Easy – Hungry for Louisiana

Breakfast, Budget, Easy, Eggs, Local, Louisiana, Vegetables

Easy, fast and cheap: Sweet potato-spinach frittata

January 20, 2016

Frittatas are fast, affordable, easy and the perfect vessel for leftover meats, herbs and veggies. If they’re not yet in your repertoire, it’s time to give these quick-cooking, crust-free egg tarts a try. They’re versatile in flavor and in texture, and depending on the fat content of the dairy products, they can be rich and unctuous or lean and healthful. They’re a great use of Louisiana’s year-round local produce, and they can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. And, clean up is easy since you use minimal equipment.

One of my favorite flavor combinations in a frittata is sweet potato and spinach. Here’s how to make it….

Cooking with Kids, Easy, Meats, One Pot

Teaching my kids to cook: four-ingredient chili

June 10, 2015

Fulfilling my pledge to teach my children to cook this summer, I grabbed the youngest (the only one I could find at the time), and said, “let’s cook chili!” He was game. Doing something without his older brother and sister to boss him around sounded appealing, so off we went into the kitchen to make our family’s signature four-ingredient chili. It’s fast, simple and homey, and we eat it year-round, even in stifling 90-plus degree weather.

Blueberries, Easy, Farmers Markets, Fruit

Basil-balsamic blueberry cobbler a fresh spin on an old favorite

May 22, 2015

Around Memorial Day weekend and throughout the month of June, summer fruits and veggies explode in South Louisiana. And at no time do these foods taste better than they do during summer. I’m talking about blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes, watermelon, figs, peaches and more.

Local farmers markets have recently begun featuring blueberries, and here at my house, our backyard berries are ripening. That means cobbler will soon be emerging from my kitchen.

Cooking with Kids, Creole, Easy, Fresh from the Gulf, Louisiana, Salads, Shrimp

Teaching my kids to cook: lessons in remoulade

May 20, 2015

It’s on.

This is the summer that my children, ages 13, 11 and 8, WILL learn to cook.

Yes, I should have done this before now. But like most busy moms, I’ve been more focused on slapping dinner on the table than about explaining how it got there.

I realize that my kids are only getting older, and one day soon they’re going to need to scramble their own eggs. And that, as you know, is not as easy as it sounds. The one thing that cooking requires, more than natural talent or creativity, is practice. And unless I invite them in to make some messes and slow me down, they will never learn.

Easy, Holiday, Southern

The only mac-and-cheese recipe you’ll ever need

May 4, 2015

In time for Mother’s Day, here’s a recipe for that timeless and versatile Southern side, macaroni and cheese. It was passed down to me from my paternal grandmother who made mac-and-cheese frequently and often serve it with fried fish, ham or pork roast. When I taste it today, it’s a tether to memory: I can’t help but think of large family gatherings and plates overloaded with food. My favorite item among the crowd of casseroles and platters on the kitchen counter was always the mac-and-cheese.

Easy, Fruit, Healthy, Local, Louisiana, Strawberries

Strawberry salsa bursts with spring flavor

April 14, 2015

I’m a huge fan of salsa. I love a green salsa with tangy tomatillos. Gimme fresh tomato salsa, heavy on the cilantro and garlic. And I’ve always loved fruit salsas. Mango is the workhorse and is one of my favorite toppers for cedar-roasted fish. Pineapple salsa also works great on grilled fish, pork and fowl. And now with strawberries in full seasonal swing in Louisiana and elsewhere, it’s a great time for strawberry salsa.

This past weekend, I had a chance to sample fresh strawberry salsa made with local berries at a pop-up event held outside Alexander’s Highland Market, a gourmet grocer here in Baton Rouge. World renowned obesity and nutrition research center, Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), also located in Baton Rouge, had a booth at the pop-up along with several local food entrepreneurs. I was there signing copies of Hungry for Louisiana. PBRC Communications Director Alisha Prather and respected research pathologist Jennifer Rood were handing out samples of this healthy fruit salsa, which you can also make with fresh blueberries. It’s light, flavorful and versatile and was developed in-house at Pennington.

Louisiana Spring Salsa

Makes 2 cups

1 pint strawberries, washed and diced, or ½ pint blueberries, washed and sliced in half
¼ of 1 medium red onion, finely diced (I used ¼ cup)
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Juice from ½ lime (about 1 tbsp.)

Combine all ingredients and serve on salads, fish, chicken, chips or cheese and crackers. Use within a day.

Nutrition facts per ½ cup serving

Calories: 35
Protein: 0.5 g
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Fat: 0.5 g
Fiber: 2 g

Maggie’s variation with avocado and jalapeño

Being an avocado junkie and a fan of heat, I added the following to Pennington’s recipe.

Half of 1 ripe avocado, diced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
Juice from remaining half lime

For additional healthy recipes developed by Pennington, click here.