Crawfish Etouffee - It's National Crawfish Day!

It's National Crawfish Day, and if you've never enjoyed a crawfish boil you have been missing out.  The Devilish Nephew used to live in Houston, and that was my first real experience with a boil.  Houston has an amazing take on Cajun cuisine because they also have the Vietnamese flavors, not to mention the Texas philosophy of "make everything bigger and spicier."  There is a huge debate between Louisiana and Texas over who has the best crawfish technique, and I don't want to start a war.  I love both, but that Tex-Orleans style has my heart.  We typically have crawfish shipped here overnight at least once or twice per season and do a boil in our backyard.  What to put in a crawfish boil is as heavily debated as how to make chili.  Everyone has their own techniques and secrets and everyone staunchly believes theirs is the best.  That's the fun of cooking, especially something as regional as crawfish or Cajun food.  While you can't get fresh crawfish out of season for a boil, you can get packaged crawfish tail meat year round.  That's when we love to make Crawfish Etouffee.  It's a thick, rich gravy-like stew featuring the "trinity" of Cajun Cuisine: celery, bell peppers and onions.  You can use crawfish or shrimp and it is served over rice.  The main difference between gumbo and etouffee is the color of the roux.  Gumbo is known for its rich dark roux while etouffee uses a lighter "peanut butter" roux.  If you're not familiar with making a roux, then this recipe is great for beginners.  You simply cook your flour in melted butter until it has the look and almost consistency of peanut butter.  After that everything goes in one pot like soup or stew.  It really is simple, but oh so flavorful cooking!

Everyone has their own version of Etouffee,
just like their own way to boil crawfish.
This is one of our favorites!

We actually made this for Fat Tuesday.
Can you believe I didn't even get a 
picture of the roux?  I was too busy making
all of the other things while Mr. Devilish Dish
made the Etouffee.  It's so simple,
you won't miss the step by step pictures.

Mr. Devilish Dish's company is headquartered
in New Orleans.  They ship us an authentic
King Cake every year.  We enjoyed quite the
feast on Fat Tuesday.  He got the baby in his
slice of cake which means he has to provide
the King Cake next year.

CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 stalked celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 pound crawfish tails
1/2 cup sliced green onions
cooked white rice

Heat a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat.  Melt the butter and whisk in flour.  Continue whisking until mixture is smooth, thick, and the color of peanut butter.  Stir in celery, bell peppers, and onions.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in minced garlic, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion power, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.  Stir in tomato sauce and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes.  If sauce seems too thick, thin out with a little more water or chicken stock.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add crawfish tails and cook approximately 3-5 minutes or until they are heated through.  Remove bay leaves and stir in the green onions.  Serve with rice and hot sauce.

Spooky 7-Layer Dip

 A while back we had a "Nacho Bar" for our tailgate.  Which is honestly an easy way to feed a large crowd.  We all bring crockpots full of queso and chips and then pile on the toppings.  Grilled chicken, taco meat, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, guacamole.  The ideas are endless and it's a hearty treat that is always a hit with our football friends.  I had a few toppings leftover, and spent an entire day creating a feast of frightening treats.  Traditionally a 7-layer dip features layers of refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and black olives.  Served with tortilla chips for dipping of course.  Since I had a host of nacho topping leftovers, I decided to get creative with what I had on hand, to create my own spooky version of a 7 layer dip.  I made a large batch of my Homemade Mexican Restaurant Relish, and even used some pickled carrots and jalapenos to make a cute little spooky spider to top off the dip.  It turned out really cute, and honestly what is not delicious about a layers of Mexican ingredients in dip form?  You could make your own version with whatever you have on hand, including leftover refried beans, salsa, queso, cooked chorizo etc...Just make sure you your top layer is a ghoulishly green guacamole and you have some sour cream to pipe the spider's web!

Your favorite Mexican Dip with 
a spooky twist for Halloween!

I made this with things I had on hand
leftover from our Nacho Bar Tailgate.
Feel free to use your favorite
Mexican ingredients.

