Excellent Jambalaya- Goes well with Music

The Visitors from Hawkes Bay were here so we hosted a small Musical Soiree.
What better food to eat but Jambalaya
I watched Ina Garten, on her Back to Basics TV Show, cook this yummy Jambalaya, with her friend, Amelia Durand . This Amelia’s recipe and it is very easy and very healthy.
I have been making Jambalaya from my New Orleans School of Cooking experience
That is very tasty but they use a roux so it has a higher fat content.
I have made a few changes to suit my guests and using what I had in my pantry.
I used homemade Ketchup instead of tomato paste.
I did use homemade chicken stock and
the hot sauces of choice were Sriracha and for the smoky flavour “Cholula Hot Chipotle Sauce”
I also used a mix of our local butcher's,
Gluten free Chorizo and Italian sausages.
Beautiful flavours Top Cut Butcher at the Top of Parnell Rd, Worth a visit

This is really great for a crowd.
Do all your chopping in the morning, bring it to the boiling stock stage.

Leave and finish off about 40 minutes before you want to eat

6 to 8 servings
Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 
500 gms sausage,
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 dashes hot sauce, optional Either Tabasco, Sriracha or a Hot Chipotle
1/2 cup chopped scallions, divided
 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
500 gms medium shrimp, deveined (20 to 24 count)
Directions
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot at medium heat,
Add the sausage and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned.
 Remove the sausage to a bowl, and set aside. ‘ If there is excess fat drain it off.
Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

 Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste
and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well.
Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil.
Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, bay leaves, salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Return to a boil,
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the lemon juice and the Prawns, and stir well. Cover the pot,
remove it from the heat and allow the Jambalaya to steam,
for 15 minutes, before serving.
This is enough residual heat to cook the Prawns

Our friends Elpie and Pete supplied a great spicy Bean and Chick Pea casserole.
Featured at the back right

Lana and Bridgie brought wonderful nibbles for the milling around
You need food to accompany the excellent Margaritas concocted by Mr Heinz

Helen made these cute Musical note Cup Cakes

JT brought a Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

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Hiria and Lucy gave us great Cheeses
All in all. you will note as you peruse the photos. It was a huge success
The calm before the storm

Tuna, Pasta and Vege Bake - The Meal that keeps on Giving-Part One

We had friends over for dinner and as usual there were leftovers.
Roast Lamb with Mustard Cabbage and Potato Pancakes
Lemon Posset with Gluten Free Shortbread
Of course the Pasta is not Gluten Free but the Cabbage and the Potato Pancakes are.


I managed to feed the Two Of Us for several more days.
Talk about Leftover Queen
So I devised this Tuna, Vege and Pasta Bake using the Cabbage
Takes in all of the food groups, and is cheap to make
This will feed 4 people
The problem with Pasta Bakes they are not easy to photograph.
they all look much the same when they come out the oven
but I am particularly proud of the taste of this one.

I also put a good dash of Srichacha Sauce. 

Wow this should be in your pantry...
Really gives a dish a real lift

To cook the Cabbage Scroll down
 Pre- heat oven to 180C
75 gms butter
1 cup cooked cabbage 
1 leek washed and sliced 
1 courgette cubed 
75 gms flour 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 cups milk 
Dash of Srichaha Sauce
(Optional but a dash of any hot sauce does give the dish a lift)
100 gms spaghetti broken into smaller pieces and cooked to manufacturers instructions
1 tin tuna ( I always buy the Tuna canned in Olive oil)
Grated cheese enough to cover top of casserole

Melt butter and add leeks and courgettes 
Sauté gently till soft but not brown
Add cooked cabbage 
Mix 
Add flour and cook for about 3 minutes to cook then raw flour out
Add milk and stir till thickened
Let simmer for about 4-5 minutes
You may need more milk this should be a thinnish sauce
The pasta will absorb most of the sauce.
Add tuna and cooked pasta 
Throw into a casserole dish. I actually used the pan I was cooking in.
Cover with grated cheese. 
 Bake for 20- 30 minutes
It should be golden and bubbly
These flavours really melded together

We sat down and gobbled up while watching The Descendants on DVD.
Loved that movie

 How to Cook the Cabbage Courtesy Of Huey’s Kitchen 
50 gms soft butter 
1 large clove garlic, crushed 
1 tbs caraway seeds, smashed 
2 tbs of chopped parsley 
2 tbs Dijon Mustard 
1/2 chopped Savoy Cabbage. finely sliced, ribs and core removed 
1 tbs Olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan and
Briefly saute the garlic, caraway seeds and parsley with the Dijon Mustard 
Then add the Cabbage with a little oil if needed
Season with Salt and pepper 
Stir well and gently cooked till the cabbage is wilted,
Continually stirring

