Tag Archives: garlic

Ragin Cajun

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My roomie is from Louisiana so I have these moments in which I just want to sit down with a mason jar of sweet tea and eat some good old finger licking Cajun food. Now I would never dare attempt to make some crawfish or authentic creole cooking, but I wanted to do a quick weeknight homage to a girl from Houma, LA.

P/S I hate okra, but would love a kick a$$ gumbo or jambalaya recipe if any of you NOLA girls would like to hook a Philly girl up. Send to damndelish@gmail.com and the winner will get posted on the blog and will also be eligible to win a groceries tote!

  • 1/3 cup of half and half (original calls for heavy cream but its healthier this way)
  • 1-2 tbsp. butter (ok seems like a lot but, its delish!)
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tsp. of smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth (again do the healthier option-low sodium)

On medium to high heat in a non-stick sauté pan create a roux (fancy French word alert: butter & flour mixture). That will be the base and thickening agent for your sauce. Slowly add in the garlic and spices. Once dissolved in the roux, add the liquids (both the half & half, as well as, the chicken broth). Stir the liquids to combine with the roux. Lower heat and toss in diced chicken or shrimp (cooking times will vary but any protein of choice will work. I did 1lb. of shrimp for 2 people) Now add the lemon juice and parsley flakes. Continue stirring, if the sauce is too thin add more roux (make another flour/butter combo). However, once completely mixed & you lower the heat, it should be fairly creamy and not watery. I served over cappellini noodles, but this would be very good over some dirty rice. Oh and I sprinkled with some chopped green onion for a traditional touch!

Check out our Instagram for the yummy creation!

Happy Eating, XO.

Fall is here guys

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Vegetarianism usually makes my skin crawl…usually. I don’t feel full or complete unless there is some sort of protein with my dinner. Alas this blog has proven me wrong yet again. I always knew mushrooms were a good meat substitute because of their heartiness, but never truly was convinced. Makes no sense why I didn’t agree, they are earthy and filling. However, this dish is the first time in which I was sold on how I can eat a meal and not miss the protein. Especially because I love poblano peppers. So to test this puppy out was no hard sell. (Side note to my adoration of poblano sauce: One of my old co-worker’s grandmother would make poblano mac & cheese. It was her comfort food, a Guatemalan twist on an American classic. Ever since her sweet granny fed us all one day at work, its been my fav pepper to use). Speaking of comfort foods, polenta is the ultimate Italian comfort food so this meal will just make you feel all kinds of love. (Even if you don’t have a warm & fuzzy about poblano sauce like I do).For those of you unfamiliar with polenta, its a mashed potato-y consistency, but made with cornmeal so its healthier for you. I will say that the original recipe calls for one to make their own polenta and I will be damned if I don’t find a short cut. Shock, my good old favorite Trader Joe’s has a pre-made organic polenta they sell for a whopping $1.99 and its just so yum and low calorie! Oh, don’t worry my recipe trashes it up pretty well so that it doesn’t stay low cal for long. Guys, comfort food wouldn’t be so yummy without some butter and love. The nights are getting cooler and its time to grab your favorite hoodie and bowl of this and eat on your deck, patio, porch, backyard…you won’t be disappointed. Plus after a summer of burgers & dogs, you won’t even miss the meat!

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For the Poblano Sauce:
  • 2 poblano peppers (make sure you char them long enough, oyi that smell is so good! I had my handyman ask me what smelled so good)
  • ¾ cup light sour cream
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
For the Mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • 16 ounces sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella and white button mushrooms)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 scant tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water (optional, I just sprinkled in some all-purpose flour to thicken)

For the Polenta:

  • Trader Joe’s tube of polenta
  • 1 tbsp. of salted butter

Cut up the polenta and microwave on high at 2-3 minutes with the butter. Just to soften and mix. Then you can, roast the poblano peppers over an open flame or in the oven until the outside is slightly charred. Cut into pieces and set aside. Puree the sour cream, water, oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Add the green onions and poblano peppers and puree until desired consistency is reached. I like to leave a little bit of texture in the sauce. In a separate pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over high heat. Add the garlic and the mushrooms; saute until golden brown. Add the sauce and the cornstarch dissolved in water. Bring to a simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve the mushrooms and sauce over the polenta. YUM-O!!

Happy Eating, XO.

