chipotle chorizo chili

so today is looking like a miserable day…. it’s all gray and drizzly outside.

and speaking of gray… what’s the difference between gray and grey? i mean why have 2 different spellings?

anyways… it’s perfect nap weather. but i won’t be napping today. boo.

and if i lived anywhere other than south louisiana this might mean that the temperatures outside are chilly and perfect for things like chili. but the temperatures will never be perfect chili weather around here for longer than a day. but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend and eat chili anyways….

i’m a big fan of chili. especially when it’s made with beer. i mean let’s be honest… it’s a pot of meat with beer in it and topped with things like cheese, sour cream and cilantro. how can you not be a fan?

chipotle chorizo chili

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 lb chorizo, removed from casing
• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c beer
• 14 oz stewed, diced tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper, minced
• 1 tsp adobo sauce
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbs worcestershire sauce
• your choice of chili toppings – cheddar cheese, cilantro, sour cream, crushed corn chips, crushed pork rinds, whatever your fancy

1. in a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. add the onion and bell pepper; cook until the onion softens but doesn’t brown. add in the chorizo and ground beef; cook until the meat mixture begins to brown. add in the garlic and stir around.
2. stir in the beer, diced tomatoes, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, worcestershire and seasonings. reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the chili until thickened, about 30 min.
3. serve in bowls and top with your preferred toppings.

a couple quick notes…. jackie developed this recipe using chipotle stout. the store i went to didn’t have chipotle stout so i used a locally brewed bock style beer. i’m sure the chipotle would have given the chili a little extra something but i thought the chili was delicious with what i had.

she also developed the recipe without using beans. i’m not a bean person so this works for me…. but i know some people like beans in their chili so just add a can or two in if you chose to. in fact, jackie even says the same thing.

last thing… i’m not a fan of chunks of onions, bell peppers and tomatoes and such. i adore using my food processor to get all of it really finely chopped then i just proceed as normal. in this case, when i threw in the tomatoes, i threw in the chipotle at the same time.

and i know that tailgating season is over and so is the big game but hey… mardi gras is tuesday so bring a pot of chili!

kisses.

recipe from: the beeroness

this post is linked up to what’s cooking wednesdays and taste and tell thursdays

stuffed acorn squash

do you ever get really excited about something and then someone comes along and bursts your excitement bubble?

or doesn’t even really burst it but rather just makes it droopy like a 3 day old balloon?

yeah… that happened this morning.

see i was reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy excited that it was finally getting “cold” here. and by cold i mean it’s in the 60s for a high and 30s at night. i’m sure i don’t need to repeat myself in the fact that i don’t like the heat. so needless to say, this drop in temps means i’m one happy girl.

and then i got the text this morning.

see cailan has moved to the chicago area and they apparently got their first snowfall. cue my bummer.

and before everyone gets all worried about it… honestly, she didn’t really deflate my bubble. just made me incredibly jealous that she gets to see actual seasons and i don’t. believe me, my cool weather bubble is bobbing around ever so happily around the ceiling so…

i hate the heat.

just saying.

but since we’re having a cool weather snap, i figure it’s a good time to share a fall dinner. or at least what i would call a fall dinner since acorn squash is a winter squash…

so i’ve been trying to branch out and try new veggies since i’ve discovered i don’t exactly hate them. they just have to be cooked right. and i figure that what better way to try acorn squash than to stuff it with stuff. and it turned out fantastic. i originally made it before i left for orlando thinking i could eat about a dozen meals in 3 days (duh, i couldn’t) but i’ve made it again since then. and that’s saying something.

stuffed acorn squash

• 2 small/medium acorn squash, about 2 lbs total
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 c white wine
• 1 1/2 c cooked wild rice
• 1/2 c toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 c toasted silvered almonds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt
• pepper

