Sourdough King Cake for Mardi Gras!

 Every year at my office, we have a Mardi Gras potluck.  One year I brought a boudin king cake; another year I made one from pre-made cinnamon roll dough. Another year I just made kingcupcakes. But I hadn't ever made one from scratch. But since I've managed to keep my sourdough starter alive for a year, I figured it was about time to try.

I found this recipe online and stayed pretty true to the recipe, but found the dough to be a bit too sticky.  I made a practice version the week before Mardi Gras--but didn't get the seams sealed well so it leaked out quite a bit, and was a bit dense.  

So for the actual Mardi Gras potluck, I decided to add about a teaspoon of active dry yeast and about 20 extra grams of bread flour. I also modified the filling: rather than mixing the butter in with the cinnamon & sugar, I spread the melted butter on the dough and then sprinkled the cinnamon sugar generously on top of that.  

I used this video to learn how to make the braid (about 15 minutes into video), since I didn't want to just do a simple roll.  

I've given up on trying to keep powdered sugar around the house. It always ends up going bad before I use the whole bag.  So I discovered I can make about 1/2 a cup in my coffee grinder, which is all I needed to make enough icing for this cake.  (You can vary the amounts of the liquids to get to your desired consistency. )

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp milk

I also made the purple, green and yellow sugar to go on top of the icing--pretty simple, just mixing a few drops of food coloring in a ziploc bag with 1/2 cup sugar per bag, then zip, and knead until color is mixed all the way through, then open the bag and spread out the sugar to let dry.

The cake turned out great, not too dense, good flavor, and no leaks!

This was probably one of our best potlucks so far!  We had red beans & rice with jalapeno cornbread, dirty rice made with collard greens & chicken andouille, shrimp boil, apples with praline dip...all the good things!

Instant Pot Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo (HAPPY MARDI GRAS!)

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

Tree at New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

This year, I was able to make it down to Scott, LA for their parade.  This is always my favorite:  the floats aren't anything amazing like what you see in New Orleans, but my friends live on the parade route, and they throw a big shindig with lots of food and I get to see some of my favorite people on the planet.

Yes, that is a Minion Porta-John.

Robin wins for best catch--hula dancing dolphins with coconut bras.

And I got to meet this lil' cutie, my friend B's new baby!

As per usual, since I am no longer a resident of the great state of Louisiana, I have to work on Mardi Gras. In fact, I will be in training all day learning how to use our new accounting software.  HOWEVER, we will be taking a break over lunch to have the annual Mardi Gras Potluck (coordinated each year by yours truly, because I just can't give it up.)

Last year, I made a boudin king cake, before that it was bacon gouda grit fritters w/pepper jelly sauce, then it was king cake cupcakes, and before that it was another king cake (sans boudin).  This year, a coworker is picking up a king cake kringle from Supreme Bakery here in town, so I decided to make gumbo.  I've done gumbo several times here (see list at the bottom of this post for links), but I've never made it in my Instant Pot.  So I figured...why not?

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 8-10 two-cup servings) 
* Note: if cooking for a smaller group, you can halve this recipe...or you can freeze part of it. It freezes really well.

• 4 cups cooked brown rice (aka 2 cups uncooked rice, cooked)
• 1 lb small or medium shrimp, tails/shells removed
• 1 lb smoked sausage (andouille if you can find it), cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
• 1 tsp olive oil (as needed) 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used both red & green since that’s what I had on hand) 
• 2 stalks of celery, diced 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup instant roux 
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (or 2 cups regular + 1 cup water)
• 6 cups water 
• 2 cups chopped okra, strung* 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 Tbsp parsley 
• 1 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or more to taste after cooking)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the rice in your preferred method (I used the Instant Pot) and set aside.

2) Set the Instant Pot to Saute and cook the sausage (about 4 minutes). Once browned, remove the sausage and set aside in a medium bowl.

3) Put the okra in the pot and stir for about 3 minutes.  You'll see "strings" of slime coming off the okra--this is good, as cooking out the slime now will keep it from being slimy in the gumbo.  It will start to brown a bit as well, which is a good thing--adds flavor.  After the 3 minutes are up, remove the okra from the pot and set aside--you can put it in the same bowl as the sausage so you're not making extra dirty dishes for yourself.

4) Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and saute until softened and the onions start to go translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

5) Mix 1 cup water & instant roux together and then add to the pot, stirring until the roux thickens (just a minute or so).

