Traditional Christmas dishes in Louisiana

Traditional Christmas dishes in Louisiana

As promised today we will discuss FOOD! Now while we still do cook our turkeys and hams, we still hold tight to our traditional Christmas dinners. But we must remember in south Louisiana we all come from different backgrounds; from the French and Spanish, to the English, Italian, German, and yes many more, but each one brings it’s own flavor to our wonderful state.

Traditionally gumbo is the dish of the day, it is usually consists of chicken, ham, and sausage, along with garlic and plenty of wonderful spices, and all served over a bed of rice. But by no means is gumbo the only dish! Oyster dressing, corn pudding, and the list goes on.

Let’s take a look an Old-Fashioned Creole Holiday Menu:

BREAKFAST
Sliced Oranges
Small Hominy and Milk
Broiled Tenderloin Steak, Potatoes a la Creole
Omelet a la Creole
Rice Cakes with Louisiana Syrup (Cane Syrup)
Café au Lait

DINNER
Gumbo
Mashed Potatoes
Roast Turkey
Oyster Dressing
Cranberry Sauce
Baked Yams
Corn Pudding
Green Peas, Buttered
Plum Pudding, Mincemeat Pie
Assortment of Nuts and Fruits
Buche de Noel (Christmas Cake)

And to think that’s just 2 meals!!

But today I will share only one of the recipes above so you can practice it before the big day, but feel free to scroll below for the Oyster Dressing recipe I post a while back and give it a try also!
The Best Cane Syrup on Earth!

Rice Cakes with Louisiana Syrup (Cane Syrup)

2 cups cooked rice
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place the rice in a medium bowl.. Stir in baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Gradually to rice mixture, stirring with a whisk until well-blended.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop rice mixture by level tablespoonfuls into pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove fritters from pan with a slotted spoon. Pat dry with paper towels. Serve immediately with Louisiana Cane Syrup.

That’s it! Simple wasn’t it? This can be served through out the year, and made with any left over rice you have from dinner the night before.

More Christmas recipes and traditions next time; until then, I would love to hear about your families traditions, and what Louisiana recipes you would like to see here.

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Christmas ~ Louisiana Style!

Christmas ~ Louisiana Style!

 

Ahhhh the holidays, nothing brings out traditions more than this time of year; and in Louisiana, we have our fair share of these traditions. From our Pa Pa Noel (Santa Clause everywhere else) to our bonfires that light his way to our houses, our traditions are what makes who we are.

 

Lets start with Papa Noel. Pa Pa Noel is a tad bit different than most Santa Clauses, but then again, Louisiana is a tad bit different than any other place. Pa Pa Noel lives down in the hot, humid, swampy bayou of Louisiana, and instead of a sleigh (useless in the swamps) he drives a pirot ( a Cajun boat) and instead of reindeer…..would you believe, it is pulled by 8  alligators! To a stranger, I’m sure it’s a sight, but shouldn’t you be a sleep on that night?

 

Christmas Eve and the lighting of hundreds of bonfires long the Mississippi River in Louisiana originated with German and French settlers who migrated to the state in the 19th century. As tradition dictates the lights are to guide Mary and Joseph, but they also do a wonderful job of guiding Pa Pa Noel and those 8 alligators to navigate the river through thick fog to bring presents to the children….. and yes guide their parents along the river road to Midnight Mass.

 

But traditions go beyond just Pa Pa Noel and bonfires, it’s in the things that we do, in what we cook and eat, and what in our very soul. Each and every little thing combines to make us Louisiana.

 

Please join me for my next blog when I start to cover our holiday traditions in food, and yes another recipe!

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Holidays

Seems that I have taken almost the entire year off this year, but honestly, I have been fine tuning recipes, and working on my other passion ……photography. With that being said, I am happy to report I am back!

With the holidays upon us, what better way to celebrate than with dessert!

One of my all time favorites is also one that is not only a southern tradition, but a New Orleans FAVORITE! World famous Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans makes one that is to die for, but if getting to New Orleans just for a Red Velvet Cake, is just not in your budget this year, and having one shipped is out of reach…..well then the next best thing is to bake it yourself.

Now before you panic; breath it’s not hard at all, and before you know it,your family will be asking you to bake another one.

Red Velvet Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour ( you can use the spray if you wish) 2 9 inch round cake pans.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce bottle)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
1 cup crushed pecans or cake crumbs for garnish

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed, and colored through out.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven, invert the cakes onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake using cream cheese frosting below. Garnish with pecans or cake crumbs once cake is completely frosted.

Store cake in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened (3 – 8 ounce packages)
5 cups sifted powdered (confectioners’) sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In large bowl with mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until well blended. Slowly add powdered sugar to mixture, scraping sides down often. Once all combined add vanilla. If mixture becomes to think you may thin with a tablespoon of milk.

Use to frost Red Velvet Cake.

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Louisiana Style Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Louisiana is culturally diverse, in so many ways. Many are aware that New Orleans and French-speaking South Louisiana prepare the worlds best Red Beans and Rice, but in Louisiana there are many cultures that come together and in varying ways to influence the cuisine found here. One of these cultures is Italian.

Many of the Italians that now call Louisiana home had grandparent that emigrated here at the turn of the century from southern Italy-Apulia, Calabria, and primarily Sicily, bringing with them a wonderful addition to our south Louisiana cuisine.

The recipe below, is one of those examples, where not only the traditional flavors of Italy take stage, but combine with the subtle heat flavors you have come to expect from south Louisiana. Enjoy!

Louisiana Style Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

1 pound spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced yellow onions
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups red wine
6 cups fresh peeled diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste (12 ounce)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea-salt
2 teaspoons paprika

In large stock pot place sausage, and ground beef, cook over medium heat until browned. Remove meat from pan, and drain off grease, set aside.

Return stock pot to heat, pour in olive oil, onions, and garlic; sauté until onions are tender. Return meat to pot, adding wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, sea-salt, and paprika.

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow sauce to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8

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Mirliton & Shrimp Casserole

The Chayote squash as some may know it; is known here in South Louisiana as mirliton. It was brought here by the Spanish from the Canary Island in the 1700s. Today, it is the premier vegetable of the Cajuns and Creoles. You can find it growing in the backyards of South Louisiana, or pretty much at any grocery store in America. Look for them in the produce section, in the vegetable section, they are a pale green and actually resemble a pear just not as round as a pear, hence forth why they are also known as the vegetable pear.

This casserole blends mirliton with another Louisiana favorite, shrimp making it a traditional Cajun meal. Serve this dish warm from the oven, with a slice of warm French bread.

Mirliton & Shrimp Casserole

Mirliton & Shrimp Casserole

6 medium mirlitons
2 tablespoons crab boil (liquid)
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup dried parsley
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup Italian bread crumbs

Boil mirlitons until tender in water that has the crab boil added. Peel and cube the pulp. Sauté onions, garlic, shrimp and parsley in butter over medium heat, until shrimp are pink, remove from heat and place in bowl. Add mirliton, add salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into 9×13-inch casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Serves 6

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Peach Cobbler

Peach cobbler is one of those dishes that are uniquely southern in origin, but enjoyed world wide. And you will find that everyone has their grandmothers peach cobbler recipe that has been handed down to each generation. I have replaced the milk in mine with buttermilk, but feel free to revert back to milk if you do not like buttermilk.

Peach Cobbler

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1½ cups buttermilk
½ cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1½ cups self-rising flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven 350’

Combine the peaches, 1 cup of sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in medium saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place butter in a 9×13 baking dish and place in oven to melt, remove after butter has melted completely.

Mix remaining cup of sugar, flour, and buttermilk together slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture into baking dish over melted butter. DO NOT STIR! Spoon fruit mixture on top of flour mixture, gently pouring in syrup. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes and golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Cherry Banana Nut Bread

I’m sure most you have figured that I like to mix things up, and today’s recipe is no exception. Now don’t get me wrong, banana nut bread is wonderful, but it also so very expected. I’ve come up with a new twist on this classic snack food that will leave everyone wanting more! The cherries and bananas marry beautifully together, in this recipe, and the almonds provide the harmony ; together it is a symphony for your taste buds….enjoy!

Cherry Banana Nut Bread

1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons soda
4 cups flour
4 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
1 cup cherries diced
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Cream together butter and sugar until mixture becomes light yellow. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture. Stir in bananas, cherries and chopped almonds.

Pour batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans; bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, or top with a powered sugar glaze.

