slow cooker, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meals

Heavenly Balsamic pot roast

April 16, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

So this here’s a story a little pot roast that could. It was a good little pot roast. It had dreams of being more. And it was. It had dreams of being all dressed up in a balsamic sauce and being cooked in a crock pot along with his friends carrots, onions, and celery. Ok, kidding aside, because I am pretty sure that joking around about balsamic anything is a capital crime. Because balsamic anything is awesome and should be revered and coddled and loved and praised. I have posted my mother in law’s excellent pot roast recipe before and that is my go to recipe. If you have never made it, check it out here~https://cajunmamacookinblog.com/2013/06/17/tonight-is-a-roast-night/. Making that recipe is like putting on a comfortable pair of jeans, which ironically I find rather hard to do after eating a serving of pot roast and rice and gravy. ha ha! But the other day, I was scanning Pinterest and came across a recipe for their balsamic pot roast and thought, “oh my. that is a super idea. Big Daddy would love that.” You can see that post here~ http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-balsamic-pot-roast-recipe.html. Well, continuing to scan Pinterest (see how I do that? I scan it. That makes me feel like I am not wasting time and I am not on Pinterest…just scanning, ya’ll…scanning. I can quit at anytime I want. Wait, I think that is what addicts say…oh my.) and I saw another recipe for regular pot roast by PW about her perfect pot roast. You can check that out here…http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/. I could not decide which one to make. Pioneer Woman is always a safe bet because she knows her stuff. But I love those six sisters too. And, their pot roast had balsamic vinegar in theirs’, which kind of amps up the yummy a couple of notches. Plus, theirs was made in the slow cooker. I know you peeps love a good slow cooker recipe, so I took what I loved about both and combined them into one delightful, fantabulous, knock your socks off pot roast. You are welcome friends. I made a batch of mashed potatoes to go with that heavenly thick balsamic flavored gravy and also warmed up some of those Sister Schubert rolls aka they are worth it carbs. My baby boy can eat nearly the whole pan. I will add this…use one of those rolls to sop up that ridiculously good gravy and you will be in hog heaven. But I don’t have to tell ya’ll that, do I? No. Because if you are following my blog, you know all about the good stuff in life. Wink Wink! See what I did there? I gave you a compliment and me a compliment at the same. Because let’s face it. We both rock!! Now, on to this pot roast that I have been yammering on and on about. Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get to it baby!!

Heavenly Balsamic Pot Roast

Stuff you need~

4-5 pound beef chuck roast

2 or 3 small onions (peeled and then cut in half from root to tip)

5 or 6 carrots, not peeled (PW says to maintain their rustic quality and I agree…damn good. Give it a try), just cut them into about 2 inch pieces, discarding the ends

3 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces

olive oil and a pat of butter

kosher salt and black pepper

2 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I used 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup balsamic glaze my mother in law gave me but I also saw it at World Market aka my mothership the other day just FYI)

1 cup tomato juice

1 can beef broth (reduced sodium)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic or 3 cloves if you are going the “I chop my own garlic here me roar!!” route

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons warm water

What to do with the stuff~

Turn the heat under a big ole skillet to medium. Now, melt the pat of butter (about a Tablespoon if you need that measurement…you little control freak…that’s why we get along because I am one too so I get it!) and about 2 Tablespoons olive oil nice and warm. Now, add in only your onion . You want to get the onion lightly browned on one side and then with a pair of tongs, flip it to the other side and do the same thing…a minute or so on each side will do. Remove them from the skillet. Add in your carrots and give them a good toss in the olive oil/butter combo. About a minute or so is perfection. Good girl. Or boy. Now, put the little browned unpeeled, so rustic and lovely carrots in the plate with the onions and tell them to hang tight. Wait, what? You don’t talk to your food. Is that weird? Then I don’t either. Now, back to this lovely pot roast. Yes, yes, I am getting to that. Now, take that hunk of meat and rub it down with olive oil. Give it a good rub down on both sides. Now, season the mess out of that thing with good old kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Now, I took some dried rosemary and sprinkled some of that on each side. Ok, now if your skillet needs more olive oil, add some because we are going to brown our roast. With a pair of tongs, place it in the still medium hot oil. Brown it on every side, about a minute or so each side. Flip, brown, flip, brown, got it? Ok. Remove that roast from the skillet and set it on a plate. Whisk in the beef broth and make sure to remove any little brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, pan, what have you. This is your gremille and it makes your gravy richer and just better. Let this kind of simmer a few minutes and then whisk in the tomato juice, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Continue to let this luscious mixture simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can hang out and get comfortable with one another. They can make friends. When you are going to hang out in a crock pot for 6 or 7 hours, you want to get to know your tomato juice. Just saying.

Ok, now you are going to spray a 6 quart crock pot lightly with some cooking spray. Put your lovely browned roast in there. Toss the carrots, onions, and celery in there. Now, using caution so you don’t burn yourself, slowly pour the balsamic magic liquid on top of the meat and veggies. Now, cook on low for 7-8 hours. Your slow cooker may take longer, so add time accordingly. When you can stick a fork in the roast and twist and it falls apart, you are ready.

Now for the luscious gravy…yes you will want to do this. Skim as much of the fat off the top of the liquid as you can. Now, pour about 2 cups of the balsamic magic liquid into a medium sized sauce pan. Bring it to a low boil over medium low heat. In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until well combined. Whisk this into the balsamic liquid. Let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens a bit. You will have some fabulous gravy ya’ll. Roll soppin worthy gravy. Spoon this liberally over the meat and the mashed potatoes. So. Dang. Good. Enjoy. Take a bow. Enjoy your moment in the spotlight because YOU are AWESOME!!!~AMB

Oh sweet little onions, I have big plans for you.

Carrots, unpeeled…carrots gone wild.

Sit there and look pretty my darlings

Giving my roast a lovely little seasoning rubdown.

Remember…brown, flip, brown, flip

Balsamic magic liquid

Ready to be more…ready to become a balsamic pot roast. MMMMMM

Ready to be covered in that lovely gravy. Mouth watering.

Uncategorized

White chocolate popcorn and doing what we can

April 8, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

I found this recipe a while back on Pinterest and made it almost immediately. You find the original post at http://www.the36thavenue.com/2013/11/white-chocolate-popcorn-recipe.html. This dreamy concoction tastes like a cross between rice crispy treats and popcorn. It is the ultimate blend of sweet and salty. Oh my. So good.
As always, we had too much, so for a little treat for my kiddos’ teachers, I wrapped up a ball of this yummy popcorn in some plain ole Saran Wrap and then tied it with some pretty pink twine. It made a nice little pick me up for some pretty special ladies. I have said it before and I will say it again…I am not Martha Stewart. Martha would have had treat boxes to deliver this in and I bet her kitchen would not have looked like a bomb went off after she made this. Mine did though. And I used Saran Wrap. But ya know…I have 4 kids and 2 of them have 3 teachers each. So that is 8 teachers in all. When it comes to Christmas gifts and such, I often fall short because I can not do for 8 teachers for what I might do for one or 2. And it is not a competition. All any of us can do is what we can, with what we have, where we are. So, it was a gesture in the middle of another crazy week where I had something extra to give that took little effort but sent a big thank you to some ladies who are so important in the lives of so many kids. God gave us all gifts and it is up to us to choose how we share with the world. That is all any of us can do. Whatever your gift is, I hope you let it shine for the world to see. You are a blessing to many.~AMB

White Chocolate Popcorn
Serves: 10

stuff you need~
2 bags of microwave light butter popcorn, popped
1 1/2 cups Sixlets
1 (11.5 ounce) bag white chocolate chips
1/2 bag regular size marshmallows
3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup corn syrup

what to do with the stuff
Pop popcorn according to package instructions and then pour into a big mixing bowl. Set aside. Mix together corn syrup, butter, and chocolate chips together in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring often. Mix in the marshmallows, stirring consistently until they are melted. Pour this mixture over th popcorn and stir to combine well. Gently stir in the Sixlets, taking care not to break them. Sprinkle some more Sixlets over the top, if desired. Set it out and watch it disappear. It’s good stuff, y’all!

*yes the candy. But I found them in the baking section at Walmart not in the candy section and in a bottle not a bag. Also, you can use the pastel colored M&M’s in place of the Sixlets.

my oldest with one of his wonderful teachers.

healthy options, pasta dishes, quick and easy, Sides, Uncategorized, vegetarian, veggies

