New Orleans Eats Recap

Mr. J and I just got back from New Orleans for the first time. From New Orleans, Mr. J and I got on a cruise to the Caribbean  Perfect 1 year anniversary celebration (if I do say so myself). I was psyched for the food in New Orleans. Some pretty reputable sources suggested all sorts of restaurants and I’d never been to New Orleans before. I loved it. I thought it was a cute city that definitely had its own vibe and culture. I love cities that have personality.
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The food was fantastic. We stayed right down town at a hotel I scored a huuuuge deal with a friends and family discount. I earned it after taking about 134,543,467,874 calls from a sales rep at work. We went to Mardi Gras World to see how the floats are made, we went to all the tourist hot-spots, we went to the Louisiana History Museum to learn more about Hurricane Katrina, Mr. J got to get a couple of photos his dad took years ago from the same vantage point. It was a really great time.

Of course we went to Cafe du Monde. We actually made it early to beat the crowds. Early by our vacation-running-around-on-speed, standards actually means before they’ve even opened the patio seating. Like before they go from 10 tables to 40 tables.
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Looooved the coffee. Obviously the beignets were delicious as well. Man, I need more chicory coffee in my life!
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We had a super local feeling dinner one night too. We went to Pierre Maspero. We chose it because a) it was in walking distance and we were hungry/tired. b) it had a better balanced menu with choices for both of us c) it was priced that wasn’t going to give me heart palpitations after a 10-day vacay. d) the building has been around since the 1700s which is always a perk for me.

We started with some fried green tomatoes. It came topped with grilled shrimp! It was really good and I could have eaten that for my meal alone. The Mr. J had been eyeing a fried alligator appetizer he spotted on the online menu but that sadly wasn’t on the menu when we got there.
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I got fried catfish that came with crawfish cornbread, rice, and white beans. It was tons more food than I needed. I couldn’t finish any of it. I didn’t even waste time on the rice.
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Mr. J got the Fettuccine Corn Maque Choux. It had blackened chicken over corn, peppers, ham, and cream sauced fettuccine. He loved it.
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It was a great meal in a super cute spot.

We went to the Wine Institute of New Orleans and I loved it. It was an opportunity to try all different wines.
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We filled a card with a set amount (after reading that tip from others to avoid the priciest tasting ever). It was really fun and we tasted and enjoyed a ton of wines. It was a fun happy hour for us as a precursor to a later dinner.
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I liked that a wine connoisseur wasn’t waiting for me to have a reaction to a particular wine and that we could chose our own size pour. It was really fun. We went as a chance to drink a few different ones. I would love to have this in my neighborhood to try a wine on the spot, buy it, and bring it home.

Some sights & tastes of the Caribbean is to come! Stay Tuned!

Stuffed Crust Pizza

I don’t know why Pizza is associated with Friday. I think Monday deserves pizza just as much! I was racking my brain to figure out what kind of pizza I hadn’t ever tried. Ahh ha! Stuffed Crust!
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Ingredients:
Pizza dough
3-4 string cheese sticks (I used a provolone mozzarella mix)
1 cup marinara sauce (I use Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if using a pizza stone, preheat it as well).
Spread pizza dough out onto the pan/stone. Make sure it is spread very thin, it will fold in and become an inch smaller.
Cut cheese sticks into small pieces and spread them around the edge.
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Fold the edge over, closing the cheese inside. Crimp with a fork. Be sure the cheese is fully surrounded by the dough. Roll cheese so it is surrounded 1.5-2 times. (unlike mine)
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Bake 10 minutes until doughy edges begin to crisp.
Spread sauce, spices, and shredded cheese on top.
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Return to the oven baking for another 10-20 minutes. Remove when cheese is melted and crust has crisped.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

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I had some oozing sections. I covered those spots with sauce and cheese. I think making sure the cheese stuffing is wrapped around more than once to ensure it won’t bust through the seams.

Friday Fun

Today you’re not getting a real post. I’ve had a wicked cold, just got back from vacay, blah blah blah. I’m choosing real life and just going with what works at the moment. A post didn’t make the cut. I have unpacked, grocery shopped, gotten a few gifts…I’ve been productive in real life (as opposed to blog life).

Instead, I’ve decorated for the holidays (check out the tree we cut ourselves!)

check out my mantle-scape while watched the original 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street.

