Gumbo

Is there anything better than a big steamy warm bowl of gumbo? Probably not much. Gumbo is DEFINITELY a comfort food for me. It's spicy and steamy and rich with all sorts of flavors. I like mine to have seafood, but you can make it strictly with chicken.

Ingredients
1/4 c vegetable oil - use as little as possible here
salt and pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into about 1 in pieces
1 lb italian sausage, sliced
1/2-1 c flour
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 c Worcestershire sauce (I like a bit more)
2 c italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 c beef broth (OR one box of stock then refilled with water)
1 can crushed tomatoes, with juice
4 green onions, chopped (whites and greens)
1 lb frozen shrimp, no tails deveined

In a heavy bottomed stock pot heat vegetable oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and then brown in hot oil. Be careful, it will splatter. Work in batches so it browns nicely. Once the chicken is all done, brown the sausage in batches. Remove all meat from the pot and add the butter. You want equal parts flour and fat, so add as much butter as you think you'll need to be about 1/2 c. Then add in the flour. Whisk flour and fats together well, you're creating a roux here so it needs to be smooth. We're looking for a fairly dark roux, but don't be worried if you can't quite get dark enough, we've got enough spices going on it will help hide that huge punch of flavor the roux will give. Get it AT LEAST peanut butter colored. Darker is better though. Scoop the roux out of the pot and set aside. Add in a bit more butter, and saute your vegetables until starting to get fragrant and tender. Add Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Cook about ten minutes then add your stock. Add back in the chicken and sausage, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 40 minutes. Add in tomatoes and their juice, as well as the frozen shrimp. Continue to simmer until the shrimp have turned pink and cooked through. Serve with green onions, some finely chopped parsley, and a scoop of rice.




Saute the chicken.

Veg.


Simmer simmer simmer.

Serve with a scoop of rice.

Mushroom Potato Stew

It's officially winter. I'm not very happy about it. I don't really enjoy the cold, or cold weather sports, or snow, or sleet, or driving with idiots that aren't cautious. You know what I do enjoy? Stews and soups. You know what else I enjoy? Making dinner primarily out of my pantry.

This recipe is brought to you by Italian Two Easy, Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gran and Ruth Rogers. There are some real winners in that book. There are also some... questionable recipes. Zucchini Squid Spaghetti anyone? It's a book filled with fairly simple foods, and a lot of very easy pairings. Check it out if you like paired down Italian foods. I have changed the recipe a bit to suit my needs, so you'll be getting my version of it.

Ingredients
Olive oil
1/4 c Orzo pasta
16 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced or coarsely chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp sage, chopped (can use 1/2 tsp dried)
4 c beef broth
1 Bay leaf
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, with juice

Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the bottom of your pot heat your olive oil. Saute onion, half the garlic, and herbs and cook until soft. Add the potatoes and saute until they begin to brown slightly. Stir in tomatoes and broth. Simmer until vegetables are softened. While veg is cooking in another pan saute your mushrooms with the remaining garlic, you'd like them to have some color, so don't crowd them. Once your mushrooms are browned and your veg has softened go ahead and add the mushrooms and orzo to the pot. Stir together. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.








Onion, parsley, garlic.

Add the potatoes and spices.

Tomatoes

Stock

Saute the mushrooms

Pasta Carbonara with Bacon

One of the easiest recipes I know, and also one of the best. Always a crowd pleaser, with little to no work. I've eaten double portions of this more often than I should probably admit. That Martha sure knows what she's talking about.

Spaghetti Carbonara - Martha Stewart
1 pound spaghetti
8 ounces (8 slices) bacon, cut 1 inch thick crosswise
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half, or cream

Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.
Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.



Bacon

Eggs, creme, parmesan.

All ready to eat.

