Creole Smothered Okra with Shrimp, Sausage and Chicken Recipe

Growing up this was my favorite meal.  I loved it so.  It got to the point where when I moved away, whenever I returned, an Elder would make it for me.  It's not something I make with frozen okra, so it's very seldom that I made it up North, but Robby's parents gave us some fresh okra straight out of their garden last night and I got up first thing EARLY this morning (had people in town) to make a double batch of it so we could all enjoy.

And BAAAAAAAAAAAABY...it was so good it was crazy.  The okra was so fresh it was like butter.  I'm mad I didn't grab a pic or two before I got down and that we had people around all day so I couldn't take the time to take step-by-step pictures.  I'll try and take a pic of a plate of it tomorrow to add to this.  I'm not promising anything though because it was so good I might not be able to stop long enough to take a pic.

This is one of those meals some folks will turn their nose up at because they've never had okra done properly and well, there is nothing more unsettling than slimy okra in your mouth.  Most of us know that you need the acid from tomatoes to cook the slime out in a dish like this but there are plenty of people who clearly missed that country lesson cuz they were too busy being cute to help the Elders out in the kitchen.

Me?  I didn't have a choice.  LOL!  Thank God! 

1 lb. fresh okra, trimmed and cut

1 sweet onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, diced

1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, seasoned

1 lb. sausage, sliced and browned

1 - 28 ounce can Rotel tomatoes and chilis, mild

1 - 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes and chilis, spicy

1 cup chicken broth

2 pounds chicken wings cut into drummettes, seasoned and browned

Olive oil

Saute onion, bell pepper, okra and garlic in olive oil for ten minutes over medium heat.  Add canned tomatoes and bay leaves.  Continue cooking for about 15 minutes more until "slime" has lessoned greatly.  While doing this, brown chicken in a cast iron skillet and remove to a waiting plate or bowl and then brown sausage.  Add chicken, sausage and chicken broth to pot.  Cover and cook on medium low heat for forty minutes.  Add shrimp.  Cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve over rice with cornbread.

Try not to overeat as I did and, at the end of the day have counted four plates that were your undoing.  If you do eat four plates and find yourself too full to move even though you were moving, just get you some Smooth Move man...nobody needs to know and/or worry.

Oh...and remember...this is one of them man catching meals so don't be whupping this out all willy nilly and mess around and get a stalker okay?  

You've been warned.

Thanks from Camellia Beans!!!!!

So...this happened!  Camellia Beans loved my recipe and shared it on Facebook!

Camellia Beans 

SUPER.DOOPER.COOL!  For someone who grew up eating Camellia beans...it was truly an honor.  Well...yesterday they made the experience even cooler by sending me a box of goodies!  GO ME!!!!!

I can't even tell yall how awesome sauce that is to me!!!!!!!!!  I'm still all grin-t up!

12 Minute Gluten Free Chicken and Broccoli!

I love Chinese take out.  Or, should I say...LOVED it.  Since pretty much every sauce has a base which includes soy sauce I can't eat it in restaurants and the few recipes I've tried before tonight simply didn't do it any justice.

I ran across this recipe and it made tonight:  12-MINUTE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

The only thing I changed was that I added red pepper flakes.  I had two substitutions because well...I'm crazy but instead of cornstarch I had to use flour because I was out and instead of rice wine vinegar I used a Serrano Honey Balsamic vinegar because, again...that's what I had.  Since one of the ingredients was honey...I felt like this wouldn't be a big deal.  

I also did something that has changed my life as of tonight.  Instead of grating up fresh ginger...I cut a piece about the size of my garlic press and peeled it.  Then...I pressed it.

LIFE.CHANGING!

This was soooooooooooooooooooooo good!

YIELD: ABOUT 2-4 SERVINGS

12-MINUTE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

This classic chicken and broccoli recipe is full of fresh and delicious flavor, and it's ready to go in just 12 minutes!

PREP: 3 MINS COOK: 9 MINS TOTAL: 12 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp. honey

• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

• salt and pepper

• 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into small florets

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and mostly cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, cornstarch, garlic, ginger and sesame oil until combined. Set aside.

Once the chicken is browned, add the broccoli and stir to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, and cook for an additional 1 minute until the sauce has thickened.

Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Super Moist Lemon Pound Cake - Gluten Free!!!!!

