Filled with layers of texture and flavor, the outside is crunchy, the inside soft and savory. This toothsome biscuit is from The Cornbread Gospels, a cookbook filled with wisdom and downright delicious recipes compiled by the passionate author Crescent Dragonwagon. Schooled in Southern cornbread for 33 years, Ms. Dragonwagon delighted travelers from near and far at the Dairy Hollow House in my home town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Savory Almond Herb Biscuits

from The Cornbread Gospels, by Crescent Dragonwagon

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1 tablespoon plus1/3 cup cold butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

1 cup unbleached white flour

½ cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon assorted fresh finely minced herbs

(I used thyme, rosemary & parsley from my kitchen garden)

Makes 12 large biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the almonds, stirring constantly, toast until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer almonds to a cutting board to cool, then coarsely chop.

Add one tablespoon butter to the skillet, when the butter melts, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic.

While the onion and garlic mixture cools, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the remaining 1/3 cup butter using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs.

Pour the buttermilk into the skillet, stir gently, scraping up any flavorsome bits of onion or garlic that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the cornmeal and flour mixture, stirring with as few strokes as possible to blend the wet and dry ingredients, stopping while there are still some dry clumps. Add the reserved almonds and the herbs and stir a few more times.

Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-15 minutes. Serve with additional butter if desired.

Enjoy

You’ll be tempted to eat them all, but save a few for breakfast!

Not to mention, delicious alongside a cool gazpacho on a warm summer’s eve or a tummy-warming minestrone for a cozy autumn supper.

She’s Cookin’s  recipe for Eggplant Parmesan was chosen as a finalist in Zov’s (of Zov’s Bistro fame) eggplant recipe contest and the judging is today; so I’m busy making Eggplant Parmesan “My Way” just as soon as I finish this cup of java Over the years, I fine-tuned the preparation of this dish to make it less heavy and lower in calories without sacrificing the robust flavor and cheesy deliciousness.

Wish me luck If it wins, you’ll see Eggplant Parmesan “My Way” featured as a daily special at Zov’s Bistro in Tustin!

In honor of Fat Tuesday and the Mardi Gras celebrations going on in New Orleans, I decided to cook up a batch of Jambalaya.  Growing up in Arkansas (located directly above Louisiana in case you’re geographically challenged) I made my first trip to Mardi Gras during my sophomore year of college when I decided to take a “break” from academics. Naturally, my parents were not keen on this idea, but I did return and get that BA Whether for business or pleasure, a visit to the Big Easy is an experience of food, music, culture,and history like you’ve never experienced!

I’m elated to see N’Awlins rising like a phoenix from the ashes of Katrina and experiencing a “perfect storm” of  sorts with celebrations for their Super Bowl win merging into the city’s infamous Mardi Gras.  I’m sure I’m not the only person wishing they could be part of the amazing energy blessing this historical city.  For a peek inside, visit Chef Ryan Boudreaux’s website where you’ll find all kinds of interesting info about the food and music of Mardi Gras and other New Orleans history, traditions, and landmarks.

Louisiana is known for foods with intriguing names such as jambalaya, gumbo, and étoufée.  The origin of  word jambalaya is most commonly thought to come from the French word  for ham, jambon, and the West African word for rice, ya, joined together with the French contraction “a la” (meaning in the style of).

There are two kinds of jambalaya: Creole Jambalaya and Cajun Jambalaya. Creole Jambalaya originated in the European sector of the French Quarter and includes tomatoes.  It was an attempt by Spanish settlers to recreate their beloved paella using tomatoes as a substitute for the saffron which was not readily available in the New World. Cajun Jambalaya originates from the low, lying rural swamp areas of Louisiana and is known as “Brown Jambalaya” in New Orleans – tomatoes are not used in Cajun Jambalaya. You can read more about the origins of Jambalaya here.

Buy organic ingredients whenever you can and chicken that is labeled “raised without antibiotics and not fed animal by-products” such as this brand called “Smart Chicken”. This recipe includes the “trinity” of onions, green bell peppers, and celery.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

3 lbs. chicken breast halves and thighs (with skin and bones)

2 T. canola oil

1 lb. andouille* or other spicy smoked sausage, cut crosswise into ¼” slices

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, cored and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 c. organic chicken stock or broth, divided use

1 (14-16 ounces) can organic diced tomatoes

¼ t. cayenne pepper

1 ½ c. long grain rice, rinsed and drained well**

1 c. thinly sliced scallions, green part only

*Andouille sausage can be found in most markets. It has a unique smoky, spicy flavor. ** I prefer brown rice, but white long grain is traditionally used.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Trim excess fat if desired. Heat 2 T. oil in large cast iron skillet* or dutch oven over med-high heat. Brown chicken in batches, without crowding, turning once, approx. 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl as browned.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook onions, green pepper, and celery over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1 cup stock, cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add chicken, stir in remaining 3 cups stock, rice, tomatoes, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 – 35 minutes.

*A skillet may not be large enough to add the remaining broth and cook the rice with the other ingredients. If so, cook the rice on the side – still yummy!

Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the delicious juices.

Enjoy

Chicken and Corn Enchiladas Verde

Add a little crunch with a bit of romaine along with creamy avocado and your taste buds will be doing the salsa!

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

½ red or sweet onion, finely chopped

1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed

½ c. sour cream

1 t. ground cumin

½ c. purchased salsa

1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

2 c. green enchilada sauce

½ c. purchased salsa

12 6-inch corn tortillas

Spray 15×10x2 inch glass baking dish with oil.  In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, onion, corn, sour cream, and cumin. Mix in the salsa.

Variations:  add ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro or 4 oz. chopped green chilis (fresh or canned)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Set up an assembly line with the tortillas on a cutting board, pour half of the enchilada sauce into a rimmed plate, cheese in a bowl, and the chicken mixture.

Begin by softening the tortillas over a gas flame, in a skillet, or 3-at-a-time in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel for 20 seconds. Dip in the enchilada sauce, place on cutting board, fill with a spoonful of the chicken filling, sprinkle with grated cheese, roll up, and place seam side down in the baking dish.

Repeat with remaining tortillas. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate enchiladas and remaining sauce separately).

Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes until heated through. (Up to 45 minutes for refrigerated enchiladas.)

Serve topped with chopped fresh tomatoes, shredded romaine, and sliced avocado.

Enjoy

Have loved you for so long!  Fragrant dumplings, velvety with broth, tastebuds trigger faint memories of crisp winter nights growing up in the boonies pastoral beauty of the Ozarks.

Chix and Dumplings

(adapted from Comme C̹a via Tasting Table)

For the soup:

2 T. butter

1 T. canola oil

3 carrots, chopped *

2 celery stalks, chopped

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ c. Wondra flour

2 quarts organic, free-range chicken broth

2 c. frozen peas*

2 c. cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces

¼ c. heavy cream *

* Changes I made: We like lots of peas & carrots, so quantity here is double the original recipe. I eliminated the cream – gave it up in my home cooking a long time ago (the flour in the dumplings will thicken the soup a bit).

Heat the butter and oil n a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Stir in the flour until it coats the vegetables, stirring continuously, about 2-3 minutes until the roux is golden-brown.

Add the broth a cup at a time, stirring. Add the peas and chicken, bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until the soup is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, in a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dumplings:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. buttermilk

1 t. dried thyme or ¼ c. fresh thyme leaves   *Chop some fresh parsley with the dried thyme – doing this  ”refreshes” dried herbs.

Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the soup and cook for 6-8 minutes, until light and fluffy looking. To serve, scoop out a few dumplings and top with soup. Then, drop more spoonfuls of batter in the remaining soup for another batch of deliciousness!

Enjoy

Sausage and peppers is a classic comfort food and it’s so easy to make. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes to have more juice that soaks into the roll, mmmm. This time I added tiny portabella mushrooms because I had them in the fridge and they add a “meatier” taste – you know, cuz I’m trying to go meatless.  All the ingredients are from Trader Joe’s – they need to hire me – don’t you think?  I’m one of their best customers and promoters, yet Sprouts is opening in Huntington Beach on January 29th, so I might defect – hear that Trader Joes?

Sassy Sausage & Peppers (Vegan style)

1 pkg. Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Italian Sausage*, sliced on the diagonal

1 red pepper, cored and sliced

1 green pepper, cored and sliced

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

1 pkg. mini portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 T. olive oil, divided

1 t. butter

red pepper flakes

4 Panne Rustique Rolls (it’s all about the roll, folks)

Serves 4. * Of course, you may use real Italian sausage if you’re not vegan. I’ve had it both ways and its delicious either way!

Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Cover toaster oven tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil so sausages don’t stick. Brown sausages in toaster oven turning once. Slice on the diagonal and set aside.

Heat 1 t. olive oil in large skillet, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the peppers and onions and sauté, stirring every few minutes to evenly brown. Add more olive oil as needed to prevent vegetables from sticking.

Meanwhile, in a smaller skillet heat 1 T. olive oil plus 1 t. butter over med-high heat and sauté mushrooms, stirring to brown evenly, about 5 minutes or until the juices have cooked off.  (I do this in a separate pan because the juices from the mushrooms can make the pepper mixture mushy.) Add mushrooms and sausages to pepper mixture.

Warm the rolls in the toaster oven, slice in half and fill with sausage and pepper mixture.

Winter as we know it here in SoCal is nothing compared to what the rest of the nation experiences, still, with temperatures dipping into the frigid 50’s, we shiver in our coats and crave homey, comfort food.  Today, I’m sharing a personal family favorite (and ssshhh low-calorie version) of an always popular homestyle dish: Chicken Pot Pie.

The TM style is always one that includes more fresh vegetables, less fat, and less sodium, inspired by a life-time interest in health and nutrition and spurred on by the heart-health issues that came close to taking my husband, The Don, before his time.

Guilt-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is one of my family’s favorite comfort foods but I used to cringe when my daughter would order it at restaurants because I know how many calories all that yummy pastry shell and creamy sauce contains. (drumroll) Cringe no more!

Filling:

2 half chicken breasts, boned/skinless

2 lg. carrots, peeled and chopped

1 lg. celery, chopped

1/2 lg. onion, chopped

2 T. canola oil

1 c. frozen small green peas

1 can Healthy Choice Cream of Chicken soup (lower sodium than other brands)

1 c. lowfat milk

1 t. curry

Note: Try to buy only organic, kosher, or minimally processed chicken – it makes all the difference in taste.

1. Bake the chicken breasts, sprinkled with a garlic herb spice, in a tin foil packet in the toaster oven for about 30 min. at 400 degrees.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Saute the carrots, celery and onion until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Remove pan from burner.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the green peas for 2 minutes. Mix in the peas. Spoon into baking dish.

4. In a glass bowl mix the soup, milk, and curry seasoning with a fork to break up lumps of soup. Blend into the vegetables.

Topping:

1 c. low fat Bisquick baking mix and 1 c. low fat milk

Mix well with spoon until batter is fairly smooth. Pour on top of filling. It may seem a bit more liquid than you think it should be but it will rise and make a nice light crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy all the love you’ll get for making this!