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Creole Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes

This recipe was one that I tried to use a variety of vegetables from my Spring CSA.  It was simple and surprisingly healthy for a creole recipe.



2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 ears fresh corn, scraped
2 pounds fresh okra, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, broken up
1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

- Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.

- Cook and stir celery and onions for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.

- Stir in the corn kernels and cook for 3 additional minutes.

- Stir in okra, tomatoes, sausage, and Creole seasoning.

- Cover and cook over medium heat until the okra has lost all of its slippery texture, at least 45 minutes.

- Season with sea salt, black pepper, and more Creole seasoning if necessary.

- Cook, uncovered, to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Linda's Notes: - Frozen, thawed okra and/or corn can be substituted for fresh. - I substituted cajun-flavored turkey sausage for the pork sausage.
- I used fresh, chopped tomatoes instead of the canned since they were included in my CSA.

My First Seafood Gumbo

For Thanksgiving this year, my Mom and I took a week-long road trip down to New Orleans. While in the French Quarter, we enjoyed some of the best food we've ever consumed and the seafood gumbo was certainly as good as advertised.

 

For every meal, I had a bowl of gumbo at a different restaurant and considered in every bite how I would make my own pot of New Orleans seafood gumbo on a cold day back in Virginia. This recipe is what I came up with :)

1/4 cup oil
6 tbsp flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
6 cups chicken stock (seafood or vegetable will work as well)
1 tbsp concentrated chicken or seafood broth or base
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups cut okra (thaw if frozen)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well (use the kind with onions or garlic for extra flavor)
1/4 lb of lump crabmeat
4 cups of cooked, peeled shrimp
1 cup of sliced andouille sausage (or cajun-style turkey sausage)

- In a large stockpot, mix the flour and oil and cook over medium heat until it is dark brown in color. Whisk the mixture constantly to remove all flour lumps and to prevent scorching.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, and pepper to the roux and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

- Begin slowly adding the stock and soup base to the mixture, stirring constantly.
- Add all remaining ingredients, with the exception of the seafood.

- Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add seafood ingredients and continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
- Serve gumbo in a soup bowl over hot rice. Garnish with green onions or parsley as desired.

Linda's Notes:
- I used Swanson's seafood flavor boost in addition to the liquid stock to add more seafood flavor
- I chose to only use a roux to thicken the stew, but if you prefer a very thick gumbo you can also add file powder.
- I used very well-drained chopped tomatoes that were infused with basil, garlic, and onion for added flavor. Crushed tomatoes could be used for more of a "red" gumbo.
- For a "healthier" gumbo, I used olive oil, turkey sausage, and served over brown rice with a dash of olive oil.
- This recipe could be easily converted into chicken, vegetarian, or vegan gumbo. This could also be prepared in a slow-cooker, with the roux prepared early and the seafood added later.

Crustless Vegetable Quiche

This is my favorite quiche recipe for making on the weekends for brunch, or for a potluck.

1 tbsp of olive oil
1 large or 2 small summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 of a tomato, chopped
1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of Bisquick (or generic biscuit mix)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 cup of shredded cheese (any)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Fresh chopped herbs to taste, such as basil (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a skillet, saute the squash, onions, and garlic in the oil until soft.
- Mix the eggs, milk, and biscuit mixture in a large bowl.
- Put the sauteed vegetables, herbs, tomato, and cheese in a greased pie plate or casserole dish.
- Cover the vegetables and cheese with the biscuit mixture.
- Bake for 50 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Linda's Notes:
- Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh herbs, but the "fresh" taste is part of what makes this quiche so special.
- Spinach, asparagus, or okra are good substitutes for the summer squash mixture.

Eggs in a coffee cup

I assure you that these eggs come out really fluffy and delicious. And it's fast. And easy. Pass this on to every college student and single man you know.

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk (any kind - whatever you have to put in your coffee

2 tablespoons of shredded cheese (any cheese, measurement not exact)

Salt/Pepper/Garlic powder as desired

- Coat coffee cup with cooking spray.

- Add ingredients and mix until well blended.

- Microwave for 45 seconds and stir. Microwave until the eggs are fully set, usually another 45 seconds.

- Top with shredded cheese and serve.

Linda's Notes:

- I added a little hot sauce and chopped tomatoes to mine, but you could put anything in this that you'd like in an omelette or scramble.

- The eggs continue to cook a bit after they come out of the microwave, so after adding the cheese let them sit for 30 seconds before digging in.

Sausage Dip (Easy)

This might be the easiest dip to take to a work function or party (Superbowl??). I don't eat pork, but I substitute mild or spicy Italian turkey sausage and it's just as good.

1 lb of Italian sausage (mild or spicy)

1 can of Ro-tel, drained

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese

- Cook sausage on medium-hight heat in a skillet until fully cooked.


- Drain sausage well and return to the skillet on low-heat.

- Mix in Ro-tel and cheese and stir until well blended and hot.


- Serve warm with tortilla chips

Linda's Notes:

- If you're serving this at a party, use a small crockpot so it stays warm and creamy.

- You can use any kind of sausage as long as it has some seasoning, so soy sausage would even work.

- I have had this with just one package of cream cheese and it was just chunkier and less creamy, but still fabulous!

Stuffed Eggplant

Since all local CSAs are overloading us with many, MANY varieties of squash, this is a great opportunity to share my stuffed eggplant. This is loosely adapted from Food Network's Michael Chiarello.









1 eggplant (should be large to hold all the stuffing)
1/2 pound ground turkey (or beef)
1 onion, diced
1 red or green pepper, small diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 chopped tomato
About 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out meat inside, leaving just enough for the shell to keep its shape.
- In a medium sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add ground meat seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Cook meat until it is browning and no longer pink.
- Add eggplant meat, peppers, onions, and garlic to the pan and continue cooking until all vegetables are soft.
- In a bowl, mix together the cooked meat and vegetable mixture, herbs, cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.
- Fill the eggplant shells with the bowl mixture, dividing it evenly among the two.
- Top with chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish.
- Bake for one hour in preheated oven.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes and slice similarly to a meatloaf.