New Orleans 2025 Birthday: Where to eat, what to do

If you plan on going anytime soon to New Orleans here are my tips.

• Get a room off Bourbon a bit but still in the French Quarter especially if you're there during Marti Gras.
• Get room with a separate living room.  It allowed us to chill on the couch, relax, watch TV and regroup.  I’m not a fan of spending time in a room or a lot of money on a room because we don’t hang out in it however I do want a clean room in a nice location.  On vacation we are there to get in the sites, hang with the locals and have a great experience.  I can sit on my butt and relax at home, I love my quite home, that is not what I use vacations for.  I usually need a vacation from my vacation.
• Make reservations for the higher end restaurants before you leave home, some require months in advance like Commanders Palace in the Garden District or you may not get in.
• Can’t get into a restaurant, try the bar.

Favorite Restaurant Foods:

• Red Fish Grill:  EXCELLENT Flash fried oysters served with hot sauce (Crystal hot sauce, honey and butter), blue cheese sauce and blue cheese crumbles.  They were like boneless hot wings but better, 5Star👍🏻.  They were tender, maybe a bit mushy, but it was my first time trying oysters and that was OK, the sweet homemade sauce was just the right amount of sweet heat and I even loved the blue cheese crumbles in the blue cheese sauce.  I'm also not a blue cheese crumble fan but these were not too blue and my favorite appetizer of the week.  So much so we  had them at least 3-4 times, last day we doubled our order because during happy hour it is BOGO (buy 6 for $20 get 6 free).  Before this we didn’t eat oysters but I always want to try the local foods so we had to give them a try.  If I only remembered they were on happy hour I would have had them every day.  We also had dirty martinis (drinks in glasses are a thing for me, I don’t like plastic), alligator boudin balls also very good, I had the red fish over potatoes & butter sauce topped w blue crab & hubby had fried catfish over shrimp etouffee.  His was ok to me, not big on fried foods in general. Mine was better, it needed more butter sauce and a waiter who could time entrees but I'll return to bar for oysters, which we did 3-4 times.

• Mr. B’s:  Best lunch.  I had bacon wrapped shrimp with creamy grits.  I was told the secrete was mascarpone cheese.  Hubby had pasta jambalaya but with rice.  He later tried it as served with pasta but there is nothing to sop up all the thin gravy.  Serving it with rice allowed you to soak up all the good gravy.  Thanks to the bartender for the great tip!  The other benefit of eating an entrée at the bar was the $1.50 bloody mary’s or martinis you can order with an entrée purchase.

• Irene's:  Best dinner, best environment, great waiter, atmosphere fancy but I didn’t feel bad about how I was dressed.  I was dressed nice but I wear walking closed toed shoes in NO.  We started with dirty martinis with a free bruschetta appetizer with melted cheese then crab au gratin, Caesar salad perfectly tossed, hubby had the lasagna and I had the seafood fettuccine in a cream sauce.  All was to die for!

• GW Finns. It was very good but it would have been even better if I was more hungry😳We started with dirty martinis, I had Rare Yellowfin tuna, hubby had Scalibut (halibut compressed together with scallop slices) topped with shrimp & ended with Crème Brulee.

• Fives:  the raw oysters at Fives were on point for a first timer (2 Pretty Baby's & 2 Beau Soleil) , my Pimms Cup was great & hubby’s tequila old fashion is something I would try again.  It was much better than bourbon for me.

• Seawitch in the Garden District:  My lobster was good and I forgot to take a pix but I didn’t get my melted butter dipper instead it was sitting in a bit of flavored butter, not my favorite way to have it but it was still good.  In an attempt to get some veggies I ordered roasted brussels sprouts but didn’t realize they would be swimming in pepper jelly.  Way too sweet for me and so much for healthy.  We also had a Caesar salad which was good, hubby had a double bone pork chop & dirty rice. The pork chop was huge but a bit dry and I didn’t like the mint gremolata/sauce.  The dirty rice on the other hand was great.  I’d give them another chance.  It was my birthday so I had high expectations that were not met.  Not even an acknowledgement of my birthday beyond replying “you're an Aquarius, I’m on the cusp a Capricorn” nothing like turning the attention to yourself.

• Galatoires:  I had to try the shrimp remoulade in New Orleans.  This version was like a shrimp cocktail, good but was hoping for the white version which I believe is the French version.
• Lorettas Authentic Pralines:  Crab beignet & praline beignet, the praline was the best, the crab was ok so I wouldn’t try that again.  The crab got lost in the dough🧐

• Dicky Brendan's one of the two priciest dinners was just OK.  I was concerned if my dark black jeans and sweater with black tennis shoes would be ok😳but it was fine, some others were dressed much worse. The bbq shrimp was great since he removed the headed & shelled them, the Caesar salad was lame, skip it, it looked like a cigar with a couple of croutons and a fishy anchovy on top that I had to cut up myself.  I want it tossed so the dressing is evenly distributed.  My filet was not great, a bit chewy, not bloody but too red raw in spots making me have to cut it into baby bites so I wouldn’t choke, the potato au gratin was excellent even two days later, the baked potato was good and we were givin a free scoop of ice cream for my birthday.  The atmosphere could be better in the dining room, with the low ceiling with white acoustic ceiling tiles.  I prefer a dark wood steak house.  I would opt for the bar if I go back.  Also the hostess at the front desk was a bit rude when we walked in off the street to check availability.  She shrugged me off since she was unable to answer my question quickly and moved on to those who were just arriving.  She should have finished with me first or in a more professional manor.  I should have gotten the hint that this might not be the fancy place I was expecting.