Rainbow Pasta Salad and lots of the good stuff know, I learned from my friends

April 6, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

So I have told ya’ll about my very good friend Betsy before, right? I will give ya’ll a little more back story here because it is relevant to the recipe…well, mostly. Ha ha! Ya’ll know I love to tell a good story, right? Anyway, I met Betsy back in 2005 when my oldest started MDO at First Baptist here in Shreveport. Her oldest, Maggie, was in class with Ben. I had 2 kiddos, aged almost 2 and 6 months old. We had just moved from Keithville and I was still convinced I could absolutely be the perfect mom and all the other delusions we new mommies by into. It’s true, girls. Betsy is what you would call, shy, when you first meet her. Friendly, but a little aloof and seems perfect beyond words. It is a little intimidating. We would make a little small talk, but she worked in the MDO and was always on her way to her own class. Lo and behold, round about April, I was pregnant with #3 and she was pregnant with #2, now known as Aubrey and Annie. We would meet in passing and exchange hellos. Come fall, my Kayla was old enough and I put her in MDO with Ben and Betsy was her teacher. We were both hugely pregnant and would talk about due dates and Kayla’s progress, which coincidentally, was not good. You know how daycares and MDO’s always say “she will stop crying as soon as you leave and be fine. We will call you if there is a problem.” Kayla was one of those rare babies that did not stop crying. She in fact, sat in Betsy’s barely there lap and would sob inconsolably. So, I would come and get her early everyday. Keep in mind, I am due any day with baby #3 and my 18 month old was a mama’s girl. I was experiencing mommy guilt, self doubt, mommy fear at it’s most primal…whatever you want to call it. Aubrey came along in October and then Annie at the end of November. I eventually took Ben and Kayla out of MDO because Aubrey kept getting so sick and finally got a stomach bug at 5 months old and I said enough. I am not going to lie or sugarcoat it. Having 3 kids, 3 and under and a husband who worked or hunted all the time was to say the least overwhelming. I guess I had a little postpartum depression now that I look back on it. Baby number 3 was a blessing and also a knockdown punch I was not expecting. She cried all the time if she was not being held and I was just at my wits end. So, fast forward to a year and half down the road, I was expecting baby #4 and Ben would be starting kindergarten in the fall. I decided to try MDO again. So I went back to the only place I really knew, First Baptist. Little did I know how glad I would be that I made that decision. I found out Betsy was also expecting a baby boy and was due in June. I was expecting a baby boy in July. Well…as luck (or I say, God’s plan) would have it, that summer, right before I had Lucas, I saw Betsy in the Target parking lot. I have goose bumps as I write this as I can see just how meant to be it was. I admired her newborn baby boy, Jack Henry and made small talk. Well, cut to the fall, and the girls started MDO. Aubrey and Annie were in the same class and every day Betsy was not working at MDO, I would see her in Target. We would laugh and joke about “ha ha see you in Target every time! How funny!” We exchanged phone numbers, but I was still adjusting to motherhood with 4 kiddos and did not see much of a future in our friendship. I had not made friends very easily since moving to Shreveport and I did not have high expectations. Well, somehow, we managed to carve out a nice little friendship and we banded together with some other moms and formed a nice posse that included about 6 moms and in excess of 25 kids. Yeah, we were a motley crew at best. Betsy and I spent lots of time together with the kids and without. I ended up being her teaching partner for a year before they moved. I loved those Tuesdays and Thursdays and I frankly loved spending time with my friend. This pasta salad recipe is only one of the many things I treasure from our time together. For someone who says she doesn’t cook, she sure does have some flipping awesome recipes. Ya’ll know the rest of the story…they moved to South Louisiana so her hubby could join a practice and the rest of their story could unfold. I miss her everyday and I know she misses me, but life has moved on for both of us and we have made our way. She is still one of my good friends and our kiddos still love each other, even if we don’t see each other often. And a few of those friendships still remain strong and that is a gift that keeps on giving. (I am talking to you Lexie B) You see, some things, like our friendship, are just meant to be. God kept putting us in one another’s path until we realized…hey, I like this girl!!! She likes Target as much as I do and she gets me. She just gets me. Thank God for friends who get us, right? Those crazy years were made much more bearable because of Bets. In many ways, she taught me how to be a mom. She taught me how to pack lunches for my kids…no really, she is a mastermind at packing lunches kiddos love. She taught me how to make really delicious brownies. She taught me you can never go to Chick fil A too often and how to do really good arts and crafts. She taught me how to get over myself and roll with it with a little grace and not worry so much. She taught me to laugh at myself. And she taught me to trust in friendship again and that I was lovable just as I was. Hot mess and all. She is the yen to my yang. This rainbow pasta salad is a perfect example. For years I had wondered, how in the heck do the restaurants make such deliciousness? Well, in walks Betsy to show me. So delicious and yet so easy. Too good to be true. And yet…totally true. Just like our friendship. Love ya Bets. ~AMB

friendship is indeed a gift

A good friend gives your cozy coupe a push when you need it.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

Stuff you need~

1 package of rotini pasta, cooked al dente and then rinsed with cold water

5 cups of chopped vegetables (you can use anything but I use cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, purple onion)

1/2 – 1 cup of cheddar cheese and/or Mozzarella cheese cubes

1/2 cup Salad Supreme seasoning

8 ounces or 1 cup of Italian dressing

What to do with the stuff~

Put your cooked, drained and cooled pasta in a big bowl. Toss in your chopped veggies and cubes of cheese. Stir in the seasoning blend and the Italian dressing. Add more if you think it needs it. Toss well so that the seasoning and dressing coats every last noodle. You will be so happy and full of joy when you take a bite of this yumminess. It will make you smile and want to give some to your friend. Do it. She might just love you for life!!

Shout to my girl Bets for this and so many other wonderful things she introduced me to!!!

*For this batch I added in some penne pasta because I needed to stretch it a little further to feed a large group. I added a little more salad dressing and seasoning accordingly.

The secret ingredient

So full of color and flavor…you will love it and so will your friends

quick and easy, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meals

Loaded nacho casserole

April 2, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

Do you like nachos? Do you like casseroles? Do you like the convenience of a one dish meal that serves a crowd? If you answered yes to these questions, than this casserole recipe is for you. Oh sorry, I think I have been listening to too much public radio.
This casserole is indeed basically one dish that feeds a crowd and has all you need for a complete meal. I got the recipe from one of my favorite websites…http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/03/loaded-nacho-casserole-recipe.html. She tells you all about how she came up with the idea. Let me say…she is a genius!!! BD ate it up. Kiddos, not so much. Here is the deal though, if I cooked only what my kids liked there would be no Cajun mama cookin blog. Unless ya’ll wanted me to tell ya’ll how to heat up Eggo waffles, make mac and cheese, heat up a wiener in the microwave or make a PB&J. My kids, despite my efforts, do not eat everything that I cook. Sure, there are the nights when there is a fingernail moon and Mercury and Venue are in sync (can you tell I am not an astrologist?) and they all eat what I make. What I am getting at is that it is extremely rare for them all to just gobble up what I cook. I decided a while back that I am not cooking for them. I make what BD and I like or might like, hope that the kiddos will like it or even love it, and usually one or two of them will eat what I make. But I by no means attest to 1) my kids eat it or starve. I tried that approach, but I didn’t care for tucking my kids in and hearing their little bellies rumble. For me, that was too much. I admire parents who have that ability, but I don’t. 2) my kids gobble up whatever I put in front of them, never complain and they all have perfect table manners. They don’t. I don’t front ya’ll. I tell you like it is, keep it real, show you the ugly. For example… I got the cutest burlap place mats that have, get this, a cute little table manner written on each one. So naturally, my kids become well mannered and perfect when they sit down to eat because their plates are on these well appointed place mats. Negative Ghostwriter. Half the time, I forget to put them out. Yeah, that’s right. Though I totally convinced myself that I would so put these out for every meal and then pick them back up again after each meal, I lied to myself. Do you ever do that? I do. More than I care to mention. But I will. So that you don’t feel so bad about it when you do it. I will admit to you that there are days when I might give Bree Vandecamp from Desperate Housewives a slight pause before she proceeded to kick my ass in the who is most like Martha Stewart category of Mom of the Year pageant. Now, Roseanne (from the show Roseanne…to be clear) she might be all like “woah, smart ass comment, check this chick out…she thinks she is Martha Stewart!!” but not in a threatened or impressed way but more of a making fun of me for thinking I come close kind of way. That’s right. I can buy all the burlap place mats I want, but I will forget to put them out or pick them up half the time until I am so sick of looking at them that I put them back on top of the microwave until the next time I want to play like I am Madame Fancy Pants again. So, ain’t nothing over here in CM kitchen perfect or well appointed. How I manage to get done what I get done escapes me and I am pretty sure I have the good folks at Keurig to thank for that since this girl runs on her coffee. So…here we are back at where we started before I took ya’ll off on my verbal journey that gave you some insight into just how whacko I really am. But I mean, have ya’ll missed the part where I told ya’ll I had 4 kids in less than 5 years? If that didn’t clue ya’ll in to the whole “this chick is a little whack” than you are not real quick on the uptake. Ha ha! But real. 😳
Anyway, back to the recipe. I know, I know, it is hard to follow me at times and I appreciate you trying. I hope somewhere you are laughing at my candor rather cursing my ability to get greatly off track. Here is the recipe for this cheesy, meaty, everything in it but the kitchen sink casserole. It is pretty awesome and if you brown your ground meat ahead of time, it is a cinch to pull together. So on the days y’all have Tball or Spring soccer practice, ballet, teach a classroom full of kiddos all day (I have 2 sisters who are teachers and a bunch of friends who are…shout out to my teachers out there!) you can have supper prepared super fast. Ok ready?

Six Sisters’ Stuff Loaded Nacho Casserole

stuff you need~

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 small onion, diced fine
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can diced green chiles
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 10 ounce bag tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheddar

what to do with the stuff~

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Brown your ground meat if you have not done this already. Now, add in your bell pepper and onion and let them get a little tender. About 5 minutes or so should do you good. Now, just stir in the tomatoes, green chiles, corn, beans, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring this saucy concoction to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. (You could this the night before so you could throw it all together the next night…just a thought). Now, layer half of the tortilla chips at the bottom of the casserole dish. As suggested, I kind of crushed them a little. Next layer half of your sauce concoction. Now, repeat this. Next sprinkle your cheese all over the top. Pop the casserole into the oven and bake until the cheese is all bubbly and the casserole is heated throughout. Let it cool a few minutes and then dish it up, baby!!
Serving suggestion…this would be divine over a bed of fresh shredded lettuce. Kind of a taco salad of sorts. Also, next time, I will use flour tortillas in place of the chips to see if I prefer it that way. It was delish like this but I think it might be awesome with the soft tortillas in there to soak up that sauce. Oh and i might use shredded chicken in place of ground beef to change it up. Yum!! I will let y’all know. Very good, makes a ton and is quick and easy . Hope y’all enjoy it more than my kids did. 😉 what do they know anyway about good food, the little stinkers. Aw who am I kidding? I work for them. Sigh~AMB
.

