Posts tagged "spices"

I have a big garden and lots of product. What kind of soups can I make with all this stuff?

I have zuccini, squash, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, bean sprouts, snap peas, onions, green peppers, cilantro, red cabbage, lettuce, jala peppers, banana peppers, baby corn, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, steak, chicken, lamb, rotini, linguini, mahi, tilapia, sausage, ginger, black pepper, chick and beef soup bases, lemon pepper, seafood seasoning, sesame seed, curry, cumin, chili powder, red pepper, oregano, herbs de province, cajun, I can get a couple more spices if needed, I am not very experienced with soup making.

Minestrone Soup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 celery stalk, cut into large dice
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 moon shapes
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup boiled ham chunks or end of prosciutto, large dice
4 medium tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley leaves
6 cups hot vegetable stock or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 small zucchini, medium dice
3/4 cup arborio rice
2 yellow, red, or orange bell peppers, roasted, cored, skinned, seeded and cut into strips
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
6 fresh chopped basil leaves

In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Lower the heat to low, and add the celery, carrots and garlic. Allow to simmer over low heat until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the ham pieces and cook 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and the parsley. Cook for 5 more minutes so that the flavors meld.
Add the hot water or stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and add the zucchini and the rice. Bring back to a boil and then lower the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Let simmer gently until the rice is cooked, about 40 minutes. Remember to stir the soup occasionally. Add more water or stock, if necessary. When the rice is cooked, add the roasted peppers and remove the soup from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, to taste, and top each serving with some chopped basil.

Cianfotta:
2 medium-sized bell peppers
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes
1 bunch (about 5-6) zucchini flowers
1/2 pound (about 4 small) small green hot chili peppers
1 medium-sized eggplant
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 baking potatoes, cut into cubes
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste

Clean and cut all the "verdura" (including the bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini blossoms, chili peppers) into 1/2-inch dice. Make sure to do the chili peppers last and clean your knife and cutting board thoroughly after chopping them.
In a 12 to 14-inch saucepan with 3-inch sides, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and onion and cool until a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the potato cubes and cook until light golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes more. Add the rest of the vegetables and let cook until soft, about 15 minutes more.
Begin adding the stock, bit by bit. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup in 4 warmed soup bowls, garnished with basil. Add some Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste, if desired.

Simple Veggie Soup:
2 small leeks, white part only
1 large potato, peeled
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 medium zucchini
12 green beans
2 medium carrots, peeled
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
1/2 gallon chicken stock (or 1/2 gallon water, 4 bouillon cubes, a pinch of thyme, and 1/2 bay leaf)
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 medium garlic cloves
30 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the leeks, potato, onion, celery, zucchini, green beans, and carrots into 1/4-inch dice.
In a 6-quart stockpot, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the water. Add the vegetables and saute over medium-low heat until all the water evaporates. Do not brown the vegetables.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, put the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until pureed. Stir the puree into the cooked soup. Do not let the soup return to a boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot or cold from a tureen or in individual bowls.

Chicken Veg Soup:
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup of peas
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
1 cup zuccini or squash
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add leeks, carrots, garlic, and celery and saute 4 minutes, until soft. Add bay leaves, thyme, salt, and black pepper and stir to mix well. Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Return mixture to a boil and add egg noodles. Cook 10 minutes, until egg noodles are just tender. Stir in peas and cook until peas are just heated through, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and stir in parsley.

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup:
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 to 1 1/3 pounds, diced
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch squares
4 portobello mushroom caps or 16 cremini mushrooms, sliced or chopped
4 ribs celery hearts, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry Italian red wine, eyeball it
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 3 or 4 sprigs
1 cup basil, arugula or baby spinach leaves, shredded or torn
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at the table

Heat a deep skillet or a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the chicken. Season it with coarse salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.
While the chicken cooks, chop up the veggies.

When the chicken is evenly and lightly browned all over, 3 or 4 minutes, remove it to a plate and reserve. Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 more turn of the pan. Add the potatoes to the pan. Cook a couple of minutes, then add in the mushrooms, celery, and onion and cook another couple of minutes. Add in the peppers and garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pan. Toss it with the vegetables. Add red wine to the pan and deglaze it, picking up drippings. Add tomatoes and stock to the stoup and stir to combine. Stir in rosemary and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 8 to10 minutes.
Turn off stoup and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with basil (for a sweet finish and balance to the spice in the soup) or arugula (for a peppery finish) or with spinach (for a woodsy finish). At the table, pass grated cheese for sprinkling on top of the stoup and bread for mopping up the bowl.

