Gretna Fest 2013 {and Greek Chicken Casserole}

It's finally Fall here (at least this week).  Cooler temperatures and low humidity in south Louisiana always make for happier people.  I'm ready for spending more time outside, to get ready to catch redfish and speckled trout, and for all those fall festivals.

Sunpie Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots, Gretna Fest 2013

Fall is prime festival time here--with something (or 2 or 3 somethings) happening every weekend.  This year we spent a weekend at the Gretna Heritage Festival.  This festival is held in downtown Gretna, a suburb south of New Orleans and the birthplace of Zatarain's food company.  Gretna Fest spans almost 40 blocks--filled with carnival rides, a beer garden, two streets of food vendors, FIVE stages, and an Italian Village.

Some of the stages are right on the Mississippi River,

offering clear views of river traffic and a nice breeze coming off of the water.

There was more than a breeze--there was Tropical Storm Karen.  Who ended up not amounting to much and didn't stop people from packing their rain gear and heading out to the festival.

Sunpie Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots brought some Zydeco in the rain.



More from SunPie Barnes.

There were many more performances by many types of artists...ZZ Top, Chicago, Earth, Wind, & Fire, as well as locals like the Treme Brass Band, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Wild Magnolias, and my favorite blues musician Tab Benoit.

More from Gretna Fest including Mardi Gras Indians.

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Cooler weather sure does spark a change in our activites around here.  It also marks a change in what we eat.  In the next few weeks, get ready for some more festival fun and some cool-weather food.

 

Like Greek Chicken Casserole, made for this month's Pantry Party Casserole theme @ The Law Student's Cookbook.



I based my recipe on a casserole template found in Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.  The template is titled "The Only Casserole Recipe You'll Ever Need" and offers proportions for starch, protein, vegetables, and sauce.  The specifics are up to you.

If that doesn't sound like the perfect pantry recipe, I don't know what does!

My pantry ingredients were:
Basmati rice, Kalamata olives, canned artichokes, cream of chicken soup, dried dill, dried oregano, and a few handfuls of pita chips.  I also used leftover rotisserie chicken and feta cheese.  The topping was fun.  Lemon zest and parsley gave some freshness and crushed pita chips lent crunch.

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Greek Chicken Casserole
1/2 cup Basmati rice, cooked according to package directions--can be made a day ahead (about 2 cups cooked rice)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2-3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
heaping 1/4 cup halved Kalamata olives
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/2 can quartered artichokes (from a 14 oz can)

for top:
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup crushed pita chips (I used roasted garlic flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, soup, dried herbs, feta, and olives.  Fold in the chicken and artichokes.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the lemon zest, parsley, and pita chips.  Just before serving, remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the pita chip mixture over the top.

Linking with:

IHCC: Farewell to Tessa Kiros

Having started the past six months having never heard of Tessa Kiros, it's a surprise to find that she is my favorite I Heart Cooking Clubs featured chef so far.  Sure, I look forward to the next chef, Rick Bayless.  But it's a sad thing to say goodbye to Tessa.

While I liked Twelve by Tessa Kiros and tried a few recipes from Apples for Jam, it's Food From Many Greek Kitchens that has been the star of the past 6 months.  This has become one of my favorite cookbooks--I'm crazy about it!  It has a prominent spot on the shelf right above my kitchen prep area.  A fantastic book.  Beautiful pictures of Greece, lovely personal stories from the author, and (most importantly) wonderful, exciting food.  If you have even the smallest desire to test out some Greek recipes, Food From Many Greek Kitchens would be an excellent pick.

For the last round with Tessa Kiros (although I'm going to continue cooking her recipes), I decided to go wild and do something completely insane.  Cook eggplant.  Eggplant, the bane of my childhood.  The bitter, mushy-mush that had to be eaten before I could even look at dessert.  The Husband feels even more ill will towards eggplant than I do.  We've decided it's pretty good grilled, but that's about as far as we go.

Enter weird child.  Who first tried eggplant simply because it grows in grandpa's garden.  Who asks my mom to send leftover eggplant dressing home with him.  Who convinced me to plant eggplant this year.  Figured I'd suck it up (or choke it down as the case may be) and make Kiros' Papoutsakia, or "Small Shoes" (stuffed eggplant) for him.

Truth: this takes a while to prepare and has multiple steps and cooling off periods.  I started to wonder if it would be worth the trouble.  But The Boy loved it--thought it was great.  The Husband and I also liked it and were pretty darn surprised by this dish.

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There have been so many winning recipes during our time with Tessa Kiros.  I tried 28 recipes (not all were posted due to time and either missing or poor quality images).  I can't limit myself to a Top 5.  How 'bout a Top 8?

Kebabs: Even though they look a little questionable when they come off the grill, that didn't stop all of us from hurting ourselves on this.  We liked them with hummus and feta inside Tessa'a homemade pita.


Pita: Simply the best pita recipe I've ever tried.  For realz.

Along with the pita above, would be The Husband's favorite over the past 6 months: Baked Feta.  When I make this for him...putty, yall.

Patates Tiganites with Alatopiperigano (French Fries with Salt, Pepper, and Oregano): I loved the cooking method for these fries, which made them extra crispy.  The Alatopiperigano added something interesting.


Chicken alla Pizzaiola:  This one starts with an excellent homemade garlicky tomato sauce that is useful in so many dishes.  With the sauce made ahead of time, Kiros' Pizza Chicken (as The Boy called it) was a great week-night meal.  Simple ingredients that deliver big flavor.


Penne alla Senese (Penne w/ Sausage, Walnuts, and Cream): Bacon, brandy, Italian sausage, and pecans.  A great Fall dish.  But memorable enough to want to eat year-round.  I still think about this dish.


Garides Saganaki (Shrimp w/ Tomato & Feta): Spectacular sauce that is slightly creamy from the feta.  This was easy/quick enough for a weeknight.  Also good tossed with pasta.


Revithada (Baked Chickpeas): Creamy with some sweetness from the slow-baked onions and a shot of lemon at the end...very simple, but very good.


Oh what the heck!  You've read this far. You deserve dessert.
Apple Cake w/ Toffee Topping: What happens when apple pie, apple cobbler, and apple cake get cozy in the oven?  This bit of bliss...
 


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Papoutsakia, or "Small Shoes" (stuffed eggplant)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

4 long eggplants, all similar in size and shape
about 1/2 c olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c red wine
2 14-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 c chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

for the bechamel:
3 Tbsp butter
7 Tbsp flour
10.5 oz warm milk
1 large pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp shredded kefalotiri (I used fresh mozzarella)

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and the cut surfaces sprinkle with salt.  Leave them upside down in a colander for about half an hour to drain.  Drizzle some olive oil into a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add half of the eggplant.  Fry until deeply golden and soft on both sides.  Remove and fry the remaining eggplants.  When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 1/4" border.  Chop the flesh and set aside.  Wipe out the skillet.  Add 3 Tbsp olive oil and saute the onion until golden.  add the beef and cook until browned.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Next, add the wine and let it simmer a minute or two.  Add 1 can of tomatoes and the parsley.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until thickened.  Add the chopped eggplant and simmer for another 10-12 minutes until most of the liquid is gone.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Make the bechamel by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the flour.  Whisk in the milk, removing all lumps.  Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.  whisk until thick.

Empty the remaining can of tomatoes to the bottom of a large baking dish.  Place the eggplant halves over the tomatoes, cut side up, and sprinkle with salt.  Divide the beef mixture evenly among the eggplant halves.  Spoon the bechamel evenly over the eggplants, top each with cheese, and pour about 1/2 cup water around them.  Bake about 30 minutes, until golden on top.






Put your cookbooks to use!  Link up with Cookbook Sundays #17 @ Couscous & Consciousness

Go Green!

I Heart Cooking Clubs is Going Green this week.

Guess I'd better post something green.  Don't want to get pinched!

Creamy Spinach w/ Feta from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Spinach is my favorite vegetable and this recipe didn't disappoint.  The title tells you what you need to know--spinach, creamy from loads of feta.  This was a great side dish.  Truth be told, I could have made a meal out of it.

Well...as long as I'm telling the truth...I did make a meal out of it, tossing the leftovers with pasta the next day.

See how others are going green this week


Put your cookbooks to use!  Link up with Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous & Consciousness



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Creamy Spinach w/ Feta
from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

4 c water
salt
10 c firmly packed spinach leaves, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
1 c crumbled feta
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese, plus a few Tbsp for topping
fresh ground black pepper

*After cooking the spinach, save the broth for cooking rice or risotto

Put about 4 cups of water in a large pot, add a little salt, and bring to a boil.  Add the spinach, return to a boil, then simmer for just about a minute, until the spinach has wilted.  Drain, reserving the water.

Put the olive oil and garlic cloves in a large frying pan over medium heat.  When you can smell the garlic, add the spinach, turning it over with a wooden spoon to collect the oil.  Add the feta and 1/2 c of the spinach water.  Mix the feta through, mashing it in with the spoon so it dissolves.  Still at medium heat, saute for a couple of minutes until everything has blended together and there is only a bit of liquid left in the pot.  Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and taste for salt.  Serve with black pepper and additional Parmesan on top.  Serves 6.

Friday Night Suppers

Every Friday night for a couple of years, my in-laws would invite us over for supper.

Maybe it was strange for a young, just married couple to hang out with their parents on a big Friday night instead of partying the night away to celebrate surviving another week.  But there was good (free!) food and many laughs.  After supper, father-in-law would set to making the coffee.  Serving it up in mother-in-law's footed porcelain coffee mugs.  The ones with the painted birds and the fine, thin handles I always thought I would surely break.  It was the best coffee I've ever had.  And, I believe, ever will.  It was also some of the best times spent with my in-laws.  Sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking.  As is the Cajun way.

The meal was often BBQ.  Father-in-law was the grill master.  He'd grill chicken, green onion sausages, and/or smoke pork steaks to rival Dwight's--well known across Acadiana for their Sunday BBQ.  Mother-in-law always made BBQ beans, her potato salad (which was her mother's recipe), and cucumber salad.

I don't like cucumbers much.  And they don't like me back.  When the dish was passed, I served myself just enough to avoid suspicion.  Not so much that anyone would think the cucumbers were my favorite.

Because one thing about my mother-in-law.  She likes to please.  If she knows you like something, she'll make it for you every time she sees you.  Sometimes to the point that you never want to see it again.

So for years, I ate the cucumber salad to be polite.

And then there were no more Friday night BBQ dinners.  The cancer came.  Then experimental treatments.  Then a phone call I wasn't home for.  And a trip back home that no one wanted to take.

This spring will make 5 years.  Now when mother-in-law serves cucumber salad, I don't serve myself to be polite.

Instead, I swallow them slowly, bite after bite.
As if I can taste the past.
Savor it.
Eat it all over again.
~~~~~~~~

The I Heart Cooking Clubs theme this week is "March Mezze Madness."  I chose Tessa Kiros'  Cucumber Meze from page 143 of Food From Many Greek Kitchens, first because it was an obviously easy choice for the theme.  Second because it just seemed right.

Kiros describes this dish as "extremely instant and extremely simple."  And it certainly is.  It reminded me very much of MIL's cucumber salad--the lemon juice providing the acidic tang instead of vinegar and a