Gumbo Ya-Ya

On our recent trip to New Orleans, we were lucky to get to enjoy Gumbo Ya-Ya at Mr. B's Bistro. The gumbo was amazing and the experience was one-of-a-kind. The day we stopped in for lunch, the temperature was around 80, so MDS was wearing a tank top. Little did we realize that Mr. B's Bistro had a dress code that prohibited sleeveless tops on men. In order to dine there, MDS was lent a Mr. B's chef's coat, which seems to me a reason to ignore the dress code to get the opportunity to dress as a chef in an amazing restaurant. And the dress code faux pas may have contributed to our being seated in a back corner of the restaurant next to the plaque indicating the Ronald Reagan had also dined in that corner.

This Gumbo Ya-Ya recipe is adapted from a recipe published by Mr. B's Bistro. It is a somewhat time-consuming recipe, but very worth it. The most challenging part is making the dark roux that requires constant stirring for about an hour. After that, the various ingredients are added in and allowed to simmer for about an hour

Gumbo Ya-Ya 

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 tsp. paprika 
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 pounds roasted chicken
• cooked rice

In a large stock pot, melt butter over low heat. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and cook for one minute. Add 1/2 cup flour, stiffing for one minute. Add remaining flour. Stir constantly and cook roux until it is the color of dark mahogany, about 45-60 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and stir for one minute. Add onion and celery and stir for one minute. Gradually add stock to roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add andouille sausage and all seasonings. Bring to a boil. Simmer gumbo, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Skim off fat as needed. Add chicken and simmer for 15 minutes. Either add rice or serve gumbo over rice. Enjoy!

Grandma's Corn Bread

This recipe is a basic corn bread recipe written in Grandma's handwriting. The ingredient proportions result in a nice crumbly bread. I am not sure where Grandma got the recipe or that she made cornbread often. But it is nice to see Grandma's handwriting again.

Grandma's recipe has instructions for making this recipe as bread or muffins. When I made it, I made classic corn bread in a 9x9 pan. The recipe calls for melted fat or oil. When I made this recipe, I used olive oil. I am sure the recipe would be delicious with melted butter.

Corn Bread or Muffins 

• 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup oil

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix milk, egg, and oil; add to cornmeal mixture. Stir only enough to mix. Fill greased baking pan half full. Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes or until lightly brown. For muffins, grease pan or use paper liners and bake at 425 for about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Dessert Nut Cups

This recipe might be better called Mini Pecan Pies. The immediate review from our neighbor is that these treats are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The crust is delicious and rich. The filling is sweet and nutty. And the single-serving size makes this a perfect package. These Dessert Nut Cups make a delicious dessert that can be easily be made ahead for any occasion.  

The recipe calls for using a mini-muffin pan to make 24  pies. I do not have mini-muffin pans, so I just used a standard muffin pan making 12 pies. I think that the change worked out just fine. I did use paper muffin liners so that the pies would not come apart when removing from the pan. 

Dessert Nut Cups 

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 8 ounce softened cream cheese
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the softened butter, cream cheese, and flour. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Divide the dough into 24 balls (for a mini-muffin pan) or 12 balls (for standard muffin pan). Press each ball into muffin cup. Mix the remaining ingredients and spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle a few more pecans on top of filling. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 250 and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Saucepan Brownies

Sometimes, there is nothing like a good brownie. This brownie recipe is a nice cake-like brownie that makes a small batch for when you just need a few brownies. Brownies are often categorized as cake-like or fudge-like. Some people only like one type or the other. I like all brownies. If you like cake-like brownies, this recipe is for you.

These brownies are mixed together in a saucepan and are quite easy to make. These brownies are just as easy as using a boxed brownie mix. I made this recipe without nuts. When I was a kid, I did not like nuts. Now, I love nuts in most baked goods. But for me, the best brownies are brownies without nuts. 

Saucepan Brownies 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1.4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and water. Over medium heat, bring to just a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips until melted smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. If using nuts, stir in half the nuts. Spread the batter in a greased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Drop Cookies

This recipe is another recipe from Mom's recipe box for cookies with nuts. After I delivered some of the cookies to Mom, MDS recalled how Grandpa loved cookies with nuts so much that he might not eat cookies without nuts. I am sure that he would like these cookies. The use of brown sugar results in a caramel taste and the nuts create a nice crunch to contrast the chewy cookie.

