Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers

 Large jalapenos

Bacon

Cream Cheese

Slice the jalapenos in half and core them..  Put a strip of cream cheese down one side. Place the other side back on top.  Roll the pepper acoss the strip of bacon until covered.  Secure with toothpick(s)

Do this for each pepper you are cooking.

Place in air fryer basket (no need to oil) and cook at 370 for 8 to 9 minutes or until bacon is done to your desired crispness. 

 Instant Pot Ribs

Ingredients:

2 cups water or Dr. Pepper (not diet)

1 tbs. Liquid Smoke 

2 lbs ribs cut to fit into pot.

Your favorite rub (I have a rub recipe that we like and is included ..search for Gina's Brisket Rub)

Instructions:

Pat ribs dry.  Cover with rub.  Let set for an hour or more.

Put the liquid ingredients in bottom of instant pot.

Arrange ribs on trivet.

Cover, seal, and pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.  Use a natural release.

Remove ribs from pot, slather with your favorite bbq sauce and finish them on the grill or under the broiler until they have that nice kinda crispy look on the outside.

These are so tender...

Microwave roux

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Optional:

2 cups chopped onions

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 of a bell pepper chopped

2 celery ribs chopped

In large 8 cup Pyrex class measuring cup, combine the flour and roux.  Cook on high in micorwave for 6 minutes.  After 6 minutes, very carefully take it out.  Add vegetables if you are using them.  Stir well.

Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until the roux is the color you desire.  I usually cook mine until it is a dark pecan color.  

For gumbos, I make a very dark roux, but for bisques and other creole dishes, I usually use a lighter roux.  It is up to you.

After roux is desired color, add enought HOT water to make four cups.  

This freezes well if you want to keep some on hand for future uses.

Instant Pot Vindaloo

 Vindaloo in Instant Pot

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 medium onion cut into slices

4 garlic cloves, minced (I add an extra one)

2 tsps cayenne pepper or more to taste

2 teaspoons of your favorite curry poweder ( we use a very hot one and sometimes I up it to 3 to 4 teaspoons)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cinammon

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup rice vinegar (apple cider will do if you don't have rice)

2 lbs. cubed pork or beef  or hchiken thighs if you prefer

steamed rice for serving

Set pot to saute.  Saute onion and garlic. Add the rest of the spices until it starts to make a paste. Stir so it doesn't burn.  About 1 to 2 minutes.  Add stock and vinegar slowly and bring to simmer.  Scrape all the browned bits off bottom and simmer until your desired thickness

Add the meat.  Lock the lid into place.  Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.  Natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release.

If you want a thicker sauce, remove the meat and select saute, let simmer until sauce is as thick as you want.

Plate meat with sauce on top and serve with the prepared rice. 

Biscuits

 Yogurt or Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tb sugar 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup cold butter or lard cut in pieces (the colder the better)

3/4 cup Greek PLAIN yogurt or Buttermilk

1 large egg 

3 tbs cold water if you are using yogurt

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly butter your pan or cast iron skillet.

Sift dry ingredients together.  Cut in butter with knives, pastry blender or fingers until you have a small pea like consistency.  Should resemble a coarse meal.

In large measuring cup, whisk egg and buttermilk or yogurt together.  Add the 3 tbls water if using yogurt.

Gradually add this to your dry ingredients.  Mix until the dough come together..dump on a lightly floured board or counter top and knead the dough until it holds together.  Don't over work it.

Roll out into a 1" thick circle. Use cutter or glass to cut out your biscuits.  Place on your baking sheet or inside your cast iron skillet.

Bake at 400 for for 12 to 14 minutes.

AIR FRYER instructions

Line basket with parchment paper cut to fit.  Or if you don't have parchment paper, use foil.  If you aren't using the ones that are specifically made for the air fryer, poke some holes in your paper/foil.

Put biscuits in basket, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Cook at 400 for about 9 minutes.  

 

Shrimp Creole

3 tbs butter or olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic diced

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne

4 bay leaves

1 tbs Worchestershire sauce

4 tsp Creole seasoning (I use Tony’s but any will do)

1 14.8 can of diced tomatoes (with or without chiles)

1 cup shrimp stock or chicken stock

1 cup water

1 tb flour

1 ½ lb peeled and deveined shrimp ( I get the medium size ones for this dish)

Directions:

Heat butter or olive oil.  Saute onions til they begin to get tender, add bell pepper, celery and garlic to mixture.  Cook until onion is translucent.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cayenne, worchestershire sauce, bay leaves and creole seasoning.  Mix well.

Add the stock and water.  Simmer for a few minutes.

*** At this point, I make a slurry, put a tb of flour in mixing cup, add some of the liquid from the dish and dissolve. Then slowly add this back to your pot***

Simmer until the liquid is reduced to the desired point.  The dish should not be real thick but it isn’t soup and shouldn’t be runny either.

Add the shrimp and continue to simmer until the shrimp turn pink.

Top with chopped green scallions and serve over rice.  Have your favorite hot sauce to add at the table.

Pecan Bread Pudding with Praline Rum Sauce

 

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

2 Baquettes (stale) so get them ahead of time and let them sit out 24 hours

1/4 cup butter -- melted

2 cups sugar

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

6 regular eggs or 4 large eggs

1 tsp cinammon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tb. vanilla

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans.

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour melted butter into a 9 x 12 pan. OR use the small 2 serving tins as I do. I can do 5 2 serving pans this way.  Just divide the butter evenly between the tins.

Tear or cut the bread into bite size pieces and put in large mixing bowl.  In large measuring cup, combine rest of the ingredients with the exception of the pecans and whisk well.

Pour over the bread and mix well.  Then stir in the toasted pecans.

**** You can toast the pecans in the oven, on the stovetop in a skillet, or as I do, in my air fryer.  Or just buy them already toasted. **

Pour mixture into pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes in the oven.

If you chose to use your air fryer, you will need to use smaller pans.  Cook at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.  My air fryer will hold 2 of the pans.  

Praline Rum Sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 can evaporated milk

4 tb butter

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1 tsp vanilla

1 tb. rum

Melt butter in 4 cup or larger measuring cup.  When melted, whisk in sugar until dissolved.  Gradually whisk in milk, vanilla, rum.  Cook on high for 1 minute.  Whisk well.  Then continue to cook in 30 second increments being sure to whisk it good..  Continue until sauce is as thick as you want it.  It will thicken some more after you quit cooking it.  

This is good not only over the bread pudding but on ice cream, pound cake and waffles.