Green Goddess Hummus

A few weeks ago I made and shared Green Goddess Dressing with you. This dressing is so different and very delicious. I could not help but think it would make a great Hummus flavor too. So I tried it right away. I used the microwave hummus method and substituted a little mayonnaise and sour cream for the tahini. I used the fresh herbs like in the dressing, chives and parsley are perfect in the hummus too. I tried it with garlic and it was too strong. I did experimented with the anchovies a bit. The first time I made it I just used maybe three and thought it needed more. I added all the anchovies from the dressing recipe and it was delicious and savory. However, I did notice the last serving of hummus was stronger in that anchovy flavor than the first. So if you are new to anchovies you may want to start with half of the amount and add to taste. I served it with all green veggies but it is delicious with any vegetables. I recommend giving it a try if you are looking for a new and savory way to eat more hummus.

Green Goddess Hummus
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

15 oz. can chickpeas, undrained
2 oz. can anchovy fillets, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 Tbsp chopped chives
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
1-1/2 Tbsp tarragon vinegar
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Microwave undrained chickpeas in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes, set aside.

Put all other ingredients in a blender; blend until herbs are very fine, smooth and green in color. Add chick peas only, process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Add chickpea liquid one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency (3 Tbsp.), it will thicken once refrigerated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Cover and refrigerate until needed. Best if allowed to blend for some time. It tastes even better after refrigerated and flavors have had time to develop.

To serve, garnish with a little olive oil and chives. Serve with veggies, crackers and/or pita. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Stuffed Zucchini Soup

I was inspired to make this pot of soup after seeing a lot of different stuffed zucchini recipes and videos. I have to admit they all sounded delicious, but I must have been feeling lazy because I had no desire to go to all that fuss. All I could think was the flavors would make a great soup. Boy was I right! Using the same ingredients of Italian sausage, zucchini, tomato and Parmesan as the baked dish you can make a deliciously easy soup. There is no pre-cooking the zucchini. No using a spoon to hollow it out. No stuffing and no waiting for it to bake. The soup is a chop and drop recipe. Place your chopping board near the pot and just chop, then add to the pot. So easy but so flavorful. All the flavor is in the turkey Italian sausage, pasta sauce and Parmesan. I love the body the pasta sauce gives this soup. It is just the perfect consistency not too thick and not too thin. I will definitely be making this one over and over again. I am just sad that zucchini season is nearing it's end. Time is running out. So hurry! Go make a pot of this soup right now before it's too late. You will be glad you did.

Stuffed Zucchini Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 zucchini, quartered and chopped
14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes with celery
24 oz. jar traditional pasta sauce
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes
Handful of parsley, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place a soup pot over medium high heat; add olive oil and sausage. Cook crumbling up the sausage until browned. Add onions and garlic cook into onion begins to get translucent. Add zucchini, tomatoes, pasta sauce, stock and season with peppers. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes until zucchini are tender. Stir in parsley and serve garnished with Parmesan and more parsley.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Soup
Love Bake Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Tornadough Alli: Throwback Thursday Link Party
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party

Salmon Cream Cheese Relleno Taco

It's that time again! Time for another Relleno Taco creation. When I started thinking about more ideas for a relleno tacos, I had just made the Mesquite Grilled Tacos. So I had fish tacos and pico still on my brain. So the idea of using salmon and a tomato caper salsa seemed logical. I knew salmon, capers and shallots were delicious together with cream cheese. And you know chilies and cream cheese are a perfect match. I could not have been happier with the outcome. This one is perfect for summer! Lots of cool and fresh ingredients. It was so good! Sort of a jalapeno popper, lox bagel and taco all wrapped into one. It had the contrast of hot and cold ingredients. It was salty, briny and a little sweet from the salsa. It was also smoky and spicy from the charred poblano. Then there was the cream cheese; it tamed the spice of the chili and added a creamy component. It had just a little bit of everything going for it. I LOVED IT! It may be in my top three of all relleno tacos. I can't wait to make it for a girl's night. The poblano and cream cheese combination is sparking many more delicious ideas. I hope you will give this one a try. Be sure to come back for more relleno taco creations in the future.