It’s cheesy, loaded with veggies, all in one dish and ready to please your hungry bunch!

Uncategorized

Bisquick Chicken Potpie

March 28, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

Drool worthy yet so simple…it can only be Bisquick potpie!

Here is the scenario. You drove to Monroe and back to pick up 2 of your kids from your mother in law. You have been up since 5 because your husband and youngest were up insanely early to go turkey hunting. You are wiped out. You know these little people you are raising and your biggest baby (mine is called Big Daddy) are going to have to eat something. Ya’ll ate out last night and the budget does not allow another meal splurge (keeping it real people, that is all…no money tree growing in our yard and going out to eat with 4 kids is expensive no matter where you go). You have some cooked chicken breasts in the fridge, so what now? Yeah, this is not a hypothetical scenario. That was me last night. Ya’ll know when you are feeding a hungry bunch of monkeys that you have to think on your feet and fast. If the natives get restless, they may rebel. Cannot have that. Keep them fed. And so I do. When mommy is tired and kiddos are hungry, Bisquick potpie is always a good fast choice. Yes, yes, it has Bisquick in it. Bisquick has preservatives, gluten or whatever in it. You can always take the high road and make your own…or suck it up and use the flipping Bisquick already in the pantry. That is what I did. I don’t tend to stand on the high ground when it comes to feeding my kids. I like the middle ground. It is solid, grounded in tradition and allows me to keep my ever fleeting grip on reality. So if you are like me and love you some middle ground, keep reading. Ok, we all here? Alright! This potpie is so warm, comforting, filling and fast to throw together. Added bonus, there are veggies (canned, yes) in there. The kids are so preoccupied with the buttery tasty crust that they actually get a veggie in their pie holes, I mean, precious little mouths. he he he. 🙂 I am so kidding. Unless you thought it was funny then I was dead serious. Wink Wink! So, if you want to know how to get a good meal on the table fast, this is the post for you. ~AMB

Bisquick Chicken Potpie

Serves 6

Stuff you need for the filling~

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut up into 1 inch pieces

1 cup of peas and carrots (I use a small can, drained)

1 cup cooked potatoes (I use a half of a regular size can because they don’t make the small cans…get on that Del Monte)

1 can cream of chicken soup (I have used cream of celery and I rather it that way)

*For the crust~

1 cup Bisquick mix

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

What to do with the stuff~

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a 9″ pie dish or round dish, combine soup, chicken, and veggies. Now, in a separate bowl, combine Bisquick, milk and eggs. Pour this over the the chicken/veggie mixture. Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes or until crust is nice and brown. *I double the recipe for the crust usually because my kiddos really like it.

He loves this potpie. His sweet smile gives it away. He had 2 helpings.

Double the crust means double the smiles around the table (for about 5 minutes then chaos resumes…but I take what I can get)

Uncategorized

Callie’s Ham Salad

March 26, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

This must be my week to try new things. I cannot recall having ham salad before and to be honest I was a tad bit reluctant to try it. I love most things that include the word salad…tuna salad, potato salad, definitely chicken salad, egg salad..but ham salad? Yes, ham salad. Now, I know lots of people are very familiar with ham salad but not me, so forgive my innocence or what I call now…my ignorance. Several recipes for ham salad have caught my eye, and I have kind of planned to make it, but the minute I saw this little beauty, I knew I would have to make it. Like now. Cannot wait. Impulsivity reigns supreme when it comes to a recipe I see that must be made. I may perish if I don’t make this asap. (said in my best Southern damsel in distress voice…) Tomorrow is another day and by God, I will make this ham salad!!! Now, what I love about this recipe is that it is simple and straightforward. I like recipes that tell me how to get from a to z directly. Shortest route here people. No need to reinvent the wheel. I guess because I deal with kiddo mood swings, fake illnesses, deciphering their language (mine are all at ages where nothing is as simple as it once seemed, maybe it is just me?)…so a recipe should get down to the nitty gritty pretty quickly. If you start off and tell me that I need to cook a whole ham first before I can get a ham salad out of it…well no thank you. I am tired, need more coffee and want ham salad. This recipe took you straight to it. No hoops to jump through. This is very easy, takes few ingredients and you can double to feed a hungry bunch if you need to. Now, this original recipe comes from a cookbook that is now at the top of my list to buy. My birthday is coming up…hint to BD. The cookbook is called Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions and I discovered it when I came across blog lovin and this link~ http://www.thecountrycook.net/2014/01/callies-ham-salad.html?m=1. If you have never had ham salad, I encourage you to try this recipe. It made a believer out of me. we ate it in a sandwich, but some people spread it on crackers. I will be making this one again and again. Cajun mama is a ham salad convert…spread the word.

Definitely on my make again list…already.

Ham Salad

Stuff you need~

1 lb. ham (I used a ham steak that I bought at the store. It was a little over a pound. That is what the blogger I got this recipe from did. But you can use leftover ham from Easter (great idea, Laura!) or any time you bake a good ole ham.

3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 onion, chopped

2/3 cup mayo (as always…Duke’s is my fave)

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 sandwich sliced pickles, chopped (I used BD’s favorite kind Claussen that we already have in the house-picture below)

1 1/2 tsp. pickle juice

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

kosher salt and black pepper to taste (slow your roll and give it a taste first. I added salt without reading that part and it was a tad too salty for us. But still amazing)

What to do with the stuff~

Now, she suggests just pulsing the ham and celery together for 20-25 pulses or so. Again, I did not read all the way through and tossed all the ingredients in the food processor and pulsed it all. I had left the pickles and onions pretty coarsely chopped and it turned out fine. If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this but the consistency might be a tad off unless you chop the ham silly fine. So, as I said, my way was to throw it everything into the food processor and pulse it a few times until it was combined. Lol! I was being a hardheaded gal today (or more so than usual…) She says after you pulse the ham and celery set aside. In a bowl, combine other ingredients. Add the ham and celery mixture to the mayo mixture and gently stir. Potato potato I say. It was dang good my way so I think any way you go, you are golden!! And that ham salad will taste so good with a glass of iced tea and some potato chips. Ya know…if you like that sort of thing. And I do. I really do. OOH she also added a few pieces of chopped green onion (green parts) to the finished product. I did this as well. Mmmmmmm….

Yes, yes, I am a believer in the powers of ham salad.

Big Daddy’s and Benny’s favorite pickles

All set to be pulsed all together into a lovely ham salad…it was good even if I didn’t do it right

breakfast, desserts, Uncategorized

Luscious Lemon Loaf

March 26, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

I woke up yesterday morning with cooking on my mind. My kiddos are on spring break, 2 of them are with their grandparents in Arkansas, one is up his daddy’s behind, and the other (my mama’s girl) has been chilling with mama. So, frankly, I felt a little adrift. Regardless of how many kids you have, it seems like when one or two are away, things just aren’t the same. I definitely felt their absence, though it has been nice hanging with my sweet girl and having some one on one time with her. Anyway, I decided that I was going to cook up some stuff and this lemon loaf was one of the recipes on Pinterest that had caught my eye. But I must say, it was originally called “white chocolate lemon bread” and frankly, it looked so yummy but the name threw me off. Yes, I will admit I am not a white chocolate fan. Mama likes her dark chocolate, that is all I am saying. Always have. And white chocolate? Gag. No really, gag. But I took a risk. I love, love, love the lemon loaf at Starbucks. I don’t love, however, paying over 2 bucks a pop for a slice. I mean, really? I truly love lemon and this looked so easy, I figured what did I have to lose anyway? Nothing. So I went for it. I am so very glad I did. There is nothing white chocolate to it and this loaf tastes so close to Starbucks’ lemon loaf that it is uncanny. Taking the risk (though with this the risk was small) was well worth it. Don’t you love when things work out that way? I renamed it luscious lemon loaf because even though there is white chocolate pudding mix, you cannot taste it. This is just pure lemon delight. And the glaze that you pour over it is simply fantabulous. This recipe truly could not be easier and makes two loaves. So, theoretically you can keep one and give one away. Good luck with that. This stuff is so good, you might consider hiding both loaves under your shirt and running like the wind. And keeping it all for yourself. If your family does not beat you to the punch. It is that good. You can see the original recipe here http://liluna.com/white-chocolate-lemon-bread. I made it just like the recipe suggested this time, but next time I will replace the oil with applesauce and the sour cream with Greek yogurt. I do the applesauce thing in most of my muffin recipes and it works great. We get a little fruit boost and I can enjoy a slice or um…two…with less guilt.

Luscious Lemon

Stuff you need~

1 box of lemon cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

2 small boxes instant white chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 Tablespoons)

1/4 cup of oil

1 cup sour cream

zest of one lemon

For the glaze: Mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, juice and zest from one lemon. Add more lemon juice if it was too thick. I used a big lemon and had plenty.

What to do with the stuff~

Mix cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs in a bowl with a beater (or your standing mixer) until well combined. Now, add sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest. Use a spoon to mix at this point. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. I used a regular size loaf pan and then a pan with 4 little mini loaves. They were the cutest little things!!

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. If you go the mini loaf route, bake for about 15 minutes. Let them cool completely. I removed mine from the loaf pans at this point and set them on a baking sheet or plate. Now, poke holes in the loaves and drizzle the glaze all over them. Get ready to curse me and thank me all at once. You will want to do both. It’s ok. I still love ya.

