{Thanksgiving} What's Cooking

For Thanksgiving, we are bringing Pomegranate Fruit Salad, and Peanut Butter Fudge.

Here's the recipes! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Enid's Peanut Butter Fudge
In a large bowl combine:
28 ounces (or 1 3/4lbs) chocolate
7 ounces marshmallow cream
1 Tbs vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
In a large skillet, heavy boil (about 5 minutes):
1 cube butter
4 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
Add to bowl and beat. Pour into buttered 9x13 pan and chill.

Enid is my grandmother's sister, and was reluctant for many years to share her much coveted recipes. So please enjoy!

Pomegranate Fruit Salad

(All of these are approximates, you make to your own taste)

3 pomegranates, cleaned and rinsed

6 apples chopped in one inch cubes

raisins (we now use craisins)

walnuts (we use cashews-so for left overs, they soften up so beware)

Whipping cream

Simply combine pomegranates, apples, raisins and nuts into already whipped and sugared cream. And enjoy!

Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya

 Here is our favorite recipe for Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya from the Mardi Gras Dinner Party post.

What is Jambalaya you ask?
         From Wikipedia:

There are many myths about the origin of the name "jambalaya." One commonly repeated folklore is that the word derives from the combination of the French "jambon" meaning ham, the French article "à la" a contraction of "à la manière de" meaning "in the style of", and "ya", thought to be of West African origin meaning rice.

This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse's book "Louisiana Real and Rustic." This and variations can be found on his website.

Andouille and Chicken Jambayala

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups medium-grain white rice
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles.

Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles.

Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Stir in the green onions and serve.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

 *Our Variation/Notes
Sometimes we we will add 8 cups water and 4 cups rice, and more chicken for larger groups. We also usually do about 2 cups green bell peppers, and we usually do about 5 bay leaves (unless you have them fresh 3 is good).
Also, in Utah and other non-southern states, it is more difficult to find Andouille sausage. You can use regular smoked sausage as well. Harmon's grocery store makes there own Andouille (about 3.99/lb).

Entertaining: {Mardi Gras Dinner Party}

 Not being from the South, but loving the food, we had a Mardi Gras Dinner Party the Saturday following Fat Tuesday. My husband spent a couple of years in Louisiana and brought home the love of the food. We had a similar but smaller party last year.

 Dinner was potluck style, but with specific assignments, such as corn bread, a cajun mustard dressing to go with the salad, beignets and gumbo. We made the Jambalaya (a house hold favorite), Shrimp etouffee, Mint Juleps (we don't drink alcohol so they were Virgin style) and the traditional King Cake.

 For this year's party, I wanted a bayou feel. It turned out great. I did simple centerpieces. I gathered Spanish moss, and stuffed that into a mason jar, and added branches. Then tea lights to add to a low lit, glowing feeling. Black table clothes helped keep the room a dim and cozy feeling.

My favorite part was the Christmas lights. We had strung seven strands of white Christmas lights from our loft railing, to our curtain rods across the way. The lights in the home were all off with the exception of the tea candles and Christmas lights. It had an awesome look, that was difficult to capture on camera, so the picture gives you a bit of an idea.  

We also had a playlist going of jazz and zydeco music. We had Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis. Dizzy Gillespie, Harry Connick Jr, and some zydeco bands such as Jude Taylor and his Burning Flames, Rosie Lydet, Buckwheat Zydeco, Carol Fran, and even some of the songs from the Princess and the Frog Soundtrack.

The evening was a spectacular hit. We made an impression with Sights, Sounds, and Taste! I will share recipes soon!