Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

One of the biggest challenges in my life is saying no to carbs. I'm totally being dramatic (or "EXTRA" as my daughter likes to tell me). Seriously, though. I looovvve me some bread. It's an absolute weakness.

Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

1 can refrigerated large biscuits

4 tbsp butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Pinch of red chili flakes

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbsp parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by smearing some vegetable shortening in a thin layer inside each of the cups. Cooking spray works too. 

Open the can of biscuits and cut each one into 6 pieces. Place the pieces into a large bowl. Set aside. 

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the garlic, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and chili flakes to the melted butter and give it a good stir. Pour the butter mixture over the biscuit pieces. Toss until the biscuits are evenly coated. You will most likely need to use your hands to break up the pieces that stick together to get everything coated well. 

Add the cheeses and parsley to the biscuits and toss again. Again, don't be afraid to use your hands!

Once the cheeses and parsley are evenly dispersed, place 4 pieces of the biscuits into each muffin cup. 

Bake for about 12 minutes. You want these to be a nice golden brown. Serve warm.

NOTES:

Try this with some yummy Chicken Parmesan.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Chicken Salad

We love us some chicken salad in this house. Usually,  we have a container in the fridge of some variation of this. No one gets tired of it because it is pretty versatile. Sandwiches, wraps, and salads...Oh My! Sometimes we just eat it with crackers. Hell! Try it on a pizza. Do you, boo boo.

When I made this particular chicken salad, I did so using a lemon pepper rotisserie chicken from the Wal-Mart deli. It was delicious and it works so well for a quick meal.

Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 boiled eggs, peeled and diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/3 cup carrot, diced

1/4 cup pickle, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

In a large bowl, add the chicken, egg, and all of the veggies. Next, add the condiments, sauces, and seasonings. 

Mix everything together until you have a beautiful creamy chicken salad. Add more or less mayo, sour cream, or ranch dressing depending on how creamy you prefer it to be.

 Serve as a sandwich, in a wrap, over lettuce, or even on crackers or chips.

NOTES:

Don't be afraid to toss the pulled chicken pieces into a food processor if you prefer your chicken to have finer pieces similar to deli style chicken salads.

Be creative with the veggies and seasonings. You can really turn chicken salad into whatever cuisine you are craving. For example, add black olives, tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, feta, and Greek seasoning for a more Mediterranean spin. Craving something more Mexican? Add ingredients like corn, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, cumin, and a squeeze of lime. The possibilities really are endless.

Sometimes when I make this, I add 1/3 cup bacon, 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and an entire packet of powdered ranch mix. I've even made this with Buffalo wings as the inspiration using blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, and crumbled blue cheese. Did I mention "endless possibilities"?

Creamy Broccoli & Potato Soup

In my house, we enjoy soup year round. That's why air conditioned was invented, right? For soup eating purposes? No? Let's just roll with it for the sake of this post.

Creamy Broccoli & Potato Soup 

1 lb. broccoli, divided

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 tbsp butter

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

½ tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Parmesan cheese rind, cubed

6 cups vegetable broth

2 cups milk

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp celery salt

2 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes

Cajun seasoning, to taste

French fried onions, for garnish

Bacon, cooked and crumbled for garnish

Green onions, chopped for garnish

 

Cut the florets off the broccoli and rinse in a colander. Set aside. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thick outer layer of the broccoli stems. Dice up the stems. Set aside. In a 4-quart stock pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the broccoli stems and onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the onions are translucent. Stir in the carrots and ¼ tsp Cajun seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the Parmesan rind and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil and stir. Then, uncover and reduce heat to medium. You want the soup to stay at a simmer. Reduce heat more if necessary. Add the broccoli florets and potatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring gently. Heat until the soup returns to a simmer. Add the cheese into the soup. Stir until the cheese has fully melted. Stir in black pepper, celery salt, Dijon mustard, and chili flakes.

 Remove the soup from the heat. Remove about half of the broccoli and potato pieces and place them in a bowl and set aside. Carefully, puree the remaining soup using an immersion blender. Add the reserved broccoli and potatoes back to the soup. 

Return the soup to the heat and bring back to a simmer allowing it to cook for about 10 minutes more or until tender. Add Cajun seasoning, if needed. Garnish with French fried onions, crumbled bacon, and green onions. Serve immediately with some pieces of French bread.

NOTES:

 Depending on how thick you prefer your soup, you can substitute the milk with either half and half or heavy cream. Also, keep in mind if you use pre-shredded cheese it will thicken the soup due to the cellulose coating.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

Lately, I've been craving Chicken Picatta from the Cheesecake Factory I got used to having one located right down the street from me while I was in Kuwait. Now that I am back stateside, the closest one is over an hour away. Thanks to the Rolling Stones I know I can't always get what I want but I just leaned into it and used what I had on hand to make something that at least filled the craving for the yummy lemon buttery goodness.

Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

 1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 cup panko

1/3 parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tbsp butter

2 shallots, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 cup orzo, uncooked

2 tbsp capers

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1/3 cup parmesan, shredded

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, panko, grated parmesan, egg, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. 

Once the chicken mixture is well combined, roll it into small meatballs. I usually use roughly a tablespoon of the mixture for each meatballs. Place the meatballs onto a plate and set aside.

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the raw meatballs in the hot oil and brown all the sides. Don't worry about the meatballs cooking all the way through. Just worry about browning the outside. They will finish cooking a little later. While the meatballs are browning, line the plate with some paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Once the meatballs are nice and brown, transfer them to the paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Add the white wine to the same pan over medium low heat. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to cook until it has reduced by about half. Transfer the wine to a small bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Allow the garlic and shallots to sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the orzo and capers to the shallots and garlic. Stir to coat with butter, Allow to cook for about 3-5, stirring frequently so that the orzo doesn't burn.