Big ole zested lemon

awww…look at those little darlings…so tiny and cute. I could just eat em up. he he

Sweet tart lemony glaze…so pretty

Sides, veggies

Love, evolution and Cajun Mama’s coleslaw

March 21, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

sweet tangy coleslaw. I love you.

Yes. Yes. I know. Coleslaw? What in the world? This chick posted about potato salad yesterday and now she is posting about coleslaw. Yes I am. But hear me out. All coleslaw recipes are not created equally. Even in the great state of Louisiana, there are major differences in our coleslaw recipes. I never knew this. But ya’ll, and I am not exaggerating, I had NEVER been to Shreveport before 1994. No I am not lying. I am dead dang serious. I came up here with my mom to see BD’s mom when she was sick (back when he was just Clay, my childhood friend. Before the whole falling madly in love, marriage and 4 kiddos thing) and I remember passing a Home Depot and thinking “wow! This is not a little podunk town. They have a Home Depot!” Please keep in mind that I am from Alex. and we did not have a Home Depot at that time. Not sure where I got my notions from. I was 19 and living in BR and going to LSU and thought I was hotsy totsy. This was August and please keep in mind that by the next January, I was a Northwestern demon and that was that. So, I was a drifting college student who did not know Shreveport was a big city. Anyway, as far as I know, when you live in Central Louisiana (at least when I was young), you took field trips to one of 3 places if you got out of town. Houston (back in the day we went to Astroworld), New Orleans, or Natchitoches. So as far as I was concerned, LA stopped after Natchitoches. How ironic that I now live in Shreveport, right? And I love it here. Go figure. My whole life seems to be a lesson in irony. Or maybe I protest too much and try to run the show and God likes to show me in funny little ways that he is the boss and I will enjoy the path he chose. ( I am NOT dating some country boy in Keithville!! Nope, I dated him and married him. Thank heavens God knows what he is doing and has the power!) Either way. I know I am where I am supposed to be, coleslaw differences aside. Oh yeah, I am supposed to be talking about coleslaw. Blogging ADD is no joke. Excuse me when I go off on my trips down memory lane.

Ok, so before I was a Shreveport gal, I only knew of one kind of coleslaw. And we never ate it with BBQ. Never. Seriously, not ever. At least not in my family. The main times I can remember eating coleslaw was with grillades and rice and gravy and maybe fried fish or at a boucherie. my cabbage is not shredded fine enough. It is a work in progress, just like my potato salad. I had a friend who is from Alex. and has roots in Avoyelles like me (Denee I am looking at you) and she asked me to post a recipe. So, I will do my best. It definitely takes me back. And I have to say, while mayo based coleslaw had its day in the sun for me…I think I prefer it this way. Just not with grillades. Please note, I will make adjustments to the recipe as I get better at making it.

Lovely cabbage…

Straight forward, simple, uncomplicated. Perfect.

Cajun Mama Coleslaw

Stuff you need~

A head of cabbage

1 cup vinegar

1/2 Cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

yes, that is it…don’t make it too complicated

What to do with the stuff~

Ok, cut the bottom hard part off of the cabbage. You don’t need that. Now cut the head of cabbage in half and in half again. Now, here is where I have some adjustments to make. Taking a good heavy knife, shred the cabbage very fine, into little ribbons. If I had to give a measurement, I could say a 1/4″ thin strips. Fine. But really, it is not the end of the world if it is thicker. Again, work in progress. Add the cut cabbage to a colander and wash well. Let it dry or get some paper towels and soak up the excess moisture. Ok…now dump the washed cabbage into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together your other ingredients. Adjust accordingly to suit your family’s taste. Pour over the cabbage and then toss the shredded cabbage with the vinegar mixture. Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour if at all possible to let the flavors soak into the cabbage. You are ready to go. Sweet, salty, crunchy, tangy…all the good stuff together.

BD and I…circa 1978…he was my best friend. We ate vinegar based coleslaw and loved being together.

Circa 1996…finding our way…in love and coleslaw. We were evolving.

Circa a month ago…still straightforward and not fussy as this coleslaw recipe. He is still my best friend. Gotta love evolution.

