Recipes from the Dasarian Kitchens

[baby1111007]

Born and bred in New Orleans (although Wyv moved me up North), my momma is from a lil town outside Baton Rouge. Will be nice to have a fellow Cajun around.

[muletang]

okidoki, this roux of which you speak

A roux is simply flour and fat (oil or butter), in a 1:1 ratio

is that like half a pan of the stuff or is it drizzled, or (and I know you mentioned a gravy, but i like food covered in normal stock gravy, like swimming in it) poured liberaly?
I spose easiest to answer would be - how much roux for 2 average chicken breasts? Just so as I get an idea of what sorta quantity and don't end up skimping.
Heh, don't mean to sound so demanding there

[KeyraAugustina]

okidoki, this roux of which you speak

A roux is simply flour and fat (oil or butter), in a 1:1 ratio

is that like half a pan of the stuff or is it drizzled, or (and I know you mentioned a gravy, but i like food covered in normal stock gravy, like swimming in it) poured liberaly?
I spose easiest to answer would be - how much roux for 2 average chicken breasts? Just so as I get an idea of what sorta quantity and don't end up skimping.
Heh, don't mean to sound so demanding there

I too like my food doing the backstroke in gravy

Use this as a guide: 2 teaspoons flour, 2 teaspoons oil or butter, 1 cup liquid. This will give you 1 cup of gravy.

For poultry use chicken stock as the liquid. For seafood use oyster juice. For all else use water although I sometimes use beef consume for beef dishes.

[KeyraAugustina]

Born and bred in New Orleans (although Wyv moved me up North), my momma is from a lil town outside Baton Rouge. Will be nice to have a fellow Cajun around.

Cool, always fun talking with another Louisianian. Outsiders just don't understand the oddities we take for granted about La and Nawlin's in particular.

[KeyraAugustina]

Frogmore Boil

A very good "1 Pot" dish.

2-3 long links smoked beef sausage sliced
1 12pak of those frozen ears of corn (the short ones)
1 1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned (precooked is fine, pre-peeled is better)
1 package of Zatarain's seafood boil (get the pouch else it's a mess)
Some New Potatoes (the red ones) quartered.

In your largest pot (8 quart or better) fill it half way with water. Add the seafood boil pouch and the potatoes. Bring to a boil. When potatoes are nearly cooked add the corn. When the corn is nearly cooked add the sausage and shrimp. Boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and serve.

Meat, veggie (non green) and potatoes in one tasty dish. What more could you ask for?

[KeyraAugustina]

Most people are familiar with jambalaya, however...There are 2 types. Creole jambalaya is red and Cajun jambalaya which is called white but is really brown.

This may be a good time to cover the differences between Creole and Cajun, at least as far as food is concerned.

Cajun is rustic, stick to your ribs, food. Creole is more gourmet.

Jambalaya is a staple of everyday cooking. Its contents are so varied that it has been said, if you have it in the kitchen you can put it in the pot. Popular ingredients besides rice and chicken include sausage, seafood, and the "Holy Trinity" (celery, onion, and green peppers). And don't forget the cayenne pepper, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. It consists of two parts, the goo and the rice. It's best to make the goo a day in advance to let the flavors mingle. Then add the rice the day you want to eat it. Also...Fold the rice in. Don't smash it. Rice is your friend

Enough history, onto the food...

White Jambalaya
3 Cups Holy Trinity (1 cup each Onion, Bell Pepper, Celery)
2-3 pounds of meat. Chicken, Sausage, Oysters, Shrimp etc. Chicken and Sausage is a good combo as well as sausage and oyster.
1 clove garlic. Minced very fine.
cayenne pepper, thyme, and rosemary to taste.

Brown the meat in a pot. This is done at a high heat to sear in the juices. When browned remove from heat. You can drain the fat if you want but keep in mind your draining off flavor. Add some water to cover the meat and cook for about an hour over medium heat, until meat is done. When done you should have a little water left, enough to coat the bottom of the pan or so. Add the trinity and spices. cook until veggies are soft, about 15 minutes or so. Make sure there is still some liquid left. If you need to add some do so sparingly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. This is the goo.

Take the goo pot out of the fridge. Add chicken stock, rice and butter. General rule of thumb here is 2 cups stock to 1 cup uncooked rice. 1 cup rice to 1 pound meat.

Cook rice and goo together. If it is still watery after the rice is cooked cover and bake at 350 untill the proper consistency is reached. Should be very moist but not dripping.

[Eowade]

I do my Jambalaya different crockpot style. 1 onion chopped, 2 bell peppers chopped, 2 chicken breasts cut into strips, 1 pound smoked sausage sliced at about 1/4 inch, 1 pound shrimp shelled but save the shells, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves garlic pressed, 1 can tomoato paste, 3 tomotoes skinned and chopped into quarters, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried oregeno, 1 tablespoon tabasco or other hot sauce, 2 small green peppers (forget the actual name not jalepeno skinnier) chopped in thin slices, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 2 cups beef or chicken stock (put shrimp shells in it and boil down to about 1 and 1/2 cups then strain and add to crockpot with the rest.

Put all that in the crockpot on high for about 4 hours and you can cook up some rice to pour it over or add the rice to the crockpot it's up to you.

[baby1111007]

Chocolate covered Orange Balls

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound confectioners' sugar
* 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/4 pound butter
* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
* 1 1/2 pounds milk chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, vanilla wafers, walnuts, butter and orange juice. Mix well and shape into 1 inch round balls; allow to dry for 1 hour.
2. Place chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Stir frequently over medium heat until melted.
3. Dip balls into melted chocolate and place in decorative paper cups.


Note:
I made some completely covered in chocolate and then some just drizzled in chocolate, both were good.

[baby1111007]

Cheesy Artichoke and Spinach Dip


* 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 8 oz cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
* dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a small baking dish, mix together artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, Romano cheese, and garlic. Cover dish.
3. Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

[Will]

Lol, the ingrediants seem questionable, but our Wyvern's girl can make anything sound delicious! I wanna try! (But I'd never try making it myself.)

[Vahene]

I swear.

I hate mayonaise.. but I love Spinich Artichoke dip.. I have no clue why.

The same with cole slaw. Love it, hate mayonaise.

Questionable ingredients often lead to good food.

Sometimes you just have to nibble on it.

-K

[Tinuvhiell]

I absolutely cannot eat a piece of swiss cheese by itself. BUT I LOVE it on stuff. Turkey and swiss. Swiss on burgers. Swiss and crackers. With mustard and ham. You get the idea.

Same with anchovies. Hate them plain, love them in stuff.

[Melthavion]

Believe me when I tell you Tin, that this one is to die for.

*dies*


where's my cheesecake?

[Maankin]

You can make it in half an hour.

It's my favourite pasta dish. A Classic


Penne all arrabbiata (or in English Furious Penne, you get the idea )

Ingedients: (for 2)
250 g penne
500 g canned (Italian) tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes
1 or more dried peperoncini (small red peppers)
3 cloves of garlic
(optional: 1 onion)
fresh pecorino
olive oil
pepper and salt.
celery powder (don't shoot me)
(optional: flat parsley)

directions
Mince the garlic and onion and bake it in some olive oil 'till the onion gets glassy and the garlic lightbrown.
Extinguish with some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes.
Chop the two fresh tomatoes and add them.
Then add the rest of the canned tomatoes.
Mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or fork, but leave some structure.
Let the whole dish simmer for a few minutes.
Add a piece of pecorino (about 1x3 cm) and let the dish cook some more.
Add one (or more) minced peperoncini, but be carefull: add and taste is the message here.
Add pepper, salt and a just a sniff of celery powder.
Add 2 spoons of olive oil.
Let the whole dish simmer and the saus thicken (no lid (if you somehow used one before)) untill is has the right consistency.

A few minutes before the sause is ready, boil the penne in lightly salted water. When it's al dente, pour away the water.

Just before adding the penne to the sause, give the sause some extra heat. Mix the penne in with the saus, with just a little bit of the cooking fluid.

Wait for a few moments to let the taste of the sause enter the penne.

Serve with some grated pecorino and some parsley leaves.

[Tinuvhiell]

sounds easy and excellent