1. preheat oven 400F.
2. cut each squash in half lengthwise. scoop out the seeds. if the ridges on the squash sides are making each half sit a little wonky, just slice a little off so each half sits well.
3. saute the ground turkey over medium heat until cooked through. remove the meat and add the oil. saute the onion, celery and carrot until softened. deglaze with the wine.
4. return the turkey to the pan. add the rice, pine nuts, almonds, oregano, salt and pepper. stir constantly until the mixture is heated throughout. remove from the heat and divide the mixture evenly among the squash.
5. add the squash to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. cover the squash with aluminum foil and let cook 45 min. remove the foil and bake an additional 15 min or until the squash is tender.

so you could totally use the ground pork alton calls for in the original recipe or even sausage would be delightful. i like to pretend that using ground turkey makes it healthier.

so is it snowing/cold by you?

kisses.

recipe adapted from: alton brown

crawfish etouffee

so i know it can’t be just me that gets all kinds of confused with her days when you go on vacation.

i mean like today shouldn’t be thursday in my world. it’s only tuesday. i guess i should be stoked that it’s thursday and not tuesday but i don’t like feeling all confused.

but i guess if i can get confused over what day it is, i should understand how mother nature can get all confused over what the weather is supposed to be like. i mean we’ve gone over how it’s like 80F in october but can i just tell you how hard it is to pack for a vacation with weather that gets all confused….

see i tagged along with my mom and stepdad to disney world and the WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!!! and mother nature decided she would change course after i’d packed. so i show up with nothing but shorts and the temperatures decided to hang out in the high 60s. not cool mother nature. not cool.

ya know what else is all confusing? crawfish etouffee. i mean the dish itself is really straightforward but when exactly am i supposed to share it with you?? see it’s a warm, comforting dish that is perfect for fall / winter but crawfish season is really more like springtime. and since confusion seems to be a thing this week, i figure now is the perfect time.

crawfish etouffee

• 1 lb boiled crawfish tails
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 12 oz beer – use a good amber beer
• 3/4 c chicken stock
• 1/8 c dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne

1. in a medium saucepot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. add in flour and cook 2 min, just to get the raw flour taste out of it. add the onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic and green onions; cook 2 min. add the beer and chicken stock and cook 30 min. add the crawfish tails and cook 15 more min. add the seasonings and simmer for a final 30 min.
2. serve hot over rice.

see… this is a seriously uncomplicated dish.

oh and here’s a note… i am aware that boiled crawfish are not as readily available throughout the country like they are in south louisiana. you have a couple options… you can buy a pound of shrimp and put it in a pot with some crab/shrimp boil and boil it yourself. that would work just as perfectly. the other option is if you can find some frozen crawfish. if you insist on going that route, pleas PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE me that you won’t buy the stuff from china. for real. i’m begging you to promise that you’ll buy the stuff from the usa. there are a multitudes of reasons for this but overall, you’ll be getting a better product.

anyways….

what day is it again?

kisses.

recipe adapted from: my dad

chicken parm meatballs

dear mother nature,

i think we need to have a chat about what the weather is supposed to feel like at the end of october. hint… it’s not supposed to be anywhere close to 90F. if you could make highs of like 70-75F and lows of like 50F happen, it would be greatly appreciated.

kisses.

for real though. it’s like hot down here in the south and i really don’t like it. seriously… it’s been pretty well documented. but i just thought maybe by putting out a plea to mother nature, it would cool down around here. and when it does, i can eat more meals like this.

i pinned this recipe last week and it usually takes me a little while to get to trying something. ummm not these meatballs. see what happened was i was walking around the farmer’s market and trying to come up with meals for the week. and then i remembered the idea of these meatballs and knew i just had to try them. and i did. last night. see i initially planned to bring you that etouffee i’ve know mentioned at least twice but then these happened. and as i have mentioned before, i get weary about sharing entrees since i haven’t mastered food styling and photography but i just have to share these with you.

these look like they could be super complicated, what with the cheese all in the inside, but trust me when i say they aren’t. i had everything cooked and ready to be eaten within 45 min of coming home.

chicken parm meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken breast
• 1 c whole wheat bread crumbs, divided – regular plain breadcrumbs would be fine
• 1/2 c whole milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 c vegetable oil (or enough to come about 2 in up the sides of your pan)
• 3 oz mozzarella, cut into 12 pieces
• 3 c marinara sauce – i used store bought to save time on a weeknight
• 3/4 lb spaghetti (or whatever pasta you want to use)

1. preheat your oven to 350F. line a baking sheet with papertowels. start heating your oil to 350F (use a candy/fry thermometer or an electric skillet).
2. mix together the milk, 1/2 c breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together in a bowl. add the ground chicken and gently mix until it’s evenly distributed.
3. add the remaining breadcrumbs to a shallow plate. separate your chicken/breadcrumb mixture into 4 even portions. flatten each portion into a disk; add 3 pieces of the mozzarella cheese and shape the disk into a ball around the cheese. (make sure to seal the balls really well so no cheese leaks during cooking!) roll each meatball in the waiting breadcrumbs.
4. place the meatballs in the hot oil and fry until golden on all sides.(you’re not frying to cook through just to get them crunchy and golden.) transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet to allow the excess oil to drain.
5. start cooking your pasta according to the package directions.
6. after the excess oil has drained, removed the paper towels from the baking sheet and place the meatballs on a rack on the baking sheet. bake 15 min until they are cooked through.
7. toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce and divide among 4 plates/bowls. top each plate/bowl with one meatball.
8. dig in!

go.

make these now.

kisses.

recipe from: tracey’s culinary adventures

lemonfish with basic risotto

do you ever have those days that you wish you could leave everything behind to move to the islands to go sell coconuts?

is that just me?

i mean for real. there are some days that i just wish i could have simiplicity of it. i mean i’m sure i’m totally romanticizing it all and that i would get bored in less than a week. but it sounds like a fabulous deal, i mean aside from the constant sweltering heat but i think i could learn to live with that. and i’m not talking about going to live in gulf shores or panama city. i’m talking about the virgin islands or bora bora or some where like. and if i’m being honest, i’ve never been to either of those locales but the pictures look gorgeous so i like to pretend that would be awesome. i could totally live the life that kenny and jimmy sing about. you know… all kicked back in a old blue chair with a boat drink in my hand.

but for real.

and if i lived on an island i could make dinners like this all the time because i could fish i all the time. i might have mentioned to you that i recently went fishing and this was part of the spoils of the trip. see i didn’t actually catch this but that’s why we share.

lemonfish with basic risotto

• 4 lemonfish (cobia) filets
• salt
• pepper
• flour
• 1 – 2 tbs canola oil
• 4 c reduced sodium chicken stock
• 3 tbs butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 c arborio rice
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest

1. place the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and get it good and hot.
2. season your fish filets with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. place the filet in the hot skillet and cook 5 min so that you get a nice golden crust. turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 3-5 min until the fish is cooked all the way through.
3. make your risotto: bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan; cover and keep warm over low heat. in a large saucepan, melt 2 tbs of butter over medium heat; add the onion and garlic and sautee until tender but not brown. add the rice and stir to coat in the buttery goodness. add the white wine and simmer until the wine is nearly absorbed, about 3 min. add 1/2 c of chicken stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 min. continue this addition and stirring until rice is tender and all the stock is absorbed (make sure each 1/2 c of stock is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 c), about 20 min total. remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, parmesan, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
4. serve the hot risotto with your beautifully cooked lemonfish!

here’s a couple notes:

- since these were fresh caught filets and i don’t have a kitchen scale, i have no idea what the weight of these were. if you were looking for a specific weight to buy, i would go with a 6 oz filet.

- if you don’t have lemonfish (cobia), you could substitute and firm white fish in its place.

- yes. i am aware that risotto can seem really daunting (all that stirring!) but i promise you it’s really not. as long as you have arborio (or medium grain rice) and you stir, it will come out. it is more needy than it’s cousin long grain rice but it’s oh so good.

- no i didn’t give an exact flour measurement because all you need to do is dredge it in the flour. i just put a handful on a plate and go from there. you just want to coat the fish so if i tell you 1/2 c +, you could waste a lot of flour that way.

- make sure when you’re sauteeing your fish, you don’t crowd the pan. you want to get a good sear on the filets so make sure you keep your pan hot. if you have a large enough pan to fit all the filets without them touching and crowding each other, use 1 tbs oil. if not and you need to do more than 1 batch, use an additional 1 tbs of oil per batch.

i know that’s a lot of notes but honestly, with the simplicity of this recipe, i almost feel like you need every one of them. this is more about the cooking techniques than about ingredients really. i promise this is so much simpler than giving a bunch of notes makes it seem. and this is really worth trying if you can get your hands on some fresh lemonfish!

kisses.

recipes adapted from: john besh’s my new orleans, giada de laurentiis’s everyday italian

my favorite shrimp and grits recipe

so here’s the deal… there are certain locations that bring to mind certain culinary styles or dishes. for example when i think of new england, i think of clam chowder. not that i’ve a) eaten clam chowder and b) been to new england but they’re known for it. and the southwest? well tex/mex of course. i expect to have spicy foods with a flair toward mexican cooking. california? i’m gonna go with spa like cuisine. i’m not from those areas but that’s the type of stuff i imagine that is their culinary bread and butter. so needless to say, i’m sure there are many people out there with assumptions of the food they’re going to eat on their trip down to south louisiana. and i have to say that as long as they stay away from the extremely touristy places and chains, they’re right. but i also have to add that when someone posts a recipe with the words “new orleans style” or “cajun” in the title, they sure better bring it. just saying.

all that goes to these points… a) i am aware that shrimp and grits is traditionally a south carolina low country dish but b) in this area of the country we do a barbeque shrimp version and it just happens to be one of my favorite dishes ever.

i would also like to point out that i’m not certifying these as authentic in anyway whatsoever. just saying this is my favorite version to make at home.

oh and please excuse the picture…. i mean to throw some green onions up on there to make it pretty but i was ravenous and they were gone before i could remember the pretty greenery.

shrimp and grits

• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 c (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 c ketchup
• 1/2 c worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbs old bay
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 lbs peeled, deveined shrimp – you could use shrimp that still has the shell on (4 lbs) but seriously make life easier.
• french bread
• smoked gouda grits, recipe below

1. preheat oven to 400F.
2. stir together first 9 ingredients (everything except the shrimp)
3. place the shrimp in a 9×13 pan and pour the sauce mixture over the shrimp. bake for 15-25 min or until the shrimp just turn pink, stirring occasionally.
4. serve on top a pile of smoked gouda grits, with lemon wedges and french bread.

smoked gouda grits

• 3 c low sodium chicken stock or water
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 c quick cooking grits (also called 5 min grits)
• 1 c shredded smoked gouda
• 3 tbs unsalted butter

1. bring the stock, milk, salt and pepper to a boil. whisk in the grits. cover and reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 min or until thickened.
2. remove from the heat and add the cheese and butter. stir until melted.

here’s a tip… if you want to make ahead, you can put the sauce together a couple days in advance and refrigerate.

here’s another tip… if this makes too much for you to eat all of it in one sitting, don’t store the shrimp in the sauce. put the sauce and the shrimp in different containers and reintroduce them to each other when you heat them up. trust me.

kisses.

recipe adapted from: southern living magazine

beef, cheddar and potato pie

i have a confession. i mean it’s not earthshattering but i feel like i need to come clean. see i don’t like posting dinner recipes or non cookie/cake/cupcake recipes because i haven’t gotten the hang of photographing them so i don’t like the pictures so they make me sad. i mean i cook. a lot. but dinner just doesn’t make the prettiest of subjects for me. part of that is because i work all day so by the time i make dinner it’s like 7-730P so the sun isn’t at it’s brightest. plus even when the sun is shining, i don’t have a ton of windows so my natural light is limited.