Serve as I did, with Roast Lamb and Potato Pancakes 
These Pancakes are so yummy. I’ve made them for the grandchildren
They had sausages to accompany, Grandma's Homemade Ketchup
and they loved it

I saw Jacques Pepin make these on his TV Show.
You couldn’t get much simpler than this

Place into a Food Processor  
2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes 
2 eggs 
1/2 cup chopped onion 
2 tablespoon potato starch or Cornflour 
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whiz together till it makes a paste

Add 1 finely chopped spring onion 
Fry in 1 large tablespoon lots in vegetable oil.
I used Rice Bran

Till golden brown both sides
These Pancakes make an easy lunch or starter
Just serve them with some smoked salmon and Sour Cream

Yum

Presto Pasta Nights no 259 -

Its been my pleasure to host Presto Pasta Nights for this week. Ruth from Once Upon A Feast started this blogging event 5 years ago and once a week, bloggers send in their delicious Pasta recipes.
Here is this weeks round up.

First up we have Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe
 Johanna celebrated Easter with a big Family lunch. What better way to finish off this superb occasion with this very tasty Fettuccine Napolenta

Next up, we have a post from Stash at The Spamwise Chronicles.  He has some beautiful photos on his blog. Those tomatoes certainly gets my taste buds moving. There is not many things nicer than roasted tomatoes...and they are the crowning glory on his "Carrot Pasta with Shitake Mushrooms, Spinach and Slow-Roasted Campari Tomatoes"

Moving on we have Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. She has entered her Chicken Noodle Soup There's nothing better than Chicken Soup aka Jewish Penicillin. My Mother wasn't Jewish but every time we were ill we were spoon fed Chicken Soup. It worked almost all of the time...Shelby's version has me desperately wanting some. Comfort Food at it's best.

Claire of Chez Cayenne has made Farfalle Salad with Asparagus Such a colourful salad. I love those little Farfalle Pasta Butterflies. Really cute and work well in a salad.

Now we have Angela from Spinach Tiger with her Four Cheese Sweet Potato Lasagna She has taken the common old sweet potato and given it new heights, by turning it into Lasagna, and flavoured it with Four difference cheeses

An finally we have my entry, I pinched this from another blog. (I have credited him in my blog)
It was so delicious I had to share. We are at the end of the tomato season here in New Zealand and this is perfect to bring out the wonderful fresh flavour. Fresh Tomato Lasagna

So Ruth thanks for the opportunity to share in this event. It has been fun

Gluten Free Shortbread - Perfect Companion to a Rich Dessert, Lemon Posset

Dinner on Saturday night was a Gluten Free meal. I wanted to make Lemon Posset, the delightful,
So So Simple Dessert. I saw this on one of James Martin's programmes. I love his work.
Not good for the waistline but very good for the soul.
It is his Grandma's recipe.
But it really needs little Shortbread biscuits.
My Coeliac Friend John, of course can't eat the normal little biscuits I would make, so I surfed the net and found this recipe on a blog called Eating Adelaide
Check it out
It is really simple and perfect for those intolerant to wheat.
Gluten Free Shortbread Biscuits
1 cup Corn Flour
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup Icing sugar
Pinch of salt
180 gms butter

Sift the dry ingredients
Grate the butter into the sifted ingredients

Mix with your hands until the mixture comes together into a very soft dough
Roll into a sausage
I made 2 sausages

Chill for at least and hour
Pre-heat oven to 180C (Fan bake 160C)
Line a tine with baking paper
Cut into thin slices and bake for about 15-20 minutes
They will expand a little during cooking
The edges of will start to go brown
But don't over cook them

Remove from oven and carefully place on a rack to coll
Hot they will be very fragile so use a slice to transfer
I ate far too many of them, they were so yummy.
Just fabulous with the Lemon dessert
Lemon Posset
600ml/1 pint 1fl oz double cream 
150g/5oz caster sugar 
2 large lemons, zest and juice only 

Place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat
and bring to the boil slowly.
Boil for three minutes, 
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
Into the fridge for at least 3 hours

