Tomato Pie

   

     Have you ever eaten a “Tomato Pie”? Well I hadn’t. Until Syd, our closest friend in Florida and a fabulous cook herself, told Katie about this delicious dish.  Boy, I’m glad she did. The other night Katie made this creamy rich tomato pie which brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes with a crispy pie crust and lots of cheese. So, if you love tomatoes you need to try making this for dinner.

Here’s the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

Tomato Pie

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, thawed

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
4 large (or 6 small) tomatoes sliced, seeded and pressed dry between paper towels (the better you dry the tomatoes, the better your pie will hold together when sliced)
½ yellow onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp butter
1 can sweet corn drained
1 cup of shredded cheese that melts well (can be a mix of cheddar & Swiss or Monterrey jack)
1 cup of mayonnaise

Place thawed piecrust in well greased pie plate and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees then set aside to cool. Meanwhile sauté sliced onions in 1 Tbsp of butter until soft (I added a sprinkle of sugar during this step).

Spread in layers- tomatoes, basil, onions, corn and half of cheese.

Repeat layers but add the mayo to the last half of cheese before spreading it over the top.
 

Bake 12 – 15 minutes at 425 degrees until top is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let pie rest 10-15 minutes before slicing to serve.

Options – May use refrigerator biscuits (not buttermilk) pressed together instead of pie crust.

                May substitute sour cream for mayonnaise.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

     If you love baked macaroni and cheese,  Rocky & Carlos’ Restaurant & Bar is the place to go.  This family restaurant, located in Chalmette, Louisiana has been making this dish since the restaurant opened in 1965. Many orders are drenched in flavorful  roast-beef or tomato gravy. It is believed this tradition of pouring gravy over the pasta came from customers.

     This dish inspired Alphonse to create his own Mexican style variation on this bake macaroni and cheese dish.

Alphonse’s Mexican Style Baked Macaroni & Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

½ stick unsalted butter

1 - 14.5 oz can – Fire Roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1 - 4.5 oz can – Green Chiles, drained and chopped

1 cup milk, warmed with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups shredded Mexican Style Cheddar Pepper Jack Cheese

2 cups finely shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 1/2  cups of Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs Italian Style

2 tsp. salt or sea salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1tsp. olive oil

 

1.      Boil macaroni in covered pot for 10 minutes (water must be at rolling boil before you add macaroni). Season water with salt & olive oil.

2.      In a small bowl mixed all the cups of cheese.

3.      Strain off water from macaroni. Place macaroni back into pot

4.      Stir in butter, milk and pepper. Stir in 4 cups of mixed cheese. This should all melt and produce a creamy sauce. Season to taste.

5.      Add Green Chiles and tomatoes to macaroni, mix well.

6.      Place macaroni mixture in a 9 x 13 baking pan.

7.      Cover generously with remaining 2 cups of cheese.

8.      Top with Panko for browning.

Bake at 300° for 45 minutes, then brown top under broiler until golden brown.

Number of Servings 4 to 6

Roasted Pork and Butternut Squash

Roasted Pork with Butternut Squash

Roasted Pork:

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ½ pound)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
½ tsp lemon pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika

 1.      Preheat the oven to 400°.

2.      Mix brown sugar, lemon pepper and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
3.      Rub both sides of the pork with this mixture.
4.      Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5.      Add the pork and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes (brown sugar tends to burn quickly so watch closely while searing pork).
6.      Place seared pork in a roasting pan.
7.      Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°, about 18 minutes.
8.      Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Butternut Squash:

 2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp parmesan & Romano cheese, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp green onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies, drained
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine first 3 ingredients.
2. In a medium skillet heat the oil and add the garlic and green onions and cook until garlic is tender.
3. Add the chicken broth, mixed ingredients and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until squash is tender.