(i totally know what you’re thinking right now… but emily you publish your posts in the middle of the day so i don’t know what you mean by you have job that you work all day at! well smartypants… i write the posts when i have my “smoke break” at work since you know i don’t smoke and all. it usually takes me a good couple days to complete a full post.)

plus i just haven’t gotten the hang of styling my dinners and plates or telling a story through the picture. the story is usually that i’m hungry and ready to eat so i don’t really care how pretty the plate is. don’t get me wrong…. i’m totally jealous of all those people who can make a plate of food look scrumptious which makes me even more jealous of the people who can do that with a picture. (like seriously there are sometimes i just want to lick the screen or the picture it just looks so yummy.) desserts are just so yummy anyways that i feel like they’re the more photogenic cousin of all the courses.

i know it shouldn’t really matter but i read all kinds of food magazines and food blogs that it makes me sad. i mean i’ll try to get there one day but these people do it like it’s their job… oh wait.

well i feel a little better having confessed that to you. i feel like we have an understanding now as to why there’s so much baked goods because i do eat actual meals. just saying.

oh and this little pie.. well it’s quite delicious. to just call it a pie is a little deceiving. i would actually call it a pot pie but semantics i guess. well this pot pie is a good little gem for a cool night. i mean it worked perfectly fine on the hot night that we ate it but it’s probably more of a fall dish. but who freaking cares. eat it now.

beef, cheddar and potato pie

• 2 lbs ground beef – you could use ground turkey or chicken if you wanted….
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 in cubes
• 1 onion, cut into 1/4 in cubes
• 2 stalks celery – i omit this because i’m not a fan of cooked celery
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 large russett potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 in cubes
• 1/2 c dark beer
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese – i usually use a smoked gouda or provolone
• salt and pepper
• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbs water

1. combine beef, carrots, onion, celery (if using), garlic and potato in a skillet over medium-high heat. cook until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 min. lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 more min. add the cheese, salt and pepper. let cool.
2. preheat oven to 375F.
3. on a floured surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12 in round. place in a 10 in skillet or pie plate. roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into a 11 in round. transfer the meat mixture to the skillet / pie dish. lightly brush the edge with the egg wash and place the second sheet on top. cut an “X” into the pastry top and brush with egg wash. sprinkle with some coarse salt and coarse cracked pepper. place the pie on a baking sheet to catch your drips. bake for 45 min, tenting with foil if the crust darkens too quickly. remove from the oven and let cool for 15 min.

ok so this recipe really isn’t all that complicated but it is a little time consuming… meaning that i would make it on the weekend or on your day off when you’re not scrambling to get dinner on the table and food in people’s mouths before 9P. each step isn’t too time consuming but the whole recipe is what gets you. you also want to be sure to put the pie on the baking sheet, or at least some aluminum foil to catch the drips so you don’t have to run your oven cleaning cycle at 10P and it’s all smoky when you’re trying to get ready for bed. trust me on this. one more note… go easier on the salt than you think. cheese naturally has salt in this and last time i made it, it ended up a little too salty for everyone’s taste which can be hard to do for me.

kisses.

recipe from: everyday with rachael ray magazine

fried chicken dinner

omg. did you know that this weekend is memorial day weekend??! i mean i feel like just yesterday was new year’s eve/day. i mean i’m all for this year speeding by but goodness. i feel like the older i get the faster the years seem to go by.