Salmon Cream Cheese Relleno Tacos
Serves 2, Make 4 tacos

Ingredients

6 to 8 oz. salmon filet
Drizzle of olive oil
Herb Medley Rub
2 Poblano peppers
4 flour tortillas
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

Tomato Caper Salsa:
1 tomato, diced
1/2 shallot, finely diced
3 tsp. capers
1/2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions

Set salmon out on the counter to take the chill off of it. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. 

Combine the ingredients for the tomato caper salsa, mix well and set aside.

To grill the poblanos: Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Place poblanos on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side until skins are charred. Remove poblanos and cover with plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the poblanos. Cut poblanos in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins being careful not to split open the sides of the pepper.

To cook the salmon: Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil or use a sheet of aluminum foil. Place salmon on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Season salmon with Herb Medley Rub. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and flake with a fork.

To warm tortillas: Place a skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered. 

To assemble the tacos:  Place a poblano half on each tortilla. Smear a 1 oz. slice of cream cheese on each poblano. Top with a fourth of the flaked salmon, tomato caper salsa and serve.

Linking to:
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday

Jambalaya Grill Packets

Guess what! I am still cooking with foil. In fact I made these Jambalaya Grill Packets three times before I finally took photos. I made it once just for me in recipe development, then I made it for the family. They all loved it. Then my favorite person in the world was here last weekend and I made it for him. I was busy having fun and did not even think about photos. So tonight I made it one more time so I could get photos to share with you. It is an easy, fresh twist on jambalaya. It has all the flavor of an oven cooked jambalaya, but the veggies are more apparent. And you do not have to heat up the house with the oven. You assemble the packets, place on the grill and come back 20 minutes later. Done! It is really a great summer meal. A super easy way to share a taste of Louisiana with your family and friends. I have made it with both white and brown converted rice; both work well. I think the white rice absorbs a little more liquid then the brown, but both taste great. I will caution you about seasoning. Rotel tomatoes have some heat so if your sausage is spicy go light on the creole seasoning. But if your a heat seeker, add red pepper flakes too. That is what I did tonight and it was deliciously spicy. So good! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends.

Jambalaya Grill Packets

Serves 4

                  

Ingredients

2 cups converted white or brown rice

2 tsp. Chicken Tomato Bouillon

1 can Rotel tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

12 Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 link of turkey smoked sausage, sliced

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

Black pepper, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Creole seasoning, to taste

2 bay leaves, torn in half

Handful of parsley, chopped

2 green onion, sliced

Directions

Pre-heat grill to high heat for 15 minutes.

Drain Rotel tomatoes reserving the liquid in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add enough water to the tomato liquid to equal 2 cups. Combine rice, bouillon and tomato water in a bowl stir and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Place tomatoes over rice mixture.

Chop garlic, onion, bell pepper, and celery place on top of tomato and rice mixture. Stir to combine and place in the center of a four pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place a fourth of the shrimp, sausage and chicken on top of each packet. Season each with salt, pepper and creole seasoning. Tuck half a bay leaf in each packet. Seal foil packet by rolling the sides of foil over the top; then seal and secure the ends. Place on the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium for 20 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest five minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and green onions.

Linking to:
Reasons to Skip the Housework: STH Link Party #81
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Creole Catfish Foil Packet

I am really enjoying cooking with foil these days. It is so easy and mess free. Something you might not know about me is I do not like cleaning pots and pans. I don't mind loading the dishwasher, but washing the pots is not my thing. They are heavy and cumbersome. So these foil packets on the grill are amazing! NO POTS!!! It is a complete meal in a foil pouch. For this foil pack I turned to those familiar Louisiana flavors. I started with rice, using converted rice pre-soaked in water and bouillon for extra flavor. Then I add the trinity of onions, celery and bell pepper. I chose both catfish and shrimp for the protein. And to finish the dish, I added a slow cooked tomato flavor with chili sauce and fresh tomatoes. The end results a deliciously moist catfish filet over rice and veggies with almost a shrimp creole topping. It really turned out great! I was a little worried that the rice would be over or under cooked. But it was perfect. I will definitely use this technique for more foil packets featuring rice in the future.