A Hearty Breakfast of Kale, Quinoa & Egg

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I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but it’s not that easy to eat a healthy (yet delicious) breakfast! Sure, our fruit parfait is really good, but for those of us who like savory dishes, what are we to do? I know it’s super late in the game, but I’ve been on a real kale kick lately (could be the pressures of bathing suit season!) so I did some testing for a really good kale breakfast. My mouth is salivating just writing this post…

Makes 1 serving

  • 2 big leaves of kale, cut in long strips (be sure to remove the leaves from the stem)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1 minced garlic shallot
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 egg

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. While that’s cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic together, then add in the kale. Cook the kale until it’s wilted.  By then the quinoa should be ready, so add it in to the pan with the kale and blend together. In a separate pan, add the teensiest bit of butter and fry your egg sunny side up. If you want it to look fancy, scoop the quinoa mix on to a plate and top with the egg.

 

Kale, Quinoa, Egg breakfast

Happy Eating, XO.

Home-made EASY Tapa

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So apparently the Italians aren’t the only ones that do cheese sticks. One night when I was in Madrid last month, the kitchen was closed at this local bar and the owner said he would whip us up yummy Venezuelan tapas. (Tapas literally just mean small plates). So much to our surprise these tapas were pretty much the Latin version of a cheese stick that they served with this slap your mama good aioli. I swear we crushed them in under 5 minutes so ofcourse I had to come home and try & replicate them immediately.

  • Store bought string cheese (4 sticks since you will be cutting them in half for 8 servings. I say use a mozz and don’t get fancy with any Colby Jack)
  • Store bought garlic flavored crescent rolls (don’t do the regular, these are more buttery & flavorful)

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Literally use the same method from the pizza roll ups, but just with the cheese and dough. Also make sure that the cheese is sealed in by the dough and nothing can ooze out when baking. The pizza roll ups were more free to form whereas in this recipe you want the cheese locked inside the dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 min. (until golden not brown). Let them cool for 3-5 min before serving.

Aioli (I think this is how its made, no clue since the guy barely spoke English, but it tasted like this so I cant be that far off)

photo 1

  • 1/4 cup of plain yogurt (don’t do greek, its too thick & tangy)
  • 1 tbsp. of mayo
  • 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic
  • 1 shallot (dice it a bit so it breaks down easier in the processor or blender)
  • pinch of salt, black pepper, and dried parsley

Blend in food processor & serve chilled.

photo 3

Happy Eating, XO.

Rolling with My Homies

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So as per usual, I was hung-over & laying on the couch watching the Food Network channel. Much to my dismay though the show on the screen was making something much too difficult for anything I’d want to replicate. So I took the basic premise of the dish they were constructing and watered it down to the point that the home cook can make it (i.e. I tossed out the whole section about making your own fresh pasta dough, I mean please, if I could do all that I wouldn’t need to dine out. I don’t have the time nor the energy to get down like that). Anyway, I liked the concept of the dish and was craving some home cooking, good ole Italian food. Some prefer some southern comfort food, but pasta or anything Italian is the way to get me feeling all cozy & loved. So when I was finally hydrated and rid of the shakes from a super fun weekend with my homies- I got rolling in the kitchen. (ha get it, rolling because its a rollatini recipe!) Hope you guys enjoy & if you have any suggestions or spins of your own, please do comment below!

  • 3 oz. Prosciutto de Parma (thinly sliced, finely chopped)
  • 1 box of Lasagana Sheets (I think you could even use manicotti tubes & stuff those, but I guess that takes away the “rolling”/”rollatini” fun?!)
  • 1/2 cup Whole milk ricotta
  • freshly grated parmesan (I just grabbed a lil chuck of the reggiano from Whole Foods, try to avoid the pre grated stuff if you can)
  • 1 tsp. of crushed garlic
  • a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 12 oz. frozen spinach (completely thawed & drained of excess water, this is imperative so don’t rush past this step)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. of butter

Boil the pasta just al dente. You want the lasagna sheet to be ply-able, but not so over cooked it tears when rolling. I’d say about 10-15 minutes in salted water. While the pasta boils: combine the egg, dried/thawed spinach, garlic, seasoning, cheeses, & prosciutto. Lay out the pasta sheets and pat them dry. Layer the mixture of the other ingredients like you would for a lasagna, but then roll the pasta up (don’t make too thick of a layer the stuffing will spill when rolling, also it helps to leave a little margin at both ends so that you have a seal to create when all rolled up). Flip it so its standing upwards in the pan, not laying down (See photos below). Repeat with all sheets. When the pan is filled, brush the tops with the butter and grate some more cheese on top. Stick in the broiler at xxx degrees & cook for xxx minutes while keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

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Happy Eating, XO.