I hadn't decided on the cake I was going to make today yet and then my boy, Tali 2, helped me out.  See...his mother bought a lemon pound cake for Easter and set the poor, sweet dear child up by putting it where he could see it a full two days before he'd be able to have a slice.  Straight up entrapment.  The cake got the best of him and well...he started nibbling around the edges.  It was SO good...the poor sweetheart ate all the edges off the cake.  

I imagined that poor child's pain at having such a delicious looking cake so near...and yet so far and decided right then and there that my Easter dessert was going to be lemon pound cake.

I haven't made it in a while and started searching for gluten free recipes.  I didn't see one that made sense to me so I just made the recipe of one that did sound right and simply substituted the all purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour.

When looking for a pound cake recipe, don't be fooled by any of the recipes you see that use words like, 'quick' and 'easy' or any recipe that doesn't have one ingredient on the list with the word 'cream' in it.  GOOD pound cake cooks slow and low and includes sour cream or cream cheese.  If the recipe doesn't have one of those in it...keep it moving.

Swiftly.

Oh...and a glaze is a must.

The recipe I settled on was this one:  Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

“INGREDIENTS

For the Lemon Pound Cake
3 sticks butter (1½ cups)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
6 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

For the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Lemon Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare bundt or tube pan by coating with shortening or butter and flouring light. Set aside.
Let butter, cream cheese, and eggs come to room temperature.
Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar til fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice and zest and combine well. Add flour and salt and vanilla.
Mix until just well-combined but do not over mix.
Pour into prepared bundt or tube pan.
Bake until golden brown and skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 - 30 minutes.

For the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
As the cake is cooling, whisk together ingredients confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and buttermilk to make the glaze. Allow to sit until cake has fully cooled, then drizzle over top of lemon pound cake.”

Now...please read the recipe first.  Note that this cake should not be on your list of things you bake regularly.  Why?  It's probably a gamillion calories per slice.  LOL!  The most difficult part of this cake is making the lemon zest.  As always.  I'd seriously pay for lemon zest.  Can you buy it?  I've never thought about buying it but sheesh...I would.  There have probably only been two times in my life when I was getting the zest off a lemon and didn't scrape my dang knuckles. 

UGH!

Hate that!  I must be getting better though because I didn't do it this time.  LOL!  Don't try and skip steps like add all the eggs at once.  Do it the way the recipe tells you to do it and your cake will be guaranteed to be super moist.  Soooooooooooo good!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!  What cake did you end up baking?

Heart Healthy Lunch Salads from Home!

On Sundays I generally make three salads for The Robinator's lunch.  He usually goes to lunch with his team one day and I make another salad before he'll need another one for lunch.  Inside his lunch bag I also put two pieces of fruit and some kinda nuts, either almonds or a KIND bar.  I send two water bottles full of water too and a small container of a healthy dressing.  Sometimes I'll add a yogurt or peeled orange slices.  All because I want him to be HEALTHY.

I try and switch up the ingredients to include lots of different things so he doesn't get bored eating them.  

The older you get, it seems the more in tune you are to the illnesses that could take you out and well, we try our best to do what we need to do in order to combat the possibilities.  I guess you can say we use food in a preventative health maintenance mode.

This week's salads included the following in each:

A salad green mix of kale, arugula and spinach.

1/2 avocado, diced

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Red onions

Carrots

Artichoke hearts

Tomatoes

Black beans

Sunflower seeds

Olives

Feta cheese

The dressing was a lemon and olive oil mix.  I like to make my own dressing sometimes and use a bottle similar to this one with recipes printed on it:  Salad Dressing Bottle

Much better for you when the ingredient list is, lemon juice and olive oil.  LOL!

He loved this combination (except for the red onions but they are really good for him so he's eating them) and since I have enough to make one more, this is what he will have for lunch tomorrow too.  LOL!  Next week I'm thinking he needs some purple cabbage so I'll go looking for that.  Maybe some red bell peppers and asparagus too.  Maybe some salmon too.

Everything was organic except for the artichoke hearts as I can't seem to find organic ones so yeah...I feel really good about him eating these.

How many ingredients do you normally put in your salads?  Do you use a good variety or do you only like to have a few things in yours? Do you make your dressing or do you prefer to buy one?