This weekend I’ll be sure to get through my New Orleans photos & Caribbean pics. Check out Mr. J’s sneak peek at New Orleans
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I have travel posts coming up, soup, a potluck, some holiday foods, and a cookie swap. Stay tuned!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

There aren’t enough foods wrapped in bacon. I can sense when scallops wrapped in bacon are a passed appetizer near me. It is like radar. I work the cocktail hour scouting what waiter has them near by.
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I decided I should make some myself. I think the challenge was really to get the bacon crisp and not to overcook the scallops.

Ingredients:

3-4 sea scallops per person
½ strip of bacon per scallop
toothpicks
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil

Directions:

Rinse scallops and trim any connective tissue.
Pat dry. Again, pat any excess water off.
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Wrap each half strip of bacon around each scallop and secure with a toothpick, through the center. Or try using 2 to make an X to get it going. Generously salt and pepper both sides.
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Melt butter and oil in a hot skillet.
Place scallops in, bacon side down.
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Don’t overcrowd the pan so you can rotate the scallops, crisping the bacon on each side.
At the 4th rotation, pan fry both top and bottom.

These were tricky. I made sure to (account for and) pull out each before serving. The bacon held well. If anything, they weren’t quite as crisp as I would have liked. I think the scallop maintained its integrity.
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Four scallops per person was too much. They were huge! I served them with some roasted broccoli and parmesan risotto.

I have lots of meals and a whole vacation recap ahead. I’ve been under the weather and I’m trying to vacay detox while still getting prepped for the holidays. Bear with me! I’m shooting for Monday 😉

Caesar Chicken Salad Sandwiches

This is a super quick one. I also recommend whipping part of it up in advance. I JUST got back from vacay (don’t worry, I’ll tell you ALL about it!) so this is an even more timely meal. Everything came from the freezer!
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Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, marinated in Italian salad dressing
2 tbs mayo or Greek yogurt
1 tbs Greek dressing (or Italian dressing)
2 tbs creamy Caesar dressing

Directions:

Boil or saute chicken until fully cooked through.
When cooled, shred into chunks using 2 forks
Mix in mayo, and both salad dressings.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, or whatever you like.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Better yet, make it the night before!

I served it on some wheat rolls I had in the freezer. This was a major freezer clean out meal. Mr. J shot a deer and it was butchered leaving us with a whole slew of venison in the freezer. The chicken, rolls, and fries were all freezer items! (The rolls may or may not be discount bakery items I sliced and froze for an occasion such as this!)

I liked it for a change of pace. It would be good on a salad or as a wrap too. Got pitas? Fill ’em up! It was definitely a quick meal which is great with lots of other things going on. I don’t mean unpacking. That has not begun yet.
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I was messing around with the lighting. What do you think?

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Today I wanted to kick off a new Friday series. I’m calling this one Tonight & Take 2. I get questions about how I have all the ingredients for everything I make or how I come up with what I make.
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The reason I have an ingredient on hand is because:
a) I live to avoid grocery shopping so leftovers are planned to a T
b) using-what-I-have is my middle name
c) cooking for 2 of us means a whole package/container/item needs creativity so we aren’t eating the same thing day in and day out.

I just don’t usually share how I plan to use the other half. I might use part of the whole for a recipe but now you’re going to see how that happens. I also might make something and space out the blog posts so you think each posted item was spaced out. Aren’t you excited?!

Here are my meal planning tips here and here. Now, back to using an ingredient to make 2 totally different dishes.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:

½ roasted butternut squash
1 cup black beans
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese or pepper jack
1 tbs liquid smoke (optional)
1 tbs salsa
8 wheat tortillas

Directions:

Fill each tortilla with squash, black beans, and cheese.
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Roll up and top with enchilada sauce.
Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350-degrees.
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These were flavorful and I loooved the smoke flavor with the squash. The beans make it filling and balanced. Does this have you thinking about another leftover that would be good in here? Throw it in! Go crazy!

Now, these enchiladas were take 2 on a roasted butternut squash. Round one was a fall pizza with butternut squash, gouda, and bacon.
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Bacon, Butternut Squash and Gouda Pizza

I had an idea for a fall inspired pizza once I saw a good lookin’ pizza on Flying On Jess Fuel. Her pizza had bacon, gouda, apples, and caramelized onions. How delicious does that sound?! I also saw an awesome one on We Are Not Marta with pumpkin crust topped with prosciutto and brussels sprouts. I had a few fall flavors I thought would be good and it seemed like it’d be an ideal use for some butternut squash I had roasted. Bing, bam, boom.
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Ingredients:

pizza dough
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ roasted butternut squash
1 cup sliced gouda
4 strips of thick cut bacon

