Shrimp Creole, Stewed Okra and Dirty Rice - Amazing Gumbo

The other morning, I woke up to the Food Network show The Neely's and they were making this cajun inspired meal. I just had to try it. I did the entire spread. It was out of this world. Each of these were meant to be served separately, but I ended up combining everything into one bowl and the leftovers were amazing. I followed the recipes down to a tee. Beware though, there is a lot of chopping, so definitely sharpen your knives before this one. I'll definitely be making some more Neely recipes in the future.

Shrimp Creole



Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
garlic cloves, minced
large onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups seafood stock or shrimp stock
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, in thick puree
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds large shrimp (about 32), shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons green onions, sliced for garnish

Directions
Heat a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil. Cook garlic, onions, celery, and green bell peppers. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cayenne and let caramelize. Add the seafood stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 35 minutes. Add shrimp and cook about 4 more minutes, until they are bright pink and cooked through. Garnish with green onions.


Stewed Okra and Tomatoes



Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
3 cups sliced okra
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon. Render the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and reserve. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the okra and tomatoes, making sure to add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the saute pan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage



Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound smoked pork sausage, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage. Once browned, add the garlic, onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and cayenne. Add the cooked rice and parsley and stir thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Neelys Hurricane



Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Ingredients
Ice cubes
2 ounces light rum
2 ounces dark rum
2 ounces passion fruit juice
2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon grenadine
1 orange, sliced into wheels, for garnish

Directions
Fill the hurricane glasses with ice. Mix the rums, passion fruit juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine in an ice filled shaker. Strain into the hurricane glasses. Garnish with a wheel of orange.

Book Review: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln


Growing up in Illinois, I have always been a lover of Honest Abe. It was only natural that I would be interested in a book focused on his political genius, especially now, during a time of change in our country, namely, a new President who heeded the 16th president numerous times throughout his campaigning.

What I especially like about this biography, more so than other Lincoln biographies, was the fact that Goodwin used extraordinary resources to get her information. The text, of course, touches on the major events that happened shortly before and throughout Lincoln's term and makes you feel like you are a part of the story. You really begin to feel like you understand Lincoln as a person, delve into his emotional trials and tribulations, and realize what it was like to live during such a horrific and oppressive time in our country's history. You also get a feel of the other side of the spectrum during that time including the burning hatred that the Booth camp (and most of the South) was feeling post-Civil War.

This man has been such a legendary figure throughout my life, and now I feel I can finally grasp the reasoning behind his following. His humanitarian efforts and desire for a true United States of America are what allowed us to be where we are today. This book (and its accompanying audio) was an educational, humbling and intriguing experience for me. I highly recommend.

Manchego Mac & Cheese with Soyrizo

One of my favorite cheeses of all time is Manchego. It is a Spanish cheese that I think is pretty similar to Swiss Gouda, but much more salty and flavorful (in my opinion). So, when I got my handy Rachael Ray Mag for March, it was a no-brainer that I would make this dish. My only qualm is the chorizo. I haven't had much pork in the last few years and I know that chorizo is made from the most random parts of a pig (salivary glands, etc), so I decided to use soyrizo - a vegetarian alternative. I think it actually turned out a little better since the soyrizo wasn't as chunky and mixed really well throughout the dish. I also didn't have some of the other ingredients the original recipe used, but I think my substitutions worked out just fine! This was a 5/5 star dish for sure and super fast to make!!

(Picture below is from rachaelraymag.com, doesn't look too similar to recipe alterations I made below.)



Manchego Mac & Cheese with Chorizo

based from Rachael Ray recipe

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew) or other short-cut pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
full package of Soyrizo (try Frieda's brand)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
2 cups shredded manchego cheese
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup finely chopped basil


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
2. While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the soyrizo and cook until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the wine. Stir in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened; season with pepper. Stir in the cheese. Fold in the peas and basil.
4. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and top with the soyrizo.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken w/ Roasted Asparagus and Wilted Chard

Last night I was so ready to just pop a frozen pizza into the oven when I started watching a 30 minute meals episode on my DVR and it inspired me to do some cooking. I used two of her recipes and, in addition, saw some beautiful asparagus at the grocery store and decided to incorporate it in the meal. The food tasted awesome, but the greens in combination with the blue cheese was not too kind on the stomach! It was worth every cramp, two thumbs up!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans


Ingredients
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias
4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
Special equipment: toothpicks

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top. Serve with rice and greens, if desired.

