Natchez-New Orleans- Montreal a Christmas Connection! See other Holiday Recipes below!
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Poached Pears in Port Jazz up your holiday cheese trays
I love Holiday entertaining, the minute Thanksgiving is over Im decorated and planning parties and holiday meals. Im going to give you an easy idea to Jazz up you Holiday Charcuterie tray. Add these Poached Pears in Ruby Port to your party table. They are so delicious with cheeses. They never cease to impress as a dessert with vanilla ice cream and candied walnuts. They also keep for several days when refrigerated. The recipe makes 4-6 I make a ton at a time...as you can see by my photo.
INGREDIENTS:• 4-6 Pears• 1 bottle Ruby Port• 1⁄2 cup sugar• 2 cinnamon sticks• 1 pod star anise• 1 vanilla pod / 1 tsp vanilla essence• 1⁄2 tbsp orange zest• 1⁄2 tbsp. lemon zest
1. Combine all the ingredients, except the pears, in a saucepan and gently bring to a boil. Simmer the liquid gently for 5-10 minutes, Peel and core the pears, leaving the stalk intact for decoration.2. Drop in the pears (I cover with a plate to keep them submerged) continue to simmer for around 30 minutes, gently turning the pears occasionally to ensure they cook evenly.3. Remove the pears to cool4. Reduce the remaining sauce by more than half. Keep pears in sauce tobecome even darker color
November 2021 Recipe Black Rice bowl with Lime Ponzu Kale, Mushrooms and Sweet Potatoes
Black Rice Bowl can be served warm or cold, top with fresh Avocado and a drizzle of Sriacha Sauce.Serves 41 cup uncooked black rice (boil in 6 cups of salted water until
tender- 20-25 minutes, drain in mesh strainer and rinse
4 cups Chopped Kale (boil in 1 cup water for 15 minutes then add
1/2 cup of lime Ponzu sauce)2 cups fresh, sliced mushrooms (sautee in sesame oil or olive oil and
season with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons soy sauce2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes (season with a touch of oil and
salt and pepper and ginger paste the roast on cookie sheet for 15 minutes
or until fork tender
I definitely reccoment finish this off with fresh avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce (Sriacha is my preference)
October 2021 Recipe Comeback Sauce- perfect for boiled shrimp dipping sauce
Comeback Sauce
This popular sauce is Jackson, Mississippi’s own, and I find that they use it for everything – for good reason! It can be used as a savory dip for fried food, or even simple saltine crackers; you can use it as a salad dressing, seafood dressing, or even to top a burger.The chili sauce and smoked paprika are essential to the recipe, and are usually easy to find. I also prefer a hot sauce that has more vinegar than heat for this dressing.
Makes 1 ½ cups Sauce1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chili sauce2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon smoked paprika2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon crystal hot sauce1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Add all of the ingredients into a pint jar, stir and mix well, top with a well fitting lid and refrigerate.
This popular sauce is Jackson, Mississippi’s own, and I find that they use it for everything – for good reason! It can be used as a savory dip for fried food, or even simple saltine crackers; you can use it as a salad dressing, seafood dressing, or even to top a burger.The chili sauce and smoked paprika are essential to the recipe, and are usually easy to find. I also prefer a hot sauce that has more vinegar than heat for this dressing.
Makes 1 ½ cups Sauce1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chili sauce2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon smoked paprika2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon crystal hot sauce1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Add all of the ingredients into a pint jar, stir and mix well, top with a well fitting lid and refrigerate.
September 2021 Recipe How to stock your kitchen!
