Ruddy Beans and Rice

Took a trip down to N’awlins last April.  Fell in love like I never thought possible.  Cajun food, creole queens, and Dixieland music! I tell you wha’, it was mighty fine, chère.

Here’s my take on a NOLA classic.

1-2 smoked sausage, cut small
1 can red kidney (or an equal portion of your favourite dried red beans, rehydrated.)
1 can black beans (Or double the amount of red beans you use)
5 celery stalks, chopped, leaves and all
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 green pepper, chopped small
Pickled or fresh banana peppers, to taste.
1 small can tomato paste.
1 bottle of  lager (I used Miller Lime)
1 tbsp chili powder
All the cayenne you can handle.
A few good dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

I used couple of good squeezes of ketchup, but a touch of honey and more tomato paste would do well, too.

I sautéed the sausages and onion in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes, then I added everything else.  Warmed it over medium low heat and let it bubble down to the desired consistency, tweaking flavours as I went.  Cayenne was added while this was happening.
Serve over a white rice of your choice, and wash down with a Budweiser or an Abita Bitter.  Oh, and here’s a dinner music suggestion.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CMz9WX1pfI

The Ruddy Franklin-Biography in a Cocktail Shaker

1 oz Soho Litchi Liqueur
3/4 oz Vodka
1/4 oz Banana Liqueur
2 oz OJ
3 splashes of Grenadine

Shake over ice and serve in a Martini glass. Add a splash of Soda Water, and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Heaven in a cocktail glass.

Petunia and the Loons Salad

I created this salad to feed the first band I promoted in my hometown. In honour of the great show they put on, I’ve named it for them.

Let me tell you something about this recipe, though by now, it shouldn’t be a secret to you. If you don’t like basmati, use the kind of rice you like. If you think almonds make a nicer flavour blend, please, substitute. If you’ve got a head of broccoli that needs to be used up, and sweet peas just aren’t your thing, by all means, broccoli it up! Alfalfa sprouts, instead of bean? Go to town. The sultana raisins are an absolute must. By no means should you use ANYTHING but sultanas.

I’m lying. Use whatever raisins you have on hand. Use Craisins if you must.

And enjoy.

2 Cups Cooked rice, half Brown Basmati, half regular.
1 Package Spinach, coarsely chopped.
4-5 Sticks Celery, Chopped.
½-1 Cup Sweet peas, cut into ¼-½” pieces.
½-1 Cup Cashews. If salted, give them a bit of a rinse.
1-2 Cup Bean sprouts.
5 or 6 Sundried Tomatoes, coarsely chopped.
½-1 Cup Sultana Raisins.

Dressing:

¼ Cup Soya Sauce. Splurge and buy Kikkomen, or some other good soya.
¼-½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (On this, I don’t bend. Canola is not good enough.)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil. (Yes, this IS necessary.)
The juice of one lime.
Sugar or Honey to taste.

Mix the dressing well. Blend all ingredient, EXCEPT the spinach, at least an hour before serving. 15 minutes before meal time, toss with spinach.

Drizzle the top with a bit o’ sesame oil.

Serve.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

At every step of this recipe “salt and pepper to taste” should be understood as a given. I like kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, but to each his own. All measurements listed are approximations. Try to use locally raised, organic products, too. The flavours will be worth it. EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 bulb of garlic
2 Onions, finely chopped
2 Pounds ground beef
1 Can (400 ml) tomato sauce
1 Can (150 ml) tomato paste
2 Tbsp fennel seed
1 Batch of Béchamel sauce*
1 large Butternut squash
2 Tbsp dried basil.
1 Pound spinach
Chili flakes to taste
1 Pound button mushrooms, roughly chopped.
Lasagna noodles, prepared according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Roast your bulb of garlic (Chop the top fraction of an inch off of you bulb of garlic. Put in tin foil. Smother with EVOO, seal foil around the whole bulb. Roast for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cloves should roast up sweet and brown. Don’t go to black unless you like it that way.) Cloves should make a nice paste of roasted garlic when squeezed.

Split squash in half, seed, and cut into ¾” pieces. Coat in EVOO. Place on a baking tray in the oven (you could do this while the garlic is roasting.) Cook until flesh is VERY tender. Peel squash, and place flesh in a blender, with the garlic paste, and basil. Now, squash is goopy, so you’re going to need a bit of liquid to get this to mix. You could use a touch of white wine. I like to use a bit of whole milk or cream. Not a lot, just enough to get those blades working. Purée. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, lightly cook spinach and chili flakes in EVOO or white wine or a touch of water. Cook until wilted. Set aside.

In a largish saucepan, sauté onions, and fry beef in a touch of olive oil. (I like to wait ‘til the onions are soft before adding the beef.) When beef looses its pinkness, and the tomato sauce and paste, and fennel seed. Allow ingredients to simmer to a nice pasta sauce consistency. (How runny do you like your spaghetti sauce? I like mine thick, so it simmers a while…) Set aside.

In a frying pan, sauté mushrooms in EVOO or wine, or a touch of water. Set aside.

In a 5 quart, 11” X 15” baking dish, layer ingredients as follows. 1) ½ meat sauce. 2) ½ Béchamel. 3) Layer of noodles. 4) Butternut squash purée. 5) Spinach. 6) Layer of noodles. 7) ½ Béchamel. 8 ) ½ Meat sauce.
Bake for 1 hour at 350, covered in tin foil. Remove foil, cover with grated Parmesan, bake 5-10 minutes.

Let cool 10-15 minutes. Cut. Serves 10-20 people. Really depends on how hungry they are, and how big you cut the pieces.

* T he one time I made this recipe, I made about 2 cups of Béchamel. I’m not sure if it’s necessary. It didn’t hurt it, but I don’t know if you need it, either.

For those who don’t know, Béchamel is just a white sauce. Equal parts butter and flower (3 Tbsp each), melted and mixed in a sauce pan, 4 cups of warm milk slowly added, and a touch or nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow to thicken. Set aside.

“Welcome Back, Gary” Maple Glazed Ribs.

4 lbs Baby back ribs
1 Tbsp Onion powder
1 Tbsp Garlic powder
1 Tbsp Chili flakes
1 1/3 cups pure maple syrup
¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
¼ cup ketchup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 tsp Coleman’s Dry Mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Make it generous
1 ¼ tsp curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced
1 tsp Sesame oil.

Rinse your baby backs and pat them dry. Mix the onion and garlic powders together with chili flakes. Lightly rub the mix unto the meat side of the ribs. Place ribs in a large baking dish, meat side up, and seal the dish with tin foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 and ¼ hours.

While the ribs are doing their business, mix the maple syrup (REAL maple syrup, not Maple Flavoured syrup), OJ, ketchup, soy sauce, mustards, Worcestershire, curry, garlic and green onions in a saucepan. Heat gently to a simmer and let work for 15 minutes, or until you feel it’s thick enough. Stir from time to time. Remove from heat. Add sesame oil and stir.

When ribs are ready, coat them in glaze. Before you do this, you may want to drain the fat out of the bottom of the pan. Or you may not. When fully glazed, put ribs back in the oven at 325, basting frequently for 20 minutes or more. I stop when they’re at the right stickiness.

Yield? That depends on how hungry you are. 4 regularly hungry people, 2 real rib eaters.