Chicken & Sausage Etouffee Collard Green Wraps

Etouffee has such a rich creole flavor that I love, mostly over rice served with a side of vegetable. One day, my local grocery store had the prettiest collard greens and i wanted to do something different than the norm. I had some leftovers etouffee sauce and rice so, I deciced to make a steamed wrap with the collard greens. It was delicious. In the near further, I plan to do a Jamaican and Texas BBQ version.

  • Fresh Whole Collard Green Leaves
  • Rice
  • Etouffee sauce (add any type of protein)
  • Broth ( Chicken)
  1. Warm a pot of water on stove that will fit collard green leaves. Blanch collard greens in hot water
  2. Once the leaves are able to bend without beaking, put in cold water and put aside to drain
  3. Combind rice and etouffee sauce ( Put about 1 cup of sauce to the side)
  4. Put about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. If sauce is too thick, use broth to thinning.
  5. Put filling towars the skinniest part of collard greens in the center
  6. Fold in the edges so that they overlap and roll. Repeat until baking pan if full
  7. Pour the remain of the sauce on the top of the collard green wraps
  8. Bake for 30-45 mins until tender to preference

Enjoy!

Drunken Angel

Last holiday season, my creativity was challenged. I have never baked an angel food cake before or even tasted one. I had no idea what i was doing, let alone to add rum and pecans was a challenge. After three tries, I was finally able to nail the flavor and texture. Meet our Drunken Angel!

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

6-8 skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 Tbs Jerk Seasoning

1/2 cup Jerk dry rub seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Season chicken & marinate for a minimum of two hours.

3. Bake for 1 hr or until tender covered

4. Once cooked, uncover for 30min to get crispy

5. Cool before cutting and serve with your favorite side. Because of the Spice, it goes well with sweet potatoes or rice.

Tip:

For better flavor, cook on an outside charcoal grill.

Tri-Tip Chili

I was so excited about the rain this past weekend that it put me in a great mood to cook. For months now I have been talking to family and friends about making smoked tri-tip chili and now was the perfect opportunity. I bought a few cans of beans and the tri-tip was already prepared which made the opportunity and process much more easy and exciting.

Envisioning this chili to be filled with smoky flavor from the grilling process of the Tri-tip, I gathered all my spices for extra enhancement. Using a heavy hand with the cumin, chili powder and bay leaves helped me accomplish my goal. A glass of dry red wine ( with a smoky, cocoa note) was also added and it was a great compliment to the overall flavor.

Chili is best when it simmers on low heat for hours. My recipe simmered for about two. Onions, green onions, sour cream and cheese are all great toppings and that can be added to this soul comforting meal.

 

 

Ingredients

1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs oil
1 can pinto beans, dark red kidney beans, Tri- bean blend, light red kidney beans
2 28oz Cans of five tomatoes
3 cups water
2 pack McCormick Chili seasoning mix
5 lbs of smoked Tri-Tip
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 seasoning salt
1 tsp salt
7 bay leaves
1 Tbs brown sugar

 

Directions

1. Dice onion and garlic
2. On low heat, simmer until translucent in soup pot or cast iron pot. Add both cans of dice tomatoes
3. Open cans of beans and pour into stainer to rinse off excessive liquid
4. Add rinsed beans to pot
5. Add 3 cups water and one pack of chili seasoning mix to pot. Stir, Cover and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer.
7. Cut Tri-Tip into cube and add to pot.
8. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking
9. Add another chili seasoning mix and 1/2 cup red wine
10. Add remaining of seasoning and simmer on medium to low heat for 2 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking
11. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.