#SundaySupper Emeril’s New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

This week’s Sunday Supper topic was to make a dish by our favorite celebrity chef. I don’t know about you, but my husband and I LOVE Emeril’s recipes. They are always so flavorful. They often use one of his spice blends, although this one does not, which really add a punch to the dish they are being used in. I prefer to prepare his spice blends at home, over purchasing them in the store. They taste better and homemade blends tend to have less sodium than the store bought ones.

Now deciding which Emeril recipe to share proved to not be too difficult. It happened to be the weekend after Thanksgiving when I was deciding what to make and I had a hamhock to do something with. Well, I had recently been perusing a new local restaurant’s menu and saw they serve Red Beans & Rice on Monday and call it Laundry Night. Apparently, in New Orleans (one my most favorite cities in the world) back in the day, the women of the household would let Red Beans simmer on the stove all day Monday, using the hamhock from Sunday night’s dinner, while they tended to the laundry.

I liked the story and loved the thought of Red Beans bubbling away in the crockpot all day. When looking for a recipe, I stumbled upon this one, and knowing Emeril never disappoints, eagerly bought the ingredients and got started. I doubled this recipe so my hubby and I would have some and so I could take a batch to ladies at work for lunch. It was a hit with him and the office…as if there was any doubt :0)

Do you like Emeril? What’s your favorite Emeril Recipe? (I also adore his Jambalaya)

Red Beans & Rice served with Jalapeno Cornbread

Emeril’s New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

printable recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons evoo
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 hamhock
• 2 links of Andouille (Patak is my favorite and I highly recommend if you can get your hands on it)
• 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted through, soaked overnight and drained
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 to 10 cups water
• white rice (I love to make mine in the rice cooker)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Pour into a crockpot. Add the bay leaves, hamhock, sausage, beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents. Cook on low all day (about 6-8 hours). Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side of the pot before serving. Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and serve with white rice.

Check out more tasty recipes featuring celebrity chefs from my fellow #SundaySupper foodies:

Starters or Snacks :

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog – Oyster and Brie Soup and Wine Pairings for Celebrity Chef #SundaySupper

Linda at The Urban Mrs. – Inspired by Bobby Flay, Lobster Chowder with Roasted Corn Salsa

Erin from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts – Rachael Ray’s Cinnamon Popcorn

Cindy over at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings – Jamie Oliver’s Bread and Tomato Soup

Jeff at The Catholic Foodie – Drop Biscuits – Breakfast with Chef John Besh

Renee over at Kudos Kitchen By Renee – Giada De Laurentiis’ Garlic Toasts With Red Pepper Aioli

The Main Dish:

Sheila at Cooking Underwriter – Paula Deen’s Chicken in a Crock Pot w/ Sauerkraut and Apples

Laura over at Small Wallet Big Appetite – Martin Yan’s Beef Chow Fun

Claire at The Realistic Nutritionist – Alton Brown’s 40 Cloves and a Chicken

Sarah over at Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends – Michael Symon’s Lola burger with crab tater tots

Susan at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen – Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi

Katy over at Happy Baking Days – Mary Berry’s Treacle Tart

Tammi at Momma’s Meals – Lee Drummond’s Sloppy Joe’s

Lane over at Supper for a Steal – Bobby Flay’s Rosemary Bricked Chicken

Tara from Noshing with the Nolands – Michael Symon’s Pork and Apple Scallopini

Shannon at Country Girl in the Village – Simple Red Sauce over Rigatoni. Inspired by, Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos

Kris over at In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene – Rachael Ray’s Muffin Tin Meatloaf

Nicole from The Daily Dish Recipes – Paula Deen’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pickled Pork Sandwiches

Becca from It’s Yummilicious – Ina Garten’s Grown Up Mac & Cheese

Alice at Hip Foodie Mom – Sunday Pot Roast with Risotto Cakes from Kelsey Nixon

Jen over at Juanita’s Cocina – The Neely’s White Turkey Chili

Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips – Crockpot Beef Pot Roast with Mushrooms inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

Isabel at Family Foodie – Polenta with Garlicky Shrimp inspired by Chef Todd English

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet – Shrimp Penne in Pesto Cream Sauce, From Emeril Lagasse