Directions:

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone if using one) to 400-degrees.
While oven is heating, fry bacon until almost cooked (it keeps cooking when on top the pizza).
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Pre-bake the pizza dough for about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle mozzarella, thyme, and nutmeg on top after removing from the oven.
Spread the mashed butternut squash onto the dough.
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Top with sliced gouda.
fall_pizza_cheese_590_390Finish with bacon.
Bake 20-30 minutes until melted and crisp.
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I liked it. I think the gouda is nicely nutty and the quash layer provides a great moisture layer. I liked the crisp bacon in contrast to the soft squash.
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It was good. This fall pizza was a nice combo of flavors I’m glad I didn’t go bananas topping it with everything I thought might go. Sometimes I go pizza-topping-overboard. I can’t help it!

Psssst: get ready! I have a new series launching later this week. Stay tuned!

Banana Streusel Muffins

Baking isn’t my forte, but muffins are a good choice for me. Then it can be breakfast and I don’t have cakes and cookies taunting me.
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I got 5 bananas for $0.38 in the discount produce and they screamed banana bread. Between the 5 I cut off some browned spots and had about a total of 3-4 bananas. Pretty good deal!

Banana Streusel Muffins

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup cinnamon or butterscotch chips
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp whole wheat flour
2 tsp oatmeal
1 tsp unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers.
Whisk 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl.
Mash bananas with a potato masher.
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Mix together mashed bananas, 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, egg, white sugar, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Gently fold banana mixture and cinnamon chips into dry ingredients just until moistened; do not overmix.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
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Mix brown sugar with 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour and oatmeal in a bowl, stirring until combined; mash 1 tablespoon unsalted butter into the mixture with a fork until streusel topping resembles crumbs.
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Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake muffins in the preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs, about 20 minutes.
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They came out great, but the batter tasted a bit off. What? You think I didn’t lick a spatula? It tasted salty. I was disheartened. I was fearful! I don’t bake often but it didn’t seem right. I baked it anyway. I figured it already was too late so I may as well bake and see what happens.
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They were great when I baked them! I think I may have used a ½ cup of salted butter, instead of unsalted. It turned out A-OK.

What I Ate: Asian Inspired Meatballs

What I Ate is a Friday series that is so easy (but delicious!) that it doesn’t really require a recipe! Check out the category (to your right) to see other super easy ideas.

Did you cook your tuckus off for Thanksgiving and now it is time to adapt to the winter season? These Asian inspired meatballs are super easy and work with any pre-made meatballs.

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Ingredients:

12 turkey meatballs (3 meatballs per person)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp honey

Directions:

Defrost meatballs (or make your own!)
Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and honey over medium-low heat.
Stir well, then add meatballs.
Cook for about 10 minutes then turn to low so it can thicken.

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Serve over rice and top with some green onions.  They have a nice sweet/salty flavor. The brown sugar and honey help thicken it up and poof! You’re done and clean up is pretty minimal.

Bolognese

Let’s continue on with the very non-thanksgiving-y foods, shall we? I messed around with a bolognese-like sauce. It isn’t truly a bolognese but I’m not Italian, so I figure I can get away with it. I cooked my meat sauce very low and slow and it was thick and delicious. It seems close enough, right? Even if I didn’t serve it with a wide flat noodle?
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I made a lot and froze leftovers. I’m thinking I came up with about 8 servings-ish.

Ingredients:

¾ pound ground sausage
½ pound ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 tbs garlic, diced
1 (6oz) can of tomato paste
1 cup kitchen ready, peeled canned tomatoes
⅓ cup red wine
½ cup water (if needed)
1 tbs italian seasoning
1 tbs salt
1 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Brown the sausage over medium heat and drain.
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Brown the ground turkey over medium heat.
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Cook the onions until translucent.
In a large stockpot or dutch oven, over medium-low heat, stir the onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, wine, and spices.
Add the 2 meats and stir occasionally.
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Cook over medium low heat covered for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Add some water if it is too thick for your liking and sprinkle in the parmesan.
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Serve over pasta or in your favorite lasagna.
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I loved it. I think it had just the right amount of texture and a good ratio of meat-to-tomato. I of course used pork and turkey, but any 2 ground meats would do. I thought it was a good use of some leftover ground turkey hanging out in my freezer. Since I’m cooking for 2, I end up with leftovers that really needs to be cooked into something (like lasagna or tacos, etc) since it isn’t fresh anymore.