Penne Pasta with Tuna

Do you ever get tired of tomato sauce? I do. Don't get me wrong, I adore marinara, bolognese, and all things containing tomatoes. Sometimes however, I feel like every time I make pasta I end up with tomato sauce. Lately I've been eating more pasta, because I have it in my pantry and it's fairly inexpensive. Well I discovered when I was ready to make this meal, I had no meat in the freezer to defrost, and no time to hit the store to purchase some. This was born. I'm a big lover of tuna. My very favorite meal (other than pot roast) is my Moms Tuna Casserole. It is creamy and cheesy and full of tuna, it's also not very good for you. I could eat an entire container by myself. Not that I ever have.

*cough*

Back to the matter at hand. This is... different to be sure. The first bite has that moment of.... wait, I'm eating this? (I think it's the briny flavor of the capers and olives that gives me pause.) And then the flavors melt onto your tongue and it's creamy and tangy and satisfying.



Olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 cans tuna, with juices
1 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped
1/4 c Kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
Salt
Pepper
1/4 c cream cheese
Penne pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium pan heat olive oil, add onions. Saute until softened slightly. Add garlic, saute about a minute. Add in your tuna, with the juices. Add in capers, olives, and spices. Stir together well. Dollop cream cheese on top of mixture. Let heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of pasta water if you need to thin it. Add your pasta and toss.

I added a bit of parsley on top but you don't need to.

Enjoy!



Onions and garlic

Add the tuna.

Add olives and capers.

Cream cheese and spices.

Serve over warm pasta.

Nigella's Chocolate Mousse

I love Nigella. I could watch her cook all day long. When people say she's the goddess of food porn, it's for a reason. She's amazing. Although I do not share her love of blue cheese, I do share her love and passion for good food. I cook for myself, even when I'm all alone. I adore that she unashamedly does the same. She will never apologize for indulging, and will make you feel silly for even thinking she should have in the first place. This recipe is one of my favorite indulgences. It never fails, never goes wrong, and is extremely versatile. Please, indulge for a bit.

Nigella's Instant Chocolate Mousse


3 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
9 ounces best quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup hot water from a recently boiled kettle
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.

Put the saucepan on the stove, over heat, though keep it fairly gentle, to melt, stirring every now and again. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile whip the cream with the vanilla until thick and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.

Pour or scrape into 4 or 6 glasses or small dishes and chill until you want to eat. The sooner the better!


To change it up, try different extracts, and different chocolates. This is amazing using white chocolate and orange extract. Dark chocolate and raspberry. Even a TINY TINY bit of mint extract just hits the spot.




Everything getting all melty.

Delish

Whipped Cream

Combine cooled chocolate mixture with whipped cream.

Fold it gently

Peach Crisp

I love peaches. I love everything about them. They are juicy, tart, and sweet. Peaches fall apart so deliciously when cooked.

A summer is not complete without peaches. And towards the end of the summer I love this crisp.

Ingredients:
7-9 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all purpose flour
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and grease an 8 inch square baking dish. Place the peaches in the bottom of the baking dish, and pour over the vanilla. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers until the mixture resembles crumbs.
Sprinkle the flour mixture in an even layer over the top of the peaches, and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is browned.

Coq Au Vin

Classic comfort food. Love.

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 c carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, VERY finely chopped
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c red wine
1 box o stock, chicken
2 Tbsp butter
Finely chopped parsley

Sprinkle your chicken with salt and pepper. In a large pot brown in batches, remember, it doesn't necessarily need to be cooked all the way through, just browned and delish. Remove from pan and add in onion, shallot, carrots, and celery. Season with salt. Soften for a few minutes, then add in all the spices, and garlic. Cook another minute or so over medium heat. Add your wine and chicken stock, then add back in your chicken AND all the juices that have collected. Cook for 40-50 minutes at a low simmer. Remove chicken, and stir in your butter. Whisk together quickly to emulsify the sauce. Simmer and reduce a bit. Pour over the chicken. Serve with noodles.





The veg all ready to go.

Yummy browned chicken.

Veg softening.

Add the spices and garlic.

Stir together.

Add your stock and wine.

Start to simmer