Creole Catfish Foil Packet

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup converted brown rice

1/2 tsp. Chicken Tomato Bouillon

1/2 cup water

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 catfish filet                                                    

Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy, to taste

Sea Salt, to taste

2 to 3 Tbsp. Chili Sauce

4 Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 to 3 sprigs parsley, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

Directions

Pre-heat grill to high heat for 15 minutes.

Combine rice, bouillon and water in a bowl stir and set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Chop garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes place on top of rice mixture. Stir to combine and place in the center of a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place catfish filet on top and season with Mrs. Dash and salt. Top with chili sauce then place shrimp on top. Season the shrimp with more seasoning. Seal foil packet by rolling the sides of foil over the top; then seal and secure the ends. Place on the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium for 20 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest five minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and green onions.

Want more Foil Packets?

Check out these posts:

Southwest Catfish Foil Packet

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Shrimp Creole [Re-post]

Today was shrimp day at the house. Dear sister spent the day and we made Spring Rolls for lunch and Shrimp Creole for dinner. When I originally posted the Shrimp Creole recipe the camera battery died and I did not get a photo of the finished dish. So I decided to photograph the finished plate today. Now you can see how delicious looking it is. This is really a tasty dish. Probably the easiest and maybe the healthiest of all our Cajun family recipes. I hope you will give it a try some day soon.

Shrimp Creole

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

28 oz. can whole tomatoes, crushed or diced

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. Black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. Red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or to taste

2 clove garlic, minced

5 sprigs parsley, chopped

2 sprigs thyme, leaves only

1 bay leaf

3 lbs. shrimp

Directions

Peel and devein the shrimp. Heat oil in saucepan, add onion and brown. Add tomatoes with juice and celery; cook 10 minutes, stirring thoroughly. Add all other ingredients except shrimp. Cook 10 min, then add shrimp. Cook 20 - 30 min. longer or until shrimp are cooked adding a little water if necessary. Cook covered on a low fire, stirring occasionally. Serve over steamed rice.

For more about this recipe including step by step photos, 

check out the original post [Here].

Linking to:

The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You do This Weekend?

Shrimp Lemoine

Come on everyone let's get messy! This is a dish you should eat with friends and family. It is like eating crawfish, you have to use your hands. You will see why in a minute. This is a recipe passed down to me by my Mother. It is how she recalls my paternal grandmother Maw Maw making it. Maw Maw was a Lemoine so yence the name. I have never seen it anywhere else. I searched and did not find anything similar or with the same name. Definitely a cajun original. It is so simple but so very good. Butter, onions and shrimp; that's it! The secret and what makes it a mess to eat is that you cook the shrimp in the sweet caramelized onions and in their shells. Cooking the shrimp in their shell just boost their flavor. It might be messy to eat but they are packed with flavor. Growing up we would eat it with french bread to scoop up the butter and onions. Mom says she will serve it with baked potatoes too. The parsley and green onions are totally optional. In fact as I remember it, most of the time Mom left them out. I questioned her about it and she said, "if I had them, I used them". I am here to tell you they are delicious either way. Monday dear sister came over and we tried using half the butter to save calories.  They were still delicious but there was little sauce to dip the bread in. So save those calories and indulge every now and then. I hope you will grab a stack of napkins and try it for yourself.

Shrimp Lemoine

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

2 medium onions, sliced into petals

1 lb. shrimp, deveined shell on

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

A handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

2 green onions, sliced (optional)

Directions

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan, add onions and season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onions are soft and they begin to brown and caramelize. Add shrimp and sauté until just opaque. Add parsley and green onion if using, stirring to combine. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve with French bread and lots of napkins.