Mom's recipe called for using an electric mixer. I just did hand mixing. The cookies probably would have been fluffier had I used an electric mixer. But the cookies were just fine. When baking the cookies, I used both a silicone baking mat and the grease and flour method from Mom's recipe. Either method works, but the silicone baking mat was slightly easier. I do recommend allowing the cookies five minutes or so to cool on the pan before removing the cookies.

Brown Sugar Drop Cookies 

• 1 egg
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixer bowl, beat the egg until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes on high speed). Add sugar and vanilla; stir until smooth. Quickly stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend in walnuts. By teaspoon, drop onto greased and floured cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes or until brown at the edge. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before removing. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Raisin Squares

This recipe reminds me of Rice Pudding, which was Dad's favorite, only instead of rice, there is a shortbread-style crust. On top of the crust, a custardy mix is poured and then baked until set. The result is a creamy treat with the benefit of cinnamon and nutmeg seasoning.

The crust is is a basic blend that is baked first. Then the filling is poured over the baked crust and returned to the oven for more time.  When I made this recipe, I did not have any sour cream on hand, so I substituted Greek yogurt. The result was just fine. I also used a little more cinnamon and nutmeg than called for in the recipe because those two flavors are so good.

Sour Cream Raisin Squares 

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup raisins

Combine the flour, sugar, and butter for the crust. Mix until it resembles small peas. Press evenly into a 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 12 to 17 minutes. Combine the sugar, milk, sour cream, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Mix until blended. Stir in raisins. Pour over crust; return pan to oven Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting

On Thanksgiving, I made a huge batch of fresh whipped cream that was devoured by the family. So, for Meg's birthday, I thought I would try strawberry whipped cream frosting for her cake. It was another hit; everyone enjoyed the frosting. I just used the frosting on a standard yellow cake. I do think that this frosting would also be excellent on a chocolate cake too. Megan had a terrific 39th Birthday!

For this recipe, I used freeze dried strawberries that can easily be found at Trader Joe's or Aldi. Just grind the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor into a powder with some small pieces remaining. Fresh or frozen strawberries could also be used, but need to be cooked down and strained to remove some of the liquid. This recipe uses more powdered sugar than regular whipped cream to make a more stable whipped cream that serves better as frosting. To make whipped cream, I use my blender instead of a mixer. It seems to work fast but does need to be checked on regularly otherwise you will end up with really sweet butter.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting 

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered freeze dried strawberries

Place the cream, sugar, and powdered strawberries in a blending. Blend for two minutes. Check the consistency. Continue blending, checking frequently until you get the desired consistency. Frost your favorite cake. Enjoy!

Glazed Pecan Cake

I do not remember this cake from my childhood probably because I was not a big fan of nuts when I was young. But now I love nuts and regularly eats nuts and include them in recipes. This recipe is a fairly standard yellow cake recipe with the addition of nuts. I have used many variations of powdered sugar glaze, but this recipe introduced me to honey glaze.  The honey nicely complements the pecans

The recipe calls for using an electric mixer to prepare the batter. I just mixed by hand, which might have made my cake denser, but it was just fine for me. I liked the use of pecans but other types of nuts could be used. Hazelnut might be a good substitution.

Glazed Pecan Cake 

• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup butter

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 cup softerned butter, two eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add remaining two eggs; beat two minutes longer. Fold in pecans. Pour into a greased ten-inch tube pan. Bake at 375 for about one hour or until done. Cool in the pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Prepare the honey glaze by placing the honey and the 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Boil for three minutes. Brush glaze over the cake. Enjoy!

Dutch Baby

This recipe is not an old family favorite but might just become a new family favorite. A Dutch Baby is a baked, custardy pancake. On New Year's Day, we often like to have breakfast for lunch, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. The Dutch Baby was so delicious. I enjoyed it with maple syrup and a side of bacon for a very delicious meal.

The Dutch Baby is very easy to make. The ingredients are pantry staples. After mixing the batter, it is poured into a pre-heated and buttered cast iron skillet. Then, it is baked in the oven. It is best to use a cast iron or oven-safe metal skillet because the outside will get more crispy while the inside will remain custardy. 

Dutch Baby 

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. butter 

Prepare the batter by mixing the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla until there are no lumps. Preheat the oven to 425. Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet while the oven is preheating. Remove the skillet and place the butter into the skillet. Swirl the butter around. Return the buttered skillet to the oven for about one minute to slightly allow the butter to brown. Then, add the batter to the skillet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!