Add the lemon juice and half of the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low and bring the broth to a simmer. Stir in the chili flakes, remaining broth, reduced wine, and meatballs.

 Allow to simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. You want the orzo to be cooked to your liking and almost all of the liquid gone without the orzo being dry.

To serve, scoop some of the orzo mixture into a shallow bowl and place a few meatballs on top. Garnish with shredded Parmesan and chopped parsley.

NOTES:

I like to use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base for my chicken broth. I just stir about 3 teaspoons of it into 2 1/2 cups of water.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Chili Cheese Corndogs

We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life sometimes. In my kitchen, we tend to keep some quick and easy meals on deck just in case. These chili cheese corndogs are one of those exact meals.

Chili Cheese Corndogs

10 frozen corndogs

15 oz. can of chili without beans

8 oz. mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

8 oz. bag of plain potato chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the corndogs onto a baking sheet. You want the baking sheet to be large enough so that the corndogs aren't touching. This will ensure they cook evenly.  Bake the corndogs for about 18-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. 

While the corndogs are cooking, heat up the chili in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the chili occasionally. 

Once the corndogs are cooked, remove the sticks and slice them lengthwise like a hotdog bun using a bread knife. Place the sliced open corndogs into a deep dish baking pan. I suggest allowing them to touch slightly in the pan to prevent them from folding open completely. Just make sure they aren't too tight in there as you want them to be open enough to get the chili and cheese in there. 

Spoon the chili into the open corndogs. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the chili. Place the corndogs back into the oven and allow then to bake for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese gets melty. 

Remove them from the oven. Add the mustard over the melted cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the mustard. Sprinkle the onions over the cheese. Serve with some good ol' plain potato chips.

NOTES: 

This gets pretty messy so I suggest eating them with a fork and knife. After eating this last time, I thought about how much yummier I could make these if I made the corndogs myself using andouille sausage. Stay tuned for that great idea.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Crawfish & Grits

Since this is officially my first recipe posted to this site, I figured I'd keep true to my roots. This is definitely southern inspired comfort food that will fill your belly. Honestly, you'll probably want to put on your eating pants and take a nap afterwards. I know I did.

Originally, my kids were throwing around the idea that they had been craving shrimp and grits. I, on the other hand, was leaning more to a variation of Eggplant Pirogue from Copeland's of New Orleans and crawfish. This crawfish and grits recipe was my compromise. This recipe left everyone happy and, most of all, FULL. Is it healthy? Hell no! Is it going to make your tummy happy? Damn right! So, without further ado (because if you are here you probably didn't come for my life story), I present to you my Crawfish & Grits.

Boom! Confetti! Fireworks and all that jazz!

Crawfish & Grits

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups stone ground grits

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb. peeled crawfish tails

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into tablespoon increments and divided

3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped and divided

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

4 green onions, chopped

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

3 cups heavy cream, divided

Pour the water into a large pot. Add the grits, bay leaves, and salt to the water. Bring the grits to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat immediately and cover. Allow the grits to sit and soak for about 15 minutes. 

While the grits are soaking, add crawfish tails to a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp over the crawfish and toss to coat. Set aside. 

Once the grits have soaked, uncover them and bring them back to a boil over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently while they are cooking so that they don't burn. 

While the grits are boiling again, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the shallots and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Next, stir in the garlic, 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Allow the garlic to cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. 

Turn the heat of the sautéing shallots and garlic up to medium-high and add 1 tbsp parsley and the crawfish. Sprinkle the flour over the crawfish. Stir until thoroughly combined. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Next, add the Worcestershire, sherry, and green onions to the crawfish. Stir constantly for another minute or so. 

Add 2 cups of cream to the crawfish. Whisk until thoroughly combined. When the sauce starts to simmer, you will want to reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the sauce is finishing up, remove the grits from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the remaining stick of butter, cheese, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 cup of cream. Stir until the butter has fully melted and the ingredients are well combined. 

Before serving, taste the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve, spoon some grits into the center of a shallow bowl. Add some of the sauce over the grits. Use the remaining parsley to garnish. 

ENJOY!

NOTES: 

When I originally made this, I didn't think to add paprika. Afterwards, I felt that the sauce lacked the color it really deserved. In addition to the paprika, I would also recommend a little cayenne. Without the paprika and cayenne, everything tasted great but this recipe could definitely be elevated with some extra color and razzmatazz. I added these suggestions to the posted recipe. Next time though, I think I might just try it with some crabmeat. YUM!

Have you tried this recipe? Is there anything you would omit or add? Please tell me all about it.

~ Asha Cole

In the Beginning...

 Many moons ago, I had a blog where I posted my kitchen creations. I recently decided to start food blogging again. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to access the blog so here I am starting from scratch. 

Basically, this post is serving as a place holder so that I can get my format down. I'm not the most tech savvy person and I don't remember the process being so complex...or maybe I'm just really that out of touch. If I asked one of my kids, they'd probably think I was a moron so this will just be our little secret. 

In my first attempt, I failed miserably. Somehow, I tried to use an old email address I didn't even have access to. I'm still puzzled how that happened. Did I mention I am not tech savvy? I did? Good. Now that we are all on the same page, I can continue my embarrassing attempts to be able to create this damn blog. Please don't judge me. It also seems that my Brave search engine does not want to be friends with Google. Of course if I'm being honest over here, it's more than likely 100% me and my technical handicap. 

Anyway! Excuse my mess and stay tuned.

~ Asha Cole