creole Archives - For the Love of Food

Pecan Pralines and Mardi Gras Memories

Nicole Hood — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 02:00:00 +0000

These sweet Southern pralines are creamy and packed with toasted pecans!

I made this New Orleans inspired recipe for Mardi Gras this year but I love them year round!

Check out my recipe below along with some photos from our Mardi Gras fun this year.

I have updated this recipe from a previous post in 2012. Check it out here.

Pecan Pralines

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
6 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup pecan pieces toasted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Set out two baking sheets covered in parchment paper.
Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir until it becomes creamy and cloudy, and pecans stay suspended in mixture {about 240 degrees}.
Remove from heat.
Stir pot to cool for a minute before spooning.
Spoon circles onto parchment paper.
Let set for at least 5 minutes.

Notes

To toast pecans, add to a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant.

I like to toast, or roast, my pecans to give them a stronger flavor.

Some recipes call for regular milk but I use evaporated milk with is creamier and richer.

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan.

I add the pecans last.

Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir until it becomes creamy and cloudy, and pecans stay suspended in mixture {about 240 degrees}.

Remove from heat.

Stir pot to cool for a minute before spooning.

Spoon circles onto parchment paper.

Let set for at least 5 minutes.

Pralines make wonderful gifts and keep for up to a week.

Creamy and sweet, I sure do love a good praline!

We sure did have a busy Mardi Gras this year!

We attended 4 parades in 4 different cities along with enjoying king cake and crawfish and going to festivals and events.

We love our little Mardi Gras babies!

The nighttime parade in Natchitoches is so much fun!

We first took Ava when she was a newborn and she slept through it all!

The Krewe of Mystique parade in Baton Rouge was our first parade this year and we were lucky enough to have my parents and our dog Dylan meet us there.

We also checked out the Bark in the Park event in Baton Rouge this year with the whole family.

If you are a dog lover check this out along with the Krewe of Barkus Dog Parade.

Believe it or not school is out for Mardi Gras here in Louisiana.

So my girls and I spent the day crafting masks and eating treats at our local bakery.

Parades are fun but Mardi Gras has some delicious food too!

Lots of King Cake was devoured and to celebrate Fat Tuesday

we had a huge crawfish and shrimp feast!

Be sure to check out my 25 Cajun Recipes for Mardi Gras here.

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Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo from L’Auberge Baton Rouge

Nicole Hood — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Every now and then you eat a dish at a local restaurant that is so good you can’t stop thinking and talking about it {to just about anyone who will listen}. My family and I enjoyed a delicious Cajun inspired meal at Stadium Sports Bar and Grill on our first night in Baton Rouge. We ordered a assortment of mouthwatering entrees including BBQ Shrimp, PoBoys, and Stuffed Pork Chops but the dish we all went ga-ga over was the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. Now this wasn’t just any gumbo, y’all. This gumbo was filled to the brim with sauteed veggies, tender chicken, and spicy sausage floating in a rich and smoky broth. We literally, no shame, licked the bowl clean and debated on ordering more. So naturally I had to ask the chef at L’Auberge for his recipe and lucky me {and you} he kindly shared. Make this recipe for dinner tonight and I bet you will lick the bowl clean too.

View my review of Stadium at L’Auberge Casino here.

Stadium Sports Bar and Grill

https://www.lbatonrouge.com/

Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients

Whole Chicken excess fat/backbone removed, quartered
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 lb Smoked Andouille sausage chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 ribs celery finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
7 cloves garlic minced
1 12 oz bottle Abita Amber beer
6 cups chicken stock
4 tsp creole seasoning {I use Tony Cachere's}
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup green onion
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
salt/black pepper to taste
green onions diced for garnish
cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

Heat a large heavy pot over medium high heat until hot, about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Add to pot, skin side down, and sear until golden brown, about 8 minutes, then transfer to plate.
Add vegetable oil, then flour, to drippings in pot. Stir with a wooden spoon to blend well.
Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until roux is formed chocolate-brown color. About 25 minutes.
Add sausage, chopped onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic to roux and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently about 4 minutes.
Add beer and stir to blend.
Add chicken broth, creole seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cayenne pepper and approx 2 tsp salt. Stir well to blend.
Return chicken pieces to pot, increase heat and bring up to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low, simmer uncovered until chicken is tender, skimming foam from surface and stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ hours.
Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate, cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes.
Remove meat from bones; discard bones and skin. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces.
Spoon fat off of top of gumbo.
Return meat to gumbo.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with Louisiana rice and top with green onions. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from L’Auberge Baton Rouge.

