Southern Potato Salad

From my Grandmother's kitchen to yours :)

Ingredients
7 Russet potatoes
5 organic, free range eggs
1 1/2 c healthy mayonnaise
2 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp dry paprika
1/2 Tbsp dill, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
Cajun season to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Place russet potatoes in water and boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil eggs for 8 minutes and peel.
2. Once potatoes are boiled, peel. Place in bowl with peeled, boiled eggs. Chop and blend coarsely with fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Some prefer it chilled in fridge before serving, others eat it warm.

Tastes great with gumbo and / or bbq. That's how we do it Louisiana style...

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans of green beans, drained and rinsed OR 2 (9oz) pkgs frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 container of French Fried Onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Make the cream of mushroom soup according to link above. Once seasoning is adjusted...
2. Add green beans and 2/3 cup of Fried onions. Stir well. Place into baking pan.
3. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove. Add remaining onions to the top and bake again for 5 min until onions are golden brown. Serve warm.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Vegan and Eat Clean

Ingredients:

10 ounces mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion
generous pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth (I made my own!)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (such as almond or soy)

Directions:
1. Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces.
2. Oil pan and heat it. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms.
4. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens.
5. Add the milk and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings

Lentil Cabbage Soup with Smoked Sausage

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Cajun smoked sausage
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp thyme
3 tsp cumin
2 cups lentils, dry
3 carrots, diced
2 robs celery, diced
1 head of cabbage, sliced small
1/2 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
6 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in pot in oil. Once brown, Add onions, carrot, celery, garlic. Saute and stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning.
2. Once onions, translucent, add tomato paste, bay leaves, seasonings and saute for 1-2 more minutes.
3. Add lentils, broth, water, and bring to boil.
4. While water coming to boil, chop cabbage. Add to pot once boiling, salt and pepper to taste. Lower to simmer for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until cabbage and lentils are tender.


* Can easily remove the sausage for a delicious vegan version!
** If you haven't seen my previous caveat on Cajun smoked sausage, the sausage we use is not store bought. It is made in LA by my family from fresh veal and pork, smoked by my dad. It does not taste the same with store bought, although it would work. I have also seen many recipes that use Italian sausage.

Louisiana Sauce Piquante

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef and/or pork (or cut roast)
2 links Cajun sausage
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Rotel tomatoes

Directions:
1. Season meat with preferred seasoning: salt, pepper, Cajun seasonings
2. Brown meat and sausage.
3. Remove meat and sausage from pot
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil
5. Add rotel. Return meat to pot
6. Add water to just cover meat. Cook until meat is tender, at least 45 min
7. Serve over rice

*caveat: you can clean this up by not using Rotel, but it DEFINITELY doesn't taste the same :) You can also serve over quinoa if you are not a fan of rice.

Also, I use Cajun sausage, made from fresh venison and pork, smoked in my uncle's back yard. All true cajun style. That is not available at the local grocer. That being said, I tried it with store bought sausage, and it was not the same, but not too bad.

Chicken and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs organic chicken breasts
8 cups water
8 medium russet potatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
1-2 cups organic corn (we choose organic corn because non-organic corn is genetically modified)
Cajun seasoning
Parsley
1/3 cup chives
salt to taste
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c almond milk

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt and Cajun seasoning. Place water, onion and chicken in pot. Boil, reduce to simmer. Cook over med heat for 1 hour.
2. Add potatoes and boil for 10-15 min until soft.
3. Remove chicken and potatoes. Add corn and chives and cook for 10 min.
4. Meanwhile, cut chicken into small peices and mash a few of the potatoes into small course chunks, to preference.
5. Return potatoes and chicken to pot. Season to taste again.
6. In separate pot, combine flour and milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Add to pot.
7. Season with parsley and chives before serving.

Louisiana Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

1 organic free range chicken, cut up
2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Water and/or chicken stock
3 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or unbleached white flour or combo)
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Season cut-up chicken and saute in oil. Brown chicken on all sides until meat pulls away from bone; stir to keep from burning
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onion, garlic. Saute about 5-7 min. Add flour and stir well.
3. Continue to stir flour mixture until it begins to stick to pan; return heat to highest setting and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Deglaze by adding water or chicken stock and removing from heat immediately, stirring until pan is clean of stuck residue
5. Add chicken and enough water or stock to cover chicken well. Bring to boil, then turn heat down to simmer until gravy is thick.
6. Serving over rice is most common. We have also served over quinoa cooked in chicken broth and it was delicious, too!