Bobbi over at Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen – Cheesy Poblano Chicken

Patti at Comfy Cuisine – Tyler Florence’s Chicken Francese

Chris from Sustainable Dad – Pork Tenderloin with Jerusalem Artichokes and Negroni Vinaigrette

Roxanne over at The Roxx Box – Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille

Sue from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz – Rachael Ray’s Spicy Corn Chowdah Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Jamie at Mama Mommy Mom – Penne with Asparagus, Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto. Adapted from, Giada De Laurentiis’

Tora over at Tora’s Real Food – Pork and beans with Alton Brown’s pickled pork

Amazing Sides:

Megan from I Run For Wine – Curtis Stone’s Acorn Squash Roasted with Thyme

Sandi over at Midlife Road Trip – Gabriele Corcos’s Gnocchi di Patate

Shelby at Diabetic Foodie – Orange Pecan Black Rice, adapted from Ina Garten

Katie from She likes Ruffles, He likes Truffles – Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto

Sweet Endings:

Kim over at Cravings of a Lunatic – Chocolate Cream Puffs with Hazelnut Filling

Renee over at Magnolia Days – Brownie Tart

Connie at The Foodie Army Wife – Inspired by Ree Drummond – Scrumptious Apple Coffee Cake

Paula over at Vintage Kitchen Notes – Bill Granger´s Cherry Tart

Pam from The Meltaways – Savannah Sheet Cake

Amber at Mama’s Blissful Bites – Huggy Buggy Bread Pudding

Jaime over at Mom’s Test Kitchen – Southern Tea Cakes

Amy over at Kimchi MOM – Crack Pie, I Can’t Quit You

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry – Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares

Melanie at From Fast Food to Fresh Food – Sand Tarts

Wine Pairings:

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Please join on us via Twitter for #SundaySupper on December 2, 2012, throughout the day. In the evening, we will meet at 7 PM EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

An onion a day keeps everyone away…

If you are brave enough to slice up three pounds of this season’s especially pungent onions, this soup will be well worth your tears.  A great beginning to any dinner, or enjoyed in a mug, curled on the couch watching really bad tv. 

French Onion Soup

Serves 4-6

Spoon please!

• 3 pounds onions (sliced and segmented)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 generous pinch of salt
• a few good grinds of black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-6 cups home-made beef stock
• 2 cups Guinness, or any other dark beer/stout
• 1 baguette
• 1/2 cup EACH of g smoked gouda, mozzarella and parmesan

1. Melt together the butter and olive oil in a large stockpot.
2. Crush and peel the garlic. You don’t have to mince it; it will caramelize and turn soft and sweet as it cooks. Caramelize the garlic in the olive oil and butter.
3. Pour in the onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir around just until the onions are all coated in the olive oil/butter.
4. Add in the fresh thyme and the bay leaf and let the onions caramelize, about 20 minutes.
5. Once the onions are caramelized and have cooked down, pour in the stock, about 4-6 cups depending on whether you prefer your soup more onion-y or more soup-y.
6. Then, pour in the beer and simmer, uncovered, for at least an hour and as much as three hours, tasting occasionally to adjust the flavors.
7. Meanwhile, slice down your bread. Stale bread is perfectly okay for this, just heat it up a bit in a warm (250ºF) oven first to soften it. Toast the bread; you can rub both sides with a cut clove of garlic first, if you like. You’ll want 2 pieces of bread per person – one for the bottom of the bowl, and one for on top.
8. Grate together about 1/2 cup each of parmesan, gouda, and mozzarella and set it aside.
9. Preheat your broiler. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the soup.
10. Arrange your oven-safe individual serving bowls or coffee mugs on a baking tray with a thin lip.
11. TO SERVE: drop a toast slice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle in the soup and cover with a second slice of toast. Then cover the toast with cheese. Be generous! You want the cheese to seal in the soup and drape over the edge of the bowl.
12. Broil for a few minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbling on top. Garnish with a little fresh thyme, and serve.

Original recipe can be found here.

Related Articles

• Creamed onion soup with cider and Blue Monday (independent.co.uk)
• Why Do Onions Make Us Cry? (self.com)
• Bread Soup with Potatoes and Carrots (notecook.com)

Where’s the Salt?

