On Gravy...

" I come from a home

where gravy is a beverage."

-Erma Bombeck

Cajun Cole Slaw

I found this recipe in Emeril Lagasse’s Lousiana Real & Rustic Cook Book, but of course I had to ‘adjust it’ a bit with more of my favorite flavors…

Dressing

                       1     egg
                  1 Tb     Fresh Lemon Juice
                1 cup     Olive Oil
               ½ tsp     Ground Black Pepper
              1½ tsp     Salt
               ½ tsp     Cayenne Pepper
                 2 tsp     Sugar
              ¼ cup     Creole or whole-grain Mustard

Slaw

              2 cups     White Cabbage, shredded
              2 cups     Red Cabbage, shredded
              2 cups     Arugula, shredded
                1 cup     Red Onion, thinly sliced
                1 cup     Green Onions, chopped green part only
              ½ cup     Fresh Parsley, chopped

In blender, blend egg and lemon juice for 10 seconds.  With the processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube.  Mixture should thicken to the consistency of  mayonnaise.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Blend in the remaining ingredients.  Taste to check seasoning and refrigerate.  Best if used within 24 hours

Combine slaw ingredients and chill.  Toss with dressing just before serving.

 

 

 

 

Taco Salad

Giselle’s favorite family recipe... although she usually picked the tomatoes out...

 

              1 pound      Ground Beef

            1 package      Taco Seasoning
                 1 head      Lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
               ¼ head      Red Cabbage, chopped
                         1      Tomato, chopped
                       ½      Red Onion, chopped
              1 bunch      Cilantro, chopped
                  1 can      Kidney Beans (8 oz.)
                  1 can      Garbanzo Beans (8 oz.)
                  1 cup      Cheddar Cheese, grated
                                Tortilla Chips
                                Sour Cream
                                Salsa and Hot Sauce

1.    Prepare ground beef per the instructions on seasoning package.  Strain kidney & garbanzo beans, then add to beef mixture.  Let mixture cool

 

2.  Toss lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, and cheddar in large bowl, just before serving add meat & bean mixture and toss.

3.  Serve salad on top of crushed tortilla chips.  Dress salad with sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce to individual tastes.

 

Puree of Asparagus Soup

            1 bunch     Asparagus (use the bottom and save the tender tops for another meal)
                       1     Large Potato, peeled and chopped
                       1     Onion, chopped
            3 cloves     Garlic
                       1     Jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
              3 cups      Chicken or Vegetable Stock
                             Salt & Pepper to taste
                   
Place ingredients in large soup pot and cover with vegetable or chicken stock and water  Bring contents to boil, reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are cooked through.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Transfer cooled contents in small batches to a blender.  Purée until smooth, then pour through mesh strainer into another pot.  Use a wood spoon to push purée through mesh.  Continue process until all contents have been puréed and sent through mesh.  Discard what will not go through the mesh.

Place purée back on stove and heat.  If soup is thin, allow it to simmer until reduced to an appropriate thickness.  Season to taste.

 

Ideas & Tips: 

Broccoli, spinach, squash, carrots, etc. may be substituted for the asparagus.  The potato is what gives this soup a velvety “creamy”  texture, people often mistake it for a cream soup.

Use the whole vegetable, or trimmings from another meal (the stalks of broccoli taste like the florets when puréed).

Add milk or cream, and a little butter to the purée and create a Cream of Asparagus soup.  Or add cheese!

 

Garnish with fresh herbs, croutons, infused oil.

 

 

Mushrooms Two-Ways

Stacey's Marinated Baby Mushrooms

  1 pound    Button Mushrooms

    ½ cup    Olive Oil

    ½ cup    White Wine Vinegar

  3 cloves    Garlic, chopped

       3 Tb    Fresh Basil, chopped

       2 Tb    Fresh Parsley, chopped

       2 tsp    Chili, chopped

       1 tsp    Sugar

                  Salt & Pepper         

Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth and trim stalks.  Place mushrooms in a sealable container. Process remaining ingredients in a blender until emulsified, and then pour over mushrooms.  Seal container and gently toss to combine.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days depending on how intense you want the flavor.  Turn mushrooms occasionally as they marinate.

 

 

Gary's Sautéed Baby Mushrooms

  1 pound    Button Mushrooms

    ½ cup    Butter (or Olive Oil)

  3 cloves    Garlic, chopped

       1 tsp    Red Chili Flakes, optional

     splash    Dry White Wine

                  Salt & Pepper         

Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth and trim stalks.  Melt butter in a pan over high heat, when hot quickly sauté mushrooms, garlic, and chili flakes.  Keep the pan very hot.  When mushrooms are almost cooked, quickly add wine, salt and pepper.  Serve hot as an appetizer or side dish, or on top of your favorite steak.

Lemon Bar Deluxe

This recipe was given to me many, many summers ago... while visiting my Dad in Denver, Colorado. So it is Ode to Denver Summers...

 

• Crust:
• 2 cups sifted flour
• ½ cup sifted powder sugar
• 1 cup butter

• Filling:
• 4 beaten eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• Sift flour and powder sugar.  Cut in butter until mixture clings together. 

• Press in a 13”x9”x2” baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.

• Beat together eggs, sugar, and lemon juice.  Sift ¼ cup flour and baking powder. 

• Stir in egg mix and pour over crust.

• Bake for 25 minutes or longer.  Remove pan, let sit until cooled, cut into squares.

Madewood Plantations Pumpkin LaFourche

 We stayed at Madewood Plantation in 1999, they served Pumpkin LaFourche for dessert - we, of course, asked for the recipe...
 
               1 can     Pumpkin

               3 cans     Yams, drained

        6 medium     Apples, peeled, cured & sliced

              2 cups     Sugar
                1 cup     Golden Raisins
                 1 tsp     Vanilla Extract
                 1 tsp     Ground Cinnamon
               ½ tsp     Ground Nutmeg
               1 stick     Butter

Mix pumpkin and yams until smooth.

 

Add apples, sugar, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and mix.

Melt butter and mix thoroughly.

Bake at 250º for about 30 minutes.


http://www.madewood.com

Chicken & Tortilla Casserole

                 1    Whole Chicken, 3-4 pounds
               ½    large Onion, chopped
          1 can    Ortega Diced Green chiles, 4 oz
          1 can    Cream of Mushroom or Ce;lery Soup
          1 can    Cream of Chicken Soup
                      Milk
          1 bag    Corn Tortillas
         3 cups    Cheddar Cheese, grated
                      Salt & Pepper to taste

Stacey’s twist to the recipe:

      1 bunch    Cilantro, minced (optional)
           1 tsp    Cayenne Pepper (optional)
      2 cloves    Garlic, minced (optional           

Boil chicken in a large pot of salted water.  (Broth can be reserved and stored for a later use).  When chicken has cooled, remove and discard the bones and skin.  Shred meat and set  aside.

 

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl combine onions, chiles, and soups.  Add optional recipe items at this point.  Add a small amount of milk if mixture is too thick

Grease a large casserole dish.  Alternate layers in the dish of torn tortillas, shredded chicken, soup mixture, and cheese. 

 

Bake until casserole startles to boil around the edges and cheese is melted. About 30 minutes.

Tips §  A great recipe to use for left over turkey or chicken. §  For lower calories use fat free soups and less cheese. §  Can be made ahead and cooked when ready to eat.

Pistachio Crusted Seabass with Lemon Grass Sauce

Chef Jim Strausbaugh, Trilogy Restaurant

Seabass

               1lb    Chilean Seabass

          ½ cup    Dijon Mustard

           1 cup    Ground Pistachios

           1 cup    Panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)

             2 Tb    Herb Mixture, fresh and chopped 

 

Lemon Grass Sauce

                  2    Shallots, minced

         1 stalk    Lemon Grass, chopped

1Garlic Clove, chopped

              1 lb    Butter, softened

1Bay Leaf     

             1 Tb    Whole White Pepperconrs

         2 cups    White Wine

          ½ cup    Cream    

 

Place shallots, garlic, wine, peppercorns, lemon grass and bay leaf in pot. Reduce slowly to a syrup.  Add cream and reduce again.  Whisk in butter a little at a time over low heat until all the butter is used.  Sauce should be creamy.  Strain through fine sieve.

In a bowl mix panko, pistachios and herbs.  Brush fish with Dijon mustard and coat with panko-pistachio-herb mixture,

Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

 
Serves 2.

Steamed Clams

              2 lb    Manilla Clams

             ½ lb    Butter

       3 cloves    Garlic, minced

                  3    Large Shallots, minced

            1 tsp    Red Chile Flakes (optional)

            2 tsp    Fresh Parsley, chopped (or other herb of your choice)

         2 cups    White Wine, dry

                        Ground Pepper

 

Soak clams in water, scrub shells with stiff brush if necessary.

 

Meanwhile in 6 quart sauce pan with tight-fitting lid, sauté garlic, shallots and red chili flakes in butter until translucent.  Add drained clams, white wine, parsley and pepper.  Cover with lid.  

 

Stirring frequently, steam until clams are open.

Serve in juice with melted butter on the side and crusty bread.

 

Grilled Vegetables with Sage-Cilantro Sauce

I originally found this in one of my favorite cookbooks Cooking with Herbs it fast became one of the families favorite summer grill items, I will occasionally switch up the herbs in the dip, try using fresh basil-chive, oregano, tarragon or cilantro-chile

Marinade
                1 cup     Olive Oil
            2 cloves     Garlic
                 1 tsp     Dried Red Pepper Flakes
              ½ cup     Rice Vinegar
                  1 Tb     Fresh Chives, chopped
                  1 Tb     Fresh Basil, chopped

 Vegetables

                     2     Red Bell Peppers, seeded and cut into 8 pieces
                       1     Carrot, large and sliced thinly on angle
                       1     Red Onion, cut into 8 pieces
                      2     Anaheim Chiles
               2 ears     Corn, husks pulled back and silk removed
                       1     Eggplant, thinly sliced
            1 bunch     Scallions, trimmed to about 6” long
                       1     Sweet Potato, sliced very thin

 Sage-Cilantro Sauce

                       1     Egg plus 2 Egg Yolks
              2½ Tb     Rice Vinegar
              2½ Tb     Soy Sauce
              2½ Tb     Dijon Mustard
                 1 tsp     Sage, finely chopped
              ¼ cup     Sesame Oil
             1½ cup     Vegetable Oil
             1/3 cup     Olive Oil
                  1 Tb     Chili Oil
             1/3 cup     Sesame Seeds

 

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour over the raw vegetable and marinate for 2 hours.

