I’m really diggin’ our CSA box delivery service. So far the produce has been great and in order to use it all we’ve had to use our noggins and think outside the box a bit, so to speak! Who said you can’t have looks and brains?

This week our box contained organic Fuji apples, spinach, leeks, rainbow chard, broccoli, Valencia oranges & mixed peppers. I turned to old faithfuls for some of these—I used the oranges for Jerk sauce and the mixed peppers went into a pot o’chili.

Each week when our box arrives there’s a newsletter inside from the farm talking about what’s in season and giving tips and such about the fruit n’ veg. They also give a recipe highlighting one of the veggies. I was intrigued by this particular chard recipe not only because I really like leafy greens but also because it used the entire bunch of chard, stems & all. Usually one would remove the stems and either put them in the stock pot as I do or into the compost heap. Either way they’re getting used but I’d much prefer to eat them. They have a lovely peppery flavour and they add brilliant colour to the sauteed chard. I can’t take any credit for this but it did turn out great and I combined it with a rice recipe (below) which uses up some of the apples. Usin’ my noggin!

CHARD & LEEK SAUTE
RECIPE
Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup sliced leeks – white part only, washed & drained
4 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup low sodium chicken or veg broth
1 bunch rainbow chard – washed
salt
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Pull the leaves from the stalks and chop finely. Set aside. Chop the leaves coarsely and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Drain.

Preheat large skillet on medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute leeks for 3 minutes approx, stirring.
Add garlic and chard stems to leeks and saute for additional 3-4 minutes until softened. Add broth and chard leaves and saute for 4-5 minutes until tender and stock reduced.
Taste and season with S&P.

RICE WITH LEEKS & FUJI APPLE:

RECIPE:
Serves 6-8

2 cups uncooked Brown & Red Rice Mix (I like the Texmati Royal Blend)
2 cups Fuji apple – small dice
1 cup leek – white only – chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken/veg  broth
2 cups water
1 tsp fresh thyme – chopped
1/3 cup walnuts -toasted & chopped
3/4 chopped walnuts – toasted
1 tsp olive oil
S&P to taste

Directions:
Preheat large saute for 30 seconds on medium heat. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive and saute diced apples for 6-7 minutes until soft. Once softened, remove from pan and add another tbsp olive oil. Saute leeks for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds. Add broth, water, thyme and rice.  Stir and cover with lid. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes approx or until rice is cooked through.
NOTE: If additional liquid is needed add 1/2 cup at a time.
Once cooked, drain any excess liquid and return rice to pan. Fold in apple and walnuts.
Taste and season with S&P.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Cajun Catfish or Grilled Organic Chicken Breast
I was able to purchase pre-seasoned cajun catfish at Whole Foods and it was damn tasty! (Even headdaball enjoyed it.) Definitely a meal worth trying!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

Thanksgiving before last I had my first Southern feast. The dish that has been on my mind ever since and the one I’ve been wanting to try was the stuffed Mirlitons. Man they were good. Back then I had no idea what I was eating but my mouth was in heaven. Since then I’ve found out a thing or two about this dish and have finally tried making them in hopes of recreating that great taste.

Chayote/Mirlitons

The Mirliton, also known as the Chayote, Alligator Pear, Mango Squash and Vegetable Pear is a favorite food of South Louisiana. I think they taste like a cross between honeydew melon and watery artichoke. Does that do it justice? How about stuffing it with shrimp and crab meat? Brilliant! Makes a great appetizer and looks

RECIPE:
Makes 6 servings

3 Large Mirlitons
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined

1/2 lb. fresh cooked crab meat
1 med white onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
2 tsp. Creole/Cajun seasoning, divided
Seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp. olive oil
S&P

DIRECTIONS:
Slice mirlitons in half, boil until fork tender. Keep an eye on them–you don’t want to over cook them because if the skin gets too tender they’ll fall apart when working with them. While they’re boiling, dice the shrimp and sprinkle 1 tsp of the Creole seasoning on them. Toss and refrigerate until needed.
When mirlitons are done, drain and let cool until you can handle them. Remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp into a bowl, leaving about a 1/4″ shell to support the skin. Get as much of the pulp out as you can without puncturing the skin.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Saute onions, celery, bell pepper and jalapeno in olive oil for about 15 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic and cook for another 3-5 mins. Add the shrimp and bayleaf into the sauteed vegetables and cook for about a minute. Add the mirliton pulp and mix well. Add in 1 tsp of creole seasoning and the green onions, mix well. Cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes, or until flavors are married. Taste and season accordingly. Fold in fresh cooked crab meat. Let this rest for about 10 mins off the flame.

S&P the inside of the shells. Spoon the stuffing into each shell. Don’t be afraid to overstuff them. Place the shells on a baking dish and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake on the top rack for about 25 mins or until the bread crumbs begin to brown. My crumbs needed a little push so I cranked up the oven to 500 and baked for an extra 10 mins to get the browning I desired. Serve hot.
Oh yeah, I’m on my way to Emeril’s fame with these!

(Adapted from Cooking Louisiana)

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

What do you mean you haven’t heard of Creajun food? Truth be told, its my version of Creole meets Cajun food, a cuisine Southern Louisiana and Mississippi hold dear, neither of which I’m well versed in but that’s the beauty about cooking. I have the freedom to make whatever I want, like Creajun food, and since it’s Mardi Gras, there’s no better time to give it a go.

Creajun food is all about spices and flavor. Since Cajun people are so close to the Gulf of Mexico, seafood is a big item in their diet, so these are the basic staples of creating your own Creajun recipes.

Continue reading “Mardi Gras Creajun Shrimp with Black Beans & Rice” on Health Habits>>

After I wrote the article, “Phone for Fish” we got inspired to make catfish tacos for Sunday lunch. Perhaps it also had something to do with our 80 degree weather in mid-Nov (what’s the story with that?) We headed over to our local Whole Foods in Venice (it’s the business by the way) and ended up getting the pre-seasoned cajun catfish filets. If you’re wondering if we did our homework and if catfish is one of the good eco fish to eat, be sure to read this whole post because I was indeed a good boy and did my research before purchasing (which means yes, it’s ok). First, the scrumptious recipe:

RECIPE (2 servings):
SALSA:
1 ripe red tomato
2 tsp onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
S&P to taste

1 pound catfish filets, cajun seasoned
corn tortillas
1 avocado

SLAW:
2 cups shredded cabbage or prepackaged slaw mix
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp cilantro
4 tbsp olive oil, drizzled
1 tsp. Agave
S&P

DIRECTIONS:
Start by making the cabbage slaw. A lot of fish tacos have a mayo based sauce but as you’ll see here I made more of a vinaigrette which has a much cleaner taste and of course is healthier. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Taste and season accordingly. Add slaw mix, toss and refrigerate until needed. The flavors will marry while you make the rest of the meal. Read the rest of this entry »