Broccoli Stoup:
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds broccoli rabe, 1 large bunch, trimmed and cut into large bite-sized pieces
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, 1 minced, 3 chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can white beans, cannellini
Black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups beef or vegetable stock
1/3 pound orecchiette, little ear shaped pasta, or ditalini
1 pound ground veal
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, a generous handful, plus some to pass at table
2 to 3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Crusty bread, for mopping

Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add salt to boiling water and the broccoli rabe and cook 7 to 8 minutes. Drain rabe and reserve.
While rabe cooks, heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic, carrots and onions. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, add white beans and heat through, a minute. Season veggies and beans with salt and pepper. Add drained rabe and the stocks and cover pot to bring to a quick boil. Add orecchiette and stir. Reduce heat and simmer soup to a low-roll, uncovered.
Mix veal with egg, remaining clove minced garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, sage and salt and pepper. Roll into 1-inch balls and drop into stoup. Cook 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve stoup in shallow bowls with crusty bread.


Paperback, Cooking With Spices for Dummies

Paperback, Cooking With Spices for Dummies

Free daily eTips at dummies.com Includes 100 deliciously zesty foolproofrecipes — with nutrition information Add spicy pizzazz to every dish you make! Want to kick up the flavor of your meals — simply, cheaply, and healthfully — but can t tell cardamom from coriander? Relax! This friendly guide demystifies the secrets of your spice rack and helps you cook up mouthwatering dishes such as Hot and Spicy Roasted Ribs, Cajun Spiced Shrimp, Pasta Puttanesca, Tandoori Chicken, and more. Get smart! @www.dummies.comFind listings of all our books.Create your own personalized book with Hungry Minds a la Carte.Sign up for daily eTips at www.dummiesdaily.com

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what is cajun food like and is it good? and what things are it made from?


Cajun is awesome!!! Some people think its just hot, but that’s not true. There are some hot dishes, but mostly it is a blend of different spices.
The three basic ingredients of Cajun food are onions, green pepper and garlic. (called the holy trinity of cajun food). Most dishes start with these – you cook them till very soft and then you add everything else.
Another basic thing is called a "roux" which is flour and oil cooked together it can be a light roux or a dark roux and it is a little tricky to master. It is the beginning of lots and lots of cajun dishes like gumbos and stews.

If you want to try cooking some cajun dishes, please go to an authentic site – MUST be from Louisiana. Best cajun food in Louisiana is located in the Lafayette area (west of baton rouge) Not New Orleans – that would be Creole Food.


Paperback, The New Orleans Italian Cookbook

Paperback, The New Orleans Italian Cookbook

Shrimp Italian, Crabmeat Contessa, Stuffed Artichokes-in New Orleans, Italian cooking means a unique combination of spices, sauces, and flavors. Compiled by the Italian-American Society of Jefferson Auxiliary, The New Orleans Italian Cookbook includes recipes for traditional favorites such as Ravioli, Pizza, and Eggplant Parmesan, as well as special creations by some of New Orleans best cooks. The blending of two cultures, Creole and Italian, has produced culinary delights that rank with the finest of New Orleans world-renowned cuisine. The recipe for spicy Shrimp Mosca has been included in this cookbook, as has the original recipe for the Creole-Italian Muffuletta, first created at Central Grocery in New Orleans. There are also instructions on how to prepare Aunt Jennie s Italian Red Beans-easy to make and guaranteed to be delicious. Try them all, but don t forget to save room for such delectable desserts as Cassata, Fig Cookies, and Almond Biscotti!

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Tone’s Cajun Seasoning – 22oz Shaker

Tone's Cajun Seasoning - 22oz Shaker

This blend of peppers, garlic, spices, herbs and salt brings a true Cajun flavor to foods.

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Creole Greats: 99 Delicious Creole Recipes – The Top 99 Best Recipes

Creole Greats: 99 Delicious Creole Recipes - The Top 99 Best Recipes

New Orleans Creole cookery melds a fantastic array of influences: Spanish spices, tropical fruits from Africa and most of all, a panoply of French styles. This book is the bible of many a Louisiana cook and a delight to gourmets everywhere. 99 Enticing recipes include fine soups and gumbos, seafoods, all manner of meats, rice dishes and jambalayas, and many other delectable dishes. If you experienced Creole Cooking, you need this book. If you haven’t yet, you are missing out. Creole cooking is a great way to cook and the food is simply beautiful. If you love Creole food then this recipe book is a must have. You’ll love this book, the recipes are easy, the ingredients are easy to get and they don’t take long to make. There is an excellent recipe for Andouille-Crusted Scallops With Creole Mustard sauce and a wonderful Creole Ratatouille. There is also a wonderful Creole Jambalaya and a New Orleans Shrimp Creole which are very easy to make yourself. This book will also give you enough inspiration to experiment with different ingredients since you’ll find the extensive index to be extremely helpful. The recipes are superb. Wonderfully easy to put together and you don’t have to make or purchase a ton of condiments before you have a chance to play with them. Yummy Definitely great comfort food for all days of the week and seasons.

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Smoked Shrimp Cajun

Smoked Shrimp Cajun

Smoked Shrimp Cajun, 6 oz. You have to try this one… We make up our own cajun spices and roll these delicious cold water shrimp in the mix. Then Lori pops them into the smoker and works a little magic on them. The result is exceptional!

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Boudin Sausage Cajun Recipe : Adding Spices to Boudin Sausage

How to add parsley and thyme to a Boudin sausage recipe; learn this and more in this free online cooking video series taught by expert chef Karl James on Cajun food.

Expert: Karl James
Bio: Karl James is the owner of a small private catering company named CREOLESOUL which specializes in Creole cuisine, but offers any type of cuisine desired.
Filmmaker: Dana Glover

Duration : 0:1:48

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What is the relation between Cajun foods and African Americans?

There was a time I asked my friend what type of food most African-Americans enjoyed to eat and he told Cajun foods. Not surprisingly, I hear this answer from the majority of people whom I ask. Why is this so?

speaking as a real cajun, i can first tell you that African Americans don’t necessarily enjoy the "cajun" cuisine you’re referering to. There is a big difference between cajun food and creole food. They enjoy more a mixture of the two. The cajuns that migrated from Nova Scotia had to learn to cook from the land. They used every part of the animal they killed and used every spice they could get their hands on from the land to season the food. thus, the "cajun" cuisine you eat now. Slaves did not necessarily eat the cajun cuisine. They still cooked their own meals. Some slaves were Creole. Creoles were a mixture of black and spanish people. They too had their own style of cooking and their own spices. The two cultures were eventually merged into our melting pot here in Louisiana and that’s the "cajun" they eat. Hope I helped you understand a little better.


Smart Spice Organic Thyme — 0.1 oz Each / Pack of 6

Smart Spice Organic Thyme -- 0.1 oz Each / Pack of 6

100% Organic Spices. 4 Packets per Carton. Each Packet Contains 1 Teaspoon of Spice. Sealed Tight so Air, Light, and Moisture Are Kept Away From the Spice and Natural Oils That Are Essential for Flavor. Thyme, one of the fine herbs of French cooking, is basic to southern European cuisine and its Creole and Cajun cousins in the American South. This fresh-tasting herb, with its hint of cloves and spice, gives a robust savor to chowders and stews, yet lends refinement to the most exquisite fish, veal, or egg dishes. Thymes name meant sacrifice, in ancient Greece, where it was offered as a pleasing gift to the gods. Thyme is a perennial native to arid Mediterranean hills. Many varieties exist, but thymus vulgaris, common thyme, is most beloved as a culinary herb. Its hard to believe the tiny leaves and delicate pink or white flowers of this scrappy plant yield such exquisite flavor. But the harsh sun and dry soil of its natural environment seem only to strengthen the fragrant essential oil for which thyme is prized. Smart Spices organic thyme is well-suited for marinades and for long, slow cooking, gradually releasing its heavenly flavor. Its perfect in crock pots. Or saut chicken breasts, deglaze with cognac, and finish with thyme and cream. Add thyme to stuffing and sauces, and or use it in classic lentil and bean dishes. A natural ally of vegetables, thyme is especially good with green beans or mushrooms sauted in butter or olive oil. In recipes calling for a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme from Smart Spice. If you do have fresh thyme on hand, add a packet of Smart Spice thyme to, and discover the flavor magic of layering the flavors of fresh and dried herbs. A revolution in seasonings? Why not. For too long, the average consumer and cook has had to settle on purchasing and using middle-of-the-road bottled spices and herbs. There has never been an affordable alternative. Introducing SMART SPICE. These spices, herbs, and kitchen

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