Sides

Potato Salad with almost everything, paquing eggs and things Cajuns do

March 18, 2014 cajunmamacookin 11 Comments

A few years ago, a friend of mine who was born or raised in Shreveport, called me and said “I have to ask you a question”. It was Christmas time and they had gone to her husband’s Christmas party and it had been catered by a catering company from South Louisiana. She says “The food was good. They served jambalaya and gumbo and…and…potato salad. No barbecue. Did they get confused?” I laughed first and then told her that Cajuns eat potato salad with nearly everything. Etouffee…potato salad. Chicken fricassee…potato salad. Rice and gravy and..yes, potato salad. This falls under the list of things that I never considered abnormal. Actually, I never considered it at all. I love potato salad with most stuff and thought my family must like it this way. Nope. Apparently it is a colloquial thing. I will not say it is a “Cajun” thing or a “South Louisiana” thing. I have had some people say “you are from Alexandria and that is not South Louisiana.” Fair enough. I have had people say “Alexandria and Marksville are both considered Central Louisiana”. Ya’ll…I am not going to claim to know. I think being Cajun is more a state of mind. I know people who live in Baton Rouge who don’t consider themselves Cajun. I have explained before that my family are first generation Alexandrians. This means, my parents were both born and raised in Avoyelles Parish (Marksville by the way of Blue Town and Broulliette to be precise) and moved to Alex. after getting married. So, we did most things, cooked most things, adhered to the customs that their families adhered too. So, I will not claim to know why we eat potato salad with more things than not. I don’t know where this comes from. I just know that I grew up thinking it was just what you did and I love me some potato salad and I never questioned it.

So today, I am going to tell ya’ll how I make my potato salad. I imagine most of ya’ll have a potato salad recipe, but some of you may not. Maybe you need a little potato salad inspiration. I know my Momou and Momee made very similar yet distinctly different potato salads. I liked them both and now my potato salad combines the best of both worlds. My favorite potato salad memory is the colored eggs that ended up in the potato salad on Easter Sunday. We would paque eggs and the loser eggs would be peeled and then put in the potato salad. I always thought it was fun and colorful as a kiddo. I know that potato salad always tasted so good with the cuchon de lait and dirty rice. Bring on the colorful potato salad. For those who may not know what paque (pronounced “pock”) eggs means…that is where you hold a dyed Easter egg in your hand and someone else does the same and you knock the tops of the eggs together. If you crack their egg, you win and vice versa. It was good Easter fun I tell you. My kids love to paque some eggs. Anyhow, back to potato salad. Momou’s potato salad was always a little more yellow than Momee’s. Her potatoes were always a little more substantial where as the potatoes in Momee’s were a little softer, a little more mashed. Her potato salad usually had some pickles or pickle relish in it. Momou’s had more pepper in it. Mine falls somewhere in between the two and I tend to add Tony’s to mine, like my Daddy does. I remember making potato salad in college and after we got married and BD would always say “yeah, something is missing. It is good but…” Finally at 38, I think I am close to getting it the way we like it. But we have much higher expectations for potato salad I do believe. As I type this, I realize how much thought and effort seems to be put into it. I guess when you eat something so frequently with so many main dishes, it should be good!! Maybe it is just me? Forgive me if I am taking liberties by preaching potato salad to ya’ll. I do so love it and feel sad for anyone who might be at a loss about how to make it. Or God forbid, buys it from the store?!! I must stop that now. If I can save one person from store bought potato salad, then my work here is done. Namaste. Peace on Earth. Homemade potato salad for all!!!

Posed at Momee’s house, right before or after I hunted some eggs. I bet I paqued a few that day

Another Easter Sunday at Momee’s…my parents and me and all 3 of my little sisters…I bet we ate potato salad with colored eggs in it that day

Easter Sunday at Momou’s…Ben’s first Easter and his intro into paquing. Pretty sure Momou won that match.

Cajun Mama’s Potato Salad

Serves about 8 or 6 hungry Cajuns as the saying goes

Stuff you need~

4 medium size potatoes (I typically use Idahoan potatoes), washed and cut into equal sized pieces

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Tony’s

mayonnaise

mustard

What to do with the stuff~

Cut your potatoes into equal sized pieces. I usually half the potato and then quarter the halves. I peel the potatoes after they are boiled rather than before. That is what my mom and dad did so I do the same. Put your cut up potato pieces and the eggs in a pot and cover them amply with water. Bring them to a boil and then reduce heat as needed but keep them at a low boil until the potatoes are fork tender (for me typically about 20 minutes, give or take). You may prefer the potatoes to be less tender, so just use your judgement. When you feel they are ready, drain the potatoes and eggs in a colander. When you can, place the eggs in a bowl of cold water. Peel the eggs. Peel the potatoes. Add both to a medium size bowl. Now, add about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and start out with a few squirts of mustard. Ya’ll, I wish I could be more precise but I go by how it looks (and tastes). Definitely add in some kosher salt and pepper as you stir. Stir in more mayo and mustard (gradually) and salt and pepper (a little Tony’s). Continue to do this until you feel it is just right. Or close. It is definitely a trial and error process, or at least it has been for me. When the potato salad is dressed and seasoned to your liking, sprinkle a little more Tony’s over the top for presentation. Yes. It is good. Yes, it will go with almost anything. Well…as far as I am concerned. And it always tastes better with colored eggs on Easter Sunday. Enjoy!!!

I love some Dukes mayo in my potato salad (I prefer it to Hellman’s)

It’s getting good…love it when the potatoes are still a little warm

Whatever the question…potato salad is a good answer

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