Southern Meatball Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb lean, organic grass-fed beef
2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flax, 3 Tbsp water)
1 c unbleached flour (could also use wheat flour)
Salt, black pepper, red pepper

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together (including seasonings). Make meatballs. Meanwhile heat about 2 Tbsp oil over med high heat.
2. Roll meatballs in flour (optional).
3. Brown in oil very fast. Drain off any excess oil.
4. Add enough water to cover meatballs and let simmer until cooked, usually about 30-40 min.
5. Serve over rice.

This is straight from Granny Patsy's kitchen guys!!!

Cajun Beef and Potatoe Fricassee

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
coconut or olive oil
salt, pepper to taste, cajun seasoning optional
1 onion, chopped
3-4 Tbsp roux
4-6 russet potatoes or 6-8 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
Cooked rice

Directions:
1. Season, then brown ground beef in oil. Add onions and saute until soft.
2. Add roux and incorporate.
3. Add potatoes. Cover with potatoes with water. Simmer on medium until potatoes are soft, approximately 45 min.
4. Serve over rice. White rice is traditionally served. For the healthiest choice, use brown rice. For in between, use basmati.

Cajun Steak and Rice and Gravy

This is one from Daddy Doug Fontenot's kitchen!! "Is anything more dear to a Cajun's heart than rice and gravy?"

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine
1 lb organic, grass fed (beef) round steak or similar cut
water
coconut or olive oil
salt
black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp paprika
rice (brown rice is the healthiest, white rice is what is most commonly served in LA, and basmati rice is in between for both)

Directions:
1. Season meat with salt and black pepper. Use black pepper sparingly!! or it will be HOT (not 'cause I've done that or anything :)
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Brown all meat, then remove from pot and set aside.
3. Saute garlic, onion, bell pepper until all is soft and onions are translucent.
4. Return beef to pot, add paprika. Cover meat with water.
5. Cook on medium heat for approximately 1 hour, or until beef is tender. Add water as needed to maintain enough for a gravy.
6. Cook rice according to package.
7. Serve meat and gravy over rice. Veggies as a side.

Caveat: We are talking a REAL gravy here. Louisana style. Not this gravy from a mix pack type stuff with flour in it. This gravy will be thin and watery. That is how it should be, so don't worry about it if it's not the texture you are used to. But trust me. It is GOOD!

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb organic dried red beans, rinsed (or pinto beans)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground black
pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp thyme
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1" pieces
free range, low sodium chicken broth, and/or water (enough to cover beans in pot)
4 cups cooked rice (can use brown or white or basmati: brown is healthiest, rice is the traditional fare, basmati is in the middle--tastes more like white, but healthier though not as healthy as brown)

Directions:

1. OPTIONAL: place beans in large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight.
2. In large pot, add 1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil and brown sausage for about 5 min. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and saute until veggies are soft.
3. Add the bay leaves, parsley, and thyme. Cook about 1 min.
4. Add the beans and stock/water. Put just enough liquid to cover beans plus about an inch. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until all beans are tender and starting to thicken (about 2 hours). If beans should become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 c at a time.
5. Remove from heat and with the back of a heavy spoon mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until tender and creamy, about 15 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Caveat(s): our sausage is from Louisiana, made fresh from fresh wild venison and pork. It is then smoked to give that rich smokey LA flavor...I have never made red beans and rice without this fresh, flavorful, non-processed, non-fatty sausage. If you are attempting this without it, try to find a healthy sausage that has a smokey flavor, otherwise the recipe with not quite taste "Louisiana authentic"

Check your seasonings and sausage if you are gluten free!

Additionally, I know it is always recommended to soak your dried beans. I do sometimes :) However, I have found that you can make this recipe without soaking them. Just may have to cook longer. SO if you decide at the last minute to make this recipe, don't fret. You'll be fine! Additionally, you can make this with 4 cans of organic red beans, although I find it more flavorful (and more nutritious) with dried beans.

Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients:

1 large head cabbage
1 lb organic or lean ground meat
2 cups brown rice, cooked to package directions
1 large white onion, chopped
tomato puree (I pureed fresh tomatoes) or 3 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce (no sugar added)
2 tsp. olive or coconut oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In large pan, saute garlic and onions in oil until translucent and soft.
2. Stir in ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook thoroughly.
3. Add in spices, cooked rice, tomatoes (reserving about 1 cup of tomato puree) and mix well.
4. Remove pan from heat.
5. If you haven't already, remove the leaves from the head of cabbage, or chop into large pieces.
6. Arrange cabbage and beef mixture in layers in a large, coated baking dish, beginning and ending with meat sauce. Pour remaining tomato puree over the top of the casserole. Cover with foil or lid to bake. Bake at 350 for 30 min to 1 hour, until cabbage is to desired texture.