File Power: Delicious, Cajun Style!

File (pronounced FEE-lay) is a key flavor in the Cajun/Creole profile.  There is a distinctive earthy quality to its favor, and it acts as a natural thickener. There is no true substitute for File powder, and many beloved Cajun recipes require it.  Here are two of our favorites!

Jambalaya:
2 Tb STM Garlic EVOO
1 diced Onion
1-2 diced Bell Peppers
3 ribs diced Celery
3 minced Garlic cloves
1 lb sliced Andouille sausage
1lb diced Chicken, Smoked Ham, or Shrimp
16 oz (1lb) diced Tomatoes
1 tb STM Baton Rouge Creole Spice
1 tb STM New Orleans Blackening Spice
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce, to taste
1 tsp STM File powder
1 1/2 c Rice
2 1/2 c Chicken stock
In a large, deep skillet heat the EVOO over medium.  Saute the onion, garlic, celery and bell peppers for about 10 minutes.  Add the sausage and meat or shrimp, and cook until done (5 minutes).   Stir in the rice, tomatoes with their juice, the hot sauce, worcestershire sauce and spices.  Cook for a minute or two, stirring to coat the rice.  Add the stock and bring to a simmer.  Cook until the rice is done.  Serve with a crusty french loaf or cornbread and greens.

Etouffe (A-too-fay)
  This amazing seafood dish is very adaptable.  Shrimp, catfish, and the amazing Crawfish (Crayfish/Craw-daddies/Mud bugs) are all fantastic in this dish. 
1/2 c Butter or Rosemary/Basil EVOO
1/4 c Flour
1 c diced Onion
1 c diced Bell Pepper
1/2 c diced Celery
2-3 minced Garlic cloves
2 tsp STM Herbs des Paris
1 tb STM Baton Rouge Creole or New Orleans Blackening Spice
1 c White wine
8 oz Tomato sauce
8 oz Clam juice
1/2 c Water or Chicken stock
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce to taste,
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 1/2 lb Shrimp, Crawfish tail meat, or Catfish
1 tsp STM File powder
4-6 c hot, cooked rice
  Heat the butter/oil in a large pot.  Whisk in the flour and cook over med-low until golden, about 20 minutes.  While the roux is cooking, saute the aromatics (onion, garlic, bell peppers and celery).  When they are transparent and begin to brown on the edges, add them to the finished roux.  Stir in the spices and liquids (white wine, tomato sauce, clam juice, worcestershire sauce and stock). Be sure to stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to distribute the roux.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, until thickened.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Stir in the shrimp and file, cook until done (5-7 minutes).  Serve with the hot rice and some garden fresh greens! Yum!

Celebrate Mom with a Hibiscus Margarita!

These super simple, deliciously refreshing cocktails are fit for a Queen, or a Queen Mum!

Hibiscus Margaritas:  makes 1 (one) Margarita
3 oz silver Tequila (or Rum, Gin, etc)
1/2 a Lime, juiced
2 oz Spiced Hibiscus Simple Syrup
  Combine the ingredients and serve over ice.  Yummers.

Spiced Hibiscus Simple Syrup:
2 c Water
2 c Sugar
2 STM Star Anise pods
2 STM Cinnamon Sticks
4 STM Cloves (whole)
1 tsp grated or minced Ginger
1 oz STM Hibiscus tea
  Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, until a syrup is formed.  Strain into a clean jar and cool to room temp.  Makes about 1 -1 1/2 cups syrup.
   Alternatively, combine 1/2 tsp ground Star Anise, 1/2 tsp ground Korintje Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground Clove, and 1/2 tsp powdered Ginger with 4 oz STM Hibiscus Balsamic and 1 tb honey.  This will make 2 drinks.

Matcha Soba Noodles!

Buckwheat soba noodles have been a popular mainstay of the Japanese diet for a very long time.  The addition of matcha green tea powder to the dough is a tasty nutritional boost to these awesome noodles.  As an added benefit, buckwheat is naturally gluten-free as it is a seed not a grain!

Packaged Green Tea Soba noodles are easily found in Asian or World Markets (the two on Division both carry several options).  If you are gluten-free, be sure to read the ingredients.  As with most processed foods, wheat is often added.
 Soba noodles are amazing in Summer cold noodle salads, with seafood, even soups!  Here is a fairly easy recipe to make your own.  Like many pastas, it can take a bit of practice for it to turn out perfectly - but even when misshapen these noodles are yummers!

Cha Soba - Green Tea Buckwheat noodles
  1 3/4 c finely milled Buckwheat flour
  1/2 c whole wheat or gluten-free flour (rice or a blend)
  1/4 c (2oz) STM Matcha green tea powder
  1 c + 3tb (9 oz) boiling water
Sift together the flours and matcha powder.  Transfer to a large rimmed cookie sheet.  Stir in the boiling water and cool quickly. (Traditionally a fan is used, but I find a few min the fridge works too).  Knead the mixture until a smooth, firm dough forms.  Dust with a bit of flour and roll out to about 1/4" thick.  Slice into strips with a sharp knife or pasta maker.  Soba is traditionally thicker than spaghetti, more like linguini in size.
Cook the noodles in boiling water for a minute or two, until tender and a bit chewy.  If using in a cold salad, run the drained noodles under cold water and then rest them in an ice bath for a few minutes.  These noodles can be made well in advance and kept in the fridge or frozen for future uses.

Anise Aides Digestion

Anise Seed for the Digestion

Anise seed, described by Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD, as the "ultimate digestif" is not only easy to fit into any cooking schedule, but carries a unique, intense flavor of black licorice with thirteen times the sweetness of sugar, making it a great addition, whole, to the glazes of desserts, or ground and mixed into the dough. However, in Asian and Scandinavian cooking, it is favored more for savory dishes than for sweet - breads, rich sauces, gravies, soup, stews and even as a condiment on cheese. It can alleviate ulcers, cure indigestion, and minimize stomach cramps. Anise seed has anti-inflammatory properties that can be helpful for bronchial spasms and asthma.

For a simple method of trying or adding anise to a diet, tea infusions after a full meal will soothe the stomach, help with a full range of digestion and total body relaxation. Underberg, a new mini-drink that is anise based  is making quite a note in restaurants as an "digestif" served after the dinner.

 Anise Kiss Cookies--

Ingredients--

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tbsp. STM Anise Seed
1 tbsp. STM Sweet Spice

Instructions--

1. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 15 minutes. The mixture should look almost white and thick enough to ribbon. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, Sweet Spice blend and 1 tablespoon of the anise seed.

2. Grease two baking sheets or spray them with non-stick spray. Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough on the cookie sheet, separating them by an inch. Sprinkle the remaining anise seed on top. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove them to a clean tea towel to cool.

Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers with Tequila & Lime Sweet Potatoes

Easy Homemade Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
3 cans Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c uncooked Quinoa
2 c Stock (vegetable or beef)
2 tb STM Garlic or Lime EVOO
1 small Onion, diced
3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tb STM Brown mustard, ground
1 tb STM Chipotle powder (for a milder burger, use Ancho)
3 tb STM Manzillo Mexican blend or Fajita-Taco seasoning
2 tsp STM Salish Smoked Sea Salt
4 tb Tomato paste
1 tb Soy sauce or Lapsang Souchong tea
Cilantro
Panko breadcrumbs
  Cook the quinoa in the stock according to package directions (about 15-20 minutes covered) Saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in the quinoa.  Mash 1 1/2 cans of the beans with the mustard, tomato paste, salt, soy sauce and some cilantro. (I used a food processor) Fold in the remaining beans with the spices.  Gently stir in the quinoa mixture. To form the patties, I packed approx 1/2 c mixture into round biscuit cutters.  Then I gently removed the cutters for uniform patties.  Dredge in the panko crumbs.  Pan fry in some EVOO 3-5 min/side until golden and crispy.  These freeze beautifully too! Serve them however you like: our favorites are fresh guacamole and mango salsa on a toasted onion bun.

Tequilla Lime Sweet Potatoes
2 lbs Sweet potatoes, peeled
1/4 c fresh Lime juice
2 tb STM Tropical Caribbean spice
2 tb STM local Honey
2 tb Tequilla (plus more for Margaritas!)
2 quarts water
  Slice the yams a uniform 3/4" thick.  Boil them in the water for about 6 minutes, or until barely fork tender.
Meanwhile, combine the juice, honey, tequilla and spice blend.  Arrange the cooked yams on a rimmed sheet pan and generously brush both sides with the sauce.  Broil or grill until they're golden.  You'll never miss the marshmallows!