• Napoleon house:  I wanted to try a Sazerac, hubby added the absinthe the more traditional version.  Bourbon didn’t fail me, still grouse.  My first taste of gumbo however was good, dispite how the pix's look (I often forget to take a pix until it's too late) and I wish I would have tried it again before we left.  It wasn’t slimy like I was afraid it would be because of the okra.  I also ended up liking the warm Muffaletta.  I didn’t think I would because I’m not crazy about olive salad but the melty cheese made if for me.  They are the only one who makes it warm.  If you would prefer it cold you should try the original at the Central grocery store by the outdoor market.   The jambalaya was OK but I like mine better.  The waiter wasn’t friendly or very helpful.  He didn’t know what he likes or was unwilling to share his advice.

The Bars:  I’m not a sweet drinker, sugary drinks give you a hangover so I stuck with my normal drinks (Stolie and soda or Martinis).  I also don’t like drinking from plastic.  Some places only serve in plastic and others switch to plastic when it gets crazy.

• Ryans Irish Bar:  Favorite Bar:  We ended our first night at Ryan's Irish bar with my favorite drink, Stolie blue and our 2 drinks were $13.  I was so happy that I could find Stolie let alone Stolie blueberry and the prices and bartender couldn’t be beat.  We stopped by this bar several times.
• Erin Rose for 2 drinks and we split a Beef Po boy with pickled veg.  This is a historical bar and if there is a seat at the bar grab it.  We were not able to get in on our first try.
•  Lafittes Blacksmith Shop:  Historical a must stop just.
• Hideout Bar:  Music with Dirty Martini & 3 Olives Citrus vodka with Muddled cucumbers
• Jimani: A true dive bar for a chicken Caesar wrap to end the night and then again later in the week.  I needed some greens and I loved it.  Hubby had a burger but the second visit was a tasty cheesy Philly

To Do:  Beyond eating and drinking which is the majority of what you do in New Orleans you can also do the following:

• First full day: Start your vacation with a 10:30 historical tour to try and get your bearings or learn about the city your visiting.  Check Groupon to see what is available.  Our tour was $15@
• Walk the Market:  Shop for some cheaper novelty gifts and souvenirs
• Music at Famous Door:  The band was great, the two girl singers had powerful voices
• Marti Gras Museum:  A must see, take the tour so you get the additional information incase you can just roam around on your own.  The float characters are   They have a free shuttle.
• Trolly over to the garden district, it’s only $1.25 but have exact change or get the day pass. 
• Take a Garden District tour to get the history.  We saw many beautiful houses including the American Horror Story house.
• Walked around and over to Frenchman but it was too early so we just saw a lot of homeless sleeping & we didn't go back at night.  We should have gone their at night to listen to music.
• Pay your respects at the memorial of those that were killed on Bourbon street was touching and so heart breaking🙏🏻
• Uptown:  skip or have a plan.  We walked Magazine street, not worth the street car ride all the way to the bend because we spent the day walking back looking for bars, restaurants and shops.  There were a few but they were far between.  Granted this was during the day and most things didn’t open till after 3 but we were looking to get away from the craziness not looking in peak in windows.  We stopped at the first open bar, LeBon Temps Roule dive bar for a drink they were not serving food, next NY pizza slice that we had to wait for awhile for them to make a slice, odd but it was a hot good thin cracker crust.  Then Bulldog for a drink but after the stinky bathroom I didn’t have an appetite, finally one more bar and then back on the trolly mid way.

We also ate or drank at these establishments: 

• Clydes for a burger, owner was from SF hence the SF burger where he use to work, chef gave him permission to use her recipe as long as he promised not to add tomatoes. I liked it more than the classic with bacon jam but it wasn’t my best burger.  The Classic burger was too sweet for me, Roy liked both. I was still full after 5-6 hours
• The Channel bar for 2, Stolie blueberry is everywhere 🎉, hubby had a frozen Irish coffee baileys chocolate, too sweet & brain freeze for me. We also had brown gravy beef cheese topped fries. Only OK.
• Pierre Maspero's for spinach dip & a drink cause Napoleon house had a line
• Saddlerack but no live music & empty.  You can ride a bucking chicken if that’s your thing.  I was expecting live country music.  They need to work on this.  It was during the day so maybe they have it at night but I was looking for a more Nashville experience here.
• Drinkery for local music.  Nice establishment but plastic glasses and hubby’s syrupy batch made strawberry lemon drink was way too sweet and lacking booze.