 

Number of Servings 4

Shrimp Mold and Shrimp Dip

Louisiana Brown Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico

     The next time you buy shrimp, take a closer look at the label and you’ll notice a set of numbers divided by a slash, like this: 21/25.  This number, called the “count”, tells you the size of the shrimp.  The count refers to the number of individual shrimp in 1 pound. For instance, when you but 1 pound of 21/25 count shrimp, that means you can expect to get 21 to 25 shrimp. The smaller the numbers, the bigger the shrimp. Sometimes on big shrimp you’ll see a count that looks like this: U/15 to U/10. This means there are fewer than 15 or fewer than 10 shrimp per pound.

Two of my favorite recipes for parties are my Shrimp Mold and mom’s Shrimp Dip.

Shrimp Mold 

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

2 envelopes Knox brand unflavored gelatine

½ cup cool water

½ cup green onions chopped fine

1 cup celery chopped fine

1 pound cooked shrimp chopped

2 (10oz) packages of  cream cheese, softened

1 cup of mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper 

1. Heat soup in a small saucepan
2. In a medium bowl stir gelatine into cool water until dissolved. Mix hot soup into the gelatine liquid.  
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise together. 
4. Add soup mixture to the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Mix well.
5. Add green onions, celery, shrimp, and lemon pepper.
6. After mixing, place in greased mold and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably refrigerate overernight.

Shrimp Dip

 3 bricks of cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup of cream (or milk)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup of cooked shrimp chopped up

1.      In a blender add the cream cheese and gradually add the cream and blend until smooth.

2.      Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

3.      Chill for about an hour (Best served next day). 

Tip: Substitute crab or lobster meat in place of shrimp.

Italian Herb Crusted Chicken Rolls

Italian Herb Crusted Chicken Rolls

1 can (14 ½ ounces) Basil, Garlic and Oregano diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon Basil Pesto

2 pound thinly-slices boneless, skinless chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 1/3 cup Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs Italian Style

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix tomatoes, cheese, basil pesto and pinch of salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Place about 2 tablespoons of the tomato mixture in the center of each piece of chicken. Roll up chicken to enclose filling and brush with oil. Coat with Panko. Place chicken rolls seam side down in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Sprinkle any remaining Panko on top of chicken rolls.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves 8

Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

½ medium yellow onion chopped fine

1 package of Taco Seasoning Mix dissolved into 2/3 cup of water
2 - 15 oz cans of Black Beans (DRAINED)
1 TBS of cumin or to your taste

1 can of yellow corn (DRAINED)
1 can of Del Monte chopped tomatoes with green chilies (DRAINED)
1 bag of 10 minute Brown Rice (cook rice as directed on box)
1 box of frozen spinach (cook as directed and drained)
1 cup of shredded carrots (Tip: buy packaged pre- shredded carrots)
8 to 10 Mozzarella sticks diced into 1-inch pieces
2 eggs beaten

TOPPING:

 2 Roma tomatoes sliced

 1 cup of shredded Mexican 4 cheese mix

1. In a large frying pan, sauté chopped onion over low heat until transparent.
2. Add drained black beans to above pan. Add the Taco seasoning and water mixture.
3. Add cumin into the beans
4. Cover beans and let cook on low heat for about 10 minutes
5. Stir beans once or twice while heating
6. In a large bowl mix black beans mixture, yellow corn, Del Monte tomatoes, brown rice, spinach, carrots, mozzarella sticks, and the eggs.

Place mixture in a 2 QT glass casserole dish.  Cover top of mixture with the sliced tomatoes and the Mexican 4 cheese mix. 

Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 20 – 25 minutes.

Serving suggestions:

Casserole may be served as entrée in a bowl or wrapped in a tortilla, burrito style.

Shrimp Mystique

Shrimp Mystique

1 (10 ounce) bag Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice

½ cup of butter

2 cups of olive oil

¼ teaspoon of McCormick Lemon & Herb Seasonings

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

2 garlic pods minced

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

1 pound of shrimp peeled

¼ pound of asparagus

COOK rice according to package directions; set aside.

