Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Recipe: Crescent City Shrimp Jambalaya: From Denny: Not in the mood for the chicken version of jambalaya? No problem; make it with shrimp and andouille sausage for a change of pace. Shrimp is ridiculously popular down South that we are forever creating new dishes to keep up with the demand.
Louisiana cooking is based off of French cooking and with the same mindset of employing whatever food sources are at hand. From the bayous or spillways teeming with yummy crayfish to the gorgeous shrimp and oysters from the Gulf of Mexico we create recipes around our bountiful food.
Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya
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From Denny: This is an easy unique way to cook fudge - in a slow cooker! What fun, a super simple fast recipe! It has our name all over it and think how you can make up many batches of this to give as hostess gifts at Christmas parties or other seasonal gift giving.
It's also a kid friendly recipe it's so easy to do. You cook the fudge on High in the slow cooker for about 20 minutes total and then pour it out into a pan lined with waxed paper. Place in fridge to cool and harden.
Peanut Butter Fudge From: Ramon Biggio Serves: 6 to 8 Ingredients: 1 (18-oz.) jar peanut butter, crunchy or creamy 12 ozs. semisweet chocolate chips 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Directions: 1. Spoon out peanut butter into slow cooker and add in chocolate chips. 2. Cook on High for 10 to 15 minutes or until melted. Stir. 3. Pour in condensed milk and vanilla. Stir and continue cooking on High for 10 minutes. 4. Pour into 9x9-inch dish lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm and cut into squares.
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Comfort Food From Louisiana: Creole Style Avocado Salad: From Denny: Want an easy dip that is quick to make in this summer heat? Who wants to spend time working in a hot kitchen when you can be out by the pool munching, right?
Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya
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From Denny: This is too easy. You can grill this entire dessert indoors on a grill pan. All you do is grill the fresh pineapple until it caramelizes nicely and gets those all important status grill marks.
Brush both sides of the prepared pound cake with butter. We use clarified butter at our house because it helps your heart by skimming off the artery clogging milk solids and the resulting clear golden oil can also can be used at a higher heat.
Grill the buttered pound cake. Top with vanilla ice cream and top with your favorite yummy chocolate sauce. Summer is so easy with winning easy recipes like this classic!
Photo by Family Features
Grilled Pound Cake With Ice Cream, Pineapple and Chocolate Drizzle
From: Sara Lee
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 1/2-inch slices pound cake
2 tbls. unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2-inch pineapple rings
2 small scoops vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup chocolate sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium.
2. Brush each slice of pound cake with melted butter.
3. Grill pineapple slices 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown and caramelized on both sides.
4. While pineapple is grilling, place pound cake slices on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until each side is lightly golden brown.
5. Top pound cake slices with grilled pineapple and ice cream. Finish with a chocolate sauce drizzle.
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From Denny: Yet another tasty version of a bread pudding, only this time a prepared and toasted pound cake is used in place of the bread.
This recipe uses candied pecans. If you can't find them, try roasting your raw pecans in a baking dish at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes - with a little butter like a tablespoon for one-half cup of pecans - until lightly browned.
After roasting, lightly salt the pecans and add a tablespoon of brown sugar while still hot. It will melt into the pecans so toss well to coat. That will get the toasted and sweet taste of commercially prepared candied pecans. You can make your own roasted candied pecans which are far fresher - and minus all those additive ingredients that seem to alter the full flavor of the nuts.
The beauty of the heavenly mixture of cream and eggs creating a custard for anything immersed in it is a winning combination since baking began. It's the foundation of many good breakfast casseroles or sweet pudding desserts.
You only require two bananas for this recipe so it is a good choice for what to do with those last remaining bananas sitting on your kitchen counter. And those broken eggs sitting in the fridge? This is another way to dispose of those cracked eggs safely - in a baked dish. I never use cracked eggs for fried or scrambled eggs as those versions of eggs are usually not thoroughly cooked. Place them in a baked dish like this one and enjoy!
Banana Nut Pound Cake Pudding
From: Sara Lee
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 1/2-inch slices pound cake
2 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 small ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 cup candied pecans, optional
Whipped topping, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cut pound cake slices into 1/2-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly toasted.
3. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, vanilla and brown sugar until well blended. Set aside.
4. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans, if using, onto prepared baking dish. Top with toasted pound cake and banana slices. Pour egg mixture over the top. Press down pound cake pieces with back of a spoon to submerge completely and let stand 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with remaining pecans, if using, and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with whipped topping.
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From Denny: Want something fast and easy to serve for a family dessert or unexpected guests that drop by for a visit? This is a simple one from Sara Lee. It involves a prepared pound cake of your choice.
FYI, pound cake, even one made from scratch, freezes well so it's easy to have on hand for a last minute dessert. When I make a pound cake I slice it when cooled and then freeze the slices separately so I'm ready to go for whatever portions are needed.
For the lovely melted gooeyness of the S'mores genre, add some miniature chocolate chips of your choice. We like the dark 60 percent Ghiradelli chips at our house because it has less sugar and a far superior chocolate taste.
Then add some miniature marshmallows. I'm not a marshmallow gourmet so you are on your own for a great brand on this one. :)
This recipe calls for chopped peanuts but you can substitute walnuts, pecans, almonds or macadamias to enjoy just as much. Since we live in Louisiana we prefer the local fresh pecans found at the farmers' markets. I'm of the opinion that for great taste pecans - or walnuts - and chocolate pair better than peanuts and chocolate. And you don't have to be concerned about who might have peanut allergies so everyone can enjoy this easy dessert!
Photo from Family Features
Pound Cake S’moresFrom: Sara Lee
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 1/2-inch slices pound cake
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
2 tbls. chopped roasted peanuts, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place each pound cake slice on the baking pan.
2. Top each slice with 2 tablespoons minichocolate chips and 2 tablespoons minimarshmallows. Bake for 5 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and lightly toasted. Top with peanuts or other favorite nuts, if desired.
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* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. *
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Comfort Food From Louisiana: Simple Appetizer From Chef Poppy Tooker: Andouille in Creole Mustard Cream Sauce: "From Denny: New Orleans food is known for its great tasting creative comfort food. It's also loaded with calories, usually from the sauces. This delectable appetizer qualifies for the High Calorie Club. But that's the beauty of Louisiana food as you can often choose to serve it in smaller portions to help reduce the calorie load while still enjoying great flavor!
Chef Poppy Tooker did just that. She sauced the andouille slices in heavy cream flavored with Creole mustard. If you can't find andouille sausage or Creole mustard in your area just substitute with your favorite sausage and a great deli mustard of full flavor."
Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy Dessert: Blueberry Yum Yum Cake: "From Denny: What could better describe a trip to Heaven than fresh blueberries, sugar, real butter and a creamy whipped filling for this delectable cake? A simple recipe that is as easy to make as it is to eat!
We love pecans at our house so you might enjoy sprinkling a few more chopped pecans on top of the blueberries for more crunch. There is nothing like the flavor of a toasted pecan.
After you put this cake together it goes into the fridge for chilling time, about an hour. Make it before you start dinner and it should be properly cool by the time everyone finishes dinner. Try not to cheat and choose the dessert as the first course!"
Flounder's Key Lime Pie, in Pensacola, Florida, a stacked key lime pie
Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy and Simple: How To Make The Best Key Lime Pie: "From Denny: Making your own key lime pie is so simple - and rewarding! It's definitely one of my favorite desserts, especially in the heat of the summer. The tartness really cools you off. FYI, any tart food cools down your liver, which, in turn, cools off your body in hot weather. So, think apples, limes, grapefruit and blackberries if you want to cool off the healthy way.
Florida is known for their key lime pie and there are fans of it all over the country now. The real secret to making this simple and easy famous pie is to purchase real key limes for the recipe. Key limes are very small, very tart and thin-skinned. When ripe they turn from green to yellow.
Most limes in our American grocery stores are those large beautiful, neon green and thicker-skinned Persian limes. Persian limes are also much less tart so they don't deliver that full flavor to the pie cooks, and tasters alike, desire.
How simple is this pie recipe? Really simple: 100 percent key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and a good graham cracker crust with a little melted butter, brown sugar and chopped nuts. At our house we make the chocolate graham cracker crust while others choose to use traditional pastry crust. It's your preference."
