Pasta-laya

Why does Pasta-laya tastes so much better to me than Jambalaya lol? I think it is because that pasta is sooo tender in this dish because honestly it probably gets a little over cooked, so if your one of those die hard AL Dente people then this is not for you.
I like to start with chopped onions, green bell peppers, celery, and garlic, all cooked down and fragrant. (I cook it down in extra virgin olive oil) then add some smoked sausage and some chopped smoked pork (all meats already cooked) and some cooked pasta, really any will do as long as it has been broken up small enough. And this is just me but i like to add a little tony's and a little kitchen bouquet :)
Let me know how you like it!

Boudin...Did you know

Last nite Husband was feeling generous, so he offered to take care of dinner. This means that he picked something up, bless his heart. And he went to Tony's seafood in Baton Rouge and got us some fried catfish, boiled shimp, boiled corn and my favorite the Boudin Balls!! Yum!
Did you know that Boudin is a french dish? This does not surprise me as most New Orleans cuisine has had it start in either France or Spain. For French boudin blanc is a highly perishable sausage made with pork, chicken, and/or veal mixed with milk, cognac, and spices.
In Louisiana we usually make ours with pork and always, always with lots of rice and a delectable mixture of cajun seasonings :)

Whole Foods

I love love love whole foods!!!! But I can barely afford to shop their and certainly not all the time :( Do you know why I love whole foods because their fruits and veggies are always fresh, well for the most part and their meat is fantastic. But why should I have to pay a freakin arm and a leg to get meat and produce that is not on the verge of spoilage all in one store!!! I currently buy my meat at the local associated grocery (Oak Point) but their dairy is usually dated with use by the current date! So, I go to Albertson's for Dairy but I don't like the look of their chicken and for the most part their meat is overpriced! Walmart is the devil but I still buy most of my prepacked goods there, I just have to, everyone else is twice the price. And as far as the fruit and produce go I just get what I can, when I can between a combo of these stores :(
But as soon as I win the lottery, I will shop exclusively at WHOLE FOODS!!

Check out this link, it is for the you tube video "Getting real in the whole foods parking lot" too funny :)

Best Chicken Enchiladas!!

I know that everyone says that their recipe is the best but I gotta tell ya this is the BEST one that I have ever had!! It is a variation of a recipe in one of Paula Deen's Magazine but oddly enough does not contain any butter :( lol
I use a rotissarie Chicken this just speeds things up and to me inparts more flavor. Go ahead and debone the chicken, and grate or buy pre-grated cheese ( you are gonna need something crazy like 2lbs :) I like a combo of sharp cheddar and mexican but whatever you prefer will work. Your also gonna need the juice of one lime, a handful of fresh cilantro (chopped), and about 1/2 of a yellow onion (also Chopped). You could also add a small can of green chilies but that is strictly optional. Now combine everything (except for about 1/3 of the cheese) and roll up in tortillas ( I like flour ) then pour 2 cans of enchilada sauce on it and top with remaining cheese. Bake this at 350 for about 15 minutes and then top with sour cream!!
Ps. Shout out to Mike and Kelly!!

This will be dinner tonight!

Breakfast! It's what's for Dinner :)

What is your go-to weeknight meal, when you have nothing planned, you didn't leave anything out and you don't want to go to the store? I usually do grilled cheese and soup but tonight I am craving Breakfast :) Eggs, Bacon and Pancakes. I have this skillet that I bought at wal-mart years ago, called a pancake skillet. It has a lid and you can actually flip it over and cook it on the other side. You will never again have to do without pancakes!!! hahaha

Manicotti- Any way you like it

The traditional Manicotti is a mixture of italian cheeses (usually including ricotta) inside pasta rolls, topped with sauce and then more cheese (typically Monzarella or Parm). I made this dish Husband friendly by stuffing the shells ground meat, onions, green bell peppers and garlic, cooked together and seasoned well. Topped with a previously prepared marinara and after baking this for about 20 minutes, I topped with Monzarella and then cooked until melted and bubbly! Even your pickiest eaters with enjoy this :)

Amazing Bulgogi

So, the Bulgogi turned out AMAZING!! The little man at the Oriental Market told me that you are actually suppose to use eye of round for Bulgogi, so I got him to slice me 1 1/2lbs of that very thin. I took it home and marinated it in 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 3 tbls of sugar, 1 tbl of sesame oil, 2 green onions (chopped), 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger and a few pinches of black pepper. This was refridgerated for one hour. Then I got a skillet hot and covered on the bottom with oil (you will probably need to add a little more oil after every batch) and fried each piece laying completely flat. They are sliced very thin and take about a min per side.
I am almost sure that My friend Patricia's mom use to use Coca Cola in this recipe somewhere but I have not seen a recipe with it. But this dish really brought me back to her kitchen and to Sue's in Missouri :)
Hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did.