Makes 2 loaves

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Easy Homemade Butter!

Making butter easy you ask…? YES!! And homemade butter tastes so much better than what you can buy at the store, the results are sweeter , and creamier, not to mention no additive or preservatives!

A few things to remember when making your own butter ~
1) 1 quart (32 ounces) of cream will make 1 pound of butter.

2) Not only will  get butter, you will also get about 2 cups of buttermilk….a win ~win thing!

3) Use a cream that is at least 35 % butter fat.

Now lets get started!

Pour cream into bowl of a electric mixer, set mixer to medium speed. As you beat the cream you will begin to form soft peaks of whipped cream….keep beating. You want to continue beating until the cream starts to look like soft cottage cheese, these blobs are the butter fat, the liquid you see is the buttermilk! Turn off mixer. Carefully pour off the buttermilk, although this buttermilk is not as thick and tangy as the kind you buy at the store, it can be used in cooking, baking, and of course drinking!

Using a stiff spatula press butter against sides of bowl to continue to drain out buttermilk.

After buttermilk is drained store buttermilk in a glass mason jar, this usually keeps well for about 7 to 10 days.

Now you will want to give your butter a water bath.This step helps keep your butter from spoiling. Add about 1/2 ice water to butter press butter and water against side of bowl. Repeat this process several times until the water water is clear. ( Note you will have to change the water out several times).

Continue kneading butter against side of bowl until all liquid is pressed out. Once this is down you can now salt your butter if you so wish, also at this point you can also add fresh herbs to your butter.

Try adding these additions to your fresh butter:

Parsley and lemon zest

Garlic and dill

Dried cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon

The possibilities are endless!

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Lets talk King Cake!!

A custom brought to Louisiana in the 18th century by French settlers ,where it remained associated with the Epiphany until the 19th century when it became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom. In New Orleans, the first cake of the season is served on January 6. A small ceramic figurine of a baby was hidden in the cake, nowadays it is a plastic baby. Whoever finds the baby was allowed to choose a mock court and host the next King Cake party the following week (weekly cake parties are held until Mardi Gras ).

King Cake is simple, the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food coloring. Some varieties have filling inside, the most common being cream cheese followed by praline. Popular bakeries such as Gambino’s, Haydel, and Randazzo, feature original recipes and types of king cakes.

It has become customary in the New Orleans culture that whoever finds the trinket must provide the next king cake.

King Cake is traditionally served with chicory coffee’ as Coffee’ au lat’.

Basic King Cake Dough

1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
4 cups, approximately, all purpose flour

Mix the yeast with the warm water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the flour into the yeast and set aside. By the time you have measured the other ingredients, the yeast should be beginning to bubble and show signs of life.

Bring the milk to a boil and stir in the butter and the sugar. Pour into a large bowl; the mixture should be lukewarm. Beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs and the yeast.

Beat in approximately 2 cups of flour, until the dough is fairly smooth, then gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft dough that you can form into a ball. Knead it, by hand, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, turn the dough once or twice in it to grease it lightly all over, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn’t a seam,
place on greased cookie sheet, cover and allow to rise 1 hour.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes and golden brown.

Cool completely. Insert plastic baby into cake from the bottom side. Make the icing. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and 3 cups confectioner’s sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

Makes 1 cake

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Creamy Taco Soup

Soups are rich and hearty, they are a huge part of Cajun and Creole cooking. And every once in a while we do come up with something a little different, and this is one of those times.

Creamy Taco Soup is the aftermath of hours of brain storming of trying to come up with a soup that was different, but had flavor, for a friend who had recently had all their top teeth pulled, and was getting really tired of pudding, and bland soups. And so Creamy Taco Soup was born! Now it has become and easy delicious dish, that my teenagers love!

Creamy Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) chili beans
1 can (14.5 ounce) petite diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup minced onions
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese divided in half
Sour cream for topping
Corn chips

In large pot cook ground beef into crumbles. Mean while in food processor puree Rotel tomatoes, chile beans, diced tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Set aside.

Remove ground beef from pot and drain. In small batches puree cooked ground beef.

Return beef to pot adding the pureed Rotel mixture, taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and half of the cheese. Simmer over medium- low heat for 20 minutes.

To serve, place corn chips in bottom of bowl, ladle soup over chips, and top with remaing cheese, and sour cream.

Serves 6

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