Crockpot Jambalaya on the Bayou

So we had a bit of dinner party for Mardi Gras. It started out as a quiet dinner, but then with Hurricanes got louder, and funnier, and the next thing we know, it was 2 AM. Yup... I was worthless the next day. But I learned one important thing, what you serve at a dinner party doesn't matter as much as the fun friends you invite. I have a passion for good food so here is my Jambalaya recipe adapted from Emeril! This recipe feeds 8 hungry friends. 

What you need: 

2 chopped Spanish onions large
2 chopped green peppers
4 chopped celery stocks
6 minced garlic cloves
1 large can of chopped tomatoes with juice
6 cups of chicken stock
3 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning (I use Slap ya Mama)
1 Tablespoon of Worcester Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Crystal Hot Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
salt 
pepper 
8 links of Andouille Sausage, smoked 
1 chicken shredded, cooked 
1 pound of cleaned, deveined shrimp, raw

For serving: 
6 cups of cooked rice on the side 
Chopped fresh parsley
Crystal Hot Sauce
Hurricanes
King Cake 
Hilarious Friends
Great music

What you do: 

1. Wash and chop all of your produce (onions, peppers, celery, garlic) and chuck it in a crock pot set on high if you 4 hours or low if you eight. 
2. Add all of your juices (tomatoes and chicken stock)
3. Now tip in your seasoning (Cajun, Worcester, crystal, vinegar, salt, pepper)
4. Cover it loosely with foil and let it cook. 
5. 30 minutes before serving tip in the meats (sausage, chicken) 
6. 10 minutes before serving add the shrimpeys (RAW)
7. Serve it up... 

Enjoy with great friends, great music, plenty of Hurricanes and have a ball. Lots of love, many blessings, and Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Moist Zucchini Bread, Gluten and Dairy Free

After a lifetime of being heavy and trying different diets, I think, I hope, I have my fingers crossed I think I found one that works for my body type. Everybody is different, but I have been eating a paleo diet for a little over a month, with an emphasis on local organic vegetables, and I feel great. I haven't lost a ton of weight, only seven pounds, but I feel amazing. My runs are the best they have ever been, my energy level is way high, and I sleep without sleeping pills. It is kind of mind blowing, #mindblown. So, I haven't really been blogging because to be honest, I am still getting the hang of this new way of cooking. But I tried this zucchini bread, and it is pretty awesome. So, here you go... 

What you need: 

1/2 cup coconut flour 
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs 
3 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 small to medium zucchini, shredded finely
1 ripe banana, smashed
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans or hazelnuts

What you do: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees 

2. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil

3. Mix together all the dry ingredients, and set aside

4. In a standing mixer or another bowl mix together all the wet ingredients including the shredded zucchini and banana. 

5. Mix the dry into the wet ingredients, and stir to combine. 

6. Fold in the nuts

7. Pour into your prepared loaf pan

8. Bake for about 45 minutes, but test it with a toothpick

9. Let cool 

10. Enjoy with outside with coffee for breakfast taking in the last few inhales of sweet Indian Summer 

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy baking!

Stuffed Cheesy Sausage Heirloom Tomatoes

I love stuffed vegetables. I think it is an Egyptian thing. We stuff anything, grape leaves, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, and everything stuffed is called "mashi." It is surprising how many traditional Egyptian dishes have Southern twins. This is one of them. I have put my own twist on it. I will also take this moment to brag about my garden of heirloom tomatoes, which adore. I found the Virginia Heirloom Tomato Seeds the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, which may be my favorite website of all time. I digress. Back to the maters, because they won't cook and eat themselves. 

What you need: 

4 large tomatoes 
1/2 pound lean sausage
1 medium onion diced
4 celery stocks diced
sprinkle of Slap yo Mama Creole Seasoning
a dash of cayenne 
1 teaspoon of balsamic or red wine vinegar 
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of cheese, any kind you like I used Muenster because that is what I had

What you do: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Slice the tops of the tomatoes and keep them (they will be lovely little hats later) 
3. Using a spoon gently take out the tomato innards and put into a bowl. 
4. Cook up in a hot cast iron skillet the onions, celery, seasonings (and the sausage unless it is cooked already)
5.Mix the tomato guts, sausage, most of the basil, cayenne, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper in a bowl 
6. Fill the tomatoes with the sausage mixture
7. Top each tomato with a slice of cheese and the little tomato hat
8. Cook for 20 minutes or in my case how long it takes me to sing my little one to sleep 
9. Serve with a smile on your face and love in your heart and a big glass of Chianti

As always, much love, many blessings and happy garden to tabling!  

Cucumber, celery, apple and lemon juice

This is by far my favorite juice. According to some of the juicing blogs I frequent cucumber has a cooling effect, very desirable in the hot Virginia blackberry summer. I also read that celery is a known stress reliever, clearly a status sought by all working moms. So hear goes, this recipe makes a quart. I make it on Sunday afternoons and then keep it in a jar for as long it lasts, usually a day or two for me. 

