After a month long hiatus, I was back in full swing last weekend cooking up a storm for our annual New Year’s Eve get-together. This year we kept the traditional chips, salsa and queso sampler on the menu – a must for any truly Southern soiree – and topped it off with Sangria and Jalapenotinis – also coming shortly! But our main hors d’oeuvre was a smoky-hot play on an old favorite – Bruschetta!

Served on a bite-sized cornbread pancake, slathered with a spiced up ranchero sauce, then doused in Smoked Gouda, this tasty treat delivered the perfectly balanced smoke-and-fire flavor in each mouthful. While this recipe may not adhere to the standard Cajun-Spiced Texan tenants, being neither quick nor healthy, sometimes you gotta give in and splurge a little. And what better time is there to splurge than when celebrating the last holiday of the year? This Smoke and Fire Bruschetta was the perfect indulgence to ring in the New Year the right – Cajun Spiced Texan way.

Directions

Ranchero Sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded)
2 garlic gloves
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Place onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in food processor and chop until finely minced. Place in saucepan over medium heat with olive oil and stir mixture until soft and translucent, about 3-5 mins.

Transfer to blender (or back to food processor) and add diced tomatoes, tomatoes paste, chili powder, and adobo chipotle peppers (including sauce), then puree. Return to saucepan, bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 mins.

*Inspired by Rick Rodgers copy of Kerby Lane’s Ranchero Sauce recipe.

Cornbread Pancakes:
*Note, if you are short on time, you can substitute Jiffy Cornbread mix. Instead of baking, simply add to oil as directed below.

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp bacon drippings (can substitute Canola Oil)
Canola Oil

Beat egg into buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients with liquid. Add drippings to mixture. Pour about 1 inch of canola oil into large saucepan and heat until just about boiling.

Using a tablespoon, slowly pour cornbread into hot oil (1 tbsp at a time) to form a small 1-2 inch patty in the oil. Let cook for about 1-2 min, or until patty has only a small bit of batter in the middle that remains uncooked, before flipping over to cook the cornbread pancake on the other side. Let cook for approximately 1 more min before removing and placing on a plate covered with paper towels.

Combine until all cornbread batter has been cooked into patties. Should have about 24 patties.

Let cool on plate and dab off excess oil with paper towel.

Other Toppings:
1 medium onion
3 fresh medium tomatoes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ cups grated Smoked Gouda cheese

Dice onion (so that still in large pieces) and place in frying pan with butter over medium heat. Cover until butter has melted then toss onion in butter so that it is fully coated. Add brown sugar and let simmer until onions turn a golden brown color. In small mixing bowl, add onions to tomatoes and toss well. Meanwhile, grate about 1½ cups of Smoked Gouda cheese.

Assembly:
Top each cornbread pancake with about 1 tbsp of Ranchero Sauce. Spoon 1 tbsp of tomato and onion mixture over Ranchero Sauce and then sprinkle 1-1 ½ tsp of grated Smoked Gouda over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 mins, remove, and let cool before enjoying!

What’s your favorite holiday? I feel like this should be a tough decision, but when I am being honest with myself its not….hands down, I’m a Thanksgiving kind of girl. I mean, what other holiday – anywhere in the whole world – solely revolves around eating a big dinner? That’s right…Thanksgiving!

To top it off, Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas season. And every adult out there knows that the weeks leading up to Christmas are the best part of Christmas, after all Christmas Day itself always leaves you with that sad feeling in the pit of your stomach as you polish off the last few cookies and pralines, knowing that you will have to wait another whole year until it all starts over again. So yes, that makes Thanksgiving even better than Christmas day, because it starts off the seasonal festivities in the best way possible…With a delicious, belt buckle busting meal.

(More pictures to come…. as well as other classic Southern Thanksgiving dishes on Thanksgiving day)

Spicy Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
3 cups cubed stuffing mix (e.g.: Pepperidge Farms)
2 cups crumbled cornbread or stuffing mix
1 – 16 oz spicy pork sausage
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
5-6 celery sticks
1 large yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp Cajun salt (e.g.: Tony Chachere’s)
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups of vegetable/chicken broth

Directions:
Cook sausage in a large pot, according to package directions, until done. Shred celery, garlic, and onion in food processor until well chopped. Add to sausage and cook over medium heat for 5-7 mins until partially done. Veggies should appear slightly translucent. Dice apple and add to mixture with rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook for 10 mins. Add crumbled cornbread mix and toss until well coated in the drippings for the sausage, apple, and veggies. Then in separate bowl, combine cubed stuffing with 1 cup of broth and let sit for 5 mins. Then pour cubed stuffing into the pot with sausage and cornbread stuffing and toss well. Slowly add the other cup of broth while mixing together until well blended.

Stuffing consistency can be a very personal preference, so just add remaining cup of broth in slow increments. Waiting for the bread cubes to fully absorb and then mix, until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Breakfast might be my favorite meal of the day, especially on nice lazy Saturday mornings when you put off getting up and starting the day for as long as possible. Having to go out for breakfast, even if it’s a drive through, is one of the quickest ways to ruin a relaxing start to the weekend. That’s one reason I started making these tasty treats.

The other? While living in England, both my husband and I had a strong craving for a good Southern breakfast, especially, nice fluffy biscuits – my fav! Well considering that in England ‘biscuits’ are actually cookies, not a breakfast item, we had limited amount  options to meet our breakfast standards, so I started experimenting to find my very own biscuit recipe.

This one is truly a Cajun-Texan favorite that has evolved over time into something of a breakfast sandwich. The drop biscuit recipe is the perfect base for building a nice stack of fillings that can include anything from eggs and cheese to sausage, bacon or ham. In truth, these biscuits are great even with just butter and jelly or you can dip ‘em in some nice white country gravy. (But we’ll get to that in another post…) For now, lets work on this old time, Southern favorite, which includes sharp cheddar cheese, spicy sausage, and of course some hot sauce on your eggs – the way every true Texan likes ‘em!

Note: For my WW friends, at a whopping 14 pts for a McDonald’s Sausage and Egg Biscuits, you’ll be thrilled to learn that making this treat at home comes in with the much more reasonable point value of 7pts/sandwich! So yes – you can have your breakfast and eat it too!

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits
Makes 8 sandwiches, 7pts/sandwich

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces (see demo below)
2 ½  tbsp honey (about 2 long squeezes from the honey bottle)*
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2/3 cup fat-free milk (see demo below)
Cooking spray

5 eggs
1/3 cup of milk
8 Turkey or Chorizo sausage links
8 tbsp of fat free sharp cheddar cheese
Bottle of hot sauces (such as Louisiana hot sauce)

*Honey is so sticky there is no real need to actually measure it out. Just put two long squeezes worth of honey in the bottom of your measuring cup, per directions below.

Directions          
Preheat oven to 450º.

Make Biscuits:                      
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into four pieces lengthwise, then cut down the stick width wise, to create small square pieces, as shown below. Using a fork, mash the butter into the flour mixture, using the side of the bowl to mush them together. Once done, the butter chunks should be evenly dispersed throughout the flour. It is ok to have butter pieces still visible in the flour; this will give the biscuits their nice fluffy texture.

Next, squeeze about 2 tbsp honey to a large measure cup. Then add sour cream until it hits just above the 1/3 cup mark. Pour fat free milk into the cup until it is just above the 1 cup mark. Stir the mixture well so that the honey and sour cream are well mixed into the milk.

Slowly add the milk mixture to the flour-butter mix, while stirring. Similar to the piecrust recipe, just gently fold the flour into the milk, but don’t stir too much. You want the dough to be sticky enough that it sticks together, but you don’t want to over mix, which will change the biscuits texture, to be too chewy (as opposed to a fluffy).

Using a spoon cut the dough into eight evenly divided balls and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray (see pictures). Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from and place on a plate for preparation.

Making Breakfast Sandwiches:                                  
While biscuits cook, place 5 eggs in a large frying pan. Add about 1/3 cup of milk and using a spatula, break egg yolks and mix well with the milk. Cook eggs over a medium heat stirring occasionally, until they appear cooked through.

Heat sausages in microwave or small frying pan, depending on the type of sausage. If you use chorizo links, then use a frying pan. If you go with turkey sausages, place in microwave and cook based on package instructions.

To prepare sandwiches, cut biscuit in half. Place about 3 tbsp of scrambled eggs on biscuit. Cut sausage long ways the place two link halves across eggs. Top with 1 tbsp cheese, a good dash of hot sauce and serve.

To finish off this fall spice series, here’s a great Holiday cocktail recipe. It’s a twist on an old classic that will warm you up on your first sip. In addition, this one meets every food mantra criteria: quick, easy, and it’s not like to add much to your holiday waistline! Just throw it on the stove and let it simmer. This concoctions sweet aroma of cinnamon and spice is sure to fill your house with a holiday scent that’ll bring folks wandering toward the kitchen for a try of this delicious cocktail.

*At this time of year, our Farmers Market is full of not just fresh apples, but also fresh apple cider! I found a gallon that was pressed just 2 days before I bought it! Talk about fresh… If you have a Farmers Market in your area, I highly recommend getting your cider there. It just adds another depth of flavor to the cider that can’t be beat.

Pictures from our Dupont Farmers Market….

Spiced Apple Cider Cocktails
Makes about 32 servings – 4 ww pts/serving

Ingredients:
1 gallon fresh apple cider*
2 tsp whole cloves
1tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
1 apple, sliced thinly
1 orange, sliced thinly
Bottle of Bourbon (such as Maker’s Mark)

Directions:
Pour gallon of cider into a large pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, slice ½ of your apple and your orange very thinly. Then add cloves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and allspice while stirring.  Reduce heat to a simmer. Then add your apples and oranges. Let simmer until the fruit appears soft and cooked. Serve about ½ cup of cider with 1 shot of bourbon in a small cocktail class. Optional: Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or remaining apple wedge.

There is nothing more American than homemade apple pie…. We were all raised on this delicious treat, and there are wonderful memories that come flooding back when you taste that first bite of still warm flaky crust and sugary apple filling. I’m taken back to memories of squeezing that last slice of pie into my stomach on Thanksgiving day or the smell of cinnamon and sugar melting in the oven as the pie is cooking  – peeking through the oven glass while I wait in eager anticipation for the timer to buzz. Taking that first bite of a still warm  pie reminds me of the scene in Ratatouille when the chef tastes our protagonist mouse’s dish and is suddenly swept back to his childhood.

Well, if apple pie transports you back to childhood too, then you should not wait to give this recipe a try… It’s apple pie the Cajun-Spiced Texan way, with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg – allspice and cloves that perfectly compliment the tasty tart Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples that are in season now.

Oh wait – there’s more! That’s right, there is also nothing more American than family recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. My family’s secret desert recipe is my Grandmother’s pie crust. When my Mother talks about this crust, you can see the change in her demeanor, and it’s as if  she can taste its flaky butteryness melting in her mouth that very moment.

And, like most family dishes, it was no easy feat to elicit this recipe out of my Grandmother. In fact, for years my Mom was baffled by her so-called ‘recipe’. Grandma would say, “You just put a few cups of flour in a bowl with some butter  - maybe a dash of salt – mix it up real good without touching it too much and you have pie crust! Maybe add a little water to make it stick together…”  I mean, really Grandma? That’s all, just mix – but don’t touch it – then voila! You have pie crust?!?

After years of battling such instructions, my Mother finally laid down the line and told Grandma she was coming to our house for Thanksgiving, and she wasn’t allowed to leave until she taught my Mom her pie crust recipe. This recipe has now been passed down to me (in much the same way), and below is my attempt to share this wonder with the world.

All American Spiced Apple Pie
Makes 16 spices, 3pts/slice

Grandma’s Pie Crust:
Makes 2 pies or 4 crusts (a top and bottom crust per pie)

Pie Crust Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter (8 oz or 2 sticks), softened*
1/2 teaspoon salt (approximately)
Cold water (see directions below)
*To soften, I usually just microwave a whole stick for 30-45 seconds. Just be sure to watch the butter closely so it doesn’t get too soft (or even melt!).

Pie Crust Directions:
Mix flour and salt. Then mix in butter (using a pastry blender or fork). Slowly add ice water until, as Grandma used to say, “it’s the just the right consistency, like playdough.” Grandma also used to say that when adding the water, “just don’t touch it too much, and it will have the perfect consistency!” To this day, I’m not sure I totally understand how to not touch the dough while mixing in the water. That being said, when doing the mixing, you should attempt to lightly fold the water in avoiding any hard pressure on the dough. Definitely don’t knead or press it together with a full fist. (see pictures below)

Divide dough into 4 parts. I like to make two slightly larger and two slightly smaller balls of dough so the bottom pieces are bigger than the tops. This really just allows for having a thicker bottom crust and a light flaky thin top crust.

Sprinkle flour on counter or large surface, then roll out the dough. If the dough is falling apart, then add just a small bit more water until it firms back up. Roll into ¼ inch thick bottom crust and an 1/8-1/4 inch thick top crust. Place bottom crust directly in pie pan and set to aside until you have added pie filling. Dough should be pliable enough that when you add the top crust, you can just press it into the bottom and mold it into a pretty edge.

Apple Filling:
8 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples (about 4 of each)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt

*Use enough flour to thicken the apple mixture so that there is not much liquid apple juice left at the bottom of your mixing bowl.
**Note: This recipe is inspired from both a Cooking Light and Epicurious apply pie recipe.

Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar

Full Pie Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°.

Peel and core all apples. Slice into thin ¼ inch pieces. Then combine the apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt to the apples. Toss well to ensure the sugar and spices coat the apples evenly.

While apples are sitting in mixing bowl, make pie crust and place in pie pan. Then pour apple mixture into pie crust, pushing the apples toward center of the pan so they create a sort of mountain. Carefully lay top crust across the apples, then mold edges so they are thoroughly sealed. Using a very sharp knife, slowly cut 4 slits in the top of the crust (see pictures for example) to for a sort of cross across the pie. Using your fingers (or a pastry brush if you have one) brush egg whites across top of the pie, ensuring that no thick clumps of egg whites congregate in one area on the curst. (I always find this part difficult, but if you have too big of an egg white glob, it can burn the crust).

Cut 4 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with egg white; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven), and bake an additional 40 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack and serve with a healthy (read: large) scoop of vanilla ice cream.

As a lover of all things spice, I will be the first to acknowledge that not all spices are equal. While my ‘native spice’ so to speak, would be the infamous jalapeno pepper found in most Mexican foods, I can truly appreciate other, perhaps more regional, spices. Of course the first example that comes to my mind are the Cajun and Creole seasonings found in most South Louisiana cooking. But there are others too….

Right now, out here on the East Coast, Cinnamon is in abundance. Last weekend our farmers market had everything from pear cider to spiced apple butter, and I even found some cinnamon infused cranberry Wensleydale cheese!

Thus, in keeping with the theme of this blog, I’ve decided to do a new series on one of the East Coast’s favorite fall spices: Cinnamon!

The series will feature everything you need for a nice seasonal dinner party – Cinnamon-Spiced Butternut Squash Ravioli, American Spiced Apple Pie, and Hot Spiced Apple Cider Cocktails.

First up…. Dinner!

Cinnamon-Spiced Butternut Squash Ravioli                                   
Makes 4 servings, at 11 WW pts/serving*           

Ingredients          
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lbs (eg: one) butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1 in cubes**
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 tsp Tony’s (or other Cajun salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup vegetable stock (can use chicken too)
1 pre-packaged (20 oz.) cheese ravioli
1/4 to 3/4 cup of milk (low fat or regular – both work)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan

**If you can find a ‘lite’ version of cheese ravioli at your grocery store, that could drop the WW pts value to 9 pts/serving!
*In keeping with the “quick” aspect of my food mantra, I recommend looking for pre-cubed squash. Most grocery stores offer butternut squash that has already been cut and cubed in their produce sections (and it’s usually just a few dollars more!). This will definitely save you time on a busy weeknight!

Directions        
Squash:
Warm 1-2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add squash (already cubed – see for photo below for guide to cubing your own squash), garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Sauté for 5-7 mins until squash is tender. Add veggie/chicken stock, and cook without lid until stock is mostly absorbed by squash (about another 5-7 mins). Transfer squash mixture to mixing bowl. In two parts, poor squash into blender or food processor and puree until blended into thick sauce (or can go directly to blender/food processor depending on appliance size). Return squash puree to pot and while stirring continuously, slowly add 1/4 cup of milk. Add a cinnamon while still stirring. Let simmer for 2-3 mins. Add 1/4 cup more of milk if needed for moistening.

Pasta:
Follow instructions on package for cooking ravioli (Usually only requires about 2-3 mins of cooking time).

Plate pasta and then spoon sauce across pasta. Sprinkle chopped basil, grated parmesan, and add a final dash of cinnamon to taste – and enjoy!

