The Seven Guidelines for Nutritional Cooking

   Bringing nutrition out of the textbook and into the kitchen requires far less in terms of actual change than many people fear.. If you are already doing your best to select foods that are fresh, fully flavored, ripe, and wholesome, you are well on your way. Cook these foods as quickly as possible in as little water as possible to maximize nutrient retention. Serve a variety of foods, including as many whole grains, unprocessed fruits and veggies, and beans as possible.

   The Guidelines below are from the C.I.A. ( culinary institute of America ) introducing healthful cooking practices into any kitchen capitalize on this approach to selecting, preparing, and serving foods.You will undoubtedly begin to see a change for the better in all aspects of your kitchen and home as healthful practices become normal.

1. Cook all foods with care to preserve their nutritional value, flavor, texture, and appeal.

   -- Match the cooking method you select to the food you are preparing.                                           

       Whenever possible, opt for methods that do not introduce additional fats and 

       oils. Grilling, roasting, and steaming are good examples.

2. Shift the emphasis on plate towards grains, beans, veggies and fruits as   

the “center of the plate.”

   --  Traditional diets from around the world place a strong emphasis on grains,

       veggies, fruits, and beans. These foods, rich in carbs, and in an array of 

       vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and play an important part of in a balanced diet.  

                                               

3. Serve appropriate portions of food; know what a standard serving for all food.

    -- Setting standards for portion size and teaching your fellow humans to adhere  

       to portion size is crucial. Never plate more then you an eat. “eyes bigger then 

       stomach” syndrome.

                                                                                                                                       

4. Select foods that help to achieve the nutritional goals and guidelines you are  

    striving to meet.

   -- In general, the closer a food is to its natural state, the higher its nutritional   

      value. Locally picked fruits and veggies, for example, do not travel as far or as 

      long to get to the market. This means that they will retain more of their 

      nutrients. Whole grains, with the germ and bran intact, are a better source of a 

      wider variety of nutrients than polished, refined, or quick-cooking varieties.

      There are instances when processed foods may be necessary, but you can 

      exert some control over what effect these foods have on the overall value of 

      the foods you prepare. Make sure to read the label on any processed, 

      packaged, canned or frozen foods.

5. Opts for monounsaturated cooking fats and oils whenever possible and reduce the use of saturated fats.

   -- The average American consumes nearly 38 percent of a days calories in the 

      form of fats. This is well above the current recommendations from any of a 

      number of sources. Limiting the use of foods that contain too much fat and 

      cholesterol need not be the punishment many fear.

6. Use calorie dense foods ( eggs, cream, butter, cheese, and refined sugars ) moderately.

   -- This one simple step often presents a great challenge to anyone who is 

      accustomed to relying on rich foods as a major carrier of flavor on a plate. 

      Cutting calories nearly always includes cutting fats. Cream, cheese, butter, 

      and oils add more calories, gram for gram, than other foods. When you do 

      add them to a dish, use them sparingly.

7. Learn a variety of seasonings and flavoring techniques to help reduce reliance on salt.         

  --While the possible exception of cholesterol, there is probably no single topic

      relating to nutrition that causes such confusion and alarm as controlling salt 

      and sodium. The current recommendations for sodium are relatively 

      generous. There is no guarantee that a lifetime of moderate salt consumption 

      will keep an individual free of hypertension. However, it is fairly certain that, 

      once hypertension has been diagnosed, controlling the amount of sodium 

      consumed will have its effects. If you add an ingredient to a dish, such as 

      capers, olives, or hard grated cheese, that is high in sodium, you should make 

      an even further reduction in the amount of salt you add. Processed, canned, 

      or frozen foods also may be high in sodium content. Please read all labels 

      carefully and opt for reduced sodium versions.

     

Fathers Day Goodness.....

Gotta love Fathers Day..... Hope you all you dads out there had a great day. And I hope you all had a great meal as well. I had a 16 oz Rib Eye cooked very rare, creamy Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese, and Grilled Broccoli with Honey Butter. It was absolutely amazing.

Creamy Mashed Pots

Russet pots, skinned and quartered

boil pots until soft, drain and place in a bowl with milk, sour cream, butter

add shredded cheddar cheese and mash away. season with salt and pepper to taste.

Broccoli with Honey Butter

The honey butter was a great idea that was past to me and my wife from our great friends the Millers.
Take equal parts butter and honey and melt them together. I know, how could we all not have thought of something so simple yet so yuuummmy. Place broccoli on grill, spread on honey butter. Easy as that.

The Honey Butter is great on everything from Bread to Fish and Steak. You can make a ton of it , wrap it in parchment paper and keep it in your fridge for ever.

Gonna start working on my menu for feeding the family of 4. Now that everyone is home from vacation and is back on track. What can I say about summer. Ya never do all that you set out to do.

Next post will be my weeks grocery list. Wish me luck. I am going to need it.

As always ........ Stay hungry and keep on cooking........

Jamie Olivers Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver is my Hero. If you haven't signed his petition yet please do so. I have included the link to show you how and give you all the information about his Food Revolution. Please take the time to read it and please sign the petition. Make your and the life of your children the most it can be......
Stay hungary and keep cooking........http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution
This food revolution is about saving America's health by changing the way you eat. It's not just a TV show, it's a movement for you, your family and your community. If you care about your kids and their future take this revolution and make it your own. Educate yourself about food and cooking. Find out what your child is eating at school. Make only a few small changes and magical things will happen. Switching from processed to fresh food will not only make you feel better but it will add years to your life.

Me and My Moment

Hello all in Jellyroll land.
Sorry that it has been so long. This is something that is very exciting for me. I was surprised and honored to be a part of The Mutual of Omaha " Aha Moment ".  What this is about is,  Mutual of Omaha has a 30 foot mobile studio and they go around the country reading blogs, researching online, and interviewing people who have had their "Aha Moment". A moment or a turning point in your life that has lead you to where you are today. They read the Jellyroll Blog and read the Jellyroll Facebook page and wanted me to come tell my story. The first thought that went through my mind was "Damn !!!." Second was "Why do they want to know about me?'" So I went and this is what came of it.
Enjoy

http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/12377

Me, you and some Tofu

Tofu is made from soybeans, water and a coagulant, or curdling agent.  Due to its chameleon-like qualities and nutritional value, tofu, a staple of Asian cuisines for hundreds of years, has recently become popular in Western vegetarian cooking. 

In recipes, tofu acts like a sponge and has the miraculous ability to soak up any flavor that is added to it. Crumble it into a pot of spicy chili sauce and it tastes like chili. Blend it with cocoa and sweetener and it becomes a double for chocolate cream pie filling. Cubes of firm tofu can be added to any casserole or soup.

High in protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals while low in calories, sodium and fat, tofu packs a one-stop nutritional punch not found in many other foods.

Types of Tofu.....

Firm tofu is dense and solid and holds up well in stir fry dishes, soups, or on the grill... anywhere that you want the tofu to maintain its shape. Firm tofu also is higher in protein, fat and calcium than other forms of tofu.

Soft tofu is a good choice for recipes that call for blended tofu, or in Oriental soups.

Silken tofu is made by a slightly different process that results in a creamy, custard-like product. Silken tofu works well in pureed or blended dishes. In Japan, silken tofu is enjoyed "as is," with a touch of soy sauce and topped with chopped scallions.

Here is a great Tofu Recipe from Soy Connection. For more great recipes please visit  

www.soyconnection.com

Teriyaki Soy Rice Bowl

An entrée that's heart-healthy, quick and easy, and ready in 20 minutes using a few staple ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Soybean oil
• 1 Tofu (14 ounce package), firm, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup Bottled teriyaki sauce, reduced sodium
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 1/2 cups Carrots, shredded
• 1 cup Edamame, shelled and thawed
• 1 cup Broccoli florets, cut into ½ -inch pieces
• 1 cup Red bell pepper, cut into ½ -inch pieces
• 2 cups Cooked brown or white rice

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Instructions:

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium high heat.
Add tofu, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in teriyaki sauce, water, carrots, edamame, broccoli and red bell pepper.
Bring to boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
Serve over brown or white rice.

Nutrition Per Serving:

Calories 460 (26% Calories from Fat), 23g Protein, 64g Carbohydrate, 9g Fiber, 13g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 700 mg Sodium

Serving Tips:

May substitute chicken or beef for the tofu.