My Southern PantryMy father’s favorite room in the house was his kitchen; however, a great kitchen would be nothing without an even greater pantry. As a child, I was often sent to the pantry to retrieve a specific item or ingredient for him. The shelves were so full I swear I could hear Scarlet saying, “We will never go hungry again.” In the south, we have a love affair with abundance and the pantry is a necessity to store it all. The Trosclair pantry was a southern food sanctuary. The shelves were lined with mason jars filled with treasured preserves, jellies and jams: fig, lemon, pear, strawberry, blackberry, plum, peach mayhaw, dewberry, muscatine and hot pepper. There were Tupperware containers with stone ground grits, various dried beans, and always a 25 pound bag of Louisiana rice. It was a proper pantry with assorted pickles made from watermelon rind, squash and okra to the more traditional cucumber pickles ranging from tart to sweet. The real jewels were the relishes. Some were as traditional as chow-chow, but others were even more exotic such as the green tomato-orange relish that my mother and I discovered was the best thing ever on a home made cheeseburger. My father’s pantry also housed assorted sundries and a large freezer stocked with wild caught gulf shrimp and whole redfish that would later be transformed into his legendary fish courtboullion. There was venison, quail, and duck from the hunting camp—enough to prepare Sunday dinner for multiple congregations. The word pantry is derived from the older French word paneterie, meaning bread. The pantry dates back to medieval times when castles were being built and had specific rooms to store provisions. In some of the grander homes of the south, you would find a butlers pantry where linens, silver, china and other service items were once held. Today the butler’s pantries are being turned into service bars as entertaining has taken a more casual turn. The pantry began to change in 1912 when the Hoosier Cabinet found its way into homes. It featured sugar and flour sifters, storage, and jars made specifically to fit the different shelving and compartments. These jars were made to hold coffee, tea, crackers, and salt. In the 1920’s, built-in cabinets quickly replaced the Hoosier Cabinet. By the 1930s, breakfast nooks begin to replace pantries. By the 1950s, the pantry had almost disappeared in most of the country when better refrigeration and prepared foods began to become commonplace after WWII. It remains a part of the modern Southern kitchen, however.In today’s Southern kitchen, you may not have an actual pantry like I had in my childhood home. However, there is a place for storing dried beans, the best ground grits, a southern provider of biscuit flour, various jams, preserves, and relishes. It may be in the laundry room, a cabinet in the garage, or a specific kitchen cabinet or two. It is not a Southern kitchen without a designated place of honor for these southern staples. In the south, when you are presented with any hand labeled jar, a brown bag of corn meal, grits, flour or anything shared from someone’s garden, it is always revered as a gift and finds its place in the pantry.Regina’s Essential Pantry listGrainsLong grain ricePecan RicePopcorn RiceStone ground grits, white and yellowSteel cut oatsNoodlesEgg NoodlesMacaroniThin SpaghettiDried BeansI always put dried beans in zip-lock bags for extra protection – also date with a Sharpie; you want to use within 6 months. I will go through my stash on a rainy day and make a couple of my favorite dishes with beans that need to be rotated and then I freeze in smaller containers for later or to give away to friends.Baby limas, limas (aka- butter beans)Black beansBlack eye peasRed kidney beans & Pink kidneysSmall Red Beans (aka Mexican beans)Great Northern and White beansPinto BeansFlours & MealsAll purpose flourCake flourYellow Corn MealWhite Corn MealSugarsBrown SugarGranulated SugarPowdered SugarRaw Cane SugarLeaveningsBaking PowderBaking SodaDry yeastBaking goodsCocoaCorn StarchDark baking chocolateKaro Syrup (light)Pure Cane SyrupHoneyJams & JelliesFig PreservesHot Pepper JellyOrange MarmaladeBlackberry jamStrawberry JamPlum or MayhawPicklesBread and Butter PicklesDill PicklesPickled OkraPickled JalapenoOlives /Black, Queen Stuffed, KalmataCapersGiardinieraCanned & Bottled GoodsDiced TomatoesRotel TomatoesTomato SauceTomato PureeTomato PasteCreamed CornGreen ChilesBasic BBQ SauceCatsupMustards, Dijon, yellow, whole grainSources Organic-non GMO gritshttp://www.ansonmills.com/products/8http://mcewenandsons.com/http://www.greenwaygrits.com/Ricehttp://cajuncountryrice.com/rice-products/cajun-country-popcorn/