Spread a layer of refried beans or 
bean dip into the bottom of a 
shallow dish.  Top with shredded cheese.

Add a layer of your favorite salsa or 
even chopped tomatoes.

Make your last layer a spread of 
ghoulishly green guacamole.

Make a little spider from pickled 
jalapenos and carrots.

Pipe on a sour cream web as your last layer.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips
for dipping.

Isn't he cute?

I added a little garnish around the edge of my
dip with the pickled carrots and jalapenos from
my Homemade Mexican Restaurant Relish.
Honestly I did not have a single platter or dish to
serve this in that was remotely appropriate for Halloween,
so I decided to use the carrots and peppers to add 
a pop of Halloween color.  

SPOOKY 7-LAYER DIP

Refried Beans or - I used a can of Frito Lay Bean Dip

Your Favorite Salsa
Shredded Cheese
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Mexican Relish or canned Mexican Carrots & Jalapenos for the spider
Candy eyeballs for the spider
Tortilla chips for dipping

Spread the layer of refried beans or bean dip into the bottom of a shallow dish.  Top with a layer of your favorite salsa, and then a layer of shredded cheese.  Spread a layer of guacamole over the top.  With a pastry bag and thin pastry tip, pipe sour cream on top of the guacamole to create a spider web look.

Optional, use a pickled carrot slice and some pickled jalapeno pieces to create a spider and legs.  Top with candy eye balls.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

NOTE: The sky is the limit on the ingredients you can put in this.  Add some leftover taco meat, or black beans.  I literally just used what I had in my fridge leftover from a Nacho Bar party.  

Taquito Enchiladas

 I love to cook, and I love to cook from scratch.  I've been known to grow my own herbs, dry them, use them to make my own ranch dressing mix and then prepare said mix into fresh ranch dressing.  It's very rewarding to start with some seeds in the early spring and end up with a fresh homegrown salad topped with homemade dressing.  You know what else is rewarding?  Spending the day catching a big fish.  Spending the day hitting golf balls.  Spending the day sitting on my patio enjoying a cold beverage or reading a good book.  On those days I am the complete opposite of homegrown and homemade.  Those days are made for recipes like Busy Day Casserole or  Slow Cooker Mississippi Meatball Subs. This is another one of those recipes, perfect for a busy day, or a school night (school has started back - ugh) Literally 4 ingredients, about 5 minutes of prep work and 40 minutes in the oven for a hearty meal that is surprisingly delicious.  I'll have to admit Mr. Devilish Dish was slightly skeptical when he saw me buying canned chili.  (The HORROR - as he makes his own award winning version.)  I said, "Trust me on this, we aren't going to the trouble of making a batch of chili from scratch to pour over frozen taquitos." Not that I don't love his chili, but this recipe didn't need it.  The canned worked just as well and the point of this whole recipe is EASE.  Try this one soon when you need a night off from the kitchen.

Hot, bubbly, and most importantly
only 4 ingredients and super easy.

Line a greased baking dish with frozen taquitos.

Add chili and spread to cover taquitos.

Next add the can of enchilada sauce.

Cover with the package of cheese.

 I like to serve this with a chopped lettuce and 
tomato salad and salsa.  That's what my mom
always served with Mexican casseroles.

TAQUITO ENCHILADAS

1 Package Frozen Taquitos (Approximately 20) Your choice - we used the beef style in corn tortillas (they were the skinnier ones and turned out great)

1 (15.8 oz) Can Chili (We used Wolf Brand - beans/no beans your choice)

1 (15 oz) Can Red Enchilada Sauce

1 (8 oz) Package Shredded Cheese (Mexican, Cheddar, Colby Jack - any is fine)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Place the frozen taquitos in the baking dish.  (Mine wound up kind of stacked which was okay because I was using the skinnier ones.  If you have thicker taquitos, go for a single layer.)  Spread the can of chili evenly over the taquitos.  Pour the can of enchilada sauce over the chili layer.  Top with the package of shredded cheese.  Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the taquitos are cooked through, the casserole is bubbly, and the cheese is melted.  

Easy 4-Ingredient Beef Enchiladas

I know I don't even have to mention how much 2020 sucked and how much we missed.  I try hard to keep my posts here at The DD positive because I know folks love to visit cooking blogs for recipes and fun stories.  Not to be reminded of the negativity of everything that has been going on in the world.  So I tell you this because my story of something negative grew into something very positive and has a happy ending.  For the bad news first we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving with our families like we usually do.  The Devilish Nephew and his sweet wife were stuck in Houston.  Not only because of Covid but their sweet golden retriever had to have surgery.  We opted not to have the big traditional turkey day meal with our parents.  My brother has a birthday at the end of November so in lieu of the holiday meal we had a very small get together as a birthday celebration.  I'm not a big fan of the traditional Thanksgiving meal and neither is my brother so here's where the story starts the upturn.  I decided to make Mexican food, because that's always a hit with my family.  I knew there would be no complaints!  I made a big batch of Gluten-Free Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas because Mr. DD loves those.  But not everyone on my side of the family is a fan of chicken in Mexican food.  I decided we needed a beef option and I was almost embarrassed I made such a simple recipe for a birthday meal.  I also made a big pot of Cowboy Beans and a batch of Restaurant Style Mexican Relish.  I also made a batch of our newest favorite salsa.  We found Simple Salsa Mix at the boat show in Little Rock last year.  (Remember we went crazy and bought a boat!) It is THE BEST salsa.  It's a dry mix you simply mix a scoop with a can of diced or crushed tomatoes.  Perfect for camping and RVs.  Also perfect for people in quarantine who did nothing but go fishing and eat chips and salsa.  We love this mix in the cute little can so much we gave everyone a can for Christmas!  The salsa was a hit at the meal, it was hard to keep it a secret that everyone at the table had some under the Christmas tree.  And if you thought the salsa was a huge hit, the Easy Beef Enchiladas were the absolute star of the evening.  No one touched the chicken enchiladas. And they are excellent! The beef enchiladas casserole dish was wiped out.  I lost count of how many helpings my brother ate.  He thanked me a million times and even texted me later in the evening after he got home.  The next day he called and thanked me again and told me for the millionth time how much he loved the beef enchiladas and asked for the recipe.  He called Mom and told her a million times how much he loved the enchiladas.  At Christmas a month later he was still talking about the enchiladas.  They are so embarrassingly easy, but a definite crowd pleaser.  Amid all the chaos and negativity I'm happy to report our family has a new standby recipe that requires almost no effort. Here's hoping we can all enjoy meals like this with our families soon! 

Hatch Green Chile Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adding Hatch Green Chiles to a dessert might sound unusual, but I know for a fact it works!  Several years ago Mr. Devilish Dish and I taught a cooking class and the theme was "Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe?" Because you KNOW I do!  Whenever he taught classes, he always tasked me with the part of coming up with a dessert and presenting that during the class.  He once taught a Tailgating themed class called "Gridiron Gourmet" and I came up with my Browned Butter Pumpkin Pie Spiced Rice Krispie Treats as the dessert.  In keeping with the Santa Fe theme I made Hatch Green Chile Peach Cobbler and it was the hit of the entire class.  You may have noticed I've been absent from the Devilish Dish for the last several weeks.  I wish I could say it's because we were out having fun in our new boat, but alas I was sick the entire month of August.  I'm still recovering from pneumonia, and just getting back into the kitchen the last few days.  I've missed cooking and baking so much.  We've even had a few days of below average temperatures, which really make me feel like baking, so I was finally inspired to get back in the kitchen.  Plus it's time for the famous chile harvest in Hatch New Mexico.  We used to visit every Fall to load up on chiles.  Then we found out there was a chain of grocery stores in Texas that would import the chiles and roast them every August so we would head down to Dallas.  Recently a local grocery store chain here in Oklahoma celebrates the harvest by roasting the peppers on site, so we stocked up our freezer locally, at the end of last month so we can make Greg's Famous Green Chile Stew all winter long.  Since Hatch Chiles mean Fall to me, I'm excited to incorporate them into my recipes.  It's still a little hot for a batch of stew, but I was reminiscing with Mr. Devilish Dish about that Hatch Chile Peach Cobbler and decided to try another savory sweet combination.  The cookies were a total success!  The chiles are not a dominant flavor.  They just add a subtle hint of warmth and make you wonder what exactly is in the cookie besides chocolate chips.  I added a little cinnamon too, because the warmth from that is a great compliment to the warmth and savoriness of the chiles.  I also used vanilla bean paste (a little more than you would in a regular chocolate chip cookie) because I wanted an extra boost of sweetness to balance out the savory flavor of the chiles.  Finally I used Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips because I have to.  Our dog is named Ghirardelli "Elli" lol.  Don't be afraid to mad science a little in the kitchen.  Those delicious Hatch peppers aren't just for stew.  Ring in the Fall season and enjoy the flavors of the chile harvest in cookie form! 

Don't be afraid to try the unusual!
Hatch Green Chiles aren't just for stew...

Be sure to use
quality ingredients in this.
Real roasted Hatch Chiles and
Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips

Bake up a batch today.
You won't be disappointed.

The warmth from the chiles and cinnamon
is a great compliment to the sweetness
of the vanilla bean paste and chocolate chips.
I LOVE the Nielsen MasseyVanilla Bean Paste!

These won't last long I promise!
You'll enjoy watching everyone try to figure
out what makes this cookie so different.

Quick & Easy Enchilada Casserole

So Mr. Devilish Dish and I did a thing this Spring.  We bought a bass boat.  Now that Little Devil has left the nest and we're empty nesters we decided we needed a fun "social distancing" type hobby we can enjoy together.  I grew up on Oklahoma lakes, so I was completely on board with the idea.  We've had a really fun spring and summer so far.  The only downside (and it isn't much of a downside) is we sometimes come home after dinner time.  Again, this isn't a bad thing since we're empty nesters and don't have anyone waiting to be fed but ourselves, but now I'm on the hunt for recipes that come together quickly and easily after day on the lake.  This Quick & Easy Enchilada Casserole totally fits the bill.  Only 5 ingredients and about 25 minutes in the oven to a hearty Mexican feast!  The time saver is the tortilla chips.  No tortillas to soften and roll up, just a short cut with the chips!  You can even use store bought taco seasoning, to speed things up.  I happened to have some of my Homemade Taco Seasoning on hand, which is gluten-free so I used that.  Canned enchilada sauce and pre-shredded cheese make it even easier.  Just brown your ground beef and onions and layer the ingredients together. While it bakes, throw together a simple lettuce and tomato salad and you'll have a comforting, filling meal that comes together in minutes.  The perfect ending to a day enjoying your favorite hobby!

Only 5 ingredients to a quick & easy meal!

Layer crushed tortilla chips in prepared dish.

Brown ground beef and diced onion.

Season with taco seasoning.

Combine ground beef mixture with
enchilada sauce and half of the cheese.
Pour over the crushed chips.

Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Serve with a simple
lettuce and tomato salad for a hearty meal. 
Perfect after a day of boating!

Egg Roll in a Bowl {Gluten-Free}

January 13th is National Gluten-Free Day which is every day for me.  It's fortunate (or unfortunate really) that there are enough gluten-allergy sufferers that there is a food holiday devoted to us!  It has been a few years now, so eating a gluten-free diet is part of our daily life and I normally don't give it a second thought.  Developing recipes and adapting old ones to become gluten-free are something I enjoy doing most of the time like taking our family's Indian Fry Bread Recipe and coming up with a Gluten-Free Version.  Occasionally though I'm in a hurry or I'm not in the mood to experiment and it's easier to just eat a hamburger without a bun or a taco fillings without a tortilla.  Sometimes I can get my Asian fix with a good spring roll since the wrappers are rice paper but since I have to be cautious about soy sauce, it's safer to prepare Asian recipes at home.  That's when I realized I can have the delicious flavors of an egg roll without the gluten-y wrapper.  And it's prepared as a satisfying meal instead of an appetizer!  This recipe comes together super fast and if you go light on the sauce, it's pretty healthy too.  All the flavors of an egg roll, minus the gluten and minus the hassle of rolling and frying.  Win Win for everyone!