Savory Swiss Chard

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch red or green or rainbow chard, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions
In a large skillet heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the greens to the pan and wilt. Season the greens with nutmeg and smoked sweet paprika or cumin, salt and pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes then serve.

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients
2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, rinsed and patted dry
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place asparagus in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper, pine nuts, sliced garlic and lemon juice. Place in oven for 17-20 minutes until tender.

Book Review: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

This was one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The beauty for me was in the simplicity of the tale and the importance of the messages it tells - life is in the journey and not in the destination and to follow your dreams. I've learned so far in my life that learning through experience and being able to meet people along the way have made me who I am today. If I was just put in the position I'm in without having worked for it, I would have never appreciated the hardships that got me here or understood what other people go through in life.

Here is a synposis from Amazon:

Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.

Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

What I Made Last Night...

I love tofu, but it is so hard to find a substantial recipe for it. I normally just pan fry it to get it nice and krispy and mix in pesto and cherry tomatoes or I'll do salsa and black beans for Mexican burritos. However, I found this recipe online and just HAD to try it (plus I had some Marsala wine that I had to use up). It was a winner and I will definitely be adding this to my tofu repertoire.



Tofu Marsala

Eatingwell.com
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained, rinsed and cut crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups sliced cremini or white mushrooms (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (see Ingredient note)
1 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Pat tofu with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge 4 tofu slices in the flour mixture, add them to the pan and cook until crispy and golden, about 3 minutes per side. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining tofu, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent scorching.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallots and thyme to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are slightly soft and beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Marsala and simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
5. Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with broth and tomato paste in a small bowl. Stir into the mushroom mixture, return to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and glossy, about 4 minutes. To serve, spoon the hot sauce over the tofu.

What I Made Last Night

My parents were in town these last few days and my mom LOVES vegetables. I wanted to make something that really focused on the pure vegetable flavor and I thought this recipe was perfect. Roasting vegetables brings out the sweetness and pure flavor in all of them. Even though my dad and I aren't big bell pepper fans, I wanted to use them to stay true to this recipe since it had such a high rating on foodnetwork.com. It turned out VERY VERY sweet and nice, but you really have to be a vegetable lover to appreciate and fully enjoy this meal. I probably wouldn't make it again, but I definitely felt healthier after eating it!



Pasta Primavera

by Giada de Laurentiis
6 Servings

Ingredients
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Button Eyes

Lately, I've seen a LOT of movies in the theater. About half of those movies have a preview for this animated film, Coraline. It is a movie by the same director that did the Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach (one of my favorite Roald Dahl books). Here is a brief synopsis from IMDB:

A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family.

I was so interested in it, that I went to the site (www.coraline.com) and had a little fun with their "button eyes" app. I can't wait to see the movie...

Coachella 2009

I am going to make it a point this year to get out to Coachella. Not only is one of my favorite bands playing, The Cure, but one of my favorite singers of all time, Paul McCartney (co-writer of the song that inspired my blog title), is headlining as well! It is going to be awesome and flights to LA aren't as expensive as I thought. Looking forward to it!

What I Made Last Night...

I made these pulled chicken sandwiches amidst my boyfriend's pleas against it (he's not a sandwich kind of guy); but, after I made them he quickly changed his mind. He is asking to have these made at all of our summer parties and for dinner at least once a month. They were a HIT! I made one modification - instead of using regular barbecue sauce, we used a jerk flavored sauce as a substitute. It made this extra spicy and flavorful.


Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

David Lawrence
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
February 2007

MAKES EIGHT SANDWICHES
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Hot pepper sauce
6 kaiser or French rolls, split
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions:
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1 1/2 cups). Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.
2. Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the rolls and top with the cheese.