 

6) Add the sausage, okra, rest of the water, chicken broth and spices to the pot and stir well--make sure nothing's sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Then lock the lid on, make sure the lid is set to "Seal", Press "Manual", and cook on "High" for 10 minutes.

7) Let the pot de-pressurize naturally (about 10 minutes), then open the lid and throw in the shrimp.  The residual heat from the gumbo will cook them without letting them get too tough & chewy.

Serve over rice (or with the rice mixed in, because my co-workers are a bunch of Yankees who aren't used to assembling their own gumbo bowls), with a side of potato salad and french bread.  

...and a side of red beans, jambalaya, veggies, Jimmy Johns, and king cake....  Because it's a potluck. And you start Keto tomorrow...so one last hurrah!!!

My Other Gumbo Recipes:
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (made from scratch)
Pressure Cooker Gumbo
Gumbo Risotto
Duck & Sausage File Gumbo
Slow Cooker Gumbo

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.

Bacon Gouda Grit Fritters & Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce

So last week I shared a recipe for grits & grillades.  Well, when I made that...I made a lot of extra grits.  Why? Because it was Potluck Time at work!  We try to do these quarterly (which, really, it's probably a good thing they're not more frequent otherwise we'd all have some serious health issues), and they're usually somewhat themed.  This one was "Spring Cleaning"--as in, what can you throw together from what's in your fridge/pantry that needs to be used up?

I'll admit...I chose this theme explicitly so I could make this recipe, because it requires cold grits as the base.  I've had this recipe in my Pinterest for-ev-er, so it's really a two-fer...I would need to make some OTHER recipe that involved grits, and then use the leftover grits to make these fritters, and then BAM--two blog posts.

Delicious, delicious gluttony. 

Also--the original recipe calls for pan-frying these.  But I did the first four as a test batch fried and burnt the crap out of my arms...plus they were trying to fall apart a little bit, so I figured the less I had to move them around, the better. I opted to oven-fry them instead (also easier since I prepped them the night before, but actually cooked them AT work right before the potluck so they'd be hot). And, you know, a little healthier too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda
• 1 diced green onion
• 6 slices low sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 large eggs + 1/4 cup water
• 1.5 cup Panko crumbs
• 1.5 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Misto olive oil spray
• ½ cup Red Pepper Jelly
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Cook grits & broth according to package instructions.  Then add the cajun seasoning, gouda, green onion, and bacon and mix well.  Lightly grease a 8x8 pan and then pour the grit mixture in and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

When ready to prep your fritters, create a work station--in one bowl, combine the egg (beaten) and water, and the panko+breadcrumbs in a second bowl.  Then grab your grits and roll into small balls (I opted to create all my fritter-balls first, THEN batter them to streamline things).  

Roll each ball in the egg mixture and then toss in the breadcrumbs and place on a greased cookie sheet.  If you're not cooking right away, you can freeze these to help keep the breading crisp.

To oven-fry, preheat your oven to 425F, then spray the tops of the fritters with olive oil (this helps them to crisp up and brown).  Bake for 15 minutes, then flip, and bake for 15 more minutes.

While they're baking, you can make the dipping sauce.  In a small bowl, combine the pepper jelly, mustard, and vinegar, and microwave for about 20-30 seconds until smooth.

Serve the fritters while warm (seriously--they're no where near as good when cold or even room temp) with the pepper jelly sauce.  

Shrimp Boil Salad (Guest Post)

Hey there FeauxReaders!  Today, I am thrilled to present you with a guest post from none other than my cousin Primo from New Orleans.  He dreamed up a delicious-looking warm (or cold) salad that I can’t wait to test out!

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I enjoy cooking. I enjoy challenges and experimenting with new recipes. I’m the kind of guy that watches shows like Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, and other game-type shows on Food Network and honestly thinks he could do well.

For my company Christmas party, we decided to do a pot luck lunch. As we were divvying up the assigned dishes, I deferred to making whatever dish wasn’t claimed since I don’t have a “signature dish”. In my office, that translates to “I can only make *insert item here*” Low and behold, the category I ended up with was… SALAD. What a slap in the face. Not only do I feel like that’s a cop-out dish for any pot luck, but I’m a meat and potatoes guy that doesn’t normally like traditional salads.