Serve with a dollop of cream and some Shortbread Gluten Free or Not

Tweed, Tea and Wellies

Is Carolyn Managh going to do for Daylesford, what Peter Mayall did for Provence.
Her delightful stories of this town in Victoria, just 1 hour north west of Melbourne are captivating.
We will all want to move there.
Experience the local art, coffee spas, eccentric local market...you name it ... Daylesford has got it all. The byline of the book "A Haphazard and Colorful Guide to the Fabulousness of Daylesford, Australia" And that is exactly it. I thoroughly enjoyed this journal, based on Carolyn's day to day life.
Having lived "The High Life", with a very successful marketing career in London,
regular trips to France...etc She left and moved to join family in this charming town, where "The sun always shines".
Carolyn's humor, has transformed this little country town to a place, I am dying to visit.
Her trials and tribulations of waiting for her Prince to come are peppered with great little quotes,
 her Father for instance, "Have you forgotten what you do for a living? Start marketing yourself" or "Buy a lavender farm (in Cromwell, NZ) ...you'll meet lots of farmers"
Carolyn herself, has a turn of phrase which had me chuckling all afternoon. e.g. "Being as new to Music, as Justin Bieber is to shaving" And there's more!
Throughout, her love of fashion, food and sparkling beverages found me with my mouth watering. Not good for her waistline or mine if it comes to that.
As much as I love my kindle on the iPad... there will always be a place for real books and this is one of them. Sit it on the coffee table, and flick through.
No matter what page you turn to, there is a delightful little Carolyn tale.
Wonderful photography, ably art directed, by her brother Gerry. A little treasure.
Plus, I see we have a shared love of VW Golf Cabriolets.
She fabulously drove hers around France. Mine only traveled around New Zealand.
Well c'est la vie. Get your copy now. Easily Available online @ tweedteaandwellies.com/shop You won't regret it. 3 Pink Chairs Carolyn

The Best Fresh Tomato Lasagne-How to make the most of Fresh Tomatoes

Great fun, It's my turn to host Presto Pasta Nights this coming week.
Check out the site.

This blogging event was set up by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast 
People from all over the world, share their favourite Pasta Recipes.
She has been running this event for 5 years now.
So now its my turn to host I can't wait to see all the tasty delicacies that will arrive on my computer
So if you have a pasta dish you want to enter, send the link to me @ cajun(dot)moon(at)xtra(dot)co(dot)nz
Also cc your entry to  ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com
You need to have it to me by Thursday April 12th, to be in this weeks event.

 

I found this recipe on an excellent blog site, called www.woodfiredkitchen.com
The blogger is called Don Hogeland and he comes from Seattle.
He is passionate about cooking on his wood fired outdoor oven
and has some excellent recipes and advice
Lots of really yummy things, to read about and try of course
This Fresh Tomato Lasagne really inspired me.
The Tomato season is at it’s peak here in New Zealand and what a wonderful way to use the tomatoes.

Our friend Mary was over, to set up my Easter Display, so I invited her to join us.
Isn't it great. The kids love it, particularly the little chocolate eggs. 

This lasagne is so delicious, four of us wolfed it down and could have “overeaten” more.
In fact I am going to make it again and freeze some, while the tomatoes are at their best.
Be interesting to see how it freezes
I will report back

Re the Mozzarella. I used Cows milk Fresh Mozzarella. It is half the price and to be truthful, with the flavour of ripe tomatoes…you have to have a magnificent palate to pick up the difference.
I used a Pyrex loaf tin to build this lasagne. Perfect for 4 people


1 kilo fresh tomatoes (outdoor if you can get them)
250 gms fresh Mozzarella
8 Barilla No cook lasagne Noodles
5 cups hot water 75C
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 sea salt


30 gms Parmesan Cheese finely grated


For the Bechamel Sauce
2 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon flour + 1 teaspoon
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1 large egg

Melt the butter
Add the flour and stir well
Cook for about 5 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour
Meanwhile heat the Milk
When the roux has cooked out
Start adding the milk in about 4 stages
Beat well, as you add
If you do this you shouldn’t get lumps
If you do get lumps just whisk and all will be fine
Season to taste
Cover and set aside

Just before you are about to assemble the lasagne
Beat the egg and add a small amount of the sauce
Add it back to the pot and beat well, till mixed

Preheat the oven to 190C

Make the Béchamel Sauce
Slice the Mozzarella
Slice the tops and bottoms off the tomatoes and discard
(Or save to use in something else)
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices

Put 5 cups of the hot water into a wide baking dish
and slip the noodles in one at a time .
Separate them or they will glue together,
swish them around a bit whilst they are soaking
Let Noodles soak for about 15 minutes

Build your Lasagne
First a layer of tomatoes
Drizzle with Olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and oregano
Add a noodle
1/4 of the Mozzarella 

1/4 of the Béchamel Sauce
Sprinkle with Parmesan

Another noodle
Tomatoes
Drizzle with Olive Oil, salt and oregano
Continue the sequence with remaining noodles and filling
Finish with a layer of tomato drizzled with olive oil , salt and oregano ,

Bake at 190C for 40-45 minutes until Béchamel has puffed and the edges are bubbling
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving