Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks

Cooking with Annie

She's seven but I decided that she was old enough to start chopping and dicing using a "real knife."  

The Pampered Chef paring knife is child-friendly but it made her feel so big and important. This was a big deal!

"Mommy, I'm so good, aren't I? I've never had so much fun in my life! Slicing things up is neat!"

Okaaaay! What am I encouraging here? Tell me.

 

She also felt very superior taking over her sister's job of stirring a very hot pot of olive oil, sliced tomatoes, minced garlic, diced bell peppers and chopped onions.

Who needs a vocabulary list and a home ec classroom when you explain the different cutting methods while the child is chopping in your kitchen?

 

Please excuse the pajama to clothes change in the middle of this production. We don't stay in our pajamas all day long. Really...we do change eventually, even if it isn't until 4:00 PM.

Have I mentioned lately that we are homeschoolers?

Annie dicing and arranging the carrots on the salad.

Annie cutting and layering the pears.

 

Annie sliding the garlic bread into the heated oven.

 

What a delicious looking salad.

 

It wasn't our regular Great Depression fare but it was another Class A meal at the Cajun Cottage! Yummy!

 

Kayleigh's Chicken/Cornbread Dressing

Kayleigh gives her god-daughter an early cooking lesson.

She makes this chicken/cornbread dish quite often. This morning she made a pan for the Thanksgiving dinner at her work place. I took notes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag of Thawed Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast (can add as much chicken as you desire in your dressing)
• 1 package white cornbread baked in 10 1/2 inch cast-iron skillet
• Cajun Trinity: bell pepper, onion, and celery (as much as desired)
• Green onion (as much as desired)
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix your package of white cornbread and put to bake. While it is baking, cut chicken breasts into inch-sized cubes. Brown chicken in two tablespoon butter. Cook slowly and watch that it doesn't burn. When fully cooked, shred on plate. Lightly coat another pan with virgin olive oil and saute your Cajun Trinity and green onion. When cornbread is done baking, crumble it into large bowl. Leave your oven at 350 degrees. Mix sauted seasonings, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup into cornbread. Blend completely.* Stir shredded/chunks of chicken into cornbread mixture and spread in pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

* Kayleigh likes to add extra chicken broth to make her dressing moist. Add as little or as much as you desire.

Excuse the condition of the pan. It was Meme's and it's well-used/well-seasoned. It's Kayleigh's favorite.

Yum! Nanny sure can cook! Don't worry...I think it was pureed squash.

Cajun-Boudin/Mexican Tortilla Twist

My refrigerator is already spilling over with leftover Christmas party goodies and the meat from 4 deer.  Seems Pa Ingalls is providing well for the family.

This morning I warmed up a plate of leftover Boudin (a fingerfood Cajun appetizer made of cooked rice---yes, we eat rice with everything---, seasoning, and meat) intending to set it on the stovetop and let the Cajuns eat it as they may.

Then I spied some leftover Tortillas under a loaf of bread and had the grand idea to make Boudin Tortillas.

I like mayo on my spread.  After whipping that, I pressed the boudin out of its casing (in the old days my grandmother's job was to clean out the pig's intestines...a time consuming job...to stuff with boudin and sausage, but I'll spare you the details) and filled the tortilla.

A Cajun-Mexican Twist: