Kay Dussouy.  Here we are in New Orleans at Pascal's Manale - home of barbecue shrimp in New Orleans!  Here in Little Rock, The Faded Rose offers the barbecue shrimp with a little tribute to Pascal's Manale, so go try it!

This loving muffaletta was made in memory of New Orleans, its originating city.  On this day, the "Oops we made too much" bread section at Kroger had Cheddar Jalapeno on sale for $1.49, so that's what we used.

Ingredients:

• Ciabatta bread or any other hard crusted bread
• Olive Spread
• Salami
• Prosciutto
• Ham
• Provolone

Directions:

1. Spread the olive spread on both slices of the bread.
2. Layer with meats and provolone on one slice.
3. Heat a cast iron or other skillet over medium heat. When hot, remove from heat and add canola spray.
4. Press evenly with a bacon press, careful not to let ingredients slip.

Yummmmm....

Shrimp Scampi

I love shrimp.  I always have a bag of it in my freezer.  I don't usually buy shrimp in the seafood case in grocery stores because once I got some bad shrimp.  It must have been previously frozen, and may have been sitting in there a little too long.  Here's the recipe for shrimp scampi that I found on the back of the Kroger white shrimp (26 - 30 count) bag.

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, thawed, shelled, & deveined

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 lemon zest

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup white cooking wine

2 tsp parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet on medium.  Melt butter in the skillet.  Add shrimp so they lay flat in the pan.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the shrimp for 1 minute, add garlic, and cook 1 additional minute.  Turn shrimp over and cook for additional 2 - 3 additional minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.  Pour cooking wine and lemon juice into the skillet.  Bring to a boil until thickened.  Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the shrimp, toss and serve.

(I also added spinach in the end.  In just a minute or so it wilted, and it was ready.) 

For the wine, I used Sauvignon Blanc, because it's what I usually enjoy drinking.  They say to use what you like.  If you don't usually drink wine, you can buy a 4 pack of individuals at the store.  That way you haven't opened up a bottle that needs to be used in the next few days.  Or you can always substitute apple juice or chicken stock.

Prime Rib & Swiss Melt

Well, we've developed a new recipe from something that we sampled at Sams again.  Funny huh!  It does feel like we are helping to support the local community somehow.  Arkansas is the home of Wal - Mart originator Sam Walton.  Apparently his family members are also some of the wealthiest on some list, like Forbes or something.  I also read recently that Wal - Mart Supercenters will be providing more localy farmed produce in their stores, so I love that.  The kids love the samples at Sams.    

So we tried this shaved seasoned meat for prime rib.  They were serving it on a sandwich thin with a sour cream and salsa mixture.  When we got home, we decided that it tastes much better when heated up.  It was the perfect meat to use when my husband said one day that he could use a warm and hearty sandwich... 

I got some bread out - he wanted sour dough, but what we had at the time was a rustic Tuscan style loaf - anything works really!  I spread it with Boars Head Delicatessen Style Mustard with White Wine.  It's just what we keep, and the kids.......well, Gianna likes it.  So that makes three of us in the family in agreement anyway. 

I sauteed some sliced green bell pepper and onions for quite a while over medium heat.  Then I topped the bread slices with the prime rib beef and swiss cheese.  I warmed it up in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese was melted, then I removed the top and layered some of the sauteed green peppers and onions on it. 

I also had some au jus that I made with a seasoning packet from the grocery. 

Next, I had to make a panini out of a sandwich for Gianna.  The girls and I were once invited to the Country Club of Little Rock to go swimming with our friends the Pennebakers.  Lunch time there was where she had her first ever panini.  She told me that from now on, that's how she wanted her sandwiches.  She must have been 6 years old.  But she was not playing around.  Anytime I don't get the bread just right, and crispy on the outside, and pressed really thinly, she will not eat it. 

So her panini didn't have the peppers & onions, since many kids don't like those things.  It's almost the only reminder that she is a kid, though.  Sometimes we wonder how she seems so mature for her age.  I used a cast iron pan to press this panini, btw.  Just sprayed the pan with some canola spray, and pressed both sides - careful not to let anything slip out - then waited for the cheese to melt.  You can also use a bacon press if you have one.  When you dip the sandwich in the au jus and take a bite, it is so yummy. 

Wagyu Steak

I first heard of Wagyu Beef at Arthur's Prime Steakhouse here in Little Rock.  It was explained to me that the Wagyu beef is very similar to Kobe beef.  I had heard of Kobe beef lots on Food Network, specifically on Iron Chef episodes.  So my friend at Arthur's explained that the Wagyu or Kobe cows are treated differently; they're massaged, and fed beer or wine or sake.  So they're extremely tender and flavorful compared to other cuts of beef.