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Linking to:
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Chicken Stroganoff Spaghetti Squash

This Chicken Stroganoff is a recipe I have been making for years. It originated as a Weight Watchers recipe. Over the years I have made it with more or less of the ingredients. I have used chicken broth and chicken bouillon. It always turns out great. I think it has a lot going for it. It is the flavor combination. I love the creamy tangy sauce with the chicken, onions and mushrooms. The sour cream, mustard and red wine vinegar is what makes the dish special. Those ingredients are what transforms plain old chicken, onions and mushrooms into stroganoff. This sauce is so delicious just on it's own. I usually serve it over no yolks egg noodles. SO GOOD! But I thought it would be great on spaghetti squash. Well, it was FINE. Spaghetti squash did not add anything or take anything away from this sauce. It was a nice low carb meal but the star is still the Chicken Stroganoff. So try it over egg noodles, rice, veggie noodles, spaghetti squash or even in a baked potato. Just give it a try.

You know what is NOT FINE? These pictures! I am having trouble with my camera at the moment. I think the battery is going bad. It doesn't seem to hold a charge for very long. Every time I turn it on I have to reset the date stamp, flash, etc. I think it changed some other settings too. All these pictures are really sad, but I have been wanting to share this recipe with you for a long time. So I went for it. I am not hung up on perfect at the moment. HA HA! It's still about cooking and sharing food.

Chicken Stroganoff Spaghetti Squash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided

16 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced

12 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp. light sour cream, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Parsley, chopped for garnish(optional)

Directions

To prepare spaghetti squash: Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish, add 1/4 cup of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (You may have to do each half separately, I do). When squash is cool enough to handle, pull the squash into spaghetti like threads.

To prepare stroganoff: Slice chicken breast against the grain into 1/4” thick slices. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; add chicken.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown.  Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

In same skillet, heat remaining teaspoon olive oil; add mushrooms and onions.  Cook stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and onions are golden brown. Sprinkle with flour and continue to stir until flour is incorporated and no longer smells like flour.

Slowly add chicken broth to skillet, stirring constantly to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to simmer about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until desired thickness (like a gravy).

Add reserved chicken stirring into broth mixture; simmer until heated through about 5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in sour cream, vinegar, mustard, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti squash. Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped parsley(optional). Also delicious over egg noodles or as a stuffing for baked potatoes.

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Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Crawfish Enchiladas

Someone PLEASE! PLEASE tell me what is the best way to plate and even photograph enchiladas! It is so difficult! Yesterday when I made these enchiladas I gave up trying to get a photo and just ate. I put the leftovers in the frig. This morning I tried again. They were cold and much easier to serve. The results are much, much better; but you still can't tell there are two enchiladas on the plate. If you have any tips I would love to hear them.

Well back to the food! These are not a Cajun or Mexican recipe I got from Maw Maw or a Mexican grandmother. This is just something I made up many years ago. I think it might have even been a pantry and frig raid. You know those nights when you make something out of what you got. They turned out so good. There was something about Louisiana crawfish, the trinity of veggies, the cream of mushroom soup and the enchilada sauce that almost replicates an ettouffe. But then again you can still taste the chilies in the enchilada sauce. Oh and the cheese! That's definitely more Mexican than Cajun. These crawfish enchiladas might be the best of both worlds. I hope you will give them a try. This is a delicious way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a little bit of Louisiana style.

Crawfish Enchiladas

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

1 to 2 tsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

Handful of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. frozen crawfish tails, thawed

1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup

1 can red enchilada sauce (mild)

1 to 2 cups Italian cheese blend, shredded

8 to 10 small flour tortillas

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Parsley, to garnish

Directions

Set crawfish aside to thaw. Preheat oven to 375°. Next chop the all veggies into a small dice. Heat a skillet over medium high; add a tsp or more olive oil and sauté onion, celery and bell pepper. When onion is translucent add mushrooms. Sauté a little longer until mushrooms are soft. Add crawfish and heat through. Then add cream of mushroom soup and 1/3 can of enchilada sauce. When heated through add a hand full of cheese and stir to melt cheese. Take off stove and roll a spoon or two of filling in flour tortillas. Place in baking dish. Reserve some filling pour over top of enchiladas. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and some more cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley. Delicious with a green salad and avocado as a side.

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Just for Laughs! 

Below is my first serving of enchiladas I tried to photograph. 

It was the best photo too!

Linking to:

Reasons to Skip The Housework: Skip The Housework Link Party
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends