Bartule - the Self Contained Bar Accessory

Meet the Bartule

Sexy ain't it?

Y'all know I like my occasional weekend cocktails, and recently, I had the opportunity to try out a product called Bartule, a self-contained bar accessory that, with its compact, interlocking fit-together design, makes it super easy to bring the party just about anywhere.

Available in six gorgeous colors, the unit is made of 100% recyclable materials, is dishwasher safe, and made primarily from a nearly indestructible high density polycarbonate. The included bottle opener/corkscrew is made of solid stainless steel, and you also get an ice bucket, a jigger, a citrus juicer with pulp removing handle and spout, and, the ice bucket lid that seals it all together, also functions as a wine or champagne coaster and a salt rimmer.

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Tex-Mex Migas

Eggs, scrambled with hot peppers and tomatoes, and tossed with crispy fried tortilla strips, makes for a fine meal whether it be breakfast, lunch, or even breakfast for dinner.

How to Make Tex-Mex Migas

I love Tex-Mex migas! And seems I just about always have corn tortillas on hand so it's easy to whip 'em up too. Don't think they're just for breakfast either, because they make a mighty fine lunch, or even breakfast for dinner.

The translation of migas (pronounced "mee-yas") literally means "crumbs," primarily because migas originated as a dish that was made up from leftovers. In different parts of the world, migas are made with day old crumbled bread, some versions include different meats. I prefer the Tex-Mex version using crisped sliced corn tortillas.

A lot of folks also use salsa, but when they are at peak, I prefer to put fresh seeded and chopped tomatoes in my migas and serve the salsa on the side if I have some. When tomatoes aren't at their best, I use a well drained can of mild Rotel diced tomatoes.  Toss in some cooked sausage or cooked, crumbled bacon too for variety!

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Macaroni Salad with loads of crunchy veggies, in a mayo and sour cream seasoned dressing, and tossed with black and green olives.

Macaroni and Olive Salad

I love pasta salads, even if they aren't all that photogenic. Though this one is loaded with all kinds of veggies for crunch, the central feature of this pasta salad is olives - both black and green. I've already included pimentos as an add-in with this pasta salad, but use a stuffed olive if you like, or any of your own favorite pitted green olives. I've actually even used olive salad before in place of green olives, when I've had some leftover from making Muffuletta Sandwiches, and it is an excellent, tangy addition, but if you prefer black olives over green, it's still a great pasta salad with black alone.

It always seems kinda silly to share recipes for pasta salad, because what is it but a pasta combined with vegetables and then dressed in either a vinaigrette or mayonnaise based dressing?  They are all so much alike, that is true... but yet, each are somewhat different, so I guess it's good to share the different combinations, right?

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Green beans quickly blanched, then tossed in a sweet and sour mix of vinegar and sugar and a few seasonings make up this old fashioned spicy, tangy dish.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

You're either gonna love these or hate them, but then again, if you've ever even heard of them, well... ya probably already know that!  Another old fashioned dish, spicy and tangy, sweet and sour, I find them absolutely addictive. The more I eat, the more I want.

Some southern recipes stew the death out of green beans, and frankly lots of folks love them that way. For this recipe, I like to blanch them just to a crisp tender and then toss them in the hot vinegar sauce to warm them through. That way they retain just a bit of crunch and their pretty bright green color.

I think this recipe is best with whole green beans, and until fresh garden beans come in, I like to use frozen. You can use pretty much any kind of green bean though - the flat Italian style green beans work great for this dish, as do French style, and even plain ole cut green beans. In a pinch canned green beans work, but try to go with frozen over canned if possible.

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A basic but flavorful ground beef casserole, made with sauteed bell pepper, onion and garlic, cooked in a sauce of stewed tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup, and a few basic seasonings.

Crunchy Beef and Onion Casserole

I have been busy this past week, cooking a few new side dish Easter recipes to post on the site - Baked Pineapple Casserole, Copper Pennies Carrot Salad and Sweet and Sour Green Beans - none of which my meat and potatoes Cajun will touch.  I still have to feed him though, so last night we had Grilled Onion Chili Cheese Burgers, with a little help from Wolf brand chili, and some Crispy Oven Fries, but to be honest, when I'm a bit harried, or feeling particularly lazy uninspired, casseroles are always my fall back.

This one, made from ground beef, sauteed bell pepper, onion and garlic, a sauce of stewed tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup, and with just a few basic seasonings added in, has long been a family favorite of ours. The shell shape works great with this casserole because the sauce gets into all the little nooks and crannies of the shell noodle, but you can use pretty much any short cut or decorative pasta here - like penne, rotini, cavatappi, even good ole elbows would all work. The "crunch" comes from the fried onion topping, which matches just perfect with this casserole, so use as much as you like on top.

This is one of those stovetop to oven casseroles, so if you have a large stainless, oven safe lidded skillet, once everything is sauteed and combined, you can just stick the lid on it and take that right from the stovetop to the oven to bake. Otherwise, just transfer it all to a casserole dish as usual.

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Broccoli florets dipped in batter and tossed in seasoned flour, then quickly deep fried - a crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside appetizer.

Deep Fried Broccoli

Okay. I'll be the first one to tell you to eat your broccoli steamed, and tossed with a bit of minced garlic, maybe some red pepper flakes, little sea salt and a pat of pure butter. It's a power house veggie that is loaded with good stuff.

So, in other words, don't go puttin' deep fried broccoli on your plate as a side dish. It's meant to be an appetizer folks, and enjoyed, like most other things such as this, in moderation.  If you happen to already like broccoli like I do, you will love it like this.  Serve them with plain ole ranch dressing, or a nice dipping sauce like cocktail sauce, comeback sauce, remoulade sauce, or maybe a spicy honey mustard sauce.

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Copper Pennies, an old fashioned chilled carrot salad, made with thinly sliced carrots, sweet onion and sweet bell pepper, soaked in a sweet and sour vinegar marinade made with canned tomato soup.

Copper Pennies Carrot Salad

Just like pineapple, we southerners also love our sweet and sour dishes.  From salads, to green beans, to pickles, that combination of flavor has long been a southern favorite and Copper Penny Carrots are another dish that falls into that category. Named so because they resemble pennies, it is a cold marinated salad of thinly sliced vegetables - carrots, sweet onion and sweet bell pepper - tossed and left to marinade in a hot, sweet and sour mixture of tomato, vinegar and seasonings. Also known as bronze pennies, they are as fabulous as a holiday side as they are at a barbecue, and perfect for the Easter table.

Even though they are loaded with flavor, they are super simple to make.  You want the carrots to be fairly thin slices, though I don't like them paper thin so I cut them about 1/8 to 1/4-inch. Use a mandolin to make it an easy job. You'll also want to cook the carrots only to crisp-tender, but not mushy, so while you could use frozen and even canned, raw carrots shine best in this dish.  Add a half of a Vidalia or other sweet onion, also thinly sliced. I prefer sweet onion, but use a stronger onion if you prefer, such as a nice red.

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Old Fashioned Baked Pineapple Casserole

Hot Pineapple Casserole, a side dish made with the unlikely combination of pineapple, tidbits or crushed, and layered with crushed Ritz crackers, and shredded cheddar cheese. Somehow it works!

Baked Pineapple Casserole

We southerners sure love our pineapple dishes.  From sweet to savory and everywhere in between, we enjoy it in a multitude of dishes, and this is one of the oldest. Another one of those tasty dishes that doesn't really photograph all that pretty, and, at first glance, certainly seems an unlikely and odd combination of ingredients to pair together. Like its southern sisters Watergate Salad, 5 Cup Salad, and Old Fashioned Cherry Coke Salad, it's also another one of those difficult to place recipes in a menu listing - but, indeed, it is intended to be a side dish, and not a dessert.

I mentioned this casserole over on Facebook the other day when we were chatting about pineapple, and had several requests for the recipe, so here it is!  Baked Pineapple Casserole, also known as Pineapple au Gratin, is one of those old fashioned lost classics that doesn't make an appearance much anymore, though it should. It is simply a perfect side dish for roast pork or baked ham and ideal for the Easter table. You can make it with either the pineapple tidbits, or with crushed pineapple.

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Southern Easter Menu Ideas and Recipes

Looking for some menu ideas for Easter?  Well, Easter supper is certainly the best time to finally throw open the curtains and throw back the heavy covers of winter to bring in some fresh, spring color, fragrant flowers and a few favorite recipes to the table. Besides all of the religious attachments many of us have to Easter, it is also a time of refreshing and renewal. What better way to welcome spring than a nice brunch, buffet, or dinner?

Now's the time to bring out the pretty pastel colors for your tables and linens, and bouquets of spring flowers - daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. Any kind of egg related decorations, ceramic or stuffed bunnies, or ceramic chickens can be used to brighten things up. Make an edible centerpiece using jelly beans, egg shaped foil wrapped candies, peeps and other Easter candies.

Pick an appetizer or two, a salad, a main course, a few veggies and side dishes and a dessert or two - don't try to go crazy and over stress yourself doing too much!  Get help from people who are attending if you want more dishes. I always find that people are more than willing to help out and show off one of their favorite Easter dishes. You just gotta ask!

I've included just one possible menu and loads of other recipe ideas here that you might like to choose from but do check back because y'all know me... I'll be updating as I find recipes that I've added since last Easter, and I hope to get to those "Coming Soon" recipes featured, plus any others that I can manage to squeeze in last minute!

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Base ingredients from a banana split find their way into a convenient and well loved layered pan dessert.

Layered Banana Split Dessert

Take the elements of a banana split - bananas, pineapple, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts - layer that on top of a cookie crust, throw in a layer of that fabulous cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream mixture as a stand-in for the usual ice cream, and you have one well loved Layered Banana Split Dessert.

I don't know if this dessert originated here in The South, but I do know that it sure is mighty popular among us southerners. It's another one of those great desserts to tote to a picnic, church supper, or a potluck, and even for the after gathering of a funeral, because in truth, frankly, most of us are not safe left alone with it. I love this dessert, probably a little bit too much, and I think, so will you.

Like other layered desserts, first you'll make a basic shortbread type of crust by combining butter with flour and nuts, and spreading that into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, and baking it. Glass is best - it's just easier to dig it out to be honest - but my Pyrex pan was otherwise occupied, so I had to use a regular baking pan this time.  Prepare the crust far enough in advance so that you have plenty of time to cool it completely - about an hour.

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Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips, seasoned and dusted with flour, dipped into beaten egg, and rolled into well crushed saltine crackers - a southern favorite!

Crunchy Saltine Chicken Tenders

I guess we all have a go-to chicken strip recipe since you can really stretch out a chicken breast by cutting it into strips. Two or three large chicken breasts literally will make a huge platter of strips. When made at home with whole chicken breasts purchased on sale, they are economical and a super thumbs up kid favorite (even for us big kids)!

Crunchy chicken tenders can be done in a number of ways - coated with plain self rising flour, or dusted and then rolled in panko bread crumbs, cornflake cereal, and even potato chips - but I think my most favorite way to cook them is this one. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into tenders and seasoned, lightly dusted in flour and then dipped in beaten egg and rolled in crushed up saltine crackers. My mama used to love to use finely crushed crackers and cracker meal, so it's old school I guess, but then so am I!

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Spicy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce Featuring Colman's Mustard

A spicy honey mustard sauce that is a perfect dipper for chicken strips, nuggets, even fried shrimp!

Spicy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I know... honey mustard is just, well, honey and mustard pretty much, but recently I had the opportunity to give Colman's mustard products a try and let me tell you, if you want to bump your mustard up above and beyond spicy mustard, yes even those we love so much down here in The Deep South, then you'll want to give Colman's a try.  One of only three mustard mills in the world that uses a unique blend of brown mustard seeds with white mustard seeds, there ain't a thing mellow yellow about this fiery mustard y'all!

The prepared mustards are naturally great for sandwiches of all kinds, like your usual deli bologna and ham, and even the fancier Croque Madame where it was excellent, both forms of Colman's mustards will easily find a place in your recipes too. Use the dry mustard or prepared mustard where you usually use regular yellow mustard, like in a favorite meatloaf, crab cakes, chicken, in salad dressings, dipping sauces, marinades, and tartar sauce. Check out the Colman's website for some of these recipe ideas.

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A hot ham and cheese sandwich, covered with a creamy Béchamel sauce, and finished with a fried egg. Simply omit the egg for a Monsieur.

Croque Madame or Monsieur

I love love love this sandwich and after I posted about having one for a late breakfast/early lunch over on Facebook a few days back, I've had several requests to post the recipe for the cheese sauce I used.

There are many variations to this French sandwich that dates back as far as 1910, and apparently started off as a cafe snack. Literally meaning crunch from the French word "croque," the monsieur or mister version is usually served with a Béchamel sauce and the madame with an egg atop, so named it is said because the egg resembles a woman's hat. Very often the sandwich is buttered and grilled in a pan, prepared much like a grilled cheese, but I followed a recipe from Jennifer Chandler's book, Simply Suppers, that called for broiling the sandwich instead, and it was simply marvelous.

Variations aside, Croque Monsieur or Madame, is basically a hot ham and cheese sandwich and somewhat reminiscent of a Kentucky Hot Brown to me. The addition of a spicy mustard gives it a wonderful kick and for mine, I used Colman's mustard, a very spicy British mustard, that was perfect for this blend of flavors.

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Flounder dressed with a seafood stuffing mix of shrimp and crab.

Stuffed Flounder

If you've ever visited along a coastal area like the Gulf Coast where I live, you've probably seen lights bobbing around right along the shoreline at night, and may have wondered what exactly was going on. If you've ever actually lived along the coastline, you've probably done it at least once in your lifetime.

Floundering. And no, not the kind of floundering where you have struggles or indecision! I'm talking about the kind of floundering that requires, at the least, a bright lamp like a Coleman lantern, a fishing gig, a bucket or a stringer, and, well... a lot of patience.

Back in my younger days, we gals would usually tag along behind the guys, being anything but quiet, and thanks to the little minnows tickling at our ankles, irritating the fellas with our jumping around and giggling.  I can't even count the number of tourists who would approach us curious about what we were doing.

If we were lucky, we went home with a few flounder and a dozen soft shell crabs for the night, and more often than not, those flounder would end up dressed with a seafood stuffing and baked or broiled, just like this.  Those days were some fun times for sure, but these days The Cajun brings home the flounder, sans the giggling disturbance, and we still enjoy those flounder stuffed most of the time.

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A versatile stuffing mix made with toasted bread, sauteed onion and sweet bell pepper, tossed with crab and shrimp, and versatile enough for use in many different recipes.

Seafood Stuffing Mix

I have this one basic seafood stuffing mix that I use for many different dishes, so this weekend when I was making Stuffed Flounder, I figured it was about time to get the stuffing recipe up all on its own. It's a very versatile mix that can be used to stuff large butterflied shrimp, to make patties for Vancleave (crabmeat and cheese) po'boys, to stuff large mushroom caps, hollowed out eggplant and squash of all types, and other vegetables, fill crab shells, or to make pan-fried crab cakes, to name just a few.

I wrote the recipe to use everyday sandwich bread since that's what most of us have on hand, but just as any good southern cook would do, I often substitute whatever leftover bread that is on hand. Around here that is often rolls, biscuits, or French bread. Just be sure to toast it to thoroughly dry it out before using. I also prefer sweet Vidalia onions when they are in season, but yellow onion is perfectly acceptable.

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Featured Reader Recipe - John's Yankee Pot Roast

Chuck roast, slow braised in convenient canned vegetable soup, providing a great base to spoon over creamed potatoes. 

John's Yankee Pot Roast

When a reader, John, shared this recipe with me, I have to say that I was intrigued by his use of canned vegetable soup for a Yankee Pot Roast. Originally from Wisconsin, John was stationed in South Carolina in the 70's and apparently decided to stick around! He refers to himself as a "Southernified Yankee."

In the end, the soup not only provided great flavor, but also because it contained some green beans, potatoes and carrots, it is perfect for spooning over homemade creamed potatoes. John mentioned that he sometimes adds in extra fresh carrots and potatoes to round it out a bit more though, so feel free to add the additional vegetables if you like.

This roast is super easy to throw together too. Sear the roast on both sides in a bit of oil. Whisk together the water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and garlic salt.

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Green Gumbo - Gumbo Z'herbes

A traditional gumbo made of multiple greens, and sometimes meatless on Fridays during Lent, but more often now made with an abundance of a wide variety of meats to be served on Holy Thursday before Easter.

Gumbo Z'herbes

Gumbo aux Herbes, better known as Gumbo Z'herbes, or just simply Green Gumbo, is a traditional Lenten dish here in The Deep South. I feel certain that its origins were based on a completely meatless gumbo, and while it is sometimes still served meatless during fasting Fridays of Lent, it is more often served with an over-abundance of meat, and most traditionally on Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter.  Frankly, while I do adore greens, I am much more fond of Gumbo Z'herbes flavored with the meats.

Green Gumbo can contain any mixture of a wide variety of green leafy vegetables, though it is always made with an odd number of them. It is said that for however many greens your Gumbo Z'herbes contains, it will be equal to the number of new friends you will make in the coming year, so the more, the merrier!

As always in The South, Gumbo Z'herbes recipes vary, especially when made meatless, and usually according to family tradition. Some people have no problem with using meat bones and stock or ham hocks to cook with, even on fasting days, so long as the meat itself is not consumed. Others say no meat should be permitted in any form. Some people also do not make a roux for their green gumbo, but frankly I like the flavor of it so I do use a small and light colored roux.  I also add the traditional trinity that many do not because I think it also enhances the flavor.

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Hash Brown Quiche with Andouille Sausage

Smoked sausage quiche with onion, bell pepper and Swiss cheese in a hash brown crust, served with a drizzle of Sriracha Chili Sauce and Fire Roasted Green Salsa.

Hash Brown Quiche

The Cajun is not a big fan of quiche, so I don't make it as often as I'd like to, though I happen to love it. It's as good a meal for lunch or dinner as it is for breakfast in my opinion.

One of my favorites is my Crab Quiche, and while you can't beat that with some fresh, lump crabmeat, it's even good with the shelf stable pouches. I'm an egg kinda gal anyway, but pair them up with some freshly grated cheese and some kind of other protein, then toss that all into a crust to bake and that's some kind of good y'all.  Here we're using spicy andouille sausage, sauteed with onion and sweet bell pepper, topped with Swiss cheese, and then baking it all in a crust made from hash brown potatoes.

You'll start with 3 cups of thawed frozen hash browns. Press them between paper towels to remove any excess moisture, then toss them with 3 tablespoons of melted butter and press them into and up the sides of the pie plate.  Place into a preheated 450 degree F oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. When the crust is finished, remove, set aside, and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

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