recipes of the day 04/24/04.....let's see what some of this stuff looks like.

snort's been tied up cooking in the kitchen and shopping at the grocer so didn't have time to research any real interesting recipes. so...i thought it would be a good opportunity to see what some of the stuff that's been posted looks like. am having my b-day bash finale tomorrow and i am cooking. here's the menu for my guests....

the appetizer will be fried meat pies. the main dish will be a bed of pastalaya....then a fried catfish filet will be laid on top of the pastalaya bed.....then all will be smothered with shrimp creole sauce. dessert will be key lime pie and king cake from randazzos bakery.

i'll post pictures of the pre-made stuff first and then tomorrow the final products.

Snort’s b-day bash food

Natchitoches Meat Pies
Lasyone's Meat Pie Kitchen - Natchitoches, LA

6 ounces ground beef
6 ounces ground pork
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

In a large heavy skillet combine beef, pork, scallions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and spices and cook over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until meat is just cooked through (do not overcook).
Sift 2 1/2 tablespoons flour over meat mixture and stir well. Remove skillet from heat and cool filling to room temperature. Drain off any fat.
Into a bowl sift together remaining 4 cups flour, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and baking powder. With a pastry blender or your fingertips blend in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and milk and toss until incorporated. Form dough into a ball.
On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll one third of dough into a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. With a 5 1/2-inch round cutter cut out 4 rounds and stack between sheets of wax paper. (My friend Mrs. Cloutier says she uses the top of an old coffee pot as a cutter.) Roll and cut out 8 more rounds in same manner with remaining dough, stacking rounds between sheets of wax paper.
Put a heaping tablespoon of filling slightly off-center on each pastry round.
With fingertips dipped in water dampen edge of pastries and fold over to form a half circle, enclosing filling.
With a fork dipped in water crimp edges of pastries and prick tops of pies once or twice.
In a deep heavy kettle (10 inches in diameter) heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 350 degrees F. on a deep-fat thermometer and fry pies, 3 at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Transfer pies as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Makes 12 pies (cocktail-size meat pies can be made by cutting smaller rounds and using less filling per pie).



Fleur-de-Lis Seafood Pastalaya
PREP TIME: 45 Minutes
SERVES: 6


COMMENT:
Jambalaya is one of the oldest rice dishes in Louisiana. The dish traces its roots back to paella, that great Mediterranean rice dish. With the heavy Italian influence in South Louisiana, it is quite easy to understand how the ingredients of seafood jambalaya made their way onto the pasta platter.

INGREDIENTS:

2 dozen (21-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound cooked crawfish tails
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
12 ounces uncooked Penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup garlic, minced
3/4 cup julienned andouille sausage
1/2 cup diced Creole tomatoes
2 tbsps flour
1 quart shellfish stock
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Salt and black pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
12 whole mussels
6 (21-25 count) shrimp, head-on
METHOD:
In a large cast iron dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, garlic and andouille sausage. Saute 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add tomatoes and blend well into the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until white roux is achieved. Add shellfish stock, 1 ladle at a time, until all has been incorporated. Add thyme, basil and season to taste using salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add peeled shrimp, crawfish and lump crabmeat. Gently blend seafoods into the simmering liquid. Add green onions then fold in pasta. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook pastalaya 20-25 minutes or until pasta is al dente and liquid has been absorbed. Prior to serving, line mussels and head-on shrimp across the top of the pasta, cover pot and cook until mussels open and shrimp are pink and curled, approximately 7-10 minutes. When ready to serve, transfer pasta to a decorative platter and arrange mussels and head-on shrimp across the top as garnishes.

court of two sisters shrimp creole: yield 8 servings:

ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced shallots
2 cups canned tomatoes juices reserved
1 cup tomato puree or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves
3 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
2 ounces cornstarch
1 pint cold water or shrimp stock
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (more or less if you like)

1. on medium to medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the peppers, onions, celery and shallots for 5 minutes. 2. add the tomatoes and tomato puree or paste and bay leaves and simmer for 15 minutes. 3. dissolve the cornstarch in cold water or shrimp stock; add to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. 4. add the shrimp, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and the cayenne and simmer for 15-20 minutes more (shrimp should be done and not overcooked since temperature is at a simmer rather than a boil). serve over steamed rice or creamed potatoes.

Florida Key Lime Tarts with Coconut Crust
From: Tampa Treasures Cookbook by The Junior League of Tampa

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5 Minutes

Crust
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup gingersnap crumbs
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons flour

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 fresh or bottled key lime Juice
1 cup sour cream

Topping
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar
Grated Persian lime rind (optional)

At least 3 1/2 hours before serving, make crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Firmly press mixture evenly over bottoms and 3/4 inch up sides of eight individual tart pans or one 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Bake 5 minutes; chill.
At least 2 1/2 hours before serving, make filling:
Blend cream cheese and condensed milk. Add juice; stir in sour cream. Pour filling into chilled crusts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, make topping:
Whip cream with sugar until stiff peaks form; spread over tarts; sprinkle with grated rind, if desired.

 

here are the meat pies prior to frying (made them in advance):

 

with any left over meat from the meat pies you can make a great chili:

 

here is the keylime pie also made in advance (and still curing in the fridge):

 

i know the pastalaya recipe doesn't call for chicken....but it's going in mine....here is the roasted chicken that will be used (just smeared with cajun spiced butter both on top and under the skin plus sliced onion in the cavity and some garlic too.....the butter gives it a really nice roasted color:

 

and a new recipe has been born......"chili and dumplings"

take that chile we made with the left over pork and beef and put it on top of two cream biscuits cut in half and then top off with cheddar cheese and make sure you melt the cheese.....outstanding (i can see why this beef and pork combo is a big hit at the jazz fest....i think from now on all my chili will use it as the base).

 

here is the pastalaya....

 

here is the fried catfish (my wife is the best catfish fryer i've ever met)...

 

here is the shrimp creole....

 

here is the pastalaya topped with fried catfish and smothered in shrimp creole sauce....