August 2021 Recipe Chef Regina’s San Franciso Cioppino
Regina’s San Francisco Cioppino Lucky for me frozen seafood works well for this recipe. I would never get to relive this favorite memory of San Francisco living in Natchez on the Mississippi River. Cod, Scallops, Shrimp and Mussels are key to this dish and additions of King Crab or Dungeness doesn’t hurt! I am able to find wild caught frozen versions of all of these fish and shell fish. I love starting this dish with 1 cup ¼ inch diced smokey, hot sausage such as Portugese Linguica , Louisiana Andouille, or Spicy Conecuh Smoked Sausage. This is optional but the first time I had this dish it had Portugese sausage in it and it’s been my favorite Cioppino and the one I tried hardest to duplicate ever sense. If you don’t use sausage just start with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Prepare 1 cup diced onion, ½ cup diced celery, 1 cup diced green pepper Begin with heavy pot, I love my oval Les Crueset. Brown the sausage forst then add the onion, celery and bell pepper to sautee until browned and soft.Then add the next 8 ingredients bring to a boil then turn heat down and simmer for 45 minutes2 tablespoons minced garlic or garlic puree 1 1/2 teaspoons whole dried fennel seeds (toasted)1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, such as San Marzano4 cups seafood stock or chicken stock works1 1/2 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio3 tablespoons Pernod or HerbsaintKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteTurn up to medium heat and add seafood to poach in soup, add green onions and cook for 10 minutes.1 1/2 pounds center-cut cod fillets, skin removed, 2-inch diced1 pound large (16 to 20-count) shrimp, peeled and deveined1 pound sea scallops, halved crosswise24 mussels, scrubbed¼ cup diced green onionsServe with crusty French bread with aioli for dipping!
July 2021 Recipe Chef Regina’s Green Godess Broccoli Slaw
Green Goddess Dressing
• 2 teaspoons pureed or 2 fresh Garlic Clove• 1/2 teaspoon Salt• 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard• 2 tablespoon Anchovy Paste• 3 tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice• 1/2 cup Green Onion• 1/2 cup Parsley Tops• 1 cup Sour Cream• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1- In blender add Garlic, Salt, White Pepper, Dry Mustard, Anchovy Paste, Tarragon Vinegar and blend.2- Add Green Onions and Parsley Tops and continue to blend.3- Add Mayonnaise and Sour Cream and blend until you have a fairly smooth dressing. Use this with 1 bag of Broccoli Slaw mix and on bag of regular slaw mix.
• 2 teaspoons pureed or 2 fresh Garlic Clove• 1/2 teaspoon Salt• 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard• 2 tablespoon Anchovy Paste• 3 tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice• 1/2 cup Green Onion• 1/2 cup Parsley Tops• 1 cup Sour Cream• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1- In blender add Garlic, Salt, White Pepper, Dry Mustard, Anchovy Paste, Tarragon Vinegar and blend.2- Add Green Onions and Parsley Tops and continue to blend.3- Add Mayonnaise and Sour Cream and blend until you have a fairly smooth dressing. Use this with 1 bag of Broccoli Slaw mix and on bag of regular slaw mix.
June 2021 Recipe Chef Regina’s White Bolognese & Italian Sausage
Regina’s White Bolognese (for Allison & Martin)• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil• 2 cups diced white onion• 2 cups diced green pepper• 3 cups carrots – coarsely chopped in food processor • 2 pounds Italian pork sausage meat • 2 pounds high quality ground beef • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper• 1 tablespoon garlic paste (or minced fresh garlic)• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (toasted)• 1 cup dry Italian white wine• 4 porcini mushroom bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 cup simmering water• 1-pound sliced mushrooms (any good mushrooms) sautee with a little butter or olive oil- get your pan hot and don’t over crowd the mushrooms so they get a nice brown color• 1-pint heavy cream
In heavy large pot, heat olive oil and sautee onions, peppers and carrots (keep in mind carrots have to cook more with other ingredients- but need to be soft by time dish is ready)
In separate add Beef and Italian Sausage and cook until brown and continue to break apart with a spoon while browning, drain fat off before adding to pot.
