New Orleans and Jambalaya

For the 4th of July, my husband's baseball team was scheduled to play a series in New Orleans.  While it's usually a city known for drunken debauchery and strip clubs, we had learned to LOVE the food there while he attended Tulane from 2007-2009.  Since it was only 5 hours away, I drove up a) to see him, and b) to allow us both to visit some of our favorite restaurants!

The baseball field is in Metarie, just outside of New Orleans.  In the interest of sleep we didn't get to all of our favorites, which are mostly near Tulane or downtown, but we did eat some amazing food during the trip!  

Us at Cannon's in 2008

One of our favorites had been Cannon's-- a casual fine dining restaurant on St. Charles.  While my husband (then boyfriend) attended Tulane, I was in Florida for graduate school.  Cannon's was one of the places we went to every time I visited.  On the 4th, right after we both arrived, we wanted to go to this wonderful restaurant for lunch.  However, we drove past the location and were disappointed to find it had been replaced!  A little research indicated the restaurant had closed in 2010.  So sad!  

Other than Cannon's, the other places we wanted to visit were still very much in business!  We made sure to visit Hoshun, one of the best sushi restaurants we've ever visited.  (The Buddha Belly roll was SUPERB!)  Additional food stops included Zea (try the Almond Shrimp appetizer!) and Drago's (awesome Charbroiled Oysters).  Further, the Creole Creamery is a fantastic place to get some ice cream!  They have so many flavors-- some traditional, and many so unique you won't find them anywhere else!  AND the flavors are always changing. We also wanted to go to Red Fish Grill, another favorite, but we missed out due to a game ending late and ended up at Oceana-- which was tasty but much more casual.  Other late night trips included Port of Call for delicious burgers topped with cheese and mushrooms, served with a baked potato (see photo).  We of course had to accompany the burgers with their famous Monsoon drink! Note: Unless you plan on taking a cab home, share this drink with someone ;)

A few others we just didn't have time for included the Camellia Grill, Panola Street Cafe, and Acme Oyster House.  I'm sure there are more, and although it was a wonderful trip it went by too fast!  That said, it did inspire some Cajun cooking in my own kitchen!  Before traveling to see my husband again, I decided to make him some homemade jambalaya-- a New Orleans staple.  This recipe is a great basis for the entree, and can easily be customized to your individual tastes and dietary requirements (I once made it into three variations: no seafood, no meat except seafood, and the full recipe for a small dinner party!) Make it your own, and enjoy!!!

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

10 oz bacon, chopped (**note: if using turkey bacon, use half as it does not cook down as much)

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

12 oz pork sausage, casings removed

2-3 chicken breasts (depending on size), cut into bite-sized cubes

2 onions, chopped

4 stalks celery, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove the seeds and ribs if you want less spice)
3 cups long-grain white rice

2/3 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 T. paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot!)

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 pounds medium raw shrimp

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Directions:

1.  Heat a large pot over moderate heat.  Render the bacon with the sausages, stirring occasionally.

2.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Add to pot, stirring, until cooked through.










3.  Add the onions and cook until they become caramelized (~15 minutes).  Then add the jalapeno, celery, and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes.







4.  Add the rice, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne, celery salt, kosher salt, and black pepper.  Cook a few more minutes.

5.  Increase the heat to high, and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.

6.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then fold them into the pot along with the green onions.  Turn the heat off, and cover the pot again and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Serve in bowls, and enjoy!

*Recipe modified from John Besh's Shrimp, Chicken, and Andouille Jambalaya

Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza

Addiction, by definition, is the continued use of a substance of behavior despite adverse consequences.  So, I'm coming clean...

I'm addicted to truffle oil.

Continued use? Yep- any chance I get.  Adverse consequences?  I'd say so-- eating an entire pizza in a fairly short period of time probably isn't so good for me.  Oops.

So that is in fact exactly what happened when I made this pizza.  It combines some of my favorite things: truffle oil (obviously), mushrooms, and cheese!  I tried to take pictures of the process while cooking... but I was clearly too excited and ended up with little more than pictures of mushrooms and the final product.  Sorry!  Maybe next time?  Eh- chances are the same thing will happen again.  However, my message to you: make this pizza, and whatever you do, don't plan on sharing it with many people.  You won't want to.

I know it looks like a lot of mushrooms, but they shrink when they lose their moisture and cook... usually about half the volume so double what you think you want!  If you don't, by the time they're cooked you'll be wondering who the mushroom thief might be :)

Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (purchased or prepared from scratch)

8 ounces sliced mushrooms (any combination- I used portobello, shiitake, cremini, and button)

1/2 large white onion

4+ ounces mozzarella, shredded

truffle oil

1/2 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the onion thinly, and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently until caramel in color.  

Prepare pizza dough according to directions (on package or recipe).  Roll it out to the shape of your pan, making sure it's fairly even.
2. Top the pizza with mushrooms, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bake at about 425 for a few minutes for crispy crust; decrease to 400 for a few more minutes if you want the crust more thoroughly cooked.
3. As soon as the pizza is done to your preferences, bring it out and sprinkle a little more parmesan (if you want) and then drizzle a TINY amount of truffle oil.  As obsessed as I am, I promise a little bit goes a long way!
4.  Slice, and ENJOY! :)

Dumplings/Gyoza

My friend, Natalie, and I both had a long day today.  After battling INSANE Houston traffic, we ended up at our regular sushi place (just in time to order happy hour appetizers!).  We ordered edamame and gyoza as usual... only the gyoza is no longer really all that good.  It was fine, but after this recipe I made a couple weeks ago nothing else really measures up.  It takes some time to put it together, but it's most definitely worth it!   In order to share this tastiness with whomever else has been disappointed by lack-luster gyoza, here you go!

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings/Gyoza

Filling:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs shrimp, peeled/deveined (don't worry about the size-- you're going to chop it anyway)

1 lb ground pork

3 T. toasted sesame oil

3 T. low sodium soy sauce

1 T. cornstarch

3 T. fresh ginger (you can use the fresh grated in the tube-- equal amounts)

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

4 scallions, finely chopped

4 egg whites

Juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 oz can water chestnuts; chopped

Wrappers:

Round wonton wrappers (square works too if that's all you find)

Sauces:

Chili Soy Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 T red chili sauce (i.e. Sriracha)

2 T reduced sodium soy sauce

Scallion Ginger Sauce:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

1 finely chopped scallion

1/4 tsp fresh ginger

Directions:

Finely chop the shrimp, garlic, and green onions.  Mix together with the ground pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, egg whites, and lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the chopped water chestnuts.

Place a wonton wrapper on a clean cutting board and add a small amount of filling in the center.  Brush the edges of the wrapper with water (I use my finger).  Take one edge of the wrapper and fold it to the other to create a half moon shape, and make folds/pleats to press the two sides together until the filling is fully enveloped.  Add just enough filling to make it full, but not so much that it squeezes out :)  It may take a couple tries to get the perfect amount.

After making many of the gyoza, heat the skillet with 1-2 T oil over medium-high heat.  Add a few of the dumplings to the hot pan, smooth sides down.  Let them sear 1-2 minutes, then add about 1/2 cup water, cover, and let steam until cooked-- about 3-4 minutes.  Serve with sauces and enjoy!

Prosciutto and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

 This recipe looks fancy, but really isn't all that difficult!  It's also one that satisfies a variety of tastes, and the amount can be easily adjusted.  I remember making this dish for my roommates and several of our friends during graduate school-- the house was full of noisy chatter while I was cooking, but the minute they began to eat the house fell silent.  Definitely a good sign!   Roasted potatoes and veggies or a salad are great sides to complete the meal.  Here I served it on top of a bed of fresh spinach.

What to do:

Place a chicken breast in a large resealable plastic bag, and pound the chicken breasts out from the center.  This is particularly fun if you've had a bad day :)   It's not going to look pretty or symmetrical... it's chicken.  Just try to make it fairly even, and thin enough to easily roll around a filling.  Be careful though- if you get carried away with the pounding it's possible to tear the chicken, which of course makes it difficult to keep the stuffing in!  

Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.  Combine sun-dried tomatoes and garlic-herb cheese, and divide between the two pieces of chicken.  (Note: If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cheese.)  Wrap and roll the chicken over the stuffing, and secure with toothpicks.  Try not to wrap too tight or you'll squeeze out all the good stuff! 

Season the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan with olive oil and brown on all sides, cooking approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  This will take a longer or shorter amount of time depending on how thin your chicken is, so just make sure to keep an eye on it.  Nobody likes over-cooked chicken (or raw for that matter).  Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate, and cover with foil.

Melt the butter in the pan, then whisk in flour and cook for a minute or so.  Stir in the wine, reduce for a minute, then add chicken broth and tarragon.  When combined and simmering, add mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.**

**Its so important to season while you're cooking!  To see for yourself, taste this sauce before adding the salt and pepper-- it's good, but nothing special.  Add the salt and pepper, and the flavors come ALIVE!  I promise, it makes a world of difference.  Just do it.

Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, and serve with as much or as little sauce as you want!  Mmm mmm good! 

Prosciutto and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 slices prosciutto

1/2 cup light garlic and herb cheese spread

1-2 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 T fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

4 oz. white or baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Place a chicken breast in a large resealable plastic bag.  Pound the chicken breasts out from the center to desired thickness.

2. Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.  Combine sun-dried tomatoes and garlic-herb cheese, and divide between the two pieces of chicken.  (Note: If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cheese.)  Wrap and roll the chicken over the stuffing, and secure with toothpicks.

3. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat; add 1-2 T. olive oil.  Season the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan and brown on all sides, cooking approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

4. Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate, and cover with foil.  In the same pan, add the butter and melt.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so.  Stir in the wine, reduce for a minute, then add chicken broth and tarragon.  When combined and simmering, add mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until ready to serve and mushrooms are cooked, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, and serve with a generous helping of the sauce over top.  Enjoy!