To prepare shrimp:  Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet medium heat; add olive oil, lemon pepper, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir for one minute. Simmer on low heat covered for ten minutes.

After ten minutes uncover and turn up heat to medium high.  Add shrimp.  Turn shrimp till both sides are pink.  Lower heat to simmer for five minutes covered. 

To prepare asparagus:  Hold base of stalks firmly. Cut off and discard tough ends. In a large skillet over medium heat in ½ inch boiling, salted water, heat stalks to boiling;  reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender-crisp and vivid green;  about 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the asparagus and rinse briefly under cold running water to stop the cooking.

To assemble dish:  Place 1 cup of yellow rice in the center of the plate; Add several cooked shrimp forming a circle around the rice.  Lay several asparagus around the outside of the shrimp.  Drizzle 2 tablespoons of cooked shrimp mixture over rice, shrimp and asparagus.

Makes 5 servings

 Cooking Time:  20 – 25 minutes

Maw-Maw Olga's Seafood & Okra Gumbo

Gumbo comes from the African word gombo, referring to okra, a favorite vegetable of African tribes used as a thickening method for stews. The Choctaw Indians that came from a reservation on Bayou Lacombe, near Mandeville, Louisiana used ground sassafras leaves (filé) as a thickener for their stews instead of okra. Indian squaws would gather the leaves and spread them out on a stone mortar to dry. When thoroughly dried, they would pound them into a fine powder. Then the squaws would bring the filé to New Orleans to sell in the French Market. It was the Creoles who discovered the many uses of filé in cooking and originated the well-known dish “Gumbo Filé”.

I remember when mom would make seafood and okra gumbo for our Thursday night family get- together. Her gumbo with okra was the highlight of the meal. I learned how make her gumbo by watching her while I peeled shrimp and cut up seasoning.

One evening a friend of my brother wrote down mom’s gumbo recipe as she prepared it for one of our Thursday night dinners. Maw-Maw, as the grand kids called mom, never used measuring spoons only the palm of her hand. It was a pinch of this or a pinch of that with a little help from her iced down Dixie beer.

Maw-Maw Olga’s Seafood & Okra Gumbo

Making a quick Roux:

1 stick of butter

½ cup onions chopped

½ cup celery chopped

½ cup of green pepper chopped

1/2 tablespoon garlic minced

4 cups okra sliced

Melt butter and add above ingredients in a large pot that can be covered. Cook on medium low heat stirring constantly until the onions and celery are transparent.

8 cups of chicken stock

1 can tomatoes diced (do not drain)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½  lemon sliced in pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

½ cup shallots, chopped

½ cup parsley chopped

2 teaspoons of ground red pepper (spice to taste)

½ tablespoon lemon pepper (spice to taste)

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 dozen boiled crabs peeled separate white meat from body and break claws into gumbo

2 Bay leaves

1 tablespoon of filé ** (Note: Only use filé if you don’t have Okra)

1. Make the Roux.
2. Add the first 10 (ten) ingredients above in the large pot and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer on low heat covered and stir occasionally for 30 minutes
4. Add crab meat and claws and cook 10 minutes
5. Add shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes
6. Remove from heat and add filé (Note: Only add filé if you don’t have Okra

Serve with white rice. Makes approximately 4 to 6 servings

TIP:

Substitute 2 cans of crab meat if boiled crabs are not available.

** Filé is crushed sassafras leaves used as a thickening agent

New Orleans Pralines

     New Orleans pralines are one of my favorite confections which you can find in any French Quarter shop. I gotta, tell you the best pralines are made by my wife. She got her recipe from Mrs. Lee Estes at Destrehan Plantation. There are many stories how pralines came about in New Orleans. Here’s one such story.

     It was believed that pralines were brought over from France by the Ursuline nuns, who came to New Orleans around 1727.  The nuns were in charge of the casket girls, young women sent over from France to marry New Orleans’ colonists.  They were called Casket Girls (les Filles a la Casette) because each came to the city furnished with a casket-box filled with all their worldly possessions.

