I really enjoyed this simple and refreshing Asian noodle salad! I loved the combination of sweet, salty and tangy flavors.

I added some julienned red bell pepper for extra crunch and color. To make a more substantial salad, stir-fried shrimp, chicken or tofu would also be delicious additions. For the dressing, I added a little sesame oil and soy sauce for extra flavor. Since I only had seasoned rice vinegar, I omitted the extra sugar, and also omitted the salt since I added soy sauce. If you want a little kick to the dressing, add some Asian chile garlic sauce.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
-recipe from epicurious.com

Makes 4 side-dish servings

4 oz. thin rice noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 carrot, coarsely shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup loosely packed mixed fresh cilantro, mint, and/or basil leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Soak noodles in hot water 10 minutes, then drain in a large sieve.

Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 1 minute. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water until cold. Drain well and pat noodles dry.

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add noodles, carrot, scallions, herbs, and peanuts, tossing to combine.

Tags: Asian fish sauce, cilantro, rice noodles, rice vinegar, Vietnamese

If you’re looking for a flavorful, exotically-spiced soup then you’ve got to try this recipe! I love the rich combination of curry, coconut milk, peanut butter and sweet potatoes! I made it for the first time a few years ago for Husband and some of his work buddies. The soup received raves from Husband and his pals.

I followed the recipe but simplified a few of the steps. I microwaved the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them, (which saved a ton of time) and used a 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes instead of buying and roasting Romas. After pureeing the soup, added chopped carrots for extra veggie content (spinach is also a good addition, adding it right before serving). I also added the raw chicken pieces to the soup without searing it first. The soup is so flavorful with all the other ingredients that you’ll never miss the extra step. Plus, you’ll save yourself a few extra minutes and have one less pan to wash. You can use chicken breasts or thighs for this soup—both are great so go with what’s on sale.

Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, foodnetwork.com 

Serves: 2 qts, 4 to 6 servings.

3/4 pound sweet potatoes
5 tablespoons peanut oil
8 each Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup onions, julienned
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped, roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and place in an oven-proof pie tin. Place the pie tin in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the potatoes and discard them. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.

Place the tomatoes in a small mixing bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes until the skins are caramelized and wilted, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, discard the skins, and set the tomatoes aside until ready to use.

Set a 1 gallon stockpot over a medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the curry powder to the pot and toast for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the cayenne pepper and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes to the soup. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk to the pot and stir to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a bar blender until smooth. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and, if necessary, more pepper.

Season the chicken pieces with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the white pepper, and sear in a hot saute pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil for 5 minutes. Add the seared chicken to the pot. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra cilantro and the chopped peanuts.

Tags: African, Chicken, cilantro, coconut milk, curry, peanut butter, peanut soup, Senegalese, sweet potatoes

This delicious, easy-to-make appetizer combines two great flavors: smoky bacon and caramelized onions. YUMM! 

The recipe calls for refrigerated pizza dough in a tube but I used Trader Joe’s fresh pizza dough instead. I had some trouble with the rolled-out dough sticking to itself when I tried to transfer it to the baking sheet, so I ended up rolling it out on parchment paper then transferring both parchment and dough to the baking sheet. Don’t worry if you don’t have caraway seeds or don’t want to buy them–the tart will still be great without them.

Onion and Bacon Tart
-recipe from Paumanok Vineyards
Bon Appétit Magazine, October 2005

Every visitor to Paumanok Vineyards enjoys a warm welcome from owners Ursula and Charles Massoud. She learned viticulture in her parents’ vineyards in Germany; he taught himself to make wine when his job with IBM took the family to the Middle East. Ursula, who is known for her outstanding comfort food, pairs Paumanok’s semi-dry Riesling with an onion tart she makes at harvest time. “It’s traditional in my hometown to serve it when the Riesling juice is still fermenting. The sweetness of the onions matches the sweetness of the new wine.”

Makes 6 servings.

