Classic Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo (Gumbo Ya-Ya)

A classic light roux-based gumbo, made with a cut up chicken and andouille sausage, served over hot steamed rice.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

I've been making and sharing Miss Lucy's chicken gumbo with y'all for years, but admit, her classic Cajun-style method is not exactly the way that I usually make my gumbo.

Miss Lucy's recipe makes a roux, then adds water to the roux and then adds the chicken, sausage and trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery) to the pot, a classic Cajun one pot prep.

I prepare my gumbo in a way that is more traditional where I live - brown the meats, prepare the roux, cook the trinity in the roux, then add the water or stock and the rest.

However you make it, we eat a lot of it and it's mighty good!

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy - a flavorful gravy, made ahead from roasted turkey wings or legs.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

There is nothing as delicious with that holiday turkey than a gravy made from the drippings, but it becomes just one more of those last minute things that has to be done in the whole process of all the other last minutes things. All too often folks just skip it and use a canned gravy, which of course, while there's not a thing wrong with that, it just doesn't have that same home-cooked, Thanksgiving flavor.

Enter the make ahead gravy!

Mirliton (Chayote Squash) Seafood Casserole

Mirliton (Chayote Squash) Seafood Casserole, a casserole made with mirliton, the trinity, shrimp, andouille, crab, bread crumbs and seasonings. Increase bread crumbs for a mirliton dressing.

Mirliton Seafood Casserole

It's mirliton season in the Deep South! I'm guessing that some of you are likely thinking right now... what the heck is that?

Mirlitons, or in Cajun Country, Alligator Pears

A near lost south Louisiana classic, calas are a flour and yeast fritter, made with cooked rice and flavored with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Creole Calas (Rice Fritters)

I've certainly mentioned this before, but we eat a lot of rice here in the Deep South, and there's almost always some leftover. We have lots of ways to use that leftover rice (just click that link to see a few) including sweet things, like rice pudding and these sweet rice fritters, called calas.

A near lost classic, Calas hold a past in the city of New Orleans, though their origins date back more likely to Africa. In the French Quarter, Cala ladies would wrap fresh, piping hot Calas in towels and carry them in a covered bowl on top of their heads, hurrying to the streets to sell them, shouting "Calas, belles calas, tout chauds!"

Photo Credit: Times Picayune

Shrimp and White Bean Stew - Great Northern, cannellini, navy or your favorite small white bean, cooked in a ham bone broth, with the trinity, Rotel tomatoes, andouille sausage and small shrimp.

Shrimp and White Bean Stew

I literally have been trying to get this recipe written and uploaded to the blog for almost two weeks! What can I say... seeing as I'm at the age of being mostly retired now, we techically at least because, trust me, a recipe website is as much work as what I did in my corporate legal career!

Anyway, I don't spend too much of my time being in a hurry to do much of anything anymore.

You may have also noticed that the Deep South summer-like fall heat finally gave way to some much cooler, near winter-like fall temperatures. Though it's sure been nice having some cooler temps the past couple of weeks, along with that comes a certain degree of laziness on my part. Though I do still cook, not a lot of writing happens.

A flavorful grilled chicken, marinated in a bold and zesty blend of oil, citrus, garlic and fiery seasonings. Traditionally served with white rice, shown here with a mild, Spanish rice and skillet fried green beans.

Mojo Chicken - Pollo Asado

Literally translated, polo asado means barbecued or grilled (and sometimes even roasted) chicken, though it appears that it most often refers to chicken that is soaked in a mojo-style marinade and cooked on a grill. It's another one of those roadside/food truck favorites, in the same camp with the vinegar chicken I shared recently.

In this case I'm using a homemade mojo marinade in place of a commonly used commercial sour orange product {affil link} which not only is next to impossible to find here on the Mississippi coast, but also tends to contain additional sugars and preservatives you may not want.

Deep South Spaghetti with Andouille Sausage

A spaghetti meat sauce made with the trinity and thin slices of spicy, andouille sausage, for a taste of the Deep South.

Dad's Deep South Spaghetti with Andouille

When I make a pot of meat sauce for spaghetti, I usually toss the cooked noodles with a few spoons of the sauce, then top each serving with more sauce. Dad mixes the cooked pasta and sauce together and also adds thin slices of Andouille sausage to his meat sauce. I admit, I sure love when he sends a plate of his spaghetti over to me and since The Cajun also loves his Dad's spaghetti, I patterned this version after his.

Sausage Reubens aka 5 Finger Banjo Picker Sandwich

Sausage Reubens, a sandwich spread with Creole mustard and made with grilled or pan-fried sausage and onions, topped with sauerkraut, sliced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and white cheese, patterned after the 5 Finger Banjo Picker Sandwich from a Decatur, Alabama tavern known by locals as The Brick.

Sausage Reubens

Here's the sandwich I promised you with the last post on how I dress up store-bought sauerkraut and boy y'all is it a good one!

We eat sandwiches for supper all the time, sometimes with a side of chips, sweet potato fries or French fries, sometimes a bowl of soup or a side salad. Thank goodness it qualifies for a meal around here because we've been eating a lot of sandwiches this past summer, and a lot of them have been made in a microwave grill pan (#ad).

A dressed-up sauerkraut dish, made from commercially bagged or canned sauerkraut, adding in some bacon and bacon drippings, brown sugar or honey, and a few simple seasonings. Perfect for sandwiches or in a sausage and potatoes skillet meal.

Dressed Up Sauerkraut

Oh dear. I know that some of y'all are thinking... "a sauerkraut recipe?" Well, first it's not really a recipe.

Making sauerkraut takes about a two week commitment and a lot of tending to with skimming and such. Too long for me and I don't like it enough for that kind of investment - but, what I will do, is take an off the shelf commercial product and dress it up a bit!

I'll be right up front with ya though. While some folks love the stuff, I've never been a super big fan of sauerkraut. As with many other southerners, while I do love the flavor combination of sweet and sour, whether in the refrigerator packages or cans, commercially prepared sauerkraut right off the grocery store shelf is just too weird for my tastebuds. Still... I sure do enjoy it on a classic Reuben sandwich. Shaved corned beef dressed with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on toasted Rye bread - it's downright delicious.

Spanish Rice - a side dish made with bacon, rice, tomatoes, the Trinity of veggies and a few simple seasonings.

Spanish Rice

With some variations in cooking method - stovetop, oven or a combination of both - and ingredients - tomatoes versus sauces, pastes or purees - that, which is defined as Spanish Rice across much of the country, is quite similar to Red Rice from the Lowcountry and the base of our beloved Creole Jambalaya of the Deep South.