Archive for December, 2009

Hi Hunters! Need an easy idea for all that sausage?

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

It has been very well documented on my blog, the love I have for my camp in the Atchafalaya Basin.  It is an abundant area for all things great in Louisiana!  While I have shown, my husband is an ace in the fishing department, he is not a hunter.  However, do not cry for me as my neighbors Lenit and Greg are advit hunters.  We have a deal, I keep them well stocked on Tony’s Chachere’s and they keep my freezer packed with deer meat!  A few batches of homemade cookies and cakes do not hurt my cause either!

This past week, my husband did a favor for a board member at the company.  The next day, James showed up with 3 packs of deer sausage to thank him.  You see, this is just the way we do things in southern Louisiana.  Food is always an extension of your love and appreciation for those in your life.  We don’t just eat to live, we live to eat.

As my husband, Todd and I were having coffee this morning, I told him I would fix him a potato stew with the deer sausage.  He said, “Now there is a blog.”  So, here we are.  I know, I can hear you already, “I don’t have deer sausage!”  Come on, you can substitute Italian hot sausage, pork sausage, etc.  If you like it, use it!….Just cook this hearty meal.

Here are your ingredients for this stew:

Very few ingredients are needed to create this stew

Very few ingredients are needed to create this stew

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 lbs. fresh deer sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth or stock

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to taste

In a large Dutch oven heat oil and brown off deer sausage.  Remove from pot.  Add olive oil and bring up to temperature.  Add vegetables and cook until onions begin to brown.  Add remaining ingredients.  Chop sausage into chunks and add to the pot.  Bring to a low simmer.  Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are tender.  Add additional stock if necessary to cook pototoes.  I like to garnish with fresh parsley or green onions.

Take a look at the pot, when all ingredients are added:

All ingredients are in and ready to simmer away!

All ingredients are in and ready to simmer away!

The finished product is comforting and hearty.  This is a great dish to make at the campground or any day of the week!

All served up and ready to eat up!

All served up and ready to eat up!

I hope you enjoyed this blog and recipe and are inspired to create your own version.  Let me remind you, recipes should merely (unless baking) be a guideline to your own taste buds!  Make my recipe your own… and if you do, please let me know!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

The Turkey and the Cajun Microwave…

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
That's me cooking cabbage and having coffee Thanksgiving morning!

That's me cooking cabbage and having coffee Thanksgiving morning!

Hello everyone! I am keeping my word to share with you the story of the Thanksgiving turkey and the Cajun Microwave.  First let me say, my family and I had wonderful Thanksgiving out at the camp in Butte LaRose.  The weather was cool, but absolutely picture perfect.  I sure hope where ever you were for Thanksgiving you shared it with the people you love. Now, on with the food, that is why you came to my blog, right?

I must tell you, this is the second time my husband and I cook in the Cajun microwave.  Our first experience was cooking a suckling 40 lb. pig.  The pig took 4 hours to cook.  Thus, I estimated the 12 lb. turkey would take no longer than 2 hours.  I was so excited because I scored a fresh, never frozen turkey from a local meat market.  My mom and I brined the bird in sugar and water for 24 hours.

Thanksgiving morning, mom rinsed, patted dry, and cut the turkey open along the backside (to lay flat).  My husband and stepdaughter injected it with Tony Chachere’s Butter Jalapeno Injectable Marinade and sprinkled with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.  In the pan, I layered orange and lemon slices and added a cup of white wine.  She was a beautiful bird!

Turkey injected and ready to go into the Cajun Microwave

Turkey injected and ready to go into the Cajun Microwave

The turkey went into the cajun microwave at 10:30 am.  We figured we would be eating around 12:30 pm…and we were WRONG!  To make a long story short, we had issues regulating the temperature and were very careful not to spike the temperature too high.  At noon, I told everyone to have a bowl of gumbo, it would be a while until eating time!

Bottom line, it took 4 hours to cook our friend.  Was I upset about this….NO, IT WAS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN!  Want to know why?  Because my friends, everyone spent the day hanging around the campfire, watching football, visiting, boat riding, having wine and relaxing.  Because the turkey took a little longer than expected, everyone stayed and enjoyed the beautiful scenery the Atchafalaya Basin has to offer.  I think it was my favorite Thanksgiving ever!

Todd putting the bird in the microwave, check out my view of the Basin!

Todd putting the bird in the microwave, check out my view of the Basin!

So, bottom line of this blog is not so much to offer up a recipe, but to share with you a cliche, “Stop and smell the roses.”  Enjoy the scenery and the people around you. If you failed to do so for Thanksgiving, guess what, Christmas is just around the corner, you get another shot!

It was truly worth the wait!

It was truly worth the wait!

I will be heading out for a much needed “magical” vacation, but don’t fret! I have already scheduled a blog to come out next week for you hunters with deer sausage!  So, if I don’t answer your comments, I’m not ignoring you, just playing around with a mouse and duck!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s