Start with a whole chicken. I bought mine whole
and trimmed and cut it into quarters.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat a large heavy pot over medium high heat until hot.
Add chicken to the pot, skin side down.

Sear until golden brown,
about 8 minutes, then transfer to plate.

Depending on how much drippings you have in the pot, adjust the amount of oil you add. The original recipe said 1/4 cup. I added 1/2 cup oil.

Add vegetable oil, then flour, to drippings in pot.

Stir with a wooden spoon to blend well.

Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until roux is formed chocolate-brown color.
About 25 minutes.

This recipe uses Andouille sausage.
It is a smoked pork sausage popular in Louisiana Cajun dishes.

Chop up the sausage into bite size pieces.

When making a detailed recipe like this I always prep everything ahead of time so it is ready to be tossed right in. I promise this saves you so much time and stress later when you are cooking!

Add sausage, chopped onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic to the roux.

Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently about 4 minutes.

Local beer is the best, in my opinion and Abita Beer is the most well known here in Louisiana.

For this recipe, use a bottle of Amber Abita beer.

Add beer and stir to blend.

Creole seasoning is recommended. I always use Tony Chachere’s.

Pour in chicken broth.

Now add creole seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cayenne pepper and approx 2 tsp salt.
Stir well to blend.

Return chicken pieces to pot, increase heat and bring up to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium low, simmer uncovered until chicken is tender,

skimming foam from surface and stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ hours.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate, cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes.

Remove meat from bones; discard bones and skin. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces.

Spoon fat off of top of gumbo and return meat to gumbo.

Season with salt and pepper and you are ready to serve.

To serve: I start with a large scoop of cooked rice in a large bowl.

Now ladle in lots of chunky, hearty, gumbo.

Garnish with green onions and dig in!

Now let me tell y’all I have lived in Louisiana for about five years now and I have tried many, many different gumbos.

This, my friends, is the BEST. Make it tonight. Thank me tomorrow!

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Creole Red Beans and Rice Burger

Nicole Hood — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 17:42:00 +0000

Living in Louisiana I have tasted my fair share of red beans and rice. It’s pretty much served at every restaurant in every city of this state. In fact it’s Ava’s favorite Cajun dish! My little foodie

When I came across this recipe in Southern Living magazine I knew I had to try it! What a fun idea!

The end result was flavor packed and delicious (love the quick remoulade!). You can make it like I did as a flavorful veggie burger or add grilled sausage or shrimp on top for a hearty meal!

Creole Red Beans and Rice Burger

Ingredients

1 cup cooked white rice
2 16oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup green bell pepper minced
1/3 cup sweet yellow onion minced
2 tbsp celery minced
1 tbsp Creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves minced
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp olive oil

Remoulade sauce:

3 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp Creole mustard
2 tbsp green onions minced
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
lettuce leaves tomato slices (optional)
12 crusty bread slices or buns toasted
you can also top with grilled sliced sausage or shrimp

Instructions

Mash kidney beans in a large bowl with a fork.
Stir in bell pepper, next five ingredients, and cooked rice until well blended.
Shape mixture into 6 (1/2 inch) thick patties (I make mine a little smaller and get 8).
Cook 3 patties in 1 1/2 tbsp hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat with remaining oil and patties. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Stir together mayo, mustard, green onions, and parsley to make the remoulade sauce.
Place 1 lettuce leaf and tomato slice on toasted bread. Top each with a patty and desired amount of sauce then top bread slice.

Notes

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine

Mix all burger ingredients in a bowl
including the Cajun “trinity”: green peppers, onion, and celery.

Mash the beans with a fork and then add beaten egg and cooked rice.

Form into 6-8 patties.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet then add 2 or 3 patties.

Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until golden then flip and cook on the other side.

I remove to a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil.

How tasty do these look?!

Make a quick and easy remoulade by mixing mayo ( I like Duke’s), Creole mustard (I like spicy Jack Daniels), parsley, and green onions.

Add lettuce and tomato to the bottom toasted bun. Top with burger patty.

Spread remoulade on burger then top with top bun.

Optional: you can serve topped with sliced sausage or shrimp!

This tasty Cajun burger is full of flavor and will change your mind about veggie burgers!

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