Banana beignets straight from chef Laura's Louisiana kitchen Chef Laura Arredondo lives in Slidell, Louisiana which is only 30 plus miles from New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain. The state has been hammered by hurricanes and this storm is no exception.
Hurricane Zeta is the fifth named storm to make landfall in Louisiana. The record number of storms in 2020 makes this hurricane season, in regards to the number of storms, the worst since 1851. Hurricane Zeta made landfall in New Orleans with 100 mph winds Wednesday evening and many across several states are without power. My friend and chef Laura said the wind and rain wouldn't let up. She said the sound of the storm was terrible. They have been without power, as many others in the path of Zeta...luckily, they have a generator to keep the lights on. Laura posted on her Facebook page last night, "Hurricane Zeta is passing through Slidell. Lots of rain and wind. The eye of the hurricane was a calm chicha, with much peace and silence. You only hear the generator in the distance. I'm scared." Hearing Chef Laura say she was scared caused me to pause. She's a brave woman with a lot of heart and soul. She prepared these banana beignets before the hurricane hit. Something for the family to snack on while they were hunkered down. They're fabulous. I can't wait to make them myself. She sent me the recipe last evening. What can I say? She's special. Banana beignets Mix together 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 bananas diced into small pieces Add 2 cups of flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 cup milk Mix altogether and with a spoon drop small amounts in hot oil. When done put the confectioner’s sugar and enjoy. Simply delicious. Thanks, Laura.
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Vegetable quesadillas with fresh greens, spices, and loaded with vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium and maintain healthy bones and teeth. Chef Fleming's vegetable quesadillas are loaded with flavor and nutritional goodness. There are many varieties of tortillas at the grocery store to choose from like gluten-free, low-carb, or sugar-free. So many options to cater to your healthcare needs. By using fresh ingredients and keeping it light, this is the perfect lunch or snack. The dipping sauce is quite simple and going low sodium is an option for those keeping a close eye on their salt intake. Chef Fleming has been making these delicious quesadillas for a long time and has once again, shared his culinary expertise with the readers of WKY Community Living. After you've given them a try, shoot me an email. I can't wait to hear from you!
Serve the pumpkin chili with a dollop of sour cream, sharp cheddar, and green onion October is my favorite month. The weather is still warm most days and the fall decorations are simply beautiful. The bright oranges, purples, pink/reds, greens, yellows, I could go on. What's just as fabulous are the recipes. It's chili time once again.
My family and I love chili. During the cooler months, we make chili at least twice a month. For my family's taste buds, I've created the perfect recipe and have shared it with all the adults in the household. So, we take turns making chili. And when we make chili, we make enough for a weekend. I've been wanting to make a pumpkin chili for quite sometime. Tonight's the night! I've taken my special chili recipe and added the fall flavors. I hope you enjoy! FYI: In place of the beer, I would suggest adding 12 ounces of apple cider. I believe this flavor would be delicious in pumpkin chili. You can add more chicken broth or water. Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Chili: 1.3 lbs. ground turkey 12 ounces of sausage (If you can find maple sausage, use it) Medium onion chopped Two peppers (orange and yellow) Three cloves of garlic chopped 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 29 ounce can pumpkin pure 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin spice Can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed off w/water) Can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed off w/water Bottle of pumpkin beer (you may substitute apple cider) 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup reduced salt chicken broth 4 Tablespoons chili powder 2 Tablespoons cumin 1 Tablespoon paprika 1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 Tablespoons honey Add a little cane sugar for more sweetness Salt and Pepper Olive oil Topping: sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, green onion Directions: In a sauté pan, add T. of olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and peppers. Sauté for a couple of minutes until you smell the garlic. Remove vegetables and cook the turkey and sausage (add a little olive oil to pan before cooking). Salt and pepper. If using regular sausage, add one T. of honey while browning the meat. Once cooked through, add the meat and the vegetables to a large pot. Go ahead and add the spices...chili powder, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix. Add the can of tomatoes, pumpkin puree and T. honey. Mix. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add the two cans of rinsed beans. Mix. Add the bottle of pumpkin beer and the chicken broth. Let the mixture come together over medium high heat. Once the chili has been cooking for 15 - 20 minutes, turn down the heat to medium low for another 30-45 minutes. Take a taste to see if more salt or sugar is needed. Tip: If you have the time to let the flavors marry for another hour, it's out of this world delicious! Once ready, serve with a dollop of sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and green onion. Serve tortilla chips on the side. The Thirsty Turtle Tavern located in Grand Rivers, Kentucky If you enjoy weekends at the 'the turtle' appreciating the music, food, and friendships, there's a change taking place on the way they'll be doing business.