What you need: 

1 large english cucumber, washed 
1 large bunch of celery, washed
6 or so large apples, washed and quartered
1 small lemon, peeled and quartered

What you do: 

1. Using your juicer, turn on the blade runners
2. Push through all of the fruit and veg
3. Drink happily, clean the juicer soon after, you can compose the pulp

As always, much love, many blessings and happy juicing!

S'more Pops

This is a super easy, super fast treat. I made them for a sip n' see party but you could make them for any occasion, even a weeknight. 

What you need: 

12 or so large marshmallows
6 oz of chocolate chips or bark chocolate chopped
3 large graham crackers crushed 
12 or so paper straws or Popsicle sticks  

What you do: 

1. skewer the marshmallows with the straws
2. melt the chocolate chips in a mug in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time 
3. dip the marshmallow one at a time in the melted chocolate about 3/4 of the way up
4. take the chocolate marshmallow  out of the chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip off, shaking slightly 
5. then dip the chocolate covered marshmallow still wet into a bowl of crushed crackers about half way up 
6. allow the marshmallows to cool and harden on wax paper about an inch from each other 

as always, much love, many blessings, and happy chocolate dipping 

Skinny Spinach Manicotti (Vegetarian)

This is another one my of my freezer meals. You make a big batch and separate it into three aluminium tins and freeze it. This recipe also has the added benefit of being vegetarian. This recipe makes three 8X8 tins that you can freeze separately or you can make one large batch. 

What you need: 

1 large box of dry manicotti
1 jar of marinara sauce (16 oz) or your own (2 cups)
1 frozen bag of chopped organic spinach (16 oz) thawed
2 ricotta cheese 8 oz tubs (fat free if you are so inclined)
1 egg
1 large bag of shredded mozzarella 8 oz (fat free for me)
Italian seasoning
red pepper flake
olive oil spray  

What you do:

1. set a large pot of water to boil at least six quarts, once at a boil add one tablespoon of salt and the box of manicotti 
2. cook the manicotti for five minutes, it will still be quite raw but you want that so that it is not mushy when you put it in the oven
3. drain the manicotti, and spread on a large cookie sheet to cool 
4. drain the thawed chopped spinach and squeeze with your hands to remove any excess water
5. in a large ziptop bag mix together the spinach, ricotta, egg, and season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flake according to taste
6. prepare the baking dish(es) spray with olive oil spray, spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of the dish or dishes 
7. spread out the manicotti rolls in a single layer in the baking tins
8. snip one of the bottom tips of the ziptop bag with the spinach ricotta mixture 
9. fill each of the manicotti rolls with mixture
10. covered the filled manicotti with marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste
11. you can then cover with foil and bake right away, keep in the fridge for a day, or freeze them 
12. once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
13. cook for an hour covered, and uncovered for 15 minutes 
14. serve with chopped basil, Parmesan cheese on the table, a green salad and a good Italian Chianti 
15. enjoy with happy people who love you and love food 


as always, many blessings, much love, and happy cooking  

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Easter is here! Oh happy day. Let's celebrate with hot cross buns!

What you need:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm milk

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons ground spices (for example, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoon butter, softened

2 eggs, room temperature (if taking right out of the fridge, let sit in warm water for a few minutes to take the chill off before using)

3/4 cup currants (can sub half of currants with chopped candied citrus peel)

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Glaze

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Frosting

1 teaspoon milk

3 to 4 tablespoon powdered sugar

What you do:

1. First you will need to proof the yeast. In a small measuring cup, stir together 1/4 cup of the warmed milk and one teaspoon of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
2. In an electric mixer, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, the salt, spices, and 1/4 cup of sugar.
3. Add the foamy yeast, softened butter, and eggs, and the remaining milk. Using the paddle attachment of the mixer, mix the ingredients until well incorporated. Add in the currants, candied peel, and orange zest.
4. Switch to the dough hook attachment and start to knead on low speed. Slowly sprinkle flour, kneading until completely incorporated.
5. Pull the sticky dough from bowl. Clean the bowl and spray with oil. Form a ball of dough in the bowl, cover with a spray of oil and use plastic wrap over the bowl. Let sit, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours, until the dough has doubled.
6. Press down the dough. Roll the ball of dough into a log shape and cut it into 16 equal pieces.
7. Take the individual pieces and form them into balls by tucking under the edges. Place each ball an inch apart on a baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare egg wash by whisking together one egg and a tablespoon of milk. Score the top of the buns with a knife in a cross pattern. Using a pastry brush, brush on the egg wash over the dough.
9. Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the buns are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool.
10. Whisk together the milk and the powdered sugar. Pipe two lines of frosting across each bun to make a cross.

Serve with hot coffee after Easter Service.

As always, much love, many blessings, and Happy Easter.