Add salt, pepper, garlic, fennel and white wine
Dissolve porcini bouillon cubes in hot water and add into pot
Let simmer for 30 minutes, sautee mushrooms and add them to pot with the cream. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes- taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over Rigatoni with shaved pecorino or parmesan * this Bolognese freezes really well!
In heavy large pot, heat olive oil and sautee onions, peppers and carrots (keep in mind carrots have to cook more with other ingredients- but need to be soft by time dish is ready)
In separate add Beef and Italian Sausage and cook until brown and continue to break apart with a spoon while browning, drain fat off before adding to pot.
Add salt, pepper, garlic, fennel and white wine
Dissolve porcini bouillon cubes in hot water and add into pot
Let simmer for 30 minutes, sautee mushrooms and add them to pot with the cream. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes- taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over Rigatoni with shaved pecorino or parmesan * this Bolognese freezes really well!
May 2021 Recipe Chef Regina’s Coq au Vin Pot Pie (with Bacon-Thyme Biscuit Crust)
Chef Regina’s Coq au Vin Pot Pie (with Bacon-Thyme Biscuit Crust)Marinade 4 each- 6 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts In 1 cup of red wine and 2 cups of water for 2 hours or even over- night. Pre heat oven to 350 degreesDry Breast and season with Montreal steak seasoning Bake 350 OVEN FOR 12 MINUTESUse 3 cups of Regina’s Butter Biscuit Dough – roll out to ¼ inch thick fit a 12-inch cast iron skillet. ½ teaspoon fresh thyme sprinkled on top and ¼ cup cooked, diced bacon is optional- just press in after rolling the 12-inch round. COQ AU VIN SAUCE1 tbls olive oil2 cups mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced¼ cup lardon, diced1/2 onion, quartered then thinly sliced , caramelized 1/2 teaspoon garlic puree1 sprig thyme 1/2 cup red wine2 cups chicken stock add 1 Porcini bouillon cubes to stock1 cup baby carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces1/4 cup frozen pearl onions3 tbls. cornstarch with ¼ cup water- make slurry2 tbls. unsalted butter, at room temperatureAdjust salt and pepper to taste1. In heavy Dutch oven pot, heat olive oil, add cooked lardon, add onions and cook until they begin to caramelize (about 4-5 minutes)2. Add garlic puree, thyme, and wine, chicken stock and Porcini bouillon bring to a boil.3. Turn heat down to medium and add carrots- simmer until carrots are fork tender, add pearl onions and thicken with slurry. Simmer until thickens and spoon in butter. 4. Slice Chicken Breast at angle- 4 slices, place in pie plate and cover with sauce. Let cool before adding biscuit top. (or biscuit top will absorb too much of the sauce)5. Place rolled biscuit top and place in 350-degree oven and bake for35- 40 minutes until top is golden brown and feels solid when you tap on it. 6. If you are in more of a hurry for dinner – cook the biscuit top on a sheet pan and cook the filling at the same time 25-30 minutes. When biscuit crust is just top the hot chicken pot pie.
Regina’s Bacon-Thyme Biscuit Dough1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and thyme in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend the dry ingredients on low for 15 seconds.2. Add the margarine to the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium speed and count to ten. There should be visible chunks of margarine the size of quarters in the dough. Add the buttermilk and stir until dough is moist but pulled together, being careful not to overmix.3. Generously flour a work surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough in half, bringing the two short ends together, turn a half turn, and roll it out again. Spread half of the cooked bacon over the dough, and fold, turn, and roll out more two times. Add the remaining bacon and repeat for an additional two times, finishing with a 1⁄4-inch-thick dough. Use the dough as directed in the potpie recipe.These can be made ahead and frozen for later use, wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed.Makes 2 (12-inch) or 3 (8-inch) piecrusts4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the board1⁄4 cup baking powder1⁄4 cup sugar2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves11⁄2 cups (3 sticks) cold margarine, cut into 2-inch cubes13⁄4 cups cold buttermilk8 thick slices smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp