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Monthly Archives: November 2011

Recipe: Butternut Squash and Bacon Chowder

Butternut Squash and Bacon Chowder

If you’ve seen some of my other recipes, you’ve probably figured out that I enjoy butternut squash. However, this is my favorite butternut squash recipe.

This is a very hearty soup that I think it restaurant-quality. In fact, a friend recently told me it was the best soup he’s ever had. I’m actually somewhat reluctant to share this recipe at all, but everyone should experience this dish at some point.

Ingredients

1 lb. butternut squash, cubed
1 medium onion
4 red potatoes

Butternut Squash

3 TBSP butter
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (or cream)
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.
Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions and saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
Add potatoes, butternut squash and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
While soup is simmering, bake bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet until crisp.
Remove soup from heat. Puree the soup with a blender (immersion or standard) or food processor until smooth.

Adding in the Bacon to the Butternut Squash Puree

Add the milk (or cream) and bacon, then stir. Return soup to heat and warm over medium, but do not boil rapidly. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

I highly suggest baking the bacon. It will cook evenly and be crisp all around.

It’s no secret that bacon goes well with everything, but it goes really well with the butternut squash and potato base for this chowder. And I’m calling it a chowder because it’s thicker than most soups. Enjoy!

Recipe: Duck Ragu with Pappardelle

29 Nov

Duck Ragu with Pappardelle

The Duck Confit I made was used to make this dish: Duck Ragu with Pappardelle. This is what I served on Thanksgiving rather than turkey. It was a nice change of pace from the Thanksgiving norm.

The pulled duck and the ragu go great with the pappardelle to make a hearty dish that’s perfect for Fall and Winter.

Ingredients

Pulled duck meat from the Duck Confit recipe
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup carrots, minced
1/4 cup celery, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken broth
6 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 lb. pappardelle
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and season with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened (about 2 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking and stirring until browned (about 8 minutes).

Duck with Carrots, Celery and Onion

Add the rosemary and garlic and continue cooking until fragrant (about 1 minute).
Add the duck meat and stir gently to coat with the vegetables.
Add the wine and chicken stock and simmer until 3/4 cup of liquid remains (about 10-15 minutes).
Remove from heat and stir in half of the butter. Cover and keep warm.
In a large pot of water, cook the pappardelle until al dente, drain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking. Add the pasta to the ragu and cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until simmering.
Remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella and remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Pappardelle should be available in most supermarkets, but if it’s not, feel free to use a thick pasta of your choice. I would advise against using a thin pasta like angel hair or spaghetti. However, this dish is truly at its best when you use pappardelle.

Feel free to add in other veggies or use another cheese if you so desire. This is a great holiday/cold-weather dish that makes a complete meal.

Recipe: Chicken Thigh Banh Mi

28 Nov

Banh Mi Toppings

With apologies to 99% of the delis in America, the best sandwiches out there are Vietnamese-style banh mis. They’re loaded with fresh veggies, herbs and meat plus a spicy blast of sriracha.

The traditional variety of banh mis have pate, but I didn’t have any so I made a more Americanized version. I also combined the Sriracha with the mayonnaise to make a single spread.

Ingredients

2 baguettes
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
1 carrot, finely julienned
1/4 of an onion, cut into thin slivers
4 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely julienned
2 TBSP mayonnaise
1/2 TBSP Sriracha
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP sweet vinegar (such as cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar)

Chicken Thigh Banh Mi

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine mayo and sriracha, mixing well.
In a small skillet, heat olive oil and vinegar over medium heat. Saute carrots and onions for until carrots are darkened, but not soggy and onions are translucent. Set aside.
Slice open baguettes horizontally, but do not slice all the way through.
Spread Sriracha mayo on top and bottom halves of baguettes.
Place chicken equally on both baguettes then layer evenly with carrots, onions, jalapeños and cucumbers. Finally, top each sandwich with fresh cilantro. Close the sandwiches and serve.

These sandwiches aren’t 100% up to par with what you’ll find in most Vietnamese bakeries, but they will do in a pinch. Thankfully, they aren’t time-intensive at all.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy the freshness of the veggies and herbs as a change-up to the typical sandwiches you find out there. You can also substitute the meat of your choice in place of the chicken thigh meat.

2 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 28, 2011 in Cookin', Entrees, Recipes

Tags: Banh Mi, Chicken, Chicken Thighs, Recipe, Sandwich, Vietnamese

Recipe: Duck Fat Potatoes with Caraway and White Onion

27 Nov

Red Potatoes

Potatoes and duck fat are a culinary match made in heaven. Some would argue (and they would be right) that the best thing to cook potatoes in is duck fat. The potato really takes in the flavor of the duck fat and the duck fat brings out the crispiness and earthiness of cooked potatoes.

Since I recently made Duck Confit, I was lucky enough to have rendered duck fat on hand. If you aren’t so lucky, you can order duck fat from specialty food stores or online.

Ingredients

4 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 TBSP rendered duck fat (plus extra for greasing the baking sheet)
2 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into thin slices
1 small white onion
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.
Brush a foil-lined baking sheet with duck fat.

Duck-Fat Potato Galette

Toast the caraway seeds in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Use a pestle or other blunt object to crush the seeds. Set aside in a large bowl.
In the same bowl, add duck fat, 2 TBSP butter, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Add potatoes and toss to coat with duck fat and seasoning.
Arrange a quarter of the potatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place 1/3 of the onions over the potatoes. Repeat layering two more times, finishing with potatoes on top.
Bake approximately 45 minutes until potatoes are tender. Brush top layer of potatoes with remaining butter and bake 5-10 minutes longer (until top layer is golden-brown).
Remove from oven, season and serve on a platter.

This is a close to a perfect potato dish you can find. Forget baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato salad. This galette is what you need to serve this holiday season.

Splurge on the duck fat. You and your guests deserve it.

Finally, I was lucky enough to have some duck skin on hand. I broiled it to make duck skin cracklins and added them to this recipe. They really sent it over the top, but it’s still great without them.

LSU-Arkansas Game

26 Nov

LSU Defeats Arkansas 41-17

Ah, Death Valley, it was great to be back. We hadn’t hung out since the LSU-Auburn game in 2009. That one was a blowout and thankfully, so was yesterday’s game against those pesky Razorbacks from Arkansas.

I have to admit, coming into this game, I was a little nervous about the possibility of an upset. But these Tigers just seem to be on a different level than any other team in the nation.

I had forgotten how bad the traffic in Baton Rouge can get so I did not enjoy the one-hour trip turning into a two-hour trip. That was all forgotten once I was tailgating with the Tigalaya.com crew on the pristine LSU campus. I didn’t have long to tailgate. Two strong bloody marys and it was time to head to the stadium.

Fellow blogger Dat Tiger Fan hooked me up with a great ticket in Section 221. If you check his blog, you’ll figure out this guy know his football. His prediction for the LSU-Arkansas game? A 38-17 LSU victory. He was only off by a field goal.

12 and Eaux

It was great to be back on the scene taking in the atmosphere of Tiger Stadium, doing the LSU cheers and listening to The Golden Band from Tigerland.

Once the game started, Arkansas got out to a 14-0 lead and had me thinking my fear of an upset might become a reality. But the Tigers didn’t panic, didn’t hang their heads and got their acts together and took off on a 41-3 run to clinch a spot in Atlanta in the SEC Championship. And more than likely, a spot in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Jan. 9 for a chance to play for another BCS Championship.

A lot of people are expecting the championship game to be a rematch of the LSU-Alabama game. While I do agree LSU and Alabama are the two best teams out there, I don’t think a rematch is fair. Alabama failed to win it’s division, conference and its home game against LSU. The Crimson Tide had their chance and couldn’t seal the deal while LSU passed every test put in front of it.

The Golden Band from Tigerland

Why should Alabama be rewarded with an extra week off while LSU is forced to play the Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC Championship? A game that will be another Top 25 matchup for LSU. That’s eight games against Top 25 foes for those of you keeping score at home. How many Top 25 teams has Alabama faced? Five. Yet another reason Alabama is undeserving of a rematch.

This LSU team has accomplished more in the regular season than any team before it (in LSU school history and in NCAA history). Now it’s off to Atlanta to add the SEC Championship trophy to the hardware case. I’m still debating whether or not to make the trip to Atlanta. Stay tuned…

2 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 26, 2011 in Travelin'

Tags: Alabama, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas, Arkansas Razorbacks, Baton Rouge, College Football, LSU, LSU Tigers, Sports

Recipe: Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

25 Nov

Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

Maybe I don’t remember it, but I don’t think red velvet was a big deal back when I was growing up. Now, it’s all the rage — cupcakes, cakes, vodka. This pancake recipe can be added to that list.

The Red Velvet Pancake batter is simple to make from scratch, as is the coconut-cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

For the pancake batter:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp red food coloring

For the icing:

Red Velvet Pancake Batter

7 TBSP light coconut milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
4 TBSP butter, softened

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

Red Velvet Pancake on the Griddle

Add egg, milk, heavy cream, melted butter, vanilla and red food coloring and whisk until batter is smooth. A few lumps are okay.
Cook in batches in a greased skillet the normal way you would cook pancakes.
For the icing, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Then, add in coconut milk and vanilla. Finally, add in powdered sugar (and shredded coconut if you choose) in batches and whisk all until smooth.
Once pancakes are cooked, top with icing and serve.

While it’s probably a stretch to say these pancakes are part of a complete breakfast, they are part of a delicious breakfast.

They shouldn’t take too long and will be a hit with diners of all ages. Enjoy!

3 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 25, 2011 in Breakfast, Cookin', Recipes

Tags: Breakfast, Brunch, Coconut, Pancake, Recipe, Red Velvet

Recipe: Duck Confit

24 Nov

Duck Confit

During the holiday season, if you’re looking for an alternative to turkey and ham, I highly encourage you to consider duck. Duck is one of the richest meats on the market and it’s become one of my favorite.

Making Duck Confit doesn’t require much. You just have to let the duck cook slowly in it’s own fat. Once it’s done, it should fall off the bone.

Ingredients

4 duck legs with thighs
4 duck wings
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TBSP salt
1 TBSP cracked black pepper
2 shallots, minced
2 TBSP dried thyme
1 cup rendered duck fat

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225F.
Poke several holes in the duck pieces’ skins so the fat can breath.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, place all seasoning, shallots and garlic in the bottom with the duck fat. Place in oven until duck fat is melted.
Put in the duck pieces, skin side up and cook until the duck is tender and can be pulled from the bone (about 3 hours).
Remove from oven, let cool, then serve. Save the duck fat.

Whatever you do, do not discard the duck fat! Duck fat is perfect for cooking potatoes, other vegetables or anything that you would normally use bacon grease for.

As for the duck meat, you can serve it however you choose — in a salad, with pasta, curry, etc. Duck is very versatile so the possibilities are nearly endless. Save a turkey, roast a duck.

2 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 24, 2011 in Cookin', Entrees, Recipes

Tags: Duck, Duck Confit, French, Holiday Dish, Holiday Recipe

Recipe: Prosciutto, Sweet Potato and Balsamic Onion Pizza

23 Nov

Prepping the Pizza

This is a great fall pizza that’s not Italian-based at all. Instead of tomatoes, I used mashed sweet potatoes as the base. You can bake and mash them yourself or by them mashed at the store.

I topped it with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella (none of the packaged stuff), balsamic onions and arugula. If you’ve never had balsamic onions, you’re in for a treat.

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
One 12-inch prebaked pizza crust
3 oz. sliced prosciutto, cut into thin ribbons
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Balsamic Onions

1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
6 TBSP balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Prosciutto, Sweet Potato and Balsamic Onion Pizza

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.
In a large skillet, melt butter and olive. Add the onion and Italian seasonings then cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes).
Add 2 TBSP of water and cook over medium heat until the onion is caramelized (about 10 minutes).
Add the balsamic vinegar and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until evaporated (about 10 minutes). Season the onions with salt and pepper.
Spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the pizza crust then top with mozzarella, onions and prosciutto.
Slide pizza onto top oven rack (or pizza stone) and bake until bubbling and golden in spots (about 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Balsamic onions are a great topping for most dishes, but they really send this pizza over the top.

If you aren’t into sweet potatoes, I’m confident you could use tomato sauce and the pizza would still turn out great.

3 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 23, 2011 in Cookin', Entrees, Recipes

Tags: Pizza, Recipe, Sweet Potato

Review: J’anita’s

22 Nov

St. Chuck Duck

Located at The Rendon Inn, J’anita’s has some of (if not the) best bar food in New Orleans — and bar food is an art, in my opinion. It can’t be too greasy or too filling to measure up.

J’anita’s uses great ingredients to make sandwiches, soups and sides worthy of five-star status. They also have daily specials that are worthy of cult status.