I had to make a salad that not only wowed my coworkers but would also be something new and exciting for me. After a couple hours of pondering and a quick brainstorming phone call with Prima, (aka Ms. FeauxCajun, herself) the shrimp boil salad was born.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp/Crab boil to taste (If you are unfamiliar with seafood boil seasoning, premeasured boil in bag versions are available at most grocers)
• 3 pounds of baby red potatoes cut in halves or quarters
• 1 pound smoked link sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 pack of frozen corn on the cob (fresh Missouri/Iowa sweet corn on the cob would be best but it wasn’t available to me in Louisiana in December)
• 2 pounds peeled beautiful Louisiana shrimp  (if you’re unable to buy fresh gulf shrimp, any fresh or even frozen [then thawed] UNCOOKED shrimp will probably work with this recipe)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 2 local beers (for the chef while cooking)

Essential cooking tool.

Directions:

1. 1. Bring 10 cups water and boil seasoning to a boil in a large stock pot over high heat.

2. Add potatoes and sausage; return to a boil, and cook 13 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. While your potatoes are cooking, combine lemon juice, EVOO, parsley, Creole mustard, horseradish, garlic, and paprika and whisk together well.

4. Remove potatoes and sausage and set aside in your large salad bowl

5. Add corn to stock pot and return to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Add shrimp; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

Now THAT is a beautiful sight.

6. Drain and peel shrimp. Cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs. Stir together corn kernels, shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and lemon juice mixture in a large bowl.

7. Serve hot or cover and chill to serve cold the next day.

NOTE: While this dish is fantastic fresh out of the pot, it is equally as fantastic served chilled. The flavors remain strong. I think the new twist on a COLD shrimp boil combined with the lemon juice dressing made for an unexpected surprise.

Asparagus Artichoke Cheesepocalypse.

I’ve probably mentioned here before—my mom gets Bon Appetit magazine and saves them for me.  Which means I am bestowed with a large pile of magazines every time I visit.  I’m not complaining.  Not one bit.  I flip through the mags, tear out the recipes I want to try, and then recycle the rest.

And as I KNOW I’ve mentioned here before, my friend Kathy gave the Hubs & I this gorgeous handmade fleur-de-lis casserole dish for our wedding, with the promise that because of Kathy & I’s shared love of cheese, must be utilized for cheese-tastic dishes.  Last time, it was a de-LUSH-us lasagna.  This time…ohhhhh….this time…

Here.  I’ll just show you the page I ripped out of Bon Appetit:

I mean….SERIOUSLY.  Who in the world could ignore that page?  It’s like, the most delicious looking sheet of paper on the planet.  I would EAT the paper…but then I wouldn’t have the recipe anymore, so let’s not do that.

If you’re going to a holiday party this season, this would be a FANTASTIC thing to bring.  And if you have vegetarian friends like we do, they will LOVE you, because this gives them something fairly hearty to chow down on all evening as they avoid the meatballs and finger sandwiches.

And while I can’t really call this technically a “healthy” dish because of all that luscious CHEEEEEEESE… it’s actually not THAT awful for you.  A 1/3 cup serving has about 100 calories (plus whatever you use to dip—crackers, baguettes, veggies, etc.) and it’s crammed full of veggies.

 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

2 tbsp light butter

1 cup onions (if you don’t like onions, sub in spinach or leeks here)

2 tbsp flour

1.25 cup skim milk

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese or white cheddar

salt & pepper to taste

14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts in water

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 tbsp chopped green onions

4 oz crumbled goat cheese or feta

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the asparagus pieces for about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain and let cool.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  To this, add the onions (or spinach) and cook until soft (about 10 minutes).  Whisk in flour and then gradually add the milk. Bring this to a simmer, whisking constantly.  Continue cooking until thickened and then remove from the heat.

Add to the sauce pan the shredded cheese and whisk until melted and smooth.  Season to taste with the salt & pepper.

Mix in the asparagus (reserve the tips for the top of the dish), artichoke hearts, peas, chives, and 2 oz of the goat/feta cheese. 

Transfer this to a 4-5 cup baking dish, and then arrange the asparagus tips on the top.  Crumble the remaining goat/feta cheese over the top.

Bake until gold & bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.  Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips or sliced & toasted baguette.

NUTRIFACTS: (1 serving = 1/3 cup; makes 16 servings total)

 Calories 106.1

  Total Fat 6.4 g

  Saturated Fat 1.1 g

  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g

  Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g

  Cholesterol 18.7 mg

  Sodium 139.1 mg

  Potassium 87.4 mg

  Total Carbohydrate 8.1 g

  Dietary Fiber 0.5 g

  Sugars 1.5 g

  Protein 6.2 g