The Jellyroll Challenge

Hello and Goodmorning all Jellyrollers....... We are starting a new thing called "The Jellyroll Challenge". I have been challenged by my #1 follower, Shelley Vance. Here is the challenge. I need to come up with a menu that will feed a family of 4 dinner for 1 week for $30. That is 5 full meals. Well anyone out there that has kids knows that this will be close to impossible. But I have desided to accept her challenge. Staring Monday, June 14th I will be posting nightly the wonderful menu that will feed a family of 4 for 1 week. Lets set some ground rules. NO ORDERING OUT. That should be rule #1. The second rule is that all of the meals need to feature at least 1 vegetable dish. Rule three is that leftovers are allowed. This is gonna be hard due to the fact that I am not a big left over fan. Can I actually do this. The answer is yes.

Challenge #2 is to start taping and posting videos on the making of some of my recipes. I have never thought of doing this but LOVE the idea. Hopefully this will kick off in the near future

If anyone out there in Jellyroll land has a challenge that they would like to see me take on please dont be scared to send it on in. Ill do my best to accomplish. You can contact me at ......jellyrollcatering@yahoo.com.

Some exciting new stuff coming your way. Please stay tuned.

As always......Stay hungry and keep cooking..........

A Different Kind of Fine......... Fish Tacos

Hello everyone out there in Jellyroll Land..... Today we are going to talk about Fish Tacos. Traditionally Fish Tacos are made with Fried Cod that has been cut into bite size pieces, with Sour Cream and Shredded Lettuce, then served on  Flour Tortilla. I’m going to break out of the box and show you how to spruce up this recipe. I have added some changes that are sure to please. It’s easy but has a few steps that you will need to follow to complete the recipe. First you need to go to your local market. I am picky on where I buy my produce and fish, so if you have a Whole Foods Market close I suggest that you go there. If you live by a fresh seafood market you can go there. Farmers markets are also a great place to get local fresh produce. These tacos are made from grilled Talapia, served on a soft whole wheat tortilla with feta sour cream, spinach, and mango raspberry salsa, then topped with more feta cheese. A great thing about this recipe is the tacos are very satisfying but also a very light meal. They are tasty, tasty, tasty.  Here is what you are going to need....

Talapia filets ( I suggest 1 filet per taco )

Feta cheese ( at least 1 lbs. )

Small tub of sour cream, you can use low fat if you wish.

Baby spinach

1 Red bell pepper

1 Green bell pepper

1 small purple onion

1# frozen mangos

1/2 # frozen raspberries

8 inch whole wheat tortilla

apple cider vinegar

cilantro ( one bunch )

First lets make the  Mango Raspberry Salsa. Break out the ole food processor on this one.

You need to thaw the Mangos and Raspberries. If they are still frozen you will be adding too much water to your salsa. 

Dice your bell pepper and onions.

Add them to your food processor with 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and Cilantro.

(If you want to spice things up you can throw a Jalapeno in. your choice. )

Blend but not too much. You want to have some chunks of fruit in the salsa.

Second we are going to make the Feta Sour Cream. This is very easy. I was very lucky that I stumbled on this idea at home one night. It was AWESOME...... It has become a staple around my house now.

Take 3/4 of a pound of feta cheese crumbles and put in your food processor. Add a small tub sour cream. Blend till smooth. If you decide to make this by hand please crumble feta real small. It will help you get a smooth consistency.

Then we come  to the Talapia. The way I prepare the talapia is by making a small tin foil boat. When you make this please remember to make it big enough to “ fold over “ .

Place a small dab of olive oil in bottom of foil boat.  Place your Talapia Filet in the boat. Season with salt and pepper. Add a small handful of baby spinach to fish and top with feta cheese. Fold over the foil boats in order to cover or seal the boat. Once you do this I like place the boats on my grill, if you don’t want to grill the boats you can put in oven,

350 for about 10 minutes. On grill they take  about the same time , 10 minutes. But you have to keep a good eye on them. You don’t want to over cook fish. It will become very mushy.

Now for set up and plating. Slightly heat you tortillas. If you are grilling, throw them on your grill. If baking in oven throw them in your oven. Or you can even put between two slightly wet paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds. 

Put a tablespoon of the Feta Sour Cream on the tortilla. Open your Fish Boats and drain excess liquid. (this is produced by the sweating on the fish and spinach as well as the melted Feta.) Add the Talapia to tortilla leaving the spinach on top of fish. Top with a spoonfull of your Mango Raspberry salsa. If you have any feta crumbles left feel free to sprinkle over top of taco. The next step is to Eat the Taco......This is my favorite part of the whole process.

