Twist It!
Real-food blogger Wardeh is hosting her weekly Tuesday Twister Blog Carnival, the purpose of which is to share through words and pictures what we’ve had going on, twisting, in our own kitchens this past week.
Here is my recap for this week; can’t wait to see what everyone else has been up to!
I just realized that almost everything I’ve made lately is primarily red in color. I wonder what’s up with that?
1) Heirloom Salsa. Roasted heirloom tomatoes, garlic, sweet onions and peppers, raw tomatoes, cilantro and lime. All lacto-fermented into a pro-biotic riot of flavor.
2) Pulled Pork Posole. Pastured pork simmered overnight with chilies and tomatoes then flavored with slaked nixtamal.
3) Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala. Pastured eggs smothered in butter-fried onions, tomatoes and whole spices. Definitely the highlight of the week.
4) Cherry Mountain Bread Experiment. Ranier cherries, kefir, melted butter, soaked flour, cacao nibs, baking powder. Crust was a little weird. Promising, but needs more work.
5) Quesadillas. Oh, yeah.
6) Crawfish Étoufée. I’m walkin’ to New Orleans..
Crawfish Etouffee
Étouffée is a Cajun/Creole dish of crawfish, crab or shrimp smothered in a roux-thickened sauce of celery, onions and bell peppers with garlic, spices and a little sherry. In New Orleans, étouffée is commonly served with jasmine or basmati rice..
Crawfish Étouffée
(recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse and others)
Serves 2
1/2 stick unsalted, pastured butter
1 tablespoon organic, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped yellow onions
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 cups shrimp stock* (shrimp shells, water, celery, onion, bay, thyme, lemon)
12 oz crawfish tails
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add flour and whisk to combine. Continue to cook and stir continuously until the roux takes on a dark, brown-red color.
Add the celery, onions and bell peppers (called the holy trinity of Cajun cooking) and cook for 5 minutes.
Add garlic, green onions, tomatoes, Worcestershire, bay, thyme, cayenne and cracked pepper and stir to combine.
Add shrimp stock (or water), sherry and crawfish tails, bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Add fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley, taste for salt and adjust accordingly.
Serve over rice and garnish with lemon wedges and very finely minced green onion, bell pepper, celery and parsley. Offer Louisiana hot sauce.
* Mineral-rich shrimp is high in healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, Vitamin B12 and niacin. Use some of the shrimp stock to cook the rice; it helps to make it more digestible.
Quesadillas
While purists may argue about whether “real” quesadillas are made with masa or wheat tortillas, what ingredients belong inside, and even if they should be folded in half or simply sandwiched, everyone can decide for themselves what tastes good. Homemade chili base, green onions and peppers seem a good way to start. Toss a little Mexican oregano and cumin on there..
making quesadillas
then add cheeses such as asadero, manchego and cotija, along with some chopped fresh cilantro..
adding cheese and cilantro
place onto a lightly oiled comal and top it off with another tortilla, pressing the two sides together..
press the two sides together
bake (or griddle) until the cheese is bubbling and serve with plenty of heirloom salsa..
Quesadillas with Heirloom Salsa
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- press the two sides together
