Crab Boil Potato Salad (Instant Pot)

Our neighbors invited us over for a BBQ the other evening.  I wanted to make a starch salad of some sort...originally, I was looking at recipes for a mustard potato salad, but I felt like being a little creative.  So I started with this recipe, and then modified it a bit.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds russet potatoes (would normally use red potatoes, but we were out)
1 link andouille sausage, diced
2 ears fresh Missouri corn, shucked
1 cup light mayo
2 Tbsp Zatarains Creole Mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1/2 cup crab boil seasoning (1 tsp reserved)
2 green onions, chopped


DIRECTIONS:

Place 1 cup of water, plus the crab boil seasoning, in your Instant Pot and stir. Then add the potatoes (skin still on) and the corn.  Stir so every item has a bit of the crab boil "sauce" touching it.  Pressure cook for 3 minutes, let steam release for 3 minutes, then quick release the pressure.  

(Note: I decided to use my Instant Pot to cook these just to see if we could still get the crab boil flavor even without doing a full boil. And it worked pretty well--definitely a lot of flavor cooked in, even though the potatoes & corn weren't surrounded by the liquid. If you don't have an IP, you could definitely just boil the potatoes & corn in water + crab boil.)

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the mayo, mustard, garlic, cajun seasoning, and the 1 tsp of crab boil seasoning in a large bowl, whisk to combine.  Add the andouille and green onions.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins (they should come off fairly easily) and dice.  Add the potatoes to the bowl.  Then remove the corn from the ear and add it to the bowl as well.  Toss to combine.

Place in the fridge and let chill for at least 2 hours.  Then dive in!  Note: this is going to have some heat to it, so taste test before serving.  If it's got more heat than you like, mix up a little extra sauce (mayo + mustard) and add it to the bowl.

Watermelon, Mint & Feta salad

I am a newb gardener.  Let’s just get that out there in the open.  My mother was blessed with a green thumb.  My Grammy growing up always had a huge garden that we would help water, and she’d let us grow a few seeds in our own little section of plot, but even back then, the only thing I could ever get to grow were root vegetables—radishes & turnips.

Over the years, periodically I would make an attempt at getting something to grow, like a watermelon plant or a small herb garden, but they never took off. Probably because I wouldn’t take the time to water them, and would forget they existed for weeks at a time.

But after I got married, I started pondering on the movie “28 Days”, and the end when Steve Buscemi is telling the group when they might be ready for emotional relationships again. “First, you get a plant.  If it’s still alive at the end of a year, you get a pet.  If, by the end of the second year, both are still alive…then you can start thinking about a relationship.”  Of course, if my case, it was more “baby” than relationship.  I figured I should probably know how to keep something green alive that only requires sunlight & water before I had to try to keep a whole other human being alive, too.

So, in the first year of our marriage, I had a bamboo & re-grew some green onion tops in a windowsill. 

In the second year, I took potatoes for a whirl, along with some rosemary & a tomato plant.  The potatoes didn’t thrive, but I got enough for a shrimp boil.  The rosemary did great, and the tomato plant struggled at first, but once we put it into a larger pot, things turned around for the better & we got a couple months’ worth of grape tomatoes out of it.

This year…I have squash, mint, basil, three types of tomatoes, rosemary, garlic, and I recently started some romaine & celery from store-bought ends. 

I had a cucumber in a Topsy-Turvy, but I don’t think it was getting enough sunlight so it’s no longer with us. (RIP, Japanese cucumber.)

Our patio garden.

Oh, and I still have the bamboo & green onions.

So far, most things are growing well…some things a little TOO well.  I guess I should have read a little more about which plants are compatible for growing together in a pot… I bought rosemary, mint, and basil at the same time, and put the rosemary in a pot by itself, and the mint & basil together in a large pot.  But apparently, mint doesn’t play well with others.  It’s a bully, and it chokes out everything near it.  So I’ve been spending the summer trying to keep my mint under control so it doesn’t kill my basil. Because Basil > Mint, in my culinary world.

Of course, upon this realization, I also then realized…what in the world am I going to use all this mint IN??? I rarely cook with mint.  However, my friend Ruben made this awesome watermelon-mint salad last Fourth of July, so that was the first thing I decided to make.

This is perfect for your upcoming Fourth of July BBQ!  Super easy to throw together.  It’s also great for tailgating—we went to a ball game earlier this month, made this ahead of time, and brought it in a gallon Ziploc bag in our little cooler.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 seedless watermelon, chunked

1/4-1/2 cup chopped mint

1/2 cup feta crumbles

juice of 1/2 lime

salt & pepper to taste

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss well.  While it’s great even just a few minutes after making, if you let it sit over night the flavors will combine even more.  The lime, salt & pepper are optional, but the acidity adds another layer of flavor, and the salt & pepper can really make the flavor of the watermelon pop.

 

BBQ Nachos!

Hi Friends!  Taking a quick break from the chaotic world of business ownership.  Seriously…it’s a bit ridonkulous.  Between the operating licenses and re-programming the cash register and doing price comparisons with other local businesses and redesigning the wall menu (and take-away menu) and logo/sign design and writing an employee handbook… it’s nuts.  I am utterly exhausted.

But the NICE thing about owning a food establishment—eating is now “market research”.  So when the Hubs’ sister recommended this pulled pork from Sam’s, we decided to buy some and taste test it out.  On the fancy-schmancy rolls that our prospective food vendor gave us as samples, no less.

It’s actually pretty tasty—especially when you add some extra Sweet Baby Ray’s to it.  And a couple pickle slices.  YUM.

However…when your household consists of only two people…do you have any idea how long it takes to go through 64 oz of BBQ pork?  Yeah.  Like, two weeks.  We’ve been eating BBQ pork for TWO WEEKS.

I’d had my fill of BBQ sandwiches, but you can’t just let it go to waste.  So, I did what I do best… KITCHEN IMPROV!

 

Ingredients: (serves two)

two handfuls of tortilla chips (one handful per person)

8 oz pulled pork (with 2 tbsp of extra BBQ sauce mixed in)

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4-1/2 fresh tomato, diced

1/2 cup shredded 2% fiesta-blend cheese

2 tbsp bacon crumbles (optional—this is just another thing we bought as “market research” for the shop to go with one of the other sandwiches we’re testing out.)

A smattering of pickled jalapeno slices

 

Directions:

Heat the BBQ pork in the microwave for about 1:30 minutes.  Meanwhile, chop your cilantro & tomatoes, and cover your plate with the tortilla chips.  I like to spread them out so that you don’t end up with “naked chips” toward the end.

Use a fork to drop your heated BBQ evenly across the chips, and then immediately cover with cheese.  Heat the plate for an additional 20-25 seconds if you like to get the cheese really melty.

Then scatter your cilantro, tomatoes, bacon and jalapenos across the top. 

And voila!  A delicious, fun, quick & easy meal.  And quick & easy is DEFINITELY necessary when you’re also filling out credit applications for food service vendors with one hand while you stuff your face with the other.  And it’s a great way to get some fresh greens and veggies into your system…especially when you’ve been eating pre-packaged pulled pork for two weeks. :)

(As a note—we’re not 100% sure if we’re going to be offering this pulled pork at the Shoppe, as the pieces of meat in it were kind of small and overly shredded, making the texture almost mushy, even though the flavor is delicious.  The texture was actually perfect for these nachos, though.  So we may just step it up and get some pre-smoked pork butt & shred & sauce it ourselves.  We were trying to keep it simple, but I don’t necessarily want to sacrifice quality for convenience.)

And as always, I’ll throw it out there, if you’re interested in following the progress of our ice cream shoppe, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!  (I update Facebook most—I’m still getting the hang of the whole “tweeting/instagrammy” thing.)

The Marginator’s CrockPot Wings

When I worked at Martin’s Wine Cellar down in Metairie, my manager’s name was Margie.  Actually, it still IS Margie, since she still works there & hasn’t changed her name.  Our loving nickname for her was The Marginator… Of course, this is coming from a gaggle of gals who have a song dedicated to rare roast beef, which comes in a 20 lb package, vaccum-sealed in it's own “juices” (aka, blood), and makes a HUGE mess when you have to open it, and was thusly named “The Big Nasty”. 

ANYWAY.  Margie hired me with no real experience in gourmet foods, wines, or cheeses, with the exception of an addiction to Food Network.  And by the time I left a year later, I knew WAY too much about 200 different kinds of cheeses, 8 types of pate (all gross), about 20 gourmet deli meats & sausages, 6-7 types of olives, and was our resident expert in crafting entirely kosher holiday baskets.

I have tasted 89% of these things.

Margie also passed along several recipes to me, which incorporated food items we sold in the store.  This bestowal of knowledge was partially for recommending to customers, and partially just because they were delicious and we got a pretty sweet employee discount.  I sincerely miss that discount these days.

This is my favorite Marginator recipe by far.  It’s extremely easy and has tons of flavor.  And I figured I’d share since Football Season is here and wings are a pretty popular football food.  The Hubs & I don’t do much tailgating, but now that I get free admission to Missouri State games with my new fancy schmancy student ID, we might have to attend a couple. :D

Another thing I really like about this recipe: A lot of wing recipes are either fried or breaded, which adds a ton of unnecessary fat.  But you can use your broiler to get your chicken all crispy on the outside with NO added fat.

Ingredients:

NOTE: I do this recipe in “parts”, rather than specific measurements, because it’s entirely dependent upon how many wings you’re making.  Just use equal amounts of each of the sauce ingredients.  For example: if we’re making about 4 servings worth, I use 1/2- 1 cup of each. 

1 part your favorite BBQ sauce (we love KC Masterpiece Smoky)

1 part honey (as always, I recommend Acadiana Honey, or, if you don’t have that available, buy local.  I guarantee there’s a honey producer at your local farmer’s market.)

1 part Pickapeppa Sauce

Fresh or thawed chicken wings & drummies (4-6 pieces make a serving)

 

Directions:

Turn your oven’s broiler on, and spread your wings out on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven, with the shelf a couple notches below the broiler.  Broil on both sides for about 10 minutes each—this gets the skin really nice & crispy, and seals in a ton of flavor.

In your CrockPot, mix together the sauce ingredients (Note: I occasionally add a few splashes of Cajun Power garlic sauce if I have it in the house), and then toss your chicken into the pot.  Mix so that the chicken is coated.

Cover, and let cook for 5-6 hours on Low, or 2-3 hours on High, or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Stir once about halfway through cooking to recoat the chicken.

Serve with some ranch & veggies on the side! 

 

NutriFacts (per serving):

Calories 641.5

  Total Fat 22.0 g

  Saturated Fat 5.6 g

  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g

  Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g

  Cholesterol 244.6 mg

  Sodium 923.4 mg

  Potassium 241.7 mg

  Total Carbohydrate 38.9 g

  Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

  Sugars 34.8 g

  Protein 67.0 g

Spicy BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps–Crockpot Recipe!

 

If your Pinterest Friends’ Board looks anything like mine, you’ve seen the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps floating around.  Me, I’m not a huge fan of buffalo sauce, but I like me some spicy BBQ.  Anything that has a good mix of sweet, smoky, & a swift kick in the pants is a winner in my book.  And I love every opportunity I get to use my Crockpot, because it means I can throw things together before work, and when I get home, everything’s ready to go!  So I modified this recipe just a bit & was REALLY happy with the results.

 

Ingredients: (makes 8 wraps/4 servings)

1.5-2 lbs of skinless chicken (we used bone-in thighs because it’s what we had in the freezer, but boneless-skinless would have been much easier)

1 celery stalk

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 cups low sodium chicken broth + 1 cup water

1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 cup Tiger Sauce

8 large lettuce leaves

1 carrot, peeled

another celery stalk

8 oz fat free sour cream

1/2 packet ranch dip mix

 

Directions:

Add the chicken, celery, onion, garlic, & Cajun seasoning to the Crockpot, and then cover with the chicken broth / water.  Add enough to just cover the chicken (if you’re using bone-in, it might take a little bit more water).  Cover & cook on High for 4 hours, or Low for 6-8 hours.

When everything’s all cooked up, drain the fluids from the pot (reserving 1/2 cup of the broth) and then shred the chicken (make sure you capture all the bones, if you’re cooking bone-in).  Then add the shredded chicken back to the Crockpot.  Top with reserved chicken broth, BBQ sauce, & Tiger sauce.

If this is your first time cooking with Tiger Sauce…WHY????  OMG, it’s so amazing.  Buy some. NOW.  You will THANK me.  It’s my favorite “hot sauce”, though it’s SO much more than a hot sauce.  With 28 ingredients and a cayenne base, it’s spicy, smoky, sweet & slightly sour.  Dip your fries in it, dip your steak in it…bathe your baby in it…actually, that one’s probably a bad idea. 

It’s got a lot of kick, so if you’re not big on heat…WHY are you reading this blog?  Just kidding.  Start off with about 1/8 of a cup, mix it all together, and then if you want more heat, add more to your Scoville-y preference.

Mix the chicken & sauce all together, and turn your Crockpot to Warm or Low & cook for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash 4 large lettuce leaves & cut off the hard bottom edges. 

Now julienne one carrot & one stalk of celery.

And the original recipe calls for topping the wraps with a bleu cheese sauce…but we’re not much on bleu cheese in my house.  So instead, mix 8 oz of sour cream with half the contents of a ranch dip packet, and stir well.  Ranch goes better with BBQ, IMHO.

(Like classy folk, we just mix stuff right in the container.  Fewer dishes to wash!)

Once your chicken is heated through, scoop 1/2 cup of chicken into the center of each lettuce leaf, then top with veggies & a dollop (1 tbsp) of the ranch.  Roll up, and Devour.  Keep some napkins handy—these are messy.

NutriFacts: (2 wraps makes 1 serving)

Calories 283.7

  Total Fat 6.5 g

  Saturated Fat 2.9 g

  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g

  Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g

  Cholesterol 110.3 mg

  Sodium 899.6 mg

  Potassium 928.4 mg

  Total Carbohydrate 11.0 g

  Dietary Fiber 2.0 g

  Sugars 2.7 g

  Protein 43.1 g