You can’t have chili without the cornbread! So says my husband at least… While still enjoying the last few remnants of fall weather, we’re bracing for a long, bitter East Coast winter. So I figured this would be as good a time as any to share my “Easy Cheesy Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread” recipe. This cornbread is truly the perfect compliment to a fiery batch of Texas Red – with a perfect consistency that crumbles into your chili to thicken it up. Of course, the edge is just firm enough to be used as a ladle for any extra sauce left at the bottom of your bowl!

Easy Cheesy Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread                         
Makes 14 servings, at 3 WW pts/ slice            

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Seasoning
1 Serrano Chili Pepper (deseeded, finely chopped)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Red. Fat)
Approximately 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (4 oz) can creamed corn

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. (Alternatively, if you do not have a cast iron skillet, a standard bread pan will work. Simply reduce the cook time).

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (flour through Tony’s) in a large bowl, stirring well to ensure seasoning is spread well throughout the flour mixture. Add chili peppers and stir. Add cheese and stir.

Pour 2 tbsp of honey into large measuring cup. Then slowly add buttermilk to the measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup (see photo below). Stir well so that the honey is completely dissolved into the buttermilk. Add to flour mixture, stirring until moist. Add creamed corn and stir until mixture is thoroughly blended.

Pour batter into pan and bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until a fork is inserted in center comes out clean.

* This recipe was inspired by the Cooking Light Cajun Crawfish Corn Bread recipe (by Todd-Michael St. Pierre, APRIL 2002).

As our first official ‘cold front’ of the season blew in this weekend, there was nothing I wanted more than a fiery bowl of Texas red! While we do not truly have ‘winter’ in Texas (or Louisiana for that matter), there is still something about this dish that seems to mark the start of a new season – which for me in Washington, D.C., includes crisp fall mornings, colorful leaves filling the sidewalks and streets, and, most importantly, the welcome introduction of my favorite fall harvest foods!

So for those of you facing the start a cold winter, cozy up next to a bowl of this Texas red and I guarantee you won’t lose that summer warmth yet!

Beans – To be or not to be?                          
This post, of course, has one very conspicuous omission. Yes, the burning question on everyone’s mind is: Beans – to be, or not to be? For a thorough account of why true Texans, to this day, choose to prepare their chili sans the beans, I defer to an expert – Texas food historian, Robb Walsh. (Yes you read that right. In Texas, we even have our own food historians!)

To hear a Texan’s thoughts on the cultural importance and history of Texas Red, check out his post here: History of Texas Chili–Without Beans

The short answer? Mr. Walsh sums it up best this way,

“The one-pot meal of ground beef, canned tomatoes and kidney beans that became known as chili in the much rest of the country is a perfectly legitimate version of the dish. It just doesn’t lend itself very well to other uses. Chili dogs, Frito pie, cheese enchiladas in chili sauce and tamales covered with chili are still popular in Texas restaurants today. Which is why we still make chili the way the Chili Queens did–without beans.”

Texas Red, chili served up Texas style                                  
Makes 6 servings, at 4 WW pts/serving           

Ingredients          
1 lb Stew Cut Beef
1 Onion
4 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Bell Pepper
1 Serrano Chili pepper
Tony Chachere’s Seasoning

1 (6 oz) Can Tomato Paste
2 (10 oz) Cans Rotel Tomatoes
1 (10 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes
½ cup of dark beer
4 Tbsp Cumin
4 Tbsp Chili Powder

Optional Toppings
Cheddar Cheese (Red. Fat)
Sour Cream (Fat Free)
Diced Avocado

Directions          
Brown stew beef in large pot on medium-high heat. Place approximately ¾ of a large onion (cut into 4 large chunks), 4 garlic cloves, and 1 tsp of olive oil in food processor and puree. (Should be approximately ¾ cup of garlic-onion mixture once fully pureed)

Once beef is fully browned, stir in onion-garlic mixture and sprinkle with Tony’s seasoning (about 1 tsp). Cover, reduce heat and let cook for 5-7 mins. Meanwhile, chop bell pepper and chili pepper then add to onion-beef mixture. Let cook for 5-7 more mins before adding tomato paste to meat mixture. Continue to stir and fully coat meat in tomato paste. Add 2 cans of Rotel, diced tomatoes, and beer. Then while continuing to stir mix in cumin and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 – 1½ hours.

In Texas, chili is often eaten over rice, topped with a healthy sprinkle of cheese, a dash of sour cream, and avocado. So while the chili simmers, boil up some rice and enjoy!