     The nuns instructed the girls to be upstanding women in society and in the course of their studies and domestic education, the girls were taught the art of praline making

Katie’s Pralines

1 box light brown sugar

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 small can evaporated milk

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon White Karo Syrup

1 ½ lbs Pecans

Wax paper –several sheets

In a sauce pan combine brown and white sugar, Karo syrup, evaporated milk, salt and butter.

Bring to a boil. About 8 minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Add pecans and vanilla. Let cool slightly & beat with a spoon till it starts to lose its gloss

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Note: If mixture starts to cool and harden too quickly reheat on stove top for a minute, then resume making pralines

Once cooled, remove from wax paper and wrap individually in wax paper.

My First Blog

Hello, I’m Al Spicuzza. I was born and raised in New Orleans where food is not looked upon as nourishment but a wonderful way of life. Being half Cajun and Italian has given me a unique blend of cooking styles that excite the pallet. My goal of this blog is to bring you my family recipes and dishes from the neighborhoods around New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.

One of the most favorite times for me living in New Orleans is Mardi Gras and that means its time for 'King Cake'.

Alvin's third birthday during the Mardi Gras season and I wanted a King Cake not a cake.

The traditional King Cake

The King Cake tradition came to New Orleans with the French settlers around 1870.

This cake is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany during the Christmas season in a number of European countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival. It is popular during the Christmas season in France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Portugal.

In New Orleans’ revelry and religious tradition are the ties that bind during Mardi Gras. Thus it’s not surprising that the origin of the modern King Cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when popular devotion during Christmas turned to the Three Wise Men, of Kings, who had followed a star and paid homage to baby Jesus.

The carnival season which dates back to 1837 begins January 6^th (12 days after Christmas) which came to be known as “Twelfth Night” with the first of nearly 100 private masked balls. On Mardi Gras Day, the day before Ash Wednesday, the largest and longest parades are held.  Rex, King of Carnival, is a prominent businessman, chosen by secret committee. His Queen is always a debutante of the current season,

The traditional King Cake is an oval-shaped braided coffee cake which is decorated with cinnamon sugar in the official Mardi Gras colors – gold (for power), green (faith), and purple (justice), sugared pastry that contains a plastic doll or bean hidden inside; the person who gets the slice of cake with the baby must buy the next cake or host the next party; at some parties they are crowned king or queen.  Hundreds of thousands of king cakes are consumed in New Orleans and through out Louisiana at parties and in office lunch rooms during the Carnival season.

King Cake

CAKE:

8oz. sour cream, scalded                                  2 eggs, beaten

2 pkg. Yeast                                                     ½ cup sugar

½ cup warm water                                            4 cups of flour

½ cup butter, melted                                         1 tsp. salt

FILLING:

2 (8oz.) pkg. Cream cheese                              1 egg, beaten

¾ cup sugar                                                      1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

GLAZE:

2 cups sifted powered sugar                              2 tsp. vanilla

¼ cup milk                                                       Purple, green & gold sprinkles

¼ cup butter                                                     or colored sugar

Cake: Mix cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cool to lukewarm.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in creamed mixture and then the beaten eggs. Gradually, add flour to make soft dough. Cover tightly and chill overnight.

Filling: When ready to make cake, mix all filling ingredients together; set aside.

Divide the chilled dough into equal portions. Turn each portion onto a heavily floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Roll 1 portion into a 12x24-inch rectangle. Spread ½ of the filling over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch margin. Roll up lengthwise, pinching the seams to seal. Form into a circle on a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Repeat the process for the other portion of the dough. Make X-shaped cuts on the top of each circle. Cover, and let rise 1 hour. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes. Mix the glaze while the cakes are baking. Cool the baked cakes and glaze. Sprinkle with the colored sugar in alternating band.