While the vegetables are marinating, make the sauce.  Combine the egg, yolks, vinegar, soy, and mustard in a blender.  Blend for 1 minute.  Add the herbs.  With motor running, slowly drizzle in the sesame oil, then the vegetable oil, and finally the olive oil.  Add the chili oil.  It should have the consistency of mayonnaise.  (If you pour the oil into fast, it may not get the right consistency)  Stir in the sesame seeds by hand and refrigerate.

Prepare charcoal grill or barbecue.  Grill or broil the vegetables until they are just tender, about 4 minutes per side.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

To this day I still tell people that I married my husband because of his Tuna Tartare, We met at Trilogy Restaurant in Irvine. This was one of the items he added to the menu just after he started there… it just may be true…. How could you not fall in love with a man that creates this…
   
1 lb    Fresh Ahi, diced 1/8" cubes
2    Shallots, mince
1 tsp    Whole Grain Mustard

Sea Salt, to taste
White Pepper, to taste
3 Tb    Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½    Lemon, juice
2 Tb    Fresh Chives, chopped
1 cup    Crème Fraiche
2 Tb    Wasabi Cured Tobika Caviar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Toast Points


Mix Ahi, shallots, mustard, sea salt, white pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and chives
Mix Crème Fraiche, wasabi caviar, salt & pepper to taste
Serve tartare with a scopp of the crème fraiche mixture and toast points on the side.

Creole Gumbo

I obtained this recipe while working at Shelly's Restaurant in Tustin, to this day I think they had the best gumbo I have ever tasted.

                  1 can     Clams with Juice

           2 pounds     Chicken
              1 pound     Bacon
              1 pound     Beef, diced
                       1     Hambone
            ½ pound     Andouille Sausage or Ham, diced
                    2½     Onions, large chopped
              1 pound     Green Peppers, chopped
                      6     Scallions with Green, chopped
             6 cloves     Garlic, minced
                 1 cup     Celery, chopped
                ¼ cup     Parsley
           4 pounds     Okra, chopped
                      4     Tomatoes, chopped
                      2     Bay Leaves
                  1 tsp     Thyme
                  2 Tb     Wocesteshire Sauce
                  2 Tb     Cayenne Pepper
                  1 tsp     Black Pepper
                 4 Tb     Salt
             6 quarts     Water or Stock
              1 pound     Butter and Flour (Roux)
 

To make roux: melt butter in large pan and add flour, heat and stir until dark brown.

Add onions, green peppers, scallions, garlic, and celery – cook well

Add okra cook till gummy

Cook Bacon then add

Cook ham & beef in bacon grease then add.

Cook Chicken then add.

Add remaining spices (except salt).  Cover with stock and water

Cook for 2 hours.

Greek Peasant Salad

I actually discovered this chunky, rustic salad at a small bistro in Paris.  As we strolled down a narrow alley cluttered with small restaurants, it caught my eye on the center of a couple’s table.  The contrast of the green cucumbers and red tomatoes, dotted with the dark browns of the olives, and white of the feta makes it a striking salad. It was refreshing, crisp and flavorful served with crusty bread.

 

                      2     Cucumbers, ½“ cubes

                      6     Roma Tomatoes, cut into 1/8
                     ½     Red Onion, sliced into slivers
            1½ cups     Marinated Artichoke Hearts
                1 cup     Kalamata Olives, pitted
                1 cup     Feta Cheese
                             Balsamic Vinegar
                             Extra Virgin Olive Oil
                             Fresh Ground Pepper
                             Salt

 Arrange or toss cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, artichoke hearts, and olives on a large serving platter of salad bowl.  Arranging ingredients makes for a striking presentation.  Simply tossing to evenly distribute the ingredients makes service easier.

 

Crumple feta on top.

 

For a Chopped Greek Salad- dice all ingredients small, then toss with liberal amounts of balsamic and olive oil.  Pile the mix on a bed of crisp lettuce, and garnish with fresh croutons.

Just before serving, lightly drizzle balsamic and olive oil over the top, add ground pepper, and a sprinkle of salt.

Crème Brulee

Josie's favorite recipe...

3 qt cream (boiled)

1 qt milk (boiled)

40 ea egg yolks (broken up)

2 lbs granulated sugar

4 ea vanilla beans (split)

Method:

Bring cream, milk, vanilla beans, and ½ of the sugar to a boil. Mix the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar until smooth. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, and mix well. Return all to the boiling pot stirring well for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and pour into the crème brulee dishes. Bake in a non-convection oven at 340 degrees in a water bath 30 – 60 minutes until set.