Unfortunately, hypertension (high blood pressure) is something many adults suffer from.  Whether it results from way of life, or genes, one way to help control daily intake is by preparing your own broth — beef and chicken, to be used in soups and other dishes that you make at home.  Canned broth and bullion cubes are packed with sodium and, whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s best to steer clear of them.  (I know I’ve used bullion in previous recipes, but I’ve just recently had this epiphany.)

I used this beef stock in what resulted in the richest French Onion Soup I’ve ever had.  Animal bones and meat  naturally have some sodium, so adding salt isn’t necessary.

Roasted bones and vegetables

Beef Stock

Serves 6 cups

• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 pounds beef marrow bones
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cubed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 3 sprigs Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the bones with cold water and pat dry. Place the vegetables in a single layer in a large roasting pan and add the bones on top. Roast, turning the bones a few times, until well browned; about 1 hour.
2. Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large soup pot, discarding fat from the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan with a couple of cups of water over high heat, scraping up all the brown bits. Add this to the bones, along with the cubed meat, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Pour in cold water to cover the bones and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Do not stir. Add peppercorns, and continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 4 hours, skimming from time to time.  (Rumor has it, the best way to really cook this down is by simmering on low overnight.  Proceed at your own risk if you choose to do so.)
3. Strain stock and discard solids. Cool and then refrigerate overnight. The following day, remove and discard fat that has risen to the top, and discard any debris that has sunk to the bottom. Salt before using or, if planning to reduce, wait to add salt until later. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, or divided into smaller quantities and frozen for future use, up to 6 months.

A rich broth cooking down

Find the original recipe here.

Related Articles

• High blood pressure – Lowering blood pressure reduce risk of stroke and heart disease (blood-pressure-monitoring.org)
• Savory Goat Stew (marksdailyapple.com)
• Holiday Cheer Leaders: The Main Event (commercialappeal.com)

Si, quiero Paella

I have a new favorite foodie website.  It’s full of creative recipes accompainied by gorgeous photos.  Take a peek:

Food 52

I have prepared over a half a dozen recipes in the past few weeks, and everything has been outstanding.  Seriously.  These are blow your hair back kinda concoctions. I had a taste for Paella about  a month ago and stumbled upon this recipe.  OMG. It’s soo good, I’ve already made it twice this month.  I considered having a Spanish themed Thanksgiving so I could make it a third.

I tweaked the original recipe a little by adding some additional meats/seafood, but this is definitely a dish I’ll be making for years to come…especially for company.  It’s soooo good, soooo easy and everyone thinks it’s a really exotic and difficult dish to make. And it’s okay to let ’em keep thinking that ;0)

Sextuple Surprise Paella

Triple Surprise Paella (or sextuple, in this case)

Serves 4

• 4 Chicken drumsticks (I like to use chicken wings)
• 3 Links of Pork Chorizo (I used one Andouille and one Chorizo)
• 1 pound Shrimp (shelled and deveined), seasoned with salt and pepper
• ½ pound mussels
• ½ pound crab legs
• 3 cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Med. Red Onion (sliced)
• 2 cups Bell pepper (diced, assorted colors)
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio Rice
• 3/4 cups Olives (sliced, assorted types – green and kalamata work great)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves (whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin (ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon Saffron springs (can be found behind the pastry counter at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market — $7.99/gram)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• evoo (for pan)

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF
2. In a 12″ saute pan (or 18″ paella pan) add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Put pan over medium to high heat.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and sear both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place chorizo in pan and sear both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add onion to pan and cook until soft.
6. Add garlic, peppers and olives. Continue to saute for 5 – 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add rice and saute for 3 – 5 minutes (until rice begins to toast)
8. Add chicken stock.
9. Add cumin, saffron, bay leaves and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.
10. Add chicken and chorizo to pan. Arrange in decorative fashion. Cover with foil.
11. Place pan in preheated oven. Cook for 45 minutes.
12. Add shrimp, mussels and crab legs and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve.

Gettin' started

Toasting the Arborio rice

You can sub Turmeric (poor man's Saffron) for Saffron threads

Going in the oven

Ready to be topped with seafood

Delicious one-dish dinner

Check out the original recipe here.

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