Dulce de Leche-Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

This was SOOOOO good!  Ask one of my neighbors.  I shared some with her :)  This was a great find in the March 2013 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.  I love bananas.  And bread pudding.  And dulce de leche...and it was a winner, indeed.  I didn't even have ice cream to serve with it, but I should have.  It would have been over the top!  Enjoy!

Dulce de Leche-Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 loaf (14 to 16 oz) challah or brioche
• 1 cup store-bought dulce de leche (I used La Lechera canned)
• 1 pinch salt (I just used my sea salt grinder and did a pinch on each piece)
• 1 very ripe large banana, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Coat an 8-inch glass baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter.  Trim the ends off the bread load, then slice the loaf crosswise into 10 slices, about 3/4 inch thick.  Using 1/2 cup dulce de leche, spread a thin layer on half of the bread slices.  Sprinkle with the salt; top with the banana slices.  Sprinkle one-third of the chocolate on top, then cover with the remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.  Cut each sandwich into 3 triangles.  Arrange the pieces in the prepared dish, placing some flat and others on their crust edge to create a craggy top.  (Really squish them all in there and create more sandwiches if needed)  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the bread.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.  Whisk in 2 cups milk and the vanilla.  Pour the milk mixture over the bread in the dish.  Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and drizzle over the top.  Let stand for 1 hour or chill for up to 12 hours.  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.  Bake the bread pudding until it puffs up and is springy in the center, 45 to 55 minutes (if the bread pudding was chilled, bake for an extra 5 to 10 minutes).  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup dulce de leche with the remaining 3 tbsp milk over medium heat until smooth and beginning to bubble, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a small pitcher.  Cut the bread pudding into squares or scoop it with a spoon.  Serve in bowls with ice cream and the dulce de leche sauce.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Okay.  If you don't love this recipe, I seriously think there might be something wrong with you!  Just kidding.  But it IS good.  Gumbo is a dish that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It typically consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell peppers and onions (a trio known in Cajun cuisine as the "holy trinity"). Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat. Several different varieties exist. In New Orleans, what is known as Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish. Cajun gumbo varies greatly, but often has a dark roux with either shellfish or fowl, but not together. The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, German, West African, and Choctaw and it is the official dish of the state of Louisiana.  This dish also hails from Emeril Lagasse's Louisiana: Real and Rustic cookbook.  Emeril states "This chicken and sausage gumbo is dark and sultry.  It is favored by the prairie Acadians who live in Evangeline and Acadia parishes.  They celebrate Mardi Gras by gathering the ingredients on horseback.  They gallop from farmhouse to farmhouse, then rendezvous back in town to cook this gumbo.  Serve it with steamed rice."  I didn't share this dish at the potluck.  My family got to savor every bit.  Although I DO love a good seafood gumbo, I chose to grab some fresh andouille at Central Market, cook it up, and use it for this dish.  And I cheated on the roux a bit....you can make it according to the recipe, which takes some time and patience, or use a pre-made roux such as Kary's Roux.  Out of the ones I have tried, this one is the one that I like best.  I like a nice, dark roux.  Whichever route you choose to take, I'm sure it will be delicious!  Enjoy!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices (or fresh andouille, cooked, and then sliced)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups water
• 1 pound boneless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon Rustic Rub (see below)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon filé powder
• Cooked rice

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat.  Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.  (Or use 1/2 jar of the pre-made roux and slowly dissolve it into the water).  If using the pre-made roux, in a separate skillet, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers into a small amount of vegetable oil and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted.  If making the roux from scratch, add the vegetables directly to the roux.  Add the vegetables to the pot of water and roux.  Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves.  Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the water (if haven't done so already).  Stir until the roux mixture and water are well combined.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.  Season the chicken with the rub and add to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours.  Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the parsley, green onions, and filé powder.  Remove the bay leaves and serve in deep bowls with a scoop of rice on top.

*Rustic Rub is one of Emeril's blends of spices.  You can probably find it in a bottle in the grocery store or even find the recipe online to make it yourself.  It is a mixture of paprika, cayenne, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

Shrimp Étouffée

What is étouffée, you say?  Étouffée is simply a term that means "damn, that's good."  In all seriousness, it simply means smothered.  Pronounced ay-TOO-fay, it is a dish that is customarily found in Cajun and Creole cuisine that typically includes shellfish and served over rice.  Originally étouffée was a popular dish in the Bayou and backwaters of Louisiana. Approximately 70 years ago étouffée was introduced to restaurant goers in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. It was a very popular dish among Cajuns in the area.  The difference between Cajun and Creole is a whole other story.... Okay, okay.  I'll tell you.  Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles (French-speakers from Acadia in what are now the Canadian Maritimes). Today, the Cajuns make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's population, and have exerted an enormous impact on the state's culture.  While Lower Louisiana had been settled by French colonists since the late 17th century, the Cajuns trace their roots to the influx of Acadian settlers after the Great Expulsion from their homeland during the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). The Acadia region to which modern Cajuns trace their origin consisted largely of what are now New Brunswick and the other Maritime provinces, plus parts of eastern Quebec and northern Maine. Since their establishment in Louisiana the Cajuns have developed their own dialect, Cajun French, and developed a vibrant culture including folkways, music, and cuisine.  Creoles? Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the early French settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World.  Okay, okay...enough of that seriousness and history lessons.  Back to what you really came here for....the FOOD!!  I typically LOVE to make crawfish étouffée, but recently for a Mardi Gras potluck at work, a coworker has an anaphylactic reaction to crawfish :( so I made shrimp étouffée instead.  No picture, sadly.  It was that good.  Gone too quick!  I can't take credit for this recipe.  This comes straight from Emeril Lagasse from his book Louisiana: Real and Rustic.  No need to wait for Mardi Gras next year to make this. Start now!  Enjoy!!

Shrimp Étouffée

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter
• 4 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons (or more) chopped garlic
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 large dried bay leaf (optional)
• Cooked rice

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp, salt, and cayenne and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink.  Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the shrimp mixture.  Stir until the mixture thickens slightly.  If using, add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the parsley and green onions.  Stir and cook for about 2 minutes more.  Serve right away over rice.