We Missed:

• Superior seafood uptown grilled oysters
• Acme oyster house

New Recipe: Buffalo Mini Meatloafs

 I don’t like to keep blue cheese in the fridge long because I never know when it molds more so I made another trip to the store.  Unfortunately I didn’t know I was also out of carrots and celery so I improvised with the ingredients and the amounts when I cut the recipe in half .  This was the best new meatloaf recipe I’ve tried in awhile.  It was moist, a touch of sweet from the improvised caramelized onions and the honey that should have been in the topping with medium heat from my homemade hot sauce in the topping.  I’m not a big fan of blue cheese except as a dipper for wings but inside this meatloaf it was the best.  I’ll try it again but it will be hard to try the original recipe since my version was oh so good.  Be sure to sprinkle loaf with some blue cheese crumbles.  I forgot before taking pix.

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
3/4 C. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 C. caramelized onions, chopped
1 T. Franks hot sauce
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. honey

Topping:
1 T. ketchup
1 T. hot sauce
1 t. Sriracha

Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Beat egg, add turkey, panko, blue cheese, hot sauce, ketchup, peppers and honey.  Mix.  Shape into 6 small loafs, place on sheet pan.  Mix topping ingredients.  Brush tops of loafs with sauce.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake 25 minutes, till 165F internally.  Turn on broiler, move meatloafs to top shelf and broil another 3 minutes to brown.  Serve with a sprinkle of blue cheese.

Variation:  Saute 1 1/2 stalks celery, 1 1/2 shallots, 1 scallion, 1/2 lg. carrot, cool and add to meatloaf.

New Recipe, Broiled Caesar Salad Wedges

It has been awhile since I posted but I'm going to get back to it.  Last nights dinner was EXCELLENT!!!  And it was all veggies but the star of the plate was the Broiled Caesar Salad Wedge.  It  was really all I needed.  It is a company or special occasion worthy dish yet easy enough to eat every week.  One of my 2022 goals includes getting away from bagged salads if I can make it from scratch and enjoy it just as much and it starts with making my own dressing.  This one was a winner.  The item in red is something I will be trying next time.  Here in CA this week it is BBQ weather!

EGGLESS CEASAR DRESSING

2 filets flat anchovies, packed in oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
3/4 C. (12 T.) olive oil
1 T. Worcestershire
1 C. Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 t. coarse black pepper 

Add all to a small blender, food processor.  Blend on medium until smooth.  

Note:  If you don’t blend the dressing smash anchovies on a glass plate with salt to a fine paste, add grated garlic, smash some more.  This was thick which was perfect for broiling.  If tossing in a salad start with only 1/2 C. Parmesan.

Serving Suggestions:  

• Toss with romaine lettuce, croutons and a protein like chicken or shrimp for a full meal.
• Broiled, Company’s Coming:  Broil or set oven to 500F.  Lay romaine halves, cut side up on a sheet pan.  Brush some dressing, making sure that it gets between the leaves with a using a silicone pastry brush.  Cover each romaine half with up to 1/4 C. Parmesan and bake or broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with croutons.  
• Grill romaine heart halves on a greased grill on medium heat for 1-6 minutes, till char marks.  I haven't tried this yet but I will and then I'll know how many minutes, recipes I found vary and this it too much of a difference.

This was a nice change to classic potato salad and was a better combination than I expected.  It was refreshing, light and didn’t heat up my house to make it since I cooked it on the BBQ.  Original recipe came from #142 Aug 2020 of Cuisine At Home.  It used fresh corn, red onion and parsley vs basil.  I used what I had on hand.  

I served this with Grilled Salmon sprinkled with Everything Bagel Spice.

GRILLED POTATO CORN SALAD

1 lb. bag baby red and fingerling mixed colored potatoes
1 white or red onion, Cut into 6 wedges, leaving root in tact
15 oz. can fire roasted corn, drained
1 C. grape tomatoes, cut in half
Dressing
3 T. sherry vinegar
2 T. EVOO
1/4 C. fresh basil
1 T. fresh oregano, minced
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. coarse black pepper
1/8 t. Kosher salt

Preheat BBQ to 250F.  Toss potatoes and onion chunks in oil.  Skewer potatoes, leaving about an inch or two of space between each potato.   Add to grill along with onion chunks.  Cook 20 minutes, flip half way.  

In mason jar add dressing ingredients.  Shake to mix.  When potatoes are done, cut into bite size pieces along with onions.  Slice tomatoes in half.  Drain corn.  Add everything to a large bowl, toss with dressing.

Note:  I only used 12 potatoes since it was just the two of us but the dressing can handle the entire bag.

SALMON BURGERS, A SURPRISING TREAT

Last nights dinner was quite the treat especially for someone who didn't use to like salmon but now we eat it weekly👏.  I will definitely make again.  I haven’t purchased bread in over a year because I bake weekly since the start of the pandemic so the fresh #artesano buns were soft and delicious and paired perfectly with the thick spicy salmon burger.  I pan grilled them and they held together with no problems even though I used slightly less salmon.  I also used 2 T. pickles vs relish but I had to sweeten it with a little sugar because it was way too tart.  The pickled onions added some extra tang and crunch and spinach added some needed veg.  I also liked that I could make it all ahead and cook when ready to eat.  Original recipe came from Cuisine at Home magazine, #118, Aug. 2016, pg. 62.

 SALMON BURGERS

1 C. panko bread crumbs
1/2 C. celery, chopped
1/4 C. red onion, chopped
1/4 C. fresh chives, chopped
1 egg white
1 T. Sriracha
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. coarse black pepper
1 lb. skinless salmon, large dice
4 hamburger buns
Caper Mayo:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. capers, chopped
1 sm. sweet pickle
1 sm. dill pickle
1 t. sugar
Toppings:
pickled onions (recipe in Sauce Section)
spinach/lettuce
tomatoes

Chop capers and pickles.  To a small bowl add caper mayo ingredients.  Mix.  Store in refrigerator till ready to use.

To the food processor add panko, celery, onion, chives, egg white, Sriracha, lemon, salt and pepper.  Pulse to combine.  Add chunked salmon and pulse a couple of time to combine but not too much.  You want to have chunks of salmon in the burger.  Shape into 4 patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.  Oil burgers.  Grill on a BBQ, grill pan or fry pan. Grill your buns also to toast.

Note:  Two salmon filets were a total of 14 oz. vs 16 oz. but it didn’t really matter.  If you don't like it spicy reduce the Sriracha.

Serving Suggestions:  Serve on hamburger buns or a bed of lettuce.

Variation:  Use What You Have:   Instead of 2 T. pickles and 1 t. sugar use 1 T. relish.

Leftovers:  An egg yolk, chives if you bought the clam shell package, 2 buns and some mayo.  I tossed my yolk but will be looking at options to use it next time, like Caesar dressing or hollandaise sauce are possibilities.

New "for me" Recipe and it's a winner, Chicken Tretrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini has been on my list of dishes to try for awhile and last night was it.  It was excellent!  I wasn’t sure if the flavor would be complex enough.  I tend to like a spicy full flavor dish but what I didn’t realize was it is like a version of mac and cheese, a great comfort dish.  The lemon gave it a subtle tartness and the homemade stock added lots of flavor even though it was stock from boiling only a rotisserie chicken caucus, nothing more.  I haven’t seen shredded provolone so I used what I had, a combination of sliced provolone and grated jack.  I also used regular spaghetti even though it said thin was best.  I don’t see how it can be better.  Original recipe came from parade.com.  If you need some comfort, give this a try.

 CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

12 oz. spaghetti or angel hair
Saute:
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
4 C. chicken, rotisserie or sauteed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Cheese Sauce:
4 T. butter
1/3 C. flour
3 C. homemade chicken stock
1 T. lemon juice
1 C. ½ and ½
½ C. 2% milk
1 t. Kosher salt
¼ t. coarse black pepper
1 C. Jack cheese
4 slices provolone, torn up
¼ C. parsley leaves, chopped
Topping:
1 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ C. sourdough bread crumbs

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  Add pasta, slightly less than a one pound box and cook to al dente, according to package directions about 8 minutes.  Drain.  Set aside.

Grease a large casserole or 9x13” pan.  Dice onion, slice mushrooms and mince garlic.  Cube chicken if using raw breasts or thighs vs. rotisserie chicken.  

To a medium saute pan add a drizzle of oil and sliced mushrooms, cook to brown about 5 minutes.  Add to casserole dish.  To same skillet add a drizzle of oil and diced raw chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute till browned and no longer pink about 8 minutes.  Add onions half way through and cook with chicken till softened or saute onions alone till soft.  Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Add to casserole pan.  To same skillet, add butter, melt.  Add flour, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add stock, lemon juice, salt, pepper, whisk until smooth.  Add milk, bring to a simmer.  Add cheese, stir to melt.  Add parsley.  Add to casserole dish, toss.  Add cooked pasta and toss with tongs to mix pasta and sauce.

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Cover with foil or glass lid.  If your dish is full place a piece of foil on oven rack, and place casserole dish on top incase it bubbles over, if full it will.  Bake 350F for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.  Serves 8.

Variation:  Use What You Have:  1 ½ C. whole milk or a combination of cream and milk; any type of chicken, raw or  rotisserie; all shredded Provolone; chicken broth or stock; baby bella or white mushrooms; any thin pasta.

New Recipe: Polenta Soup with Kale and Parmesan

This quick soup was perfect for lunch this morning and better than I thought it was going to be but I wanted to try kale again and I found a cornmeal soup intriguing.  It was scrumptious.  Original recipe used water and 4 oz. Parmesan which they equated to 2 C. but a smidge under 1 C. shredded was 3.21 oz and 2 C. seemed excessive.  The one thing I don't like about adding the Parmesan is how the cheese gets stuck to my spoon, yuk. I also used homemade rotisserie stock instead of water which only enhanced it.  Original recipe was from Jan. 10, 2021 newspaper insert, adapted from Milk Street: Cookish.  Almost every time I get a rotisserie chicken from Costco I make stock even if it only has the chicken bones and no other aromatics it is still better than canned broth.  Also one of my favorite things is making food out of garbage.  It gives the chicken bones a second life and me a second meal.

POLENTA SOUP WITH KALE AND PARMESAN

3 T. olive oil, (drizzles)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh rosemary, minced
2 t. Kosher
1 t. coarse black pepper
8 C. homemade rotisserie chicken stock
3/4 C. coarse stone-ground yellow cornmeal (see note)
1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed, leaves torn into bite size pieces, 1”
15.5 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1 C. Parmesan

In a large stock pot add a few drizzles of oil.  Dice onions, mince garlic.  Add to pot along with salt and pepper.  Stir for 3 minutes until onions are soft.  Stir to soften onions.  Add broth or water.  Whisk in cornmeal; bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape bottom so it doesn’t stick.  Tear kale into small bite size pieces, stir.  Drain and rinse beans, add to soup.  Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or till kale and cornmeal are tender.  Stir in Parmesan to melt.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Note:  I used yellow cornmeal from Quaker Oats for baking and breading because it is what I had on hand.  It didn’t indicate the type of grind but it worked just fine.

New Recipe: Piccata Mahi Mahi with Lemon Spinach Orzo

 Last nights dinner was excellent!  I had never had warm orzo before, only in cold salads, if memory serves me correctly.  I always thought orzo slipped down my throat, which I know probably sounds odd😄 but I didn’t notice that in this recipe.  Maybe it's because it wasn’t a vinaigrette.  

I liked my switch of frozen bagged spinach (not the 10 oz. block), especially during Covid times cause it can always be on hand.  My fish is also Covid friendly, the individually frozen filets from Costco are always in my freezer so I can thaw in water right before I cook it.  The original recipe from Cuisine At Home, #103, Feb. 2014.  #CuisineAtHome is my favorite magazine.  Each month I bring out that months magazines and go through them so I can cook what is in season.  I only cooked two filets vs 8 flounder filets as the recipe called for so I did have extra sauce.  Next time I'll cut that in half.  The recipe also called for fresh spinach.  If you have this on hand use it but add it when you add the lemon zest and stir till it wilts.

Another tip I learned recently was to use all of your herbs, including the stems, they have a lot of flavor.  I removed the bigger one's but I didn't pick off each leaf like I use to do.

PICCATA MAHI MAHI

Dredge in Flour:
2-8 filets
1/4 C. flour
Sprinkle Kosher
Sprinkle Coarse black pepper
Drizzle oil
Picatta Sauce:
1/4 C. white wine
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. capers, drained
3 T. butter
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt
2 T. fresh parsley

Pat fish dry, dredge in flour, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat a drizzle of oil on medium high until it shimmers.  Add filets, don’t overcrowd.  Cook till golden about 2  minutes per side.  Transfer to a platter tent with foil and cook any remaining fillets.

To same pan add wine, lemon and capers; cook 30 seconds.  Remove from heat, swirl in butter until it melts.  Add parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.

Note:  If only making 2 you will have leftover sauce so cut it in half.

Serving Suggestions:  Serve with Spinach Lemon Orzo in Pasta section.  Perfect flavor profile for picatta.

SPINACH LEMON ORZO

1/2 onion, small dice
Drizzle oil
2 cloves garlic (1 T.), minced
Add:
1 C. dry orzo pasta
15 oz. can chicken broth
3 C. frozen spinach, rinsed
Off Heat:
1 lemon, zested
1 T. butter
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. coarse black pepper
10 grates or 1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg

Dice onion.  To a medium saute pan add a drizzle of oil and chopped onion.  Saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, saute another minute.  Add orzo, stir to coat with oil.  Add broth, stirring till liquid is absorbed and orzo is cooked about 9-10 minutes.  Turn heat to low.  Rinse frozen spinach, no need to dry.  Add to pan, stir until no more clumps of spinach and ice.  If it gets dry add a water (see note) and stir until spinach is thawed.  Remove from heat, add zest, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir.  Serve.

Note:  Don’t worry if your frozen spinach is clumped together and no need to let it dry.  You will need some extra moisture to thaw the spinach.  If it becomes to dry, add a little more water, less than 1/4 C., stirring until the spinach is thawed and water is gone.  If you are using fresh spinach add it after you remove from heat and add spices.  Stir to wilt spinach.

HOLIDAY OR ANY PARTY FREEZER STAPLE

This is one of my favorite freezer holiday staples.  It is so nice to have something homemade in the freezer that I can just pop in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

 SAUSAGE CHEESE BALLS

2 pkg. (24 oz.) Jimmy Dean sausage (1 hot, 1 regular)
1 ½ C. biscuit baking mix or breadcrumbs
4 C. (16 oz.) sharp cheddar, shredded
½ C. onion, finely chopped
½ C. celery, finely chopped
½ t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix all ingredients and form into 1 inch balls.  Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or use a stone pan.  If you line the pan with foil, spray it with oil, they will stick.   Bake 20 minutes.  Makes 6 dozen. 

Note:  Freeze raw balls, individually separated.  Once frozen place in a gallon zip top bag.  Cook as above, no need to thaw.  

Variations:

• For a firmer texture add an extra 3 C. baking mix and 2 C. cheddar.
• Dip:  Mix ¼ C. Dijoneese mustard, ¼ C. apricot preserves.  Can serve as is or heat and add ¼ C. balsamic vinegar.
• Holiday Flare:  Add ⅔ cup peeled and grated tart apples instead of celery and onions plus 1 t. cinnamon.

Cheese Squares, An Old Favorite Freezer Prep Appetizer

These are an old favorite.  They are great to have on hand in the freezer for a quick anytime snack and in the olden days 🤣 when people would just stop by unannounced.  Original recipe is from Taste of Home 1996, page 11.  I made them this week for an upcoming Zoom Meeting and delivered a Happy Hour package to a fried who will also be on the Zoom Event.  Funny thing about this batch was I forgot the cheddar cheese😁, pictured with cheddar.  Still tasted good but they would have been so much better with  no leftover bread.

CHEESE SQUARES

2 sticks (1 C.) butter, softened
2 jars (5 oz. each) Old English cheese spread
1 egg
4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
¼ C. salsa
2 C. (8 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded
2 loaves (1 ½ lb. each) thinly sliced sandwich bread, crusts removed

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, cheese spread and egg until smooth.  Stir in chilies, salsa and cheddar.  Spread 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each slice of one loaf of bread.  Top with remaining bread; spread with more cheese mixture.  Cut each sandwich into four squares; place on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.  

Note:  If you add too much filling they will ooze and won’t look as pretty once cooked but they always taste great.

Freeze for later use:  Freeze for 1 hour, uncooked on a paper plate.  Remove from plate and store in an airtight container or Ziploc in the freezer until needed.  To bake, place squares on a greased baking sheet at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until browned.  Makes 8 dozen.

Variation:  Omit the cheddar cheese.  “Why? no reason beyond I forgot and they were still good.”

Make Ahead: Breakfast Hand Pies

Although I need to follow the original recipe closer (shown below) and make a few changes these were good, especially the crust and it is worth trying again.  I'll use my second dough in my next quiche!

The original recipe called for a double batch of dough so I doubled the recipe here.  Unfortunately when I did this I believe I forgot to double the bagel spice, salt and water and I forgot the chives, oops.  I don’t know how it came together with half the water but it almost seemed too moist.

I used what I had on hand so I did not make my own bagel spice, I used regular bacon and Mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses.  I froze one pie dough disk because I only had 4 eggs on hand.  Cathy said to make an 11" square out of each disk and cut it into 12 (3.5-4.5" rectangles) but that didn't work for me but you should be able to get 8.  I got 6 rectangles/3 pies plus one mini pie out of one crust with about 1/4 C. filling leftover.   

The pies could have used more filling if it will fit.  I loved the flavorful onion garlic crust, but the filling got lost and was a bit dry because there was more crust than filling.  Next time more filling, don't forget the chives and maybe a possible sauce.  Original recipe came from the local paper, Bay Area News Group from When Pies Fly:  Handmade Pastries by Cathy Barrow. 

BREAKFAST HAND PIE
6 slices thick cut smoked bacon, diced
6 lg. eggs
2 T. cool water
1/4 t. Herbs de Provence
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. coarse black pepper
1/2 C. Jarlsberg or firm Swiss style cheese
3 T. fresh chives, chopped
2 pie dough disks
1 egg, beaten with 1 T. water

Cook the bacon till crisp in a non stick fry pan, set aside.  Discard all but 1 T. of oil from pan.  In a medium bowl, add eggs, water, herbs, salt and pepper and whisk until foamy and light.  Pour eggs into pan with remaining bacon fat.  Push eggs across the pan, scraping the cooked eggs off the bottom of the pan in large fluffy curds that are slightly moist, no more than 4 minutes.  Don’t let them dry out or brown.  Add eggs to a medium bowl along with crumbled bacon, cheese and chives.  Cool completely.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 400F.
Assemble:  Remove one block of dough from the refrigerator.  Roll out dough to about 12x8” square and cut into 6 rectangles, each 4 inch.  Add a packed heaping 1/4 C. filling to half the rectangles. Transfer half to a baking sheet, top with a second rectangle and fork crimp the edges together.  Poke the top of each hand pie with a fork three times.  Mix egg and 1 T. water, beat.  Brush tops with egg wash.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until deeply golden brown.  

Variation:  To save time use fresh Pillsbury Pie Dough and cut into circles.  Top with filling and fold circles in half and seal.

Storage:  Freeze hand pies (baked or unbaked) for up to 3 months.  Reheat in the oven, 350 for 25 minutes wrapped in foil.  I used my convection microwave because it is too hot for the oven to be on.

EVERYTHING SPICE PIE DOUGH
2 2/3 C. flour
2 sticks (16 T.) butter, frozen, cubed
2 T. Everything Bagel Spice Mix or make it
2 T. poppy seeds
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1 T. dried minced onion
2 t. dried minced garlic
    2 t. coarse fleur de sel or Maldon
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1/2 C. water (I only did 1/4 C & it worked)

In a food processor with a metal blade.  Add the cubed butter, flour and spices.  Pulse 15 times to a coarse pea sized crumble.  Add water and mix until it just starts to combine into a ball. 
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on table.  Dump out dough, press together and cut in half.  Shape each piece into a 4” disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap, then again in another piece of plastic.  Do this for both pieces of dough.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.  See Breakfast Hand Pie for how to use this dough.

Leftovers:  If you only make half a batch, freeze the second dough for up to 3 months.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or make all the pies and freeze what you don’t eat.

Here is the original recipe.  Maybe it will work for you 

Meatless Monday on a Tuesday, new recipe: Lentil Ginger Patties w/Cucumber Yogurt sauce

I made these yesterday originally titled “Spicy Lentil Onion Fritters (Piaju)” but since I don’t deep fry at home I added an egg and coated the patties in panko to hold them together.  I fried them in a skillet with a thin layer of oil.  They held together but they started out a bit wet from the egg, which is why I think I can add 1/4 C. more lentils.  I only had one home grown jalapeno so they were not spicy but a store bought one might so even though I want it to be spicier I'll try one jalapeno again.  The ginger is what stood out the most.  For the sauce I used cilantro vs mint to tie the two things together.  Plus I'm not a huge mint fan but you decide.  I will make again! but I'll try the Variation with more spices and maybe some lemon or lime.

LENTIL GINGER PATTIES
3/4 C. dried red lentils try 1 C total
1/4 red onion, minced
2 T. cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2” piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
1/2 t. Kosher
1/2 t. turmeric
1 egg, beaten
1 C. Panko crumbs
Avocado oil, thin layer

Raita, Indian yogurt sauce:
1/2 cucumber, seeded
1/2 C. Greek yogurt
2 T. cilantro leaves
1/8 Kosher
1/8 coarse black pepper

Bring water to a low boil till hot. Rinse lentils and add to a medium bowl.  Pour hot water over lentils to cover about 2”.  Let sit on counter for 30 minutes then drain.

Seed cucumber, chop.  Mince 4 T. cilantro, set aside half for the sauce.  To a small bowl add cucumber, yogurt, half the cilantro, salt and pepper.  Mix and set aside in refrigerator for flavors to meld.  

Drain lentils and add to food processor.  Puree to form a thick paste.  Transfer to a bowl.  Mince onion and cilantro, add to bowl.  Grate ginger add to same bowl along with salt, turmeric and egg.  Mix.  Add panko to a plate.  Using a large ice cream scoop, drop onto panko, flatten into patties, sprinkle more panko over top.  Cover bottom of nonstick pan with a thin layer of oil and fry patties for about 4-5 minutes per side or  until golden brown.  

Serving Suggestion:  Serve with yogurt sauce and a side salad like Caesar or Creamy Cilantro.

Note:   They browned better with more oil.  The one’s cooked in less oil started to blacken a tiny bit before they were crunchy and golden brown on the outside but they all tasted good.

Variation: Add 2 t green onions, chopped, 1/4 t ground coriander, 1/4 t ground cumin

Weekend New Recipes: Easy Marinated Beans, Quick Blueberry Jam

Since cooking on the weekends is now something I've had to start doing at least it gives me the opportunity to try  more recipes.

I tried a recipe I saw on the #todayshow which sounded like a good recipe for canned beans and the picture looked good but I was thinking of it as a salad and it was more of an oil dip with some beans.  I am loving a pantry dish more these days so I continued on with "Easy Marinated Beans".  When I started to make it and read the amount of oil it seemed excessive but I thought maybe it would be OK and I should try the recipe as is before I change it, but I was wrong.  Once I drained most if not all of the oil off the beans they were much better.  What were they thinking.  I will make it again with modifications shown in red and update when I get it right.  It is a great pantry picnic or potluck salad.

ITALIAN BEANS aka EASY MARINATED BEANS

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 C. apple cider vinegar

1 lemon, juice (1 T.), zest less

1/4 C. good quality olive oil

2 T. fresh herbs (cilantro & parsley), finely chopped more

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. Kosher salt

1/4 t.  ground black pepper

3 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained, rinsed

Thinly slice the onion. Place in a medium bowl. Add vinegar, lemon zest and juice. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate until the shallots have softened and started to turn pink, about 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine olive oil, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and drained and rinsed beans. Warm over a medium-low heat until the beans are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove beans from heat, transfer to the bowl with onion mixture and toss to combine.

Serving Suggestion:  Serve with crusty bread. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Leftovers:  Add some to a tomato panzanella salad or mash up beans and spread on toasted baguette slices with some prosciutto and a blanched sugar snap pea.

Variation:  Use what you have white wine, apple cider or champagne vinegar; 1 lg. shallot; 2 butter beans & 1 cannellini bean.

Then I made what was called an appetizer which a dip is but it is more of a cream cheese spread with blueberry jam topper.  Very good quick jam made with frozen blueberries.  This is in the cookbook for sure.

QUICK BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC JAM

1 C. blueberries, frozen or fresh

2 t. honey

2 t. balsamic vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. rosemary, finely chopped

To a small saucepan add blueberries, honey, vinegar, salt and rosemary.  Stir and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serving Suggestions:  Use on top of cream cheese, goat cheese or a combo with Triscuits or crusty bread.

New Recipe: Starting off the week on the Right Foot!

I tend to get drawn in and tricked by a recipe because of its name or cooking method.  In this case it was the cooking method, no one pot wonder but the flavors sounded interesting.  I also thought the name and warm spices sounded exotic but Pulao just means rice per what I read.  Tricked again.  

The new method was using my rice cooker for something more than rice so I liked that idea.  If the rice cooker would have fully cooked the chicken and onions like a pressure cooker, omitting the saute step, that would have been perfect but I still like that I can press the button on the rice cooker and walk away.  I have an old rice cooker that just has one button, you push it and it turns orange and it is done when it's done it pops up.  It does not have a timer on it and I've never timed it.  This should have been the time I do that.  Cross your fingers...

I misread the original recipe and marinated the chicken in the soy, chili powder and oil and did it overnight cause we opted for Nachos on Sunday.  This caused me to have to use a touch more oil to saute the onions so next time I'll try marinating with out the oil or with only 1 T. oil.   Next time I’ll reduce the oil or not use it in the marinate.  I also did it overnight and it was only suppose to be 30 minutes.  

Original recipe was a newspaper clipping article from SF Food Writers blog, www.alittleyum.com.  

Here is what I read about Paulo:  “Pulao is a one pot rice dish made by cooking fragrant basmati rice with aromatic spices, herbs & sometimes stock. There are many kinds of pulao recipes made in India like vegetable pulao, Matar pulao, tawa pulao, Coconut milk pulao, zarda pulao, kashmiri pulao & Chicken pulao.

This dish was excellent and in the end, surprising in a good way.  I loved the subtle warm spices and the rice had the look and texture of Spanish rice but a a bit moister.  Perfect 2 Pot Dish :)   The chicken was perfectly cooked so it did finish cooking in the rice cooker.  It was tender and flavorful but not overpowering in any way.  I will definitely make again since I am able to cook the chicken ahead of time and even marinate the night before like I did here and then add to rice cooker an hour before you are ready to eat.  Not sure exactly how long it takes but I will time it next time.  It is under an hour.

The original recipe came from the Sunday newspaper.

RICE COOKER CHICKEN PULAO

Marinade:

4 chicken thighs, cubed

2 T. liquid Amino Acids or soy sauce

1 1/2 t. chili powder

Saute:

2 T. avocado oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 t. Kosher

1 T. fresh ginger, grated

1 T. garlic, minced

Toast Spices:

1 T. cumin seeds

2” stick cinnamon

2-3 bay  leaves

4 green cardamom pods

Rice Cooker:

2 C. uncooked Jasmine or Basmati rice

3 1/2 C. water

In a medium glass bowl add cubed chicken, soy and chili powder.  Mix, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.  Chop onion, mince garlic and grate ginger.  To a nonstick pan, add a drizzle of oil over medium heat and add cubed onions.  Saute till soft, 5 minutes.  Add salt, garlic and ginger.  Stir and move aside.  Add spices, toast for 30 seconds and mix into onions.  If it is sticking add a tablespoon of water and scrape up bits.  Add the chicken, stir and saute for 5 minutes to brown chicken.

Rinse rice and add to rice cooker.  Top with browned chicken and spices.  Add water.  Set rice cooker like you do when just cooking rice.  Before you serve try to find the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and 4 cardamom pods and toss.  Serve.