Roasted Garlic Muffuletta Dip

 

New Orleans has been heavy on my heart lately, and this dip is a take of one of my very favorite sandwiches from where I grew up. I have always liked Muffulettas, and growing up in the New Orleans area, I have had my fair share of them. I'm pretty sure almost every single wedding, shower or party I went to growing up had some form of them served. Whether it was the huge whole loaf version cut into wedges or the cute little mini ones, they were always available. It combines so many things I love together- carbs, cheese, salty briny olives and a few delicious Italian cold cuts. It wasn't until I was in college that I had my first toasted Muffuletta and ever since then I don't want mine any other way! 

Roasted Garlic Muffuletta Dip

¼ cup Hellmann’s Roasted Garlic Sauce

4 ounces room temperature cream cheese

¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup shredded provolone cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 ounces finely minced ham

2 ounces finely minced peppered salami

¼ cup giardiniera (jarred pickled Italian vegetables), chopped

¼ cup green olives, chopped

¼ cup black olives, chopped

1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the Hellmann’s Roasted Garlic Sauce, cream cheese and Italian seasoning until smooth and well incorporated. Stir in the shredded cheeses, ham, salami, giardiniera, green olives and black olives until well mixed. 

Place the mixture in an oven safe dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is warmed through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with sesame seed crostini or any fresh crunchy vegetable (celery sticks, carrots, radish slices, cucumber rounds, bell pepper strips)

Sesame Seed Crostini

1 package sesame seed buns or 1 sesame seed baguette

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Slice the bread into ¼ inch thick slices and lay on a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Spray each side with olive oil cooking spray and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Flip each piece over, return to the oven and continue to bake for another 5 minutes, or until evenly toasted. 

#minichallenge #deliclubdippin  #hellmannsdeliclub

"Bogle on the Bayou" Crawfish Pizza with Fried Green Tomatoes, Crispy Andouille & Remoulade Drizzle

Bogle Winery is hosting the Flavors of The Nation Pizza Recipe Contest and asking for your best recipe for a pizza that represents your home state. This is my first entry, and I am absolutely in love with it!

I call this pizza “Bogle on the Bayou" Crawfish Pizza with Fried Green Tomatoes, Crispy Andouille & Remoulade Drizzle” Growing up in South Louisiana, one of my favorite things to do was stand around with friends and family at a crawfish boil and I especially loved all the dishes we could create with the leftovers! This pizza is the perfect blend of all the flavors I grew up loving. Crispy fried green tomatoes take this pizza over the top! Don’t worry if you have trouble finding green tomatoes, tomatillos are a fantastic substitute – you’ll never know the difference. Finally, the Remoulade sauce ties everything together and is a fabulous dip for any leftover fried green tomatoes! 

"Bogle on the Bayou" Crawfish Pizza with Fried Green Tomatoes, Crispy Andouille & Remoulade Drizzle

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast 

2 ½ plus ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp fine sea salt

½ teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons cornmeal

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon creole style mustard

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 Tablespoon chili sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ cup yellow cornmeal

¼ cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

2 small to medium green tomatoes (about 10 ounces), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices 

1 cup cubed andouille

5 ½ cups freshly shredded pepper jack cheese

1 ½ cups cooked and peeled Louisiana crawfish tails

1 cup frozen fire roasted corn kernels, thawed 

2 Tablespoons sliced green onion

To make the pizza dough put the water in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle on the yeast and let the mixture sit and foam for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the flour, salt and honey and stir until smooth.

Add 1 more cup of flour and continue to knead with the dough hook attachment until smooth and no longer sticking to the bowl. Add the remaining flour, by the Tablespoon full, only if needed, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. Knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape it into a ball. Brush the bowl and dough ball with the olive oil, cover with a towel and set aside to rise for 3 hours.

While the dough is rising, make the Remoulade Sauce. Whisk together the mayonnaise, creole style mustard, hot sauce, chili sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder and white pepper together in a small bowl. Place in the fridge to chill.

To make the Fried Green Tomatoes In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, breadcrumbs, flour, pepper, and the salt. Pour the buttermilk in a shallow dish.

In a large sauce pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, over medium heat, bring the oil up to 350° degrees.

Working in batches, dredge the tomatoes first in the cornmeal mixture, then in buttermilk, then the cornmeal mixture again, shaking off any excess. Carefully place tomatoes in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a wire rack.

In a small frying pan cook the andouille sausage over medium high heat, about 5 minutes, until the sausage is crisp and browned. Set aside for later use

Once the dough has risen, cut in half and roll into smooth balls. Allow to rest 20-45 min before using.

Pre-heat a pizza oven to high heat, or an oven with a pizza stone in it to 500 degrees.

Sprinkle a pizza peel with half of the cornmeal and gently press and stretch a ball of dough into a 10-inch round. 

Spread a thin layer of Remoulade sauce on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the dough with 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Place half of each of the andouille, crawfish tails and fire roasted corn evenly across the dough. 

Slide into the oven and bake until the crust is golden and crisp and the cheeses have melted, about 10 minutes.

Open the pizza oven and top the pizza with half of the fried green tomatoes and ¾ cup more of the shredded cheese. Close the oven and allow the pizza to continue to bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust has browned.

While the first pizza is baking repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Once the pizzas are done cooking drizzle both with the Remoulade Sauce, sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately with plenty of chilled Bogle Sauvignon Blanc Wine!

Makes 2 (10-inch) pizzas

Mardi Gras Menu

Do you ever find yourself sitting at home scrolling through pictures of a vacation that just passed and really wishing you could go back and do it all over again? That's what I've been doing this week missing Mardi Gras and all the food from home. So on this dreary day I' dreaming of crawfish, parades, muffulettas, daiquris and gumbo.

Today I'm posting my favorite Mardi Gras themed dishes just in case you can't make it to NOLA but still want to celebrate with a great meal!

Muffuletta Egg Rolls - a crispy crunchy shell stuffed with cheese, olives, salami, ham and olives

Blackened Cajun Shrimp Burgers with Remoulade Sauce and Crispy Okra Fries - 

Chicken Andouille and Tasso Gumbo - This dish was the first recipe I ever entered into a contest and competed in and is at the top of the list of my family's favorites! If you can't find tasso feel free to use your favorite smoked sausage and I frequently sub turkey for chicken for an equally delicious version!

Cajun Fish Taco Tostadas with Mardi Gras Slaw and Remoulade Sauce   - Fish taco flavors and texture as an easy to assemble tostada- what's not to love?!

Cajun Cod Fish Cake Sliders with Mardi-Gras Slaw

Bayou Blackened Praline Burgers with Creamy Remoulade Sauce - this one is insane y'all! Pralines, Blackening seasoning and a spicy creamy Remoulade sauce all piled on a burger? Yum!

Stuffed Artichoke Muffuletta Burgers with Fried Green Tomato Fries - I love literally everything about this dish. I adore stuffed artichokes, Muffulettas, fried green tomatoes and remoulade sauce.  Bonus points for being vegetarian too! 

Five Bean Salad Mini Muffulettas

Mini-letta Swirls - These easy Puff Pastry Swirls are the perfect appetizer! Provolone, prosciutto and salami all topped off with that olive salad that I love so much! 

Crawfish Remoulade Campanelle with Succotash Salsa and Crispy Andouille

Muffuletta Egg Rolls

 I have learned quickly while participating in the JSL Foods Fortune Noodle Blogger Recipe Challenge  that the hardest part of making an eggroll is deciding what delicious filling you're going to stuff those delicate wrappers with. 

I have always liked Muffulettas, and growing up in the New Orleans area, I have had my fair share of them. Whether it was the huge rounds made famous by Central Grocery, or the cute little mini ones passed at wedding receptions and baby showers, they were always available. It wasn't until I was in college that I had my first toasted Muffuletta from a hole in the wall daiquiri shop a few blocks away from school and ever since then I don't want mine any other way! 

These egg rolls combine that same melty cheese, ham and salami, olive and pickled vegetable relish that the tried and true favorite has, but this time the bread has been traded out for a shatteringly crisp eggroll wrapper and with the first bite, it takes me right back home!

Muffuletta Egg Rolls

6 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 cup jarred giardiniera (pickled vegetable mix)

½ cup black olives

½ cup green pimento stuffed olives

2 Tablespoons bottled zesty Italian salad dressing

¼ cup fresh parsley, divided

1 cup chopped salami

1 cup cubed ham

1 cup cubed provolone cheese

1 cup cubed swiss cheese

15 Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

In an electric fryer or large high sided skillet fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the oil up to 375 degrees over medium high heat.

 Place the giardiniera, olives, Italian dressing and half of the parsley and pulse it until the mixture is a chunky but even consistency.

Pour the vegetable mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir in the salami, ham, provolone and swiss. Stir together until all of the ingredients are evenly mixed.

Lay an egg roll wrapper on a large cutting board with one corner of the wrapper pointing toward you and lightly moisten all 4 edges with water. Place ¼ to 1/3 cup of the filling just below the center of the wrapper.  Fold bottom corner over mixture, fold sides in, and roll up tightly.

Fry egg rolls for 3-5 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Allow to drain on a cooling rack and then place on a serving tray. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and sesame seeds and serve.

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Mardi Gras Mambo Fried Green Tomatoes with Duck Confit and Duck Bacon Remoulade

My entry for Maple Leaf Farm's duck contest is up for public voting today to hopefully win the People's Choice award- $350!!

Here's the link to vote if you'd like to help me out. It's a quick and easy vote once a day until Monday the 18th at noon:

Vote Here

This is the first year I tried my hand at this contest and I'm kicking myself that I never entered it before. I was intimidated at first, since although I love duck and will order it at a restaurant, I've never made it at home. Now I am in love with the confit (so easy to use and already fully cooked) and especially the duck bacon (I'd never heard of it before and now I'm in love)! The duck bacon may become a regular freezer staple from now on. The contest called for dishes that highlighted duck for a holiday and naturally, I chose to celebrate Mardi Gras. Fried Green Tomatoes are one of my favorite appetizers and the tangy juicy tomatoes are then topped with the shredded duck confit and a creamy spicy duck bacon remoulade sauce. It's set atop mixed greens, sprinked with chives and even more of the crispy salty crunch crumbled duck bacon. You could serve one as a hearty starter, or give each guest two for a main course.

Mardi Gras Mambo Fried Green Tomatoes with Duck Confit and Duck Bacon Remoulade

 

2 packages Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg Confit (16 oz each)

5 slices Maple Leaf Farms Duck bacon, chopped finely

4 medium green (unripe) tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

3 teaspoons salt, divided

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cups buttermilk

6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup creole or whole grain mustard

1/3 cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons minced shallot

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

3 cups mixed salad greens

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

 

Prepare the duck confit per package instructions using the oven method. Once the confit is warmed through, shred the meat and discard the bones and skin. 

In a cast iron skillet, over medium high heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp (about 10 minutes). Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and allow to drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Line a large cookie sheet with paper towels. Sprinkle the tomato slices evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, lay them on the paper towels and let them stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, dry thoroughly with paper towels.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, bread crumbs, flour, pepper, and the remaining salt. Pour the buttermilk in a shallow dish.

In a large Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, over medium heat, bring the oil up to 350° degrees.

Working in batches dredge the tomato slices, first in buttermilk, then the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess. Carefully place tomato slices in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, and allow to drain on a wire rack.

Place half (about ¼ cup) of the crisped duck bacon into a small mixing bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, ketchup, shallot, lemon juice and parsley to the bacon and whisk to combine.

To serve lay the greens on the bottom of a large platter. Lay the fried green tomatoes on the greens, top evenly with shredded duck confit and drizzle with duck bacon remoulade. Sprinkle with remaining duck bacon and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8