(ugh. i hate that i just made that statement. i feel like an 90 year old for having said that.)

but for real.

i mean we’re already through 5 months of the year. craaaazy.

i know that memorial day is usually all about grilling and cookouts but let’s be real. i live in a second floor condo. i don’t have a grill on my balcony and i’m sure as hell not hauling one down the stairs. so what do i do? well i can do a beer can or rotisserie chicken. those are both fine options but i could also make something classically southern… like FRIED CHICKEN! plus who doesn’t like fried chicken? um no one that’s who. if someone tells you that they don’t like fried chicken they’re lying. it’s like people who don’t like bacon. liars. everyone loves bacon. and fried chicken.

so here’s the fried chicken deal… fried chicken is like gumbo…. everyone has their own version and method. i’m sure there are northern dishes that yankees would say the same statement about. i mean there are people who swear by brining the chicken. others who double dip the chicken in flour before frying. more who coat the chicken straight out the paper with just a rinse off. some fry in peanut oil. others in shortening. needless to say, you could survey 100 on the street of any good southern city and you would probably get 100 different ways to fry a chicken. since this is my blog and my world, i’ll give you my version.

fried chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cut up in 8 pieces - that mean 2 breast pieces, legs, thigh and wings for those of you who are unsure
• 1 qt buttermilk
• 1/4 c your favorite hot sauce
• 2 c flour
• 1/3 c pancake mix – this has been passed down to me from my mom, her mom, her aunt, her grandma so just go with it… you can leave it out if you absolutely must
• 2 tbs salt
• 1.5 tbs pepper
• 3 tbs paul prodhomme’s poultry magic
• 1.5 tbs garlic powder
• 1.5 tbs onion powder
• vegetable shortening – i used about 3 c

1. mix together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. put your chicken pieces in the bowl and refridgerate 24 hours.
2. the next day, drain your chicken pieces while you mix together the coating.
3. on a large plate or large bowl, mix together flour, pancake mix, and seasonings. make sure it’s thoroughly mixed together. dredge each chicken piece in the seasoned flour mixture making sure that it’s well coated; shake off excess flour mixture. place each piece on a rack to hang out while you heat up your oil.
4. in a large dutch oven or electric skillet, preheat your shortening to 350F. i say i used 3 c of shortening but really you want to use enough to come half way up your chicken pieces. when your shortening is heated, place a couple chicken pieces in there so that it’s not crowded. fry the pieces for 5-8 minutes per side until it’s golden brown and delicious. remove to a rack to drain the excess oil off and cool a little.

that’s it. it’s a really simple process that can seem really daunting.

ok so here’s a full disclosure…. i have no idea what my actual measurements are for anything other than the chicken and buttermilk. i just kinda go with my gut on the hot sauce and seasoned flour. you can use any type of seasoning you really want to; which is part of why there are so many variations to fried chicken. and yes, you really do need to soak your chicken in the hot sauce / buttermilk for a good 24 hours. this helps tenderize and flavor the chicken. some people perfer to brine the chicken in a salt water mixture saying it keeps the chicken juicy but i like the flavor the buttermilk gives the chicken (and bonus it stayed juicy!). oh and i actually don’t have a perfered fat to fry in other than paula deen says shortening and i like the idea that there’s not hint of peanuttiness and my mom was making milk gravy to go with it. you can use peanut oil or vegetable oil or canola oil or shortening. whatever floats your boat.

so make yourself a batch of good ol’ fried chicken. serve it with some macaroni & cheese and corn on the cob or some fresh green beans. throw in some biscuits and milk gravy… mmm….

what could be better than that??

kisses.

recipe adapted from: mom, maf (my maternal grandmother), john besh’s my family table, paula deen’s southern cooking bible

standing rib roast

so tomorrow is friday… can you believe it??! that’s what happens when you only work wednesday - friday in a week. thank goodness for mardi gras. now we all just have to make it through lent. which let’s face it…. when you live in south louisiana, no meat on fridays isn’t a bad day with all the great seafood here.

so why am i discussing all this great seafood and such when i’m getting ready to post a beef recipe? well because beef is delicious. and because i feel like it.

i’ve been wanting to attempt cooking a standing rib roast for a long time now… see, i’m a beef lover. like really. if i could eat steak every day i probably would. and that steak would still be mooing. i like my beef on the medium rare side. i mean there is nothing better than a good steak with a potato or something (like say roasted root veggies) on the side. so i finally got the opportunity to make this.

and it was delish.

i mean how could it not be? a hunk of meat, slathered in a roasted garlic (quite possibly one of my FAVORITE things EVER!) butter spread, and then perfectly roasted. C’MON!

standing rib roast

• 1 5lb standing rib roast, frenched - you could go larger or smaller if you wanted.
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 heads roasted garlic – i know this seems like a lot but 2 things: 1) you’re using it to cover all the meat and 2) in case you were unaware, garlic isn’t as pungent when it’s roasted, it gets sweeter; you could use less if you wanted
• roasted shallots – i roasted 4 medium  – large ones
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbs fresh herbs - use any mix you’re really fond of; i used chives, thyme and rosemary

1. preheat oven to 500F.
2. mix butter, roasted garlic, roasted shallots, herbs, salt and pepper.
3. slather the butter mixture all over the rib roast including the bones.
4. place rib roast on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. place in the preheated oven and roast for 25 min (or if you’re going larger / smaller, roast for 5 min per every 5 lbs). turn the oven off but don’t open the door. let the roast cook in the oven for an additional 1 hr 35 min (or until the total roasting time equals 2 hours). a thermometer should read 130F for the middle of the roast to be medium rare.
5. slice and enjoy!

seriously.

standing rib roast sounds like a really daunting and challenging thing but it’s super simple. and delicious. and you should totally attempt it for your next big occasion. or little occasion. or really any occasion.

kisses.

recipe adapted from: john besh’s my new orleans and tom fitzmorris’s new orleans food

weeknight bolognese

did you know that christmas is sunday?!?

i didn’t realize it was so close until last week! and that my friends sent me into a minor tailspin…

you see i’m usually pretty organized and to realize that christmas was only a week away and i hadn’t even begun my christmas shopping was a problem. this meant that i only had a week to get everything bought and wrapped. oh geez. but i’m slowing getting it done.

all this last minuteness means that i want something comforting to eat right about now. by comforting i mean some warm and rich and not necessarily dessert. weird right? normally i would be screaming for chocolate or ice cream or cookies or something… but what’s more comforting than pasta? when you think comfort food, i’m sure mac and cheese pop up in that thought process. well this isn’t mac and cheese but there is pasta and there is cheese. oh and there’s wine. and not just like a splash of wine. a whole cup of wine. so let’s recap a little of what’s in the recipe that makes it so good before we talk about how good it is… there’s pasta. there’s cheese. there’s beef. there’s wine. there’s heavy cream.

yeah the mix of those things makes this bolognese delicious. the recipe is from ina garten‘s how easy is that? cookbook. you know… the one where this wonderful thing came from. and once again, ina hit it out of the park! i was looking for a comforting bowl of pasta and oh did she deliver. this bolognese is warm and comforting. kinda like being wrapped up in a hug on a weeknight. and that’s part of the official ina title for this recipe. “weeknight bolognese”. she intends for you to be able to pull it all together on a weeknight. and you can! there’s not a lot of chopping and major prep work so it really is easy.

ina’s weeknight bolognese

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground sirloin
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbs dried oregano – which for the record i didn’t have… see i ran out and everytime i see it in a recipe i don’t write it on my list because i think i have it. it’s on the list now. oh and i just subbed with some italian seasoning i did have.
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes – you can go heavier or lighter depending on the heat level you like
• 1 1/4 c dry red wine, divided
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbs tomato paste – i highly recommend buying some in a tube so you don’t waste an entire can but it is pricy
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells – i used some of giada’s pasta from target because it was perfect for grabbing hold of the sauce… seriously girl knows how to make a good pasta shape
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 c chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1. heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. stir in the garlic, oregano (or italian seasoning), and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tbs salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper, stirring until combined. bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
3. while the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. when the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. add the sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan and toss well. serve hot with parmesan on the side.

a nice piece of garlic bread goes well with this too.

you really should try it when you’re looking for something comforting and easy on a weeknight.

kisses.