Probably the best special is the Meatloaf Sammich. I can honestly say it’s the best meatloaf and best meatloaf sandwich I’ve ever had. A slab of housemade meatloaf, mozzarella cheese, green pepper and red onions is served on ciabatta bread from Stein’s Deli. Just so you know, it’s the Tuesday special so plan ahead accordingly.

The regular menu offers several standouts. On my first visit I had the Best Fish Sammich Ever!. They’re name for it, not my opinion, but it’s pretty accurate. It’s ciabatta bread with a redfish filet, bacon, grilled onion, feta, lettuce and tomato. Using redfish definitely sends this fish sandwich to another level.

Tater Salad (Complete with Animal Cracker)

My favorite item overall is the St. Chuck Duck. Holy duck! The St. Chuck Duck is a grilled sourdough with currant tapenade, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, grilled onion, green apples and cabernet-sauteed duck. Did you get all that? It’s a lot, but everything works so well together. This has to be one of the best sandwiches in the city.

Another item worth mentioning is the Not Quite Cuban. It’s pulled pork, bacon, Swiss cheese, pickles and chimichurri sauce on a pressed ciabatta. The pork was smoky and delicious and worked well with all the other not-so-Cuban ingredients.

I would also recommend the Adult Grilled Cheese. It’s loaded with cheddar, pepper jack, feta cheese, bacon, grilled onion and tomato — though I never allow tomatoes on my sandwiches. It’s ooey gooey and bacony and delicious all pressed between two slices of sourdough.

Meatloaf Sammich

I do have a complaint about J’Anita’s. Every single time I go, they are out of guacamole. I’m dying to finally try it. One day…

As for the sides, I’ve yet to have one that wasn’t phenomenal. The Tater Salad and Cheese Grits are tied for my favorites. The fries are steak-cut fries which I’ve never been a fan of so I usually don’t go for those. The Cole Slaw is also delicious and not overloaded with mayo. You really can’t go wrong with any of the sides.

The folks at J’Anita’s know what they’re doing when it comes to food. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they recently opened a second location inside Grit’s Bar. While I’ve yet to try that one, the Janita’s at the Rendon Inn has yet to disappoint me. In fact, it’s always exceeded my expectations. Do yourself a favor and venture off the beaten path to try J’Anita’s.

J’Anita’s is located in The Rendon Inn at 4501 Eve Street in the Broadmoor neighborhood. It’s a bar so the hours run pretty late.

9 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 22, 2011 in Eatin'

Tags: Bar Food, Meatloaf, New Orleans, NOLA, Restaurant, Review

Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Walnuts

20 Nov

Sweet Potatoes and Toasted Walnuts

Sweet potatoes go very well with the main dishes served at most holiday functions. Rather than mashing the sweet potatoes or giving them the casserole treatment, try this dish of Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Walnuts.

The kicker is the sauce. It’s sweet, tangy and slightly acidic and blends well with the nuttiness of the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 TBSP cane sugar vinegar (or any other sweet vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Creole mustard (or dijon if you can’t find Creole)
2 tsp maple syrup (the real stuff)

Sauce for Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place walnuts on a baking sheet and back until toasted (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from oven to cool. Increase oven temperature to 400F.
Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise into wedges then toss in 1 TBSP of olive oil. Place them in a greased baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Walnuts

Bake 45 to 60 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender.
When sweet potatoes are done, let cool then transfer to a serving platter or dish.
Whisk together remaining oil with maple syrup, Creole mustard and sugar cane vinegar. Drizzle over sweet potatoes and garnish with walnuts.

Creole mustard and cane sugar vinegar may be hard to find depending on where you’re located. Just use the substitutions mentioned in the ingredients list if you don’t have access to the ingredients I used.

You can even use these wedges as a bed for sliced turkey or ham this holiday season. The sauce alone will ensure you go back for seconds.

2 Comments

Posted by poboylivinrich on November 20, 2011 in Cookin', Recipes, Sides

Tags: Gluten Free, Side Dish, Sweet Potato, Vegetarian, Walnuts

Po' Boy Livin' Rich

Monthly Archives: November 2011

Recipe: Butternut Squash and Bacon Chowder

Recipe: Duck Ragu with Pappardelle

Recipe: Chicken Thigh Banh Mi

Recipe: Duck Fat Potatoes with Caraway and White Onion

LSU-Arkansas Game

Recipe: Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

Recipe: Duck Confit

Recipe: Prosciutto, Sweet Potato and Balsamic Onion Pizza

Review: J’anita’s

Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Walnuts

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