I hope you try these tacos out. They are wonderful. The mix of flavors compliment each other perfectly. I suggest that you accompany the tacos with a ice cold pint of Negra Modelo Dark..........

Much thanks to the Compton family for the company. Hope you enjoyed the meal.....gotta come back soon.

Keith Urban twitted, I delivered

Looking for tailgating recipes that will rock the house? If you want to tailgate in true cajun style.  Keith Urban show is tomorrow night in Baton Rouge. Here are some easy and great cajun recipes that will hopefully hit the spot.

Crawfish Pistolettes 

1 medium onion chopped 

1 bell pepper chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 stick no salt butter

2 lbs crawfish

1 4oz can mushroom pieces

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

creole seasoning to taste

30 pistolettes

Method:

saute onions, bell pepper, and garlic in butter. add crawfish, mushrooms, and creole seasoning. cook 15 minutes.

add mushroom soup. simmer 5 minutes on low heat. let cool.

cut off top of pistolettes. remove some of the bread inside and fill with crawfish mixture.

replace bread top. spread melted butter and garlic powder on top of pistolettes.

bake @ 450 for 8 minutes

Crawfish Cornbread

1 pack jiffy cornbread mix

1/3 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 can cream corn

1/3 cup chopped jalapeno peppers 

12oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 chopped onion sauteed

1 lb crawfish tails

Method:

add oil and egg to cornbread mix. stir well.

add corn, peppers, cheese, onions, and crawfish tails to batter. 

bake @ 400 for 35-40 min. let cool for 20 min. cut into squares

Crab Cake Sliders:

Crab Cakes:

1 lb. Lump white crab meat

1 White onion, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 bunch Green onion, small sliced

Celery, diced

3 Large Eggs

Plain Bread Crumbs

Flour

½ stick Butter

Vegetable Oil (for pan frying)

 Coarse Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Method:

In large fry pan, melt butter and use to sauté the white onion, half of the green onion, celery and bell pepper all until soft.  Add the garlic several minutes before finishing.
Pour the finished mixture into a large mixing bowl.  Add bread crumbs, flour, parmesan cheese and crab meat and fold all ingredients together until mixture is thick.  Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
Using your hands, take a ball of the mixture and form it into a patty shape of your desired size.  Dip in the seasoned flour, dredge in the egg wash mixture and then roll the cake in the seasoned bread crumbs until completely covered.  Place the crab cakes on a baking rack to sit for five or ten minutes.
In a skillet on the stove or grill, add vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees.  Drop in each crab cake and fry for a couple of minutes until golden brown.  Then flip over and fry until the whole cake is fried.
Heat dinner rolls slightly and cut open
spread remoulade sauce sauce on top and bottom of roll.
Add sliced tomato and lettuce of choice.
Enjoy

Chicken Sauce Piquant..... Lee Lee style......

Cooking Louisiana defines Sauce Piquant as a style of cooking used for rabbit, duck, alligator, chicken and seafood. Just about anything you can dream of  has been used to whip up a sauce piquant.
A sauce piquant is tomato based using a combination of whole, stewed, sauce and paste, and, uses a small roux. As the name suggests the dish is a little spicy by nature but you can control this yourself. The word piquant means "pricking" in French, like a rose bush thorn. The meat is usually browned (not the seafood dishes), the roux follows and then come the onions, garlic, tomatoes and spices. The Louisiana home style of doing this dish demands that the sauce be cooked a couple of hours on a low fire.  This is done to sweeten the tomato flavors, and with wild game, you need to cook it longer to tenderize the meat. The flavor is full bodied tomato and believe me you'll love it.
Sauce piquant is served on hot rice.






1 chicken cut into 8 pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, your choice of color and flavor, chopped
1 can Rotell tomatoes
4-5 tablespoons of roux
olive oil

Step 1 : brown seasoned chicken in oil then remove.
Step 2 : add onions and bell peppers and saute until tender
Step 3 : add rotell tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes
Step 4 : add roux and mix well ( see "Cajun are You ?" post for roux recipe )
Step 5 : add chicken
Step 6 : add water or broth to cover chicken and bring to a boil, once you reach a boil reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour. check and stir frequently.
Step 7 : cook rice, brown or white, your choice
Step 8 : Serve sauce piquant over rice. Enjoy.......

