Grains, Rice and Pasta

Grains, Rice and Pasta recipes

Two Good Gumbo recipes from our New Orleans Days
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Two Good Gumbo recipes from our New Orleans Days

Two Good Gumbo recipes from our New Orleans Days

Seafood and or Chicken

What is New Orleans without a big bowl of Gumbo ?  Here are two recipes one for the seafood lovers and one for those who are not so crazy about seafood. I found these in the Cane River Cuisine cook book which we got when attending a tour of the plantations festival in Natchitoches, LA. TI was published by one of my favorite customers wife group, while I was with 20th Century Fox. We have had many a good meal either taken for directly or tweaked by us.

Natchitoches_Downtown

Mama’s Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:

  • 3 large white onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. Oil
  • 1 package frozen sliced okra
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 6 tbsp. Oil
  • 6 tbsp. Flour
  • 2 pounds cleaned deveined shrimp
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 ½ cups chopped green onion and tops (scullions)
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 tsps. Thyme
  • Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and onion salt to taste
  • 6 dashes of tabasco
  • 1 can lump crabmeat
  • 1 16 ounce jar oysters

 

How:

Sauté white onions and garlic in 3 Tablespoons oil. Add okra and cover until okra becomes tender. Add tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. Make a dark roux using 6 tablespoons flour and 6 tablespoons oil. Add 2 quarts water slowly to roux. Stir constantly. Add okra, onion, garlic and tomato mixture. Add chopped green onions and parsley, bay leafs and thyme. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, salt and tabasco. Let cook on medium heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, add crabmeat and oysters, Allow to cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, Serves 8 to 10

Cane River

Chicken and Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

  • 1 (2 pound) Fryer
  • 2 or 3 cups cut okra
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons oil or bacon drippings
  • Pinch of sweet basil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
  • Green onion tops, chopped fresh parsley or parsley flakes

How:

Cut chicken into pieces and boil in about 1 gallon water. Remove and debone. Cook okra, onions, bell pepper and tomatoes in oil slowly for about 30 minutes or until okra is not slimy. Make a roux with 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons oil. Add roux, vegetables and chicken to hot chicken broth. Add other seasonings and cook slowly for about 2 hours. Before serving add fresh onion tops and parsley chopped fine. Serve over rice. Serves 6.

Cane River Cuisine

Mornin Oatmeal
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Mornin Oatmeal

I guess the older one gets the more set in their ways they become. Look around everyone has their quirks from the same breakfast routine to one who has to enter office from a certain door, drive a certain route, getting ready for bed……. Routines they are there with us all the time once set are hard to break you can chuckle at them they are kind of funny. What are a few of your routines? One of my many is my mornings, I come down stairs around 5 AM have my juice and daily supplements, turn on the coffee maker, go to the living room and do my 33.5 minutes of Qi Gong, then I make my oatmeal and coffee sit and watch the news until I see the weather (heh I am getting older for some reason it has become important), then I write my “morning” email to my family, get ready for work and leave. That was one long sentence I told you I am a flow of thought writer.

Ingredients

½ cup organic rolled oats

1 cup water

Pinch or 2 of ground cinnamon

Small hand full of raisins

Small hand full of whole raw unsalted almonds

Morin Oatmeal

How

Combine all ingredients in small pot simmer to desired thickness.

You can serve with cut up banana, apple whatever I like it without.

You can prepare with walnuts

You can use milk if you like

I’m just telling you my routine

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American Chop Suey and a bonus Mom’s receipe

Everyone has their own comfort foods, I have many but one of my favorites is American Chop Suey. Last summer when out to lunch with my Brother and Nancy the special of the day was American Chop Suey both my brother and I let out a gasp and our minds were made up. It was a disappointment not what Mom used to make, the taste in my mind was not met. I believe Mike felt the same way. For years I have tried this combination and that never matching my mom who swore she did not remember it had been years since she had made it for us. Then one day I came real close and have stuck to it since changing it ever so slightly every time I make it since I cook from the gut. My wife is not a fan of American Chop Suey so it is not made that often but it was today. Oh ya read below this recipe see what I found.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean Ground beef
  • 1 onion chopped roughly
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 green pepper cored, seeded and chopped
  • 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
  • 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 lb. box Elbow macaroni
  • Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, red-hot pepper flakes to taste
  • Ketchup (optional, not for me)

How:

In a fry pan cook hamburger, onion, and celery until meat is browned and the veggies are limp but still have some crunch left. While browning chop up the beef into small chunks. Drain off the grease.