All the flavors without the wrapper!

Saute onions and garlic

Add additional ingredients and cook until
cabbage is wilted slightly.

Add shredded chicken and garnish with green onions.

Whip up a quick sauce with mayonnaise and
sriracha sauce.

Drizzle sauce over and enjoy.
Bonus: Gluten-Free!

Firecracker Chicken

When Little Devil lived at home our menu consisted of constant Asian recipes.  When we became empty nesters Mr. Devilish Dish said, "Can we take an Asian Food Hiatus?" so we did for a while and after a break I can report we are now enjoying some Asian meals now and then.  I made a version of this recipe a couple of weeks ago and while it was good, it wasn't great so I made it again last night because I wanted to tweak the sauce.  Both Mr. DD and I were really happy with the way it turned out.  Warning, it does have a little kick, hence the name Firecracker Chicken.  I'm super excited to have something that is crispy and fried that is gluten-free so it is a winning recipe all around.  I served it over rice and garnished it with some crisp green onions.  Skip the take out and make your own at home, it's that easy!

Better than Take Out!

Fry your chicken in a small amount of
oil until crispy.

Coat with sauce and bake until thick.

Garnish with green onions.

Serve over hot, steamed rice and enjoy!

Christmas Charcuterie Board

As you may know, my other hobby besides cooking is sewing.  I make scarves from repurposed threads.  A lot of team shirts, but if I can put a needle through it I'll try to make just about anything.   As I've probably told you before Mr. Devilish Dish is quite the cook and he has even taught cooking classes at the international pantry many times.  I've even roped him into helping me with some pop-ups and demonstrations when I've held craft shows there.  He always features some kind of delicious food item or kitchen tool available at the international pantry.  This year we decided to do something different.  As our gift to our loyal shoppers who come to our holiday show every year, we decided to have him teach a little workshop and our theme was Charcuterie Boards & Cold Brew Coffee.  The cold brew coffee was amazing and I will feature it soon in another blog post, but I wanted to share the charcuterie boards just in time for Christmas.

Charcuterie is the craft of preparing smoked and cured meats for preservation and flavor. Typical charcuterie meats are salami, ham, bacon, sausages, and pates. A selection of meats and cheeses are often accompanied by other yummy bites such as crackers, olives, pickles, jams, spreads, fruits and vegetables.  Think of it as the modern relish tray!

Italian Marinated Cheese & Olives + FREE Father's Day Printable OLIVE YOU DAD!

Father's Day is almost here and I haven't even gotten around to posting what I made the Moms for Mother's Day.  But I'm so excited about this post so I'm sharing early.  You know I love CHEESY food puns, like my "Don't String Me Along" String Cheese Valentines  or my Homemade "I Love You Honey Bunny" Honey Buns.  I'll go ahead and spoil the surprise from Mother's Day.  The moms all received homemade salsa and Mexican relish and tortilla chips in bags that said, "MOM, You're All That & and Bag of Chips!" I knew when Father's Day rolled around I would need something equally as silly and delicious.  Nothing says Dad Snack Food more than cheese and crackers, but I decided to level up by adding a tasty marinated olive blend and making my theme: OLIVE YOU DAD.  This mixture is delicious with any kind of olive, but I chose pitted Sicilian green olives and pitted Kalamata olives for my blend.  If you're ever near the international pantry in Norman, Oklahoma stop by and check their huge selection of bulk olives and French Feta cheese. That's where I stock up on my cooking essentials!  I chose to cube some Colby Jack cheese, but any hard cheese that can withstand a little while in the marinade like a firm Mozzarella or Gouda would be tasty too.  Throw everything together and let it refrigerate 8-24 hours and everyone will OLIVE YOU. 

Tell anyone OLIVE YOU with this savory snack.

Combine ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate
8-24 hours.

Enjoy with some quality crackers.

Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock.

These images are my exclusive artwork.
Please be courteous when using these printables 
and remember they are for personal use only.