  

Food from Orange Beach

Well Friends...... Orange Beach Rocks.... Had a great time with the Blue Jays and families. I was only there for a day and a night but let me tell you folks it was AWSOME. Lets talk about the food. Marinated Deer Back strap, marinaded in Italian Dressing and Worcestershire, and grilled to absolute perfection. Homemade Deer Sausage. Baked Ham and Cheese sandwiches on dinner rolls. Mexican Fudge, don’t ask me what it is but it was Awesome .....cheesy peppery goodness. (I will get the recipe for sure so stay tuned ). Slow cooked roast beef and a wonderful dip that was created by layering Feta Cheese, Cream Cheese, Fruit preserves then topped with walnuts. Then hot BBQ Beef sandwiches on the beach. What can I say but YUMMMM. To all the families that provided all this amazing food, look out Im hunting you down for the recipes and I will share them with the world. Want to say thanks to all the families that made us part of their vacation and a huge shout out to my father in law for his generosity with a place to lay our heads. Your the best.
Until next time.
Stay cool, stay hungry and keep cooking.

What's for Dinner?

Tonight we had Stuffed Pork Chops w/ Potatoes and Mushrooms


This is a quick easy fix. It involved abut 10 minutes prep time. cooked in 20-25 minutes.
Simple and easy. And CHEAP. Yes I said cheap. Your looking at about $4 per servings. Try this one out and let me know what you all think.


1 small white onion, diced
1 each orange, yellow and red bell pepper, diced
4 medium red B potatoes, quartered then diced
1/2 # button mushrooms, sliced
1 # baby spinach
1/4 # feta cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 center cut boneless pork chops, butterflied


Method

Start by chopping all peppers, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Set aside. Start water boiling for your potatoes. Need to boil for roughly 10 minutes. Drain and cool, set aside. Saute peppers and onions in 2 tbsp olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and saute for 3 more minutes or until spinach starts to wilt slightly.
slowly add feta cheese to your veggie mix. Butterfly your chops and stuff with veggie and cheese mixture. Place in a oven safe pan with a little amount of water, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 350 degrees for 20- 23 minutes. Meanwhile while you chops are busy cooking you can start making your potatoes and mushrooms. Slice and saute mushrooms in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add potatoes, rosemary and dried basil. Cook for 8 minutes. season with salt and pepper. Now all that is left to do is plate and serve.

I really hope that you all in jellyroll land will try this quick, easy and great tasting dish out.

Enjoy.......


And, of course, the funniest food of all, kumquats. ~George Carlin

Stocks

If you want to improve your cooking at home, you will want to learn how to make stocks and stock reductions and then learn how to cook with them. They are vital for making soups, sauces, braises and more. Besides, they are fun to make and will help you with all your cooking technique skills.


CHICKEN STOCK
bony chicken pieces (backs, necks, and wings) from 2 chickens
2 stocks celery with leaves cut up
1 carrot cut up
1 large quartered onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 whole cloves
6 c. cold water
Put all ingredients into large stock pot or Dutch oven and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken, strain stock and discard vegetables. If to be used right away skim off fat if not chill and lift off fat.
Makes 4-1/2 cups stock.


BEEF STOCK
4 lbs. beef or veal bones
3 qts. water
1 med. onion, coarsely chopped
3 lg. carrots, chopped
6 sprigs fresh parsley
1 tsp. whole peppercorns, or to taste
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
Makes 2 quarts. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bones in a roasting pan and bake 30 minutes, turning once. Discard accumulated fat.
Transfer bones and remaining ingredients to large stockpot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, at least 4 hours. Frequently skim the froth off the top.

Using a colander or a large sieve lined with a layer of cheesecloth, strain stock.

To defat stock, refrigerate until the fat hardens on the surface, then remove and discard. The stock may gel during refrigeration; this is natural.


FISH STOCK
2 lbs. fish trimmings, heads, bones, tails
1 onion, thinly sliced
6 sprigs parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 c. dry white wine
2 qts. cold water
1/2 tsp. peppercorns
Fish stock is a broth made by simmering fish bones and trimmings (heads, tail, etc.) in water and (or) wine with or without the addition of various herbs and aromatics. A good stock is indispensable in the preparation of superior fish sauces, soups, and bouillabaisses - and it comes in handy as a moistener for baking and broiling lean fish.
Put all the ingredients into a large soup kettle and bring to a boil. Cut the heat, cover, and simmer for half an hour or so. Strain and set aside. (Yields: 2 quarts).

Saffron spiced Veggies w/ Cous Cous

This one takes alittle while to cook. Your looking at around 20 minutes of prep. including soak. And about 1 hour of actual cook time. But the silver lining is that you freeze what you dont need and it will be a meal for another day. This is a completely Vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

2 & 1/2 cups Cous Cous
2 cups carrots, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1& 3/4 cups turnips, 3/4 inch chunk
1-2 large fennel bilbs, cut into 6 wedges
1 large eggplant, 3/4 inch cubed
1 large zucchini, 3/4 inch slices
2-3 finely chopped ciantro


Sweet spicy Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
4 garlic clove, minced
1- 1 inch peiece of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tbsp coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon blk pepper
2- inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 teasppon saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp of warm water
3 cups veggie stock ( see next recipe )
2x 13 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomatoe paste


Method:

PUT the cous cous into a bowl, cover with 1 & 1/4 cup water, let soak for 10 minutes.

Preparing sauce:
heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot. Fry the onions until beginning to brown, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir in the greound spices and cinnamon stick and fry for a few minutes. Add the soaked saffron along with the stock, tomatoes, tomatoe paste. Bring to a boil. Add the carrots and turnips to the sauce, reduse heat, cover, cook for about 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the fennel wedges until lighty colored. Transfer to the sauce with a slotted spoon. Fry the eggplant and zucchini until browened, adding a little extra oil if needed. drain and add to the sauce. Cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender and the sauce is rich and thick.

To Serve:
pile the cous cous in a large dish. Stir in the chopped ciantro into the stew ans season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve a mound of cous cous to each person , spoon the veggie stew over the cus cous and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Balsamic Braised Peppers and Leeks

This is one of my new favorites. Quick, easy, can make a full meal. How much more is there.

Balsamic Braised Peppers and Leeks

2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 orange bell pepper, 1/2 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper. 1/2 inch chunks
3 tbsp, balsamic vinegar
hand full italian parsley
salt and pepper

METHOD: heat oil in saucepan, add leeks and peppers and stir well.
cover pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook another 10 minutes uncovered. the vegetables should be brown from the vinegar and all liquid should be evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped parsley before serving.

Food for Life..?..?..?..? •May 8, 2010 • Leave a Comment (Edit)
Good Day to you all from Jellyroll ……In this blog I am going to set several goals for myself and hopefuly all of you.

One of my goals is to share recipes. These are not always going to be my own ( i think these days people with original recipes are rare, I feel that there has been a rendition of just abut every recipe out there ). I want to show you how easy it is to take your regular dinner for the family from good to WOW….

Another goal is to show you how to feed a family on a very limited budget. There are simple cheap things to add to meals that will not only make your family stand up and cheer at dinner time BUT put alittle more essential vegetables in the mix. I will show you how to “hide” veggies in your kids favorite meals.

My last….To have fun…… many people feel that cooking dinner after a hard days work is mindless and absolute torture…… let me show you how to get the family involved in the preparation. Fun tips and games that will keep them interested in the cooking process.

Food is life….. Life is food…….

Have a great day .

And thank you for being a part of the Jellyroll Family

Happy Mothers Day…….. •May 8, 2010 • 1 Comment (Edit)

Once there was a restaurant in Raleigh N.C. called Irregardless. It was, how do I say it…….. the last place that you wanted your mom to take you for dinner. Healthy…… yuck !!!!!!!! Then out of nowhere you develope a sense of taste. And as time goes on you start to test the limits of your taste buds…. And all of a sudden you don’t think your mom is that crazy after all . This ones for you Mom.

The Irregardless Cooks……… Arthur Gordon

- Ratatouille -

1 medium eggplant

2 cups onion, chopped large

1 green bell pepper, chopped coarsely

1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 – 1/2 inch moons

1 medium yellow squash, as above

2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1/2 cup of italian parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon basil, dried

6 tablespoons olive il

salt and pepper

grated cheddar cheese

- saute onions and garlic in 4 tablespoons olive oil. when onions are soft, add parsley and basil, saute 2 more minutes. add remaining olive oil and eggplant, Saute for 5 minutes, stir. add green pepper and tomatoes. bring to a simmer. add zucchini and squash. cover and simmer 30 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. turn off heat and let sit at least 45 minutes. reheat and serve. the resting period facilitates the blending of flavors. garnish with grated cheddar cheese.

enjoy.

Happy Mothers day……….

Cajun are you? •May 13, 2010 • 1 Comment (Edit)

Hello again to everyone out there in Jellyroll land.

“Cajun food” comes from the deepest Southern parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Like the area it originated from, Cajun flavor is spicy, rich, and really, really good! A lot of people don’t know that the typical Cajun food was developed by extremely poor people. Refugees and farmers used what they had to feed large families.Cajun spices always consist of three things. Bell pepper, onions and celery are the favorite vegetables to add flavor for the Cajun food. It is referred to as the ‘Holy Trinity.’ A couple of other favorites are cayenne pepper and garlic. Cajuns are fond of their spice, and add it to most dishes that they prepare.Cajun food hasn’t changed much over the years, and that’s probably what makes it so charming. If you’re visiting New Orleans, Louisiana you will find the menus at different restaurants usually contain the favorite Cajun foods. Along with a burger and French fries, you can get a delicious helping of Seafood Gumbo, Red beans and rice, or Jambalaya. So here are a few of my favorite recipes ( courtesy of Real Cajun ). Hope you enjoy.

Roux (roo )

The most classic Cajun creation made by cooking equal parts flour and oil together. Must be extremely careful when making. Remember to stir constantly so flour does not burn. Burn one speck and you will have to throw that whole roux away. For darker rouxs, for Gumbos or fricassee, you must cook roux to a dark brown. Between the color of peanut butter and chocolate. It is common that you will burn several rouxs before you get it right. Dont be discouraged. Keep on trying.

Jambalaya

Makes: 10 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 large hen or chicken 3 cups chopped onions
1 bunch green onions scallions 2 large bell peppers
1 clove garlic minced fine 3 cups long grain rice
1 pound hickory smoked sausage salt and pepper to taste
oil for browning
Directions
Season hen with salt and pepper(cayenne, garlic and onion powder (optional). In a cast iron pot add oil and brown the hen and sausage. Once browned, drain excess oil. Add onion and garlic to the meat and saute until tender and brown. Add water until meat is covered. Cook for one hour or until meat is tender. Add green onions and bell pepper. Add rice and more liquid, stir well, cover pot and do not stir again. Note add enough water or flavored broth for the rice to cook in. Cook over low fire until rice is done.
Red Beans and Sausage

Traditionally Cajuns prepared the red beans and sausage then served the beans and sausage over rice which is the way this dish is prepared. This is a different from some fast food chicken places in which the rice is cooked with the bean and sausage mixture.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 0 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound red kidney beans 1 large onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped 1 garlic clove minced
1 pound smoked sausage cut in 1/2 inch pieces 1 ham-bone with some meat on it Optional but wonderful to use
1 bay leaf red pepper to taste
salt and black pepper to taste water to cover beans
Directions
Wash beans. In a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot, cover in cold water and soak overnight. When ready to cook, add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf and ham-bone. Add enough additional water to cover the beans at least 3 inches above their marker. Cook slowly stirring occasionally until beans are tender. Time will vary from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
In the last 30 minutes of cooking mash some of the beans to thicken the gravy. Add the smoked sausage and season to taste with salt and pepper. The heat may be increased to evaporate excess water if the beans have a too watery gravy or water added to make more gravy. Do stir to prevent sticking. Serve over steamed rice.

Gumbo

Called a “brown soup”, gumbos are roux based and are made with just about any meat you can find. Meats such as duck, chicken, blackbirds, pork or deer sausage, tasso, Andouille sausage or seafood can be used singly or in any combination.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour, 10 minutes A true Cajun classic.
Ingredients
1 pound crab meat 1 pint oysters
1 pound raw shrimp 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp flour 2 onions chopped
1 green pepper chopped 1 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tbsp red pepper
4 bay leaves 1 tbsp file’
1 cup green onion tops 2 quarts water
Directions
Make a dark roux with the flour and oil in a large Dutch oven. Saute the onion, pepper, and celery inroux. Add the water and the seasonings and cook for 1/2 hour. Add shrimp and cook for 10 minutes. Add crabmeat, oysters and green onions, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve over rice and add file’ if desired


Boudin or Boudoin
Light brown in color, one of the more popular Cajun sausages is made with rice and pork meat. Eating cracklings with boudoin was almost a must or with cush cush and syrup.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ready In: 55 minutes
Ingredients
5 pounds pork meat, chopped or ground 2 pounds pork livers
3 cups rice, steamed 4 onions, chopped
2 bunches green onion tops, chopped 3 tbsp parsley flakes
3 tbsp celery flakes salt to taste
black pepper to taste red pepper to taste
Directions
Cook meat until tender, debone, chop or grind as preferred. Cook onions in same juice until tender. Add green onions and other seasonings. Cook until done. Add meat, cook 15-20 minutes more. Cook until most of the water is gone. Add cooked rice, stir well. Add more seasoning, if needed. Stuff mixture into casings. Prick casings 3 or 4 times each to prevent bursting. Boil each boudin in hot, but notboiling, water for 12 minutes to cook casing.
Cracklins
These were generally made at the Boucherie by deep fat frying the pork skin that had fat and meat attached. The cracklins were then flavored with a mixture of salt and peppers. Some people call pork rinds cracklins. Cracklins go really well with boudin.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Ingredients
pork skin with fat oil
salt pepper
Directions
Cut pork fat and skins into 2-inch squares keeping the pork meat on the square. You will see skin, fat, and meat. You can also cut smaller sections into the fat if thick, but not all the
way through the skin.
Place the pork squares in a hot iron pot. Do not overcrowd the pieces. Add about 4 inches of oil making sure all pieces are covered with the oil.

Cook over high heat until cracklins (pork squares) are browned and floating to top. Stir constantly to keep the pork cracklins from sticking and burning.

Remove from grease with strainer and pour out onto absorbent
paper towels. Salt and pepper the cracklins while hot. Store in a tight closed covered container.

Cush Cush/Couche Couche
A cereal made with cornmeal and water. This dish was a staple food for many Cajuns. Served with milk, fig preserves were commonly served or fresh cracklins.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 25 minutes
Ingredients
5 tbsp cooking oil 2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder 2 cups milk
Directions
Put four of the five tablespoons of cooking oil into a heavy iron
skillet or saucepan which has a tight lid. Let it heat while you mix
the remaining ingredients in the order given. Last, add the one
tablespoon of cooking oil and pour the whole mixture
into the hot cooking oil. Lower flame to medium and let cook.
Keep stirring about every three minutes, being sure to scrape the
bottom of the pot each time. Cook covered tightly until couche-
couche reaches the consistency of crumbled up corn bread
(about 20 minutes).
Note: Milk is the correct wetting agent in this recipe. Some Couch-Couch recipes use water.

Etouffee/ Etouffe/ Etoufee
No matter how you spell it, this is probably one of the more popular Cajun dishes made with a blend of spices using crawfish or shrimp. It is creamy and served over rice. The term etoufee means “smother” or “cook down”. This dish does not use any roux.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 0 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups finely chopped onions 2 cups finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery 2 minced garlic
2 sticks butter 2 pounds crawfish tails with fat
4 tbsp flour 1 cup water
2 tsp salt 2 tsp cajun or creole seasonings
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion tops (scallions)
Directions
In a heavy pot, preferably black iron (or magnolite or thick bottom heavy duty stainless), melt butter and then add the first four ingredients(onions bell pepper,celery and garlic.) Cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are soft and translucent. This is a must as your dish may be too oniony in taste or reduce the amount of onions in the recipe. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add crawfish tails and water and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Add seasoning and onion tops and cook for 5 more minutes.
Beignet

A deep fried doughnut that almost every Cajun child grew up eating and made popular worldwide at the Café de Monde restaurant in the New Orleans French Quarter.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour, 0 minutes
Ingredients
1/10 cup shortening 1/10 cup sugar
2/5 package yeast 1 3/10 cup plain flour
1/5 tsp salt 1/5 cup evaporated milk
2/5 eggs, well beaten
Directions
Cream together shortening, sugar, and salt.
Add one cup boiling water and one cup milk. Set aside.

Mix yeast well in 1/4 cup warm water. Add this and beaten eggs to the mixture and mix well.

Add 3 1/2 cups flour and beat with spoon. Add another 3 cups of flour and mix. Put the dough in a greased covered container in the refrigerator.

When ready to fry, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into 3 inch squares with a knife. Use knife to cut 1/2 inch slit in the middle of each square.

Fry in deep fat about 360 degrees until golden brown on both sides. Powdered sugar may be sprinkled on top. Drain on paper towels.