Crush tomatoes by hand over the pan, pour in the juice from the can and the tomato sauce.

Add whatever spices you are comfortable with. I use salt, pepper, oregano, basil, (I suppose a short cut could be Italian seasoning mix) a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes depends on your hotness taste. Add the chopped green pepper at this point I feel it kept them a little crunchier but I suppose you could add in the first step.

Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes.

Meanwhile, bring five quarts of water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook for about five minutes. The pasta should be aldente, not thoroughly cooked. Drain, return to pot and add the contents of the other pan. Gently simmer for five minutes to finish cooking the macaroni and to let it absorb the liquid.

Remove from heat, and put it to the side. I find that letting it sit for at least a half hour lets the flavors really come together I also stir occasionally to help cool and not over cook the pasta.

Ok now I was raised to top with ketchup when served but this is strictly optional, it just does not taste right to me without, what can I say?

Mom’s American Chop Suey (The card was numbered 87)

Mom passed in February and while cleaning out her condo my wife came across a little tin that had Mom’s recipes and there it was American Chop Suey. Now there is no way to know if this was what I had grown up with and how she may have morphed it but here is her recipe.

Maybe someday I will try this but for now I really like mine.

The index card had this information.

2 cups of elbow macaroni cooked 9 min and drained.

Sauté

  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 tbsp. salad oil
  • 1 lbs. chopped beef
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. Accent, salt, pepper

Drain fat and add:

  • 1 can tomato sauce (Hunt’s)
  • 3 cups tomato puree #2 ½ can (does this mean 2 and ½ cans)
  • ¼ tsp. instant bouillon
  • ½ oregano
  • Sprinkle with salt

Cook 10 minutes

Add cooked macaroni; simmer covered 1 hour

Mrs. Lawrence (Harriette) Pearlman – anyone remember her?

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Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I loved Mac & Cheese since I was a kid. I can remember in my teens making the Kraft boxed and thinking I was a great chef mixing powered cheese(?) with the freshly boiled tiny little elbow macaroni’s and milk or water. I graduated to the deluxe version that had the cheese(?) as sauce in the can. I was in Mac & Cheese heaven watching Bruin’s hockey a devouring a whole box. It was not until I was transferred to Dallas with 20th Century Fox that I met Paul and Clair who introduced me to Mac & Cheese made from scratch and real chesses. I was sold.

This time I made it with white cheddar and America cheeses, but normally I like a sharp orange cedar cheese. You can use many kinds of cheeses which I have, so experiment. I have found at least to my liking that cheeses that get stringy when melted (i.e. mozzarella) do work but everyone has different taste and who am I to say…..

Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne, elbow or cavatappi (corkscrew) macaroni.
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour.
  • 4 cups milk, heated.
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese.
  • 2 cups finely chopped American cheese.
    • Remember you can use more or all cheddar if you want.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Tabasco or hot pepper sauce.
  • ¼ freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  • 4 TBS butter

How

In a large pot bring lightly salted water to boil and cook macaroni and cook aldente. Drain well.

Preheat the oven to 350◦ with rack in center. Butter 13”x 9” baking dish, alternatively use a deep 4 quart casserole.

Melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup each of Cheddar and American cheese. Season with salt, pepper and tabasco sauce.

Combine the rest of the Cheddar and American cheese. Spread ½ of the macaroni on the bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with slight more than half the combined cheeses and then ½ the sauce. Add the remaining of the macaroni top with the cheese and then sauce. Now sprinkle the graded parmesan cheese over the top. If using the 4 quart casserole 1/3 of macaroni, ½ of combined cheeses, 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat with another 1/3 of macaroni and remaining cheese and ½ the sauce.  Finish with the removing macaroni and sauce and then sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese. I prefer the baking dish it is easier to make single servings and you can freeze these for a quick, meal or side. (Add a little water when re-heating in microwave.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown around the edges. About 30 minutes.