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Pan-Seared Ribeye Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter

Happy Valentine’s Day! Because you all know how much I dread baking, I’m steering clear of the sweet stuff today and sharing instead my special holiday meal inspired by sumptuous steak dinners at Ruth’s Chris. The first half of the meal, creamed spinach, was posted yesterday. Here’s part deux! Pan-seared ribeyes. Pan-searing is the best way I know how to duplicate those sizzling steakhouse flavors at home. Over the past year, I’ve done a lot of pan-searing in an effort to perfect my skills. Along the way, I’ve tried different tips and tricks for coaxing the most flavor out of the [ ... ]

Gumbo: Pulled Duck and Sausage Gumbo (and Super Bowl)

It’s Super Bowl week guys and even though the Saints aren’t playing in the big game this year, there’s still plenty of energy and excitement in New Orleans. Hosting the event has a little something to do with that. The City’s also smack in the middle of Carnival season (as in Mardi Gras). That equates to full celebration mode from sun up to sun down. Hoorah! One of the great things about living in or visiting a host city is being able to share in the excitement surrounding the event without having to attend the event (because we all know how expensive [ ... ]

Crawfish and Tasso Enchiladas

We spent the week after Christmas with family back home in New Orleans. Whenever we’re there, we always get some sort of boiled seafood. Sometimes we buy it already cooked. Other times, usually when the seafood that’s in season is running good, we purchase it live and boil it ourselves at my in-laws’ house. During this most recent visit, lovely Louisiana blue crabs were in season. But supplies were limited due to cold temps and rain. So we ordered several dozen boiled from my father-in-law’s buddy Captain Sid. As we pulled into the parking lot to pick them up, my [ ... ]

Italian Sausage in Red Gravy

The hubby and I never go out for Italian, even though our friends rave about a couple of Italian restaurants right here in our neighborhood. I don’t doubt their word. It’s just that I’m used to New Orleans Italian cooking. Creole-Italian. And, unfortunately, that kind of unique Italian fare doesn’t exist here in Woodstock, Georgia. You see back home these great establishments, whether serving up Northern Italian, Tuscan or Sicilian food, all have a New Orleans spin. For the most part, their menus read like they would in other parts of the country. [ ... ]

Cabbage Casserole

Have you planned out or begun to prepare your “health and wealth” meal for the New Year? I made my spread last week and froze everything since I knew we’d be on the road. All I’ll have to do tomorrow is defrost a few containers and bake some rice while the hubby and I unload the car and get situated (a catch-all phrase I use quite often around here when I have plenty to do in a short time). This year’s good fortune grub will consist of my old faithful Black-Eyed Peas with Jalapeno Oil and Cabbage Casserole. [ ... ]

Mid-City Meatloaf

Remember last week when I was talking about brown gravy and how I used to resort to the store-bought stuff when I didn’t have any pan drippings to work with and before I discovered beef base? Well, I also used to pair that store-bought gravy with, among other things, meatloaf made with a store-bought seasoning packet. Then I finally set aside the time to make a few different versions from scratch and have never looked back. Best part is, this scratch version takes only a few extra minutes to make. It all starts with equal parts ground beef, veal and [ ... ]

Andouille, Spinach-Mushroom and Brie Bread Pudding

Do you all realize there are only two Thursdays between now and Thanksgiving?  How did that happen?  Why isn’t Thanksgiving on November 29, instead of November 22?  I’m well aware of the fourth Thursday of November tradition, but we’re losing an entire week here!  Can’t we buck the system just once?  For that reason alone, I’m glad I’m not hosting dinner this year.  That takes some pressure off.  But I still need to make two side dishes that can be prepared in advance and travel well (as in 500 miles well) or that can be made with little time and [ ... ]

Roast Chicken with Lemon Herb Pan Sauce

  I love roast chicken.  During the week, I pull together a simple family meal by roasting legs or legs and boneless thighs.  For those quick dinners, all I do is sprinkle the chicken with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  I then stick the pan in the oven and roast until all the fat has melted away and the skin is deep golden brown and crispy.  It’s a simple process for dark meat perfection.  I approach a whole chicken a little differently.  Because it contains both dark and white meat, I punch it up with more [ ... ]
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Grillades and Grits (Smoked Gouda Grits)

  According to the turn of the century cookbook, The Picayune Creole Cook Book, a grillade (pronounced “gree-yahd”) is a square of fried meat cooked down with onions, tomatoes, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  The cookbook indicates that plain and breaded (“Grillades Panées”) versions of this “fried meat” were served primarily as hearty breakfast items alongside things like cracked wheat, apple fritters and café au lait.  Among the poorer classes of Creoles, grillades were also served at dinner “with gravy” (“Grillades à la Sauce”) and a “dish of red beans and boiled rice.”  At some point between then and now, [ ... ]

Oyster and Artichoke Soup

  This soup is tied to one of my earliest cooking disasters.  One day while I was in the seventh grade home alone and bored, I decided to make–or attempt to make–Oyster and Artichoke Soup.  I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t even think to ask for help or search for a recipe (which at that time would have been limited to my mom’s red accordion recipe file and a couple of regional cookbooks).  My only points of reference were a flavor memory I had banked from a local restaurant meal and the title of that menu item.  [ ... ]