As the pandemic continues to rage on, many bars and restaurants will be altering seating capacity and may implement new changes in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here's the message on their Facebook page. We have been instructed by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission representative that due to the limited space in our dining areas we cannot, until further notice, provide live entertainment in our dining facilities. In addition, there can be no seating or congregating of our patrons at the bars. The Thirsty Turtle Tavern will continue to provide limited indoor seating and unlimited outdoor seating. We have been further instructed that all employees and patrons must wear masks while in our facilities except while seated at a table. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we thank you for your understanding. It looks like a rainy weekend on the horizon. However, today is beautiful!! Get the boats out and enjoy the water. Here's an interesting twist to CoV-2...finding out that your husband of 31 years is a really good cook. The pandemic has our world turned upside down and many are suffering. As I post pictures of wonderful dishes shared by friends and family, I shudder to think of those hungry and in need. Prayers for all.
At present, my husband Kevin is trying to stay busy. He's working from home since the shuttering of businesses in March. We're grateful that companies like Computer Services, Inc. care deeply about the health and safety of their employees and family members. Kevin started biking, I'd almost say for the Tour de France. He'll log over 20 miles in a morning at nearly 15 miles per hour. If he has any body fat on him, I would be surprised. In addition to the long rides, he's quit smoking. So, to help pass the time, he's started cooking full meals in the evenings. He said anytime I wanted to take pictures and use his recipes, he was happy to share. Dinner was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to hear the plans for the evening. Enjoy the recipes. Grilled Salad Two large Romaine lettuce heads cut lengthwise 3 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) Salt/pepper 1/2 lemon Parmesan cheese Basting brush Seasoning the romaine lettuce: brush extra virgin olive oil on each side of the lettuce. Salt and pepper on both sides. Place the lettuce on a medium-hot grill and cut side down for three minutes. Take your tongs and press down to get good grill marks. Flip and repeat for another two minutes. After taking off the grill, drizzle the remaining oil on the lettuce. Squeeze the lemon juice from the half lemon over each lettuce head. Grate parmesan cheese over the top. It's ready to serve. Kielbasa, potatoes, carrots, and onion Pkg. of Kielbasa (Boar's Head) Bag of small golden potatoes Bag of small carrots Medium onion Cut the Kielbasa in 1/2 inch slices, cut the potatoes in quarters, chop the onion. Prepare a large piece of aluminum foil with a nonstick spray. After spraying the foil, add the chopped ingredients to the foil. Salt and pepper and add three pats of butter. Close the foil tightly around the Kielbasa and vegetables. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour over hot cools at 350 to 375 degrees. Take off the heat and it's ready to eat. The first bite of a delicious vegetable fitter is always the best bite. My friend and chef Laura Arredondo has shared another fabulous recipe...vegetable fritters. She said, "Liz, these fritters are really good. Maybe you read the recipe and make some corrections. Any questions I’m at home. Bye". She's one of the most wonderful people I know. So, I tried the recipe today...and she's right, it's so good. I can say, I've never made fritters before and they are one of the easiest and most delicious recipes to date. It's like holding a little quiche in your hand. I'm a fan of heat, so I dipped my fritter in Frank's Red Hot Sauce and it was such a treat. Chef Laura said, "My grandson loves them". And I'm sure he does. He's the best little helper I've seen. He will be the next generation chef. Enjoy! Veggie Fritters
Ingredients: 3 eggs 5 Tbsp. flour 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder 1/4 cup of milk Bag or bunch of fresh spinach or any greens 4 green onions 2 cloves of garlic minced 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Salt and pepper The Batter: Mix eggs, flour (you may substitute with 3 T. flour and 2T. oat flour), baking powder, and milk until the texture is similar to pancake batter. Adding the Greens: For this fritter recipe, you may use any kind of greens available on hand. It may be a green mix, spinach leaves, or frozen spinach (thaw and squeeze out all the water). Chop and add to the batter. Add green onions or half a yellow onion, minced garlic, salt & pepper (use enough for seasoning purposes), and nutmeg. Mix until you have a thick mix. The Frying: Heat the oil to approximately medium temperature on the stovetop. For testing purposes, flick a couple drops of water in the oil to see if it sizzles. With a large spoon. Start by dropping one spoonful at a time in the hot oil. If the oil is too hot the fritter will cook on the outside and be raw on the inside. Frying time is approximately two minutes per side and the fritter should turn golden brown on each side. Ready to Serve: When ready, place them on a paper towel. You can also make them in the oven or in your air fryer. With this recipe, you can make 12 large or 20 smaller fritters. Starting one week from today, the Freight House's menu will feature German-inspired items for an Oktoberfest-themed event with special cocktails and, of course, beer. The Maiden Alley Cinema in Paducah will be the beneficiary of some of the proceeds from the week's event.
Due to COVID-19 and the need to wear masks and social distance, the Maiden Alley Cinema's annual event 'Oktoberfest' will take on a slightly different look. As one of the biggest fundraisers of the year, bringing in over $30,000 in 2019, a make-over for 2020 is just another pandemic adjustment. The week of October 13 through October 17 will recreate the excitement at Sara Bradley's Freight House in downtown Paducah. This will be the 10th year for the festival and 'the show must go on'. The menu items will be sold during Freight House business hours which are between 5 and 9 pm. Patrons may dine-in or carry-out. The theater will have a booth outside the restaurant on Friday and Saturday where people can buy vintage Oktoberfest merchandise and learn more about Maiden Alley Cinema. Remember, restaurants are experiencing difficult times too. Having the Freight House donate part of the proceeds is a wonderful gesture. It shows commitment to the arts and the city. This isn't the first time the Freight House has helped to raise money for the cinema and I'm sure it won't be the last. The hope is that people will come dressed in their Oktoberfest costumes to celebrate the German holiday. The expectation isn't for grandeur, just a fun time with great food. For more information, you may go to Maiden Alley Cinema or the Freight House Facebook pages. Laura Arredondo and her family have been cooking and sharing delicious Spanish recipes for generations. Everyone in the family cooks and traditional recipes are a staple of the family from Uruguay. Chef Laura's techniques are easy to follow and the result is the consistency of the bake and the flavorful bite.
Flan or 'flat cake' in Latin is a traditional Latin-American dessert. First created by Ancient Rome almost two thousand years ago, the Romans borrowed some of the Greek cooking techniques and created egg-based recipes. In Roman times, it was considered a 'healthy choice'. The Romans shared recipes as they conquered Europe throughout the first few centuries. And although the Roman empire fell in 476, the flan survived. Throughout the Medieval Empire, the recipe was adapted and sweeter versions emerged. It was the Spaniards who first topped the Flan with caramel sauce. Directions for the Flan: 5 egg yolks 2 whole eggs 1 can evaporated milk 1 can condensed milk 1/3 cup milk 1 tbsp. vanilla 1/3 tsp salt Mix together with a whisker Directions for the caramel: 1/4 water 2/3 cup sugar When the caramel is ready, add 2 tbsp. of hot water from the faucet (so the caramel doesn’t get hard). Cover a flan pan with the caramel and pour the mix. Put the flan pan in a bigger oven tray filled w hot water and cover with aluminum foil. That's a Bain Marie cook or water bath. Cook in the oven at 300 degrees for and hour and 15 minutes until the temp inside the flan is 180F. Let it cool uncovered in the Bain Marie and then put in the cooler. When you're ready to eat turn upside down in a nice dish, you can eat it as is, or with whipped cream. Another way to add more flavors is to try with dulce de leche that's like a caramel. You might try Nestle that comes in a can or make your own. Paducah Beer Works in downtown Paducah will be celebrating Octoberfest with some of the best German food in town. Jagerschnitzel, Bauernschnitzel, Schnitzel Sandwich, Beer Pork Chop and Sausage Plate plus lots of craft beer.
Have you ever wondered how the festival began? On October 12, 1810, King Ludwig I invited Munich's citizens to attend the wedding of Princess Therese. In the same year, a horse race was held to honor the newlyweds in front of the city gates. The celebration grew in the late 1800's to include the promotion of agriculture in Bavaria. Each year, a parade was held in honor of the Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen's marriage and included restaurants and breweries. Throughout the 210 years of celebratory events, there've been cancellations during wars, a bomb scare that killed multiple people and injured hundreds, streets filled with tents to increase capacity, and there have been little tweaks here and there. Regardless of what's happening in the world, the idea of celebrating German style during the month of October is exciting and the food is definitely something to experience. If you're unable to dine inside, ordering to go is the next best thing. Stay safe and mask up. Paducah Beer Works is located at 301 N. 4th Street. 270-933-1265 Spinach and heirloom tomatoes side dish with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette It's October and one of my favorite times of the year. A few summer garden vegetables are still lingering. My friend and chef Jeff Fleming had a couple of heirloom tomatoes available for his side dish and whipped up a special spinach treat that would brighten up any beef, fish, or chicken entrée. In fact, the recipe was created in honor of bounty and beauty of the heirloom tomato. I'll be experimenting with his recipe to serve with my grilled salmon. It's smokin' on the coals at a hot 500 degrees and will be ready to eat in minutes. What a perfect pairing. Chef suggests heirloom tomatoes and says they're the best (I have no doubt). I don't have heirlooms but I have a couple of nice, juicy red tomatoes I found at the local grocery and if all else fails, I have my standard Cherub cherry tomatoes that are always sweet and delish. On another note...Dawn Fleming, Chef's wife sampled his newly-created recipe and simply fell in love with it. That's good enough for me. Enjoy! Sautéed spinach with heirloom tomatoes. Feeds 4 as a side 2 bags baby spinach 2 tbs EVOO 1/2 a large onion thinly sliced Large heirloom tomato (yes any are fine but heirlooms are better) 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped Splash of balsamic vinegar S&P to taste Directions: Start with a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions with a pinch of salt & (I prefer) crushed red pepper. Cook until translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes Cook 3-4 minutes and add garlic. Cook with the garlic for 2 minutes until you can smell it (the garlic, yes that’s a thing). Add 1/2 the spinach & a pinch of salt. As the spinach wilts stir fast. After about 3-4 minutes add the rest of the spinach & splash of balsamic vinegar. |
Written byLiz Latta Archives
April 2024
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