I am a BIG steak lover, so I couldn't resist trying!  I have eaten steak at Ruth's Chris, Does Eat Place, Sonny Williams, Gramercy Tavern, & LeCirque.   The Australian Wagyu at Arthur's Prime Steakhouse is truly the most memorable experience I've ever had with steak.  Of course, I had it with a special reserve of Mark West Pinot Noir, and I enjoyed it all in the delightful atmosphere of Arthur's.

So for Fathers Day 2011, I bought some Wagyu steaks from Terry's Finer Foods and made them with great care and love for my husband, the best father I could have ever asked for my sweet daughters to have.  I'm pretty proud of the grill marks that I produced just by heating up my grill pan really hot before placing the steaks on over medium high heat.  After I flipped them, I let them sear a little longer - about 3 minutes - then I finished them in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes for medium rare.  (They were 12 oz. each.)

These steaks are truly the best treat - a good source of omega 3's and higher in the good fats than the bad fats!

Congratulations & Springroll Video

Congratulations to Elaine - the winner of the June giveaway!  Keep checking back for the next giveaway!  Kitchenco. is sponsoring it again, and we love them.  Now, check out this video of our kids making springrolls!  This is for my friend Susan!  Susan, I know you can do better than Gianna....

    

Chicken Paprika

I love to try new dishes, and I love when people give me recipes to try.  My friend Marla Lemmerman gave me this one.  We were talking at work one day about what she's been cooking, and she told me about this tasty dish.  I was intrigued by the paprika and sour cream, especially.  Sometimes I can get stuck in a rut when it comes to cooking chicken.  So I was really looking forward to trying this.  I researched other Chicken Paprika recipes on the web, I read Wolfgang Puck's recipe, and I also referred back to a Hungarian cookbook that I was given when I visited Budapest one summer.  This is now one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken! 

I also received this paprika while in Budapest.  Apparently, Hungary is the place for paprika.  Thanks to King Pharmaceuticals (Now Pfizer) for that amazing trip for Presidents Club.  And thanks to Marla for sharing this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken

Lemon juice
All purpose flour
...4 bacon slices, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
salt
paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
white wine
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Cut chicken into 4 to 8 portions. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Sprinkle chicken with lemon juice; coat with flour. In a medium skillet, saute bacon lightly. Add chicken pieces; brown slightly. Add stock, red and green peppers, salt and paprika. Cover and cook 20 to 40 minutes, depending on size of chicken pieces. When chicken is tender, stir in tomato paste, wine and sour cream. Heat through. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Mozzarella alla Caprese

Early in the month of May, I went by Home Depot and picked up a tomato plant.  I have never tried to grow anything before, so when I noticed one day that one of the tomatoes looked ready for picking, I was pretty excited.  Everyday we look out back, and we keep count of how many tomatoes, jalapenos, and bell peppers are coming along.

The tomato was still green when I picked it, but I knew the size was the same as the tomato on the vine variety that I usually get at the store.  In 2 days, we watched with delight as it turned this beautiful shade of red on our countertop.

So I prepared it my favorite way.  Italian style.  I sliced it with fresh mozzarella, julienned basil, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  I think it was the best tomato I've ever eaten.  Oh yeah, the basil was from my back deck garden too!  I love fresh herbs!

Baked Cod With Mango Salsa

The girls are still in school for 3 more days, but that hasn't stopped us from enjoying our summer days!  We've logged in many hours at the neighborhood pool, and everybody in this household is already looking a little tanner than usual.  Summer time reminds me of fun times in my past on the beaches of Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, and the Bahamas.  And the best thing about those vacations:  the food.  That's what inspired me to add a Caribbean recipe to my collection today for the girls.

Start with the mango salsa:  peel and dice the mango.  I only used half, considering that nobody would be helping me eat this.  Jereme isn't a fan of it, Gianna would find it to be too spicy, and Sasha....forget about it!  Next I diced about a fourth of white onion, a handful of cilantro, and a seeded jalapeno.  I zested a half of a lemon, then squeezed the juice of it in, and mixed everything up.   

For Baked Cod:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking pan with canola spray.
2. Lay the cod down.  (I used a half pound.)  Brush with peanut or olive oil.
3. Lightly season with seasoned salt, garlic powder, and parsley.
4. When the oven is ready, roast the fish for about 10 - 12 minutes uncovered.  Remove fish from oven, let rest about 5minutes, and squeeze the other half of your lemon over it.

For Tortilla Chips:

1. Heat a grill pan for about 5 minutes over medium high heat or until hot.
2. Brush one side of your tortilla with olive oil.  Lay that side down into the pan.  Brush the other side.
3. In about 3 minutes, flip it over and finish in another 3 minutes.  (You'll see grill marks on the tortillas.)
4. Cut into triangles and serve.