8 bacon slices, chopped
5 cups sliced onions (about 3 large)

1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings from skillet. Add onions to bacon and sauté over medium heat until onions are very tender but not brown, about 20 minutes. Cool.

Whisk egg, sour cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl to blend. Stir in cooled onion mixture.

Roll pizza dough out on lightly floured surface to 13×10-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet. Spread onion mixture over dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border around edges. Sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Bake tart until onion custard is set and crust is golden brown around edges and brown on bottom, about 25 minutes.

Tags: bacon, caramelized onions, onion and bacon tart, pizza dough, sour cream

Have you ever wondered how a microwave oven works? Or why some things explode faster than others in a microwave? I’ve been a little afraid of microwave ovens ever since I was in college when I accidentally caught mine on fire while attempting to make popcorn. You see, this was before prepackaged microwave popcorn existed. I had heard that you could pop popcorn in a microwave in a brown paper bag. What I didn’t hear was that the bag could actually catch on fire if it got too hot.

The details go something like this: I measured out the popcorn kernels, poured them into the paper grocery bag, rolled down the top, placed the bag into my mini microwave, turned it on, and left the room momentarily to do something else. When I returned a few minutes later, I found smoke pouring out of my precious little appliance. I quickly turned the gadget off and opened the microwave door. Big mistake! The paper bag inside the microwave was on fire. I don’t remember how I put the fire out, but what I do remember is that the fire totally melted the inside of my little microwave oven. Molten plastic dripped from the interior of the appliance while I sat on my floor and cried. The poor thing was totally mangled so, unfortunately, after it cooled off I had to throw it in the dumpster. It was a sad day for me. A very sad day indeed.

I recently ran across the following article from Fine Cooking Magazine that reminded me of my melted microwave:

The Microwave Demystified
by Robert Wolke, Fine Cooking Magazine

Microwaves may be a fixture in most kitchens, but there’s a lot about them we don’t understand. How do they work? Are they safe? Fine Cooking Magazine asked scientist and author Robert L. Wolke to answer the hard questions about this mysterious appliance.
 
How do microwave ovens heat food?
In a microwave oven, an electronic device generates a form of electromagnetic radiation called microwaves, which are very similar to radio waves but with a shorter wavelength and higher energy. When you put food in a microwave oven, water molecules in the food absorb the microwaves and start flip-flopping around and getting hot. This hot water and steam, in turn, heat the rest of the food.

Why do microwaves cook so much faster than regular ovens?
A regular oven heats the air inside the oven, and this hot air gradually transfers its heat energy to the food. This type of heat transfer is a slow, inefficient process. Microwaves, on the other hand, efficiently deposit their energy directly into the food, agitating the molecules and quickly creating widespread heat within the food.

Why does food in the center of a container take longer to heat up? And why does the container get hotter than the food?
The food in the center of a container takes longer to heat because microwaves don’t reach it there. Microwaves penetrate food to a depth of about 1/2 inch. This outer region heats up rapidly, creating a layer of very hot food that surrounds a cool interior. Heat energy transfers from this hot outer region to the container, making it very hot. Heat also transfers to adjacent food molecules in the cooler center. But as in a regular oven, it takes time for heat from the hot exterior of the food to work its way deep into the food.

In a microwave you can speed things along by stopping and stirring the food, which distributes the heat and moves cool food out toward the walls of the container where the microwaves can reach it when you continue the heating.

What foods can’t be cooked in a microwave?
Microwaves are absorbed mainly by water and to some extent fats, so dry, fat-free foods won’t heat up.

Honestly, how safe are microwave ovens?
They’re safe. Period. For at least three reasons:

1. The microwaves bounce back and forth off the walls of their steel-box enclosure and remain imprisoned. (If, however, your oven is beat up and the door doesn’t close tightly, you’d be wise to replace it.)

2. Microwaves have a wavelength of an inch or two and simply can’t fit through the holes in that perforated metal screen in the door. So go ahead—stand in front of the door and watch the fun going on inside for as long as you wish.

3. The device that generates the microwaves turns off instantly when the door opens. That said, there are a couple of hazards to watch out for. Hot containers, for one. And when heating a mug of water for tea or coffee, be careful. Even before the water appears to boil vigorously, pockets of water in the cup may actually become “superheated” (i.e., hotter than water’s boiling point, 212°F). Then, if you disturb the water by grabbing the cup, the water may boil explosively and scald you. To prevent this, I put a fork in the cup to “defuse” any superheated water before removing the cup from the oven.

What does it mean when something is labeled microwave safe?
 The microwave-safe symbol (right) or the words “microwave safe” mean three things:

1. That an object won’t absorb microwaves and get hot as a result. (But of course, any container can get hot from contact with its hot contents.) So in that sense, all plastics, glass, cloth, and paper are “safe.” But metals, in general, are not, because they will not only overheat but may actually spark.

2. That an object will not melt or deform in the microwave. Plastic film and some plastic containers are not labeled microwave safe because they may warp or even melt when they come in contact with hot food, possibly leading to spillage. If you must microwave foods in a plastic-wrap-covered container, leave an air space between the food and the plastic so that the wrap doesn’t melt from contact with the hot food. Use a container large enough to allow an inch of space between the wrap and the food and turn back a corner or cut vents in the wrap to allow steam to escape.

3. That the object is chemically and toxicologically harmless according to the FDA’s or the manufacturer’s own tests. Although the United States Food and Drug Administration certifies various plastics used in packaging as safe for contact with food, this does not mean that all those plastics have been deemed safe for hot food. There is some concern that the heat from hot food (not the microwaves) could cause some plastics to leach harmful chemicals. So before declaring a plastic microwave safe, the FDA performs rigorous leaching tests under different conditions of food type, temperature, contact time, and area. A plastic is certified as microwave safe only if the amount of leached chemical is hundreds or thousands of times less (per pound of body weight) than what has been found to harm laboratory animals after a lifetime of use. (Manufacturers do not have to submit their products to the FDA for testing.) Recently, there has been growing concern about a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA, leaching from polycarbonate bottles, especially baby bottles. Fetuses, infants, and children are most susceptible to its effects, which mimic those of sex-related hormones. (Polycarbonate containers are rigid and transparent, with the recycling code 7 on the bottom.) To play it safe until more is known about this hazard, the National Toxicology Program recommends that you use glass or soft-plastic baby bottles and that you do not microwave food in polycarbonate containers.

Microwave dos and don’ts
- Do use containers that are designed for use in the microwave and are labeled microwave safe.
- Do vent the lid.
- Do prevent splatters by covering food with waxed paper, parchment, or white paper towels.
- Don’t use plastic containers that are designed for cold storage, such as margarine tubs, yogurt containers, water bottles, etc.
- Don’t let plastic wrap touch the food that’s being heated.
- Don’t put plastic bags from the grocery store in the microwave. They will melt.

From Fine Cooking 94, pp. 74-75
July 1, 2008

Tags: How To Melt A Microwave, microwave ovens, Robert L. Wolke, The Microwave Demystified

Here’s a fun way to eat your yellow veggies: cooked spaghetti squash drizzled with browned butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It’s simple and makes a good side dish for chicken.

Instead of boiling the whole squash, I microwaved it (saving 30 minutes of cooking time). To do this, carefully cut the top off the squash off an inch or so below the stem, split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place both halves cut side down in a microwaveable dish (overlapping is fine), add about 1/4″ of water to the pan, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 15 minutes (or until the squash is cooked to your liking). Now proceed with the recipe.

After browning the butter, I added a dash of ground nutmeg to it (didn’t have fresh nutmeg). I then scooped the cooked squash strands into a bowl, separating it with a fork so it looked spaghetti-like and tossed with the brown butter, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. For serving, I mounded the squash back into one of the squash shells and sprinkled more Parmesan on top. Yumm!

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter and Parmesan
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

Spaghetti squash derives its name from the nature of its flesh: Once it is cooked and cut in half, the flesh can be separated into strands that recall the famed Italian pasta. The squash has a delicate flavor so requires only subtle enhancement.

1 spaghetti squash, 2 1/2 to 3 lb.
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the whole squash in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook it until it turns brown and just begins to smoke, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and stir in the nutmeg.

When the squash is done, drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and, using a fork, scrape out the seeds and discard. Place the squash halves, cut sides up, on a serving platter. Using the fork, scrape the flesh free of the skin, carefully separating it into the spaghetti-like strands that it naturally forms. Leave the strands mounded in the squash halves. If the butter has cooled, place over medium heat until hot.

To serve, drizzle the butter evenly over the squash. Sprinkle with the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

Tags: brown butter, parmesan cheese, Side Dish, spaghetti squash

I’ve always loved Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. In fact, it’s usually one of the foods I send Husband out to get for me when I feel like I’m coming down with a cold. Now that I have this recipe, though, I can make it myself in just a few minutes.

I followed the recipe as written except for substituting regular mushrooms for the shiitakes. I also took the recipe’s suggestion of adding sesame oil to the soup. Yumm! A steaming bowl of hot and sour soup ready in no time!

For more recipe ideas, check out Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Hot and Sour Soup
-recipe from Martha Stewart Living

In this Chinese soup recipe, an egg is stirred in at the end to form tiny ribbons. For more flavor, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil just before serving. Serves 4.

Note: Be sure to drain the tofu thoroughly before adding it to the soup so it will soak up the flavor of the broth.

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups), stemmed, caps thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large (5-quart) pot, combine broth, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons vinegar and cornstarch. Add to pot; simmer, stirring, until soup is thickened, about 1 minute.

Add egg through a slotted spoon, and stir to form ribbons. Stir in tofu. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 1 minute. Put ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release juice into soup (discard solids). Taste; add remaining tablespoon vinegar, if desired. Serve sprinkled with scallions.

Tags: ginger, hot and sour soup, mushrooms, rice vinegar, soy sauce, tofu

Here’s a hearty sandwich that will make a meat-lover happy! However, my favorite part was the Chimichurri Mayo, a delicious combination of chopped parsley, red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and mayonnaise. Yumm!

I pretty much followed the recipe except for substituting red onions for the shallot in the chimi mayo. To slice the cooked steak, I used my Cuisinart Electric Knife to carve thin slices…much faster and easier than using my regular carving knife. For the sandwich, I took the Test Kitchen’s advice and layered some roasted red peppers between the mayo and steak (a delicious addition). I served the sandwich open-faced with a knife and fork, which was still a little messy but, hey, that’s what napkins are for.

Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri Mayo
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

The tangy, herbal mayonnaise complements the full, beefy flavor of the flank steak. Serves 4.

1 small flank stead (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread
Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skilled over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise, parsley, shallot, garlic, and vinegar in bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture over each slice of bread. Slice steak thin against grain. Arrange steak on bread to make sandwiches. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Add a slice of tomato or roasted red pepper for a more colorful and flavorful sandwich.

Tags: chimichurri, mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, sandwich, steak

This hoagie “dip” is not a dip at all. In fact, I refer to it as a deconstructed hoagie because it’s got all the hoagie makings chopped into small pieces that you spoon on top of bread (like a bruschetta topping). It’s very easy to make and people love it!

This recipe is great for improvising (adding or subtracting ingredients to your liking). For the meat, I usually just use salami and deli turkey; the other deli meats would be great in it, too, but I decided to simply the recipe. Other changes I made include: using less onion than called for (about a 1/4 red onion instead of a whole onion); adding chopped red bell pepper and olives (black or kalamata) for color, texture and flavor; substituting Italian dressing for the olive oil for extra tanginess; and serving with baguette slices instead of hoagie pieces.

The recipe calls for chopping everything into bite-sized pieces but I dice everything smaller than that. If you want to save a few bucks, skip making the bread bowl and served the “dip” in a regular bowl. Be sure to put a serving spoon in the ”dip” so that people know to spoon it onto the pieces of bread. Now stand back and watch your friends devour it!

Mary Alice’s Hoagie Dip
-Recipe courtesy Mary Alice Yeskey for Food Network Magazine

8 servings.

1 medium onion
2 pickled pepperoncini peppers
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, halved and seeded
1/4 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound deli-sliced ham
1/4 pound deli-sliced prosciutto
1/4 pound deli-sliced roast turkey
1/4 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 10-to-12-inch round loaf Italian bread
8 hoagie rolls, cut into pieces, for dipping

Chop the onion, pepperoncini, lettuce and tomato into bite-size pieces. Dice the meats and cheese.

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes and stir until everything is all mixed up and tasty. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carve out the center of the bread loaf to make a bowl (don’t cut through the bottom) and cut the scraps into bite-size pieces. Serve the hoagie dip in the bread bowl, with the extra bread and hoagie rolls to scoop it up. Yummers!

Tags: Appetizer, bruschetta, deli turkey, hoagie dip, provolone, salami

Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are coming up so I thought I’d post a gumbo recipe. A true gumbo starts with a roux (pronounced “roo”), a slowly cooked mixture of oil and flour. Gumbo takes time to prepare and cook so this is one of those recipes that requires a little bit of planning. Don’t let this scare you off, though. Gumbo is well worth the few extra steps involved in making it.

It’s important to have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before starting the gumbo. And, you must be patient when making the roux. You do not want to be multi-tasking while making the roux, which takes a good 25 minutes or so of constant stirring at medium heat (or lower). Be careful not to burn the roux (dark specks or a burnt smell) or you’ll have to toss it out and start all over to make a new one. Once the roux is a dark brown color (I make mine the color of dark brown sugar) then you add in the chopped onions, celery and red bell pepper. The rest of the recipe is relatively easy. Gumbo is great for entertaining because it can be made a day ahead and reheated. For serving, spoon a little cooked rice in a bowl and ladle the hot gumbo over it. Serve with Tabasco Sauce for an extra kick.

Note: this recipe includes directions for making Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning. Since the gumbo recipe calls for using only 1 tablespoon of it, I just make a smaller amount of ESSENCE.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo with White Rice
-Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse – foodnetwork.com

EMERIL’S NOTE ON ROUX: If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it.

Serves: 6 to 7 cups, 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed
1 tablespoon Essence or Creole seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
9 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon file powder
White Rice, recipe follows
Hot sauce

In a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Season the chicken with the Essence and add in batches to the fat remaining in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, let cool, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flour in the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, and cook, stirring, until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the reserved chicken to the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.

Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs from the gumbo and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred, discarding the bones and skin. Return the meat to the gumbo and stir in the green onions, parsley, and file powder.

Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Serve, passing hot sauce on the side.

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup.

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

White Rice:
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups water, chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the rice, water, butter, salt, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered and undisturbed, for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Discard the bay leaf and serve. Yield: 7 cups.

Tags: Chicken, gumbo, roux, smoked sausage

This quick and easy Asian-flavored dish is perfect for a weeknight meal. I followed the recipe except for adding some red bell pepper that I needed to use up. The fresh linguine I used worked great, but next time I’ll try the recipe using fresh Chinese noodles.

Pork and Broccoli Lo Mein
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Cooking the pork in two batches ensures excellent browning and flavor development. Serves 4.

1 (9-ounce) package fresh Chinese egg noodles (see note below)
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) bag broccoli florets
8 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 garlic cloves, minced

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain noodles in colander and rinse under water until cool. Drain thoroughly, then toss with sesame oil.

Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water in bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of pork, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and remaining pork.

Add broccoli and remaining 1/4 cup water and cook, covered, until broccoli is just tender and water has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add scallions and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan. Stir in noodles and oyster sauce mixture and toss until well coated, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Fresh linguine can be substituted for the noodles.

Tags: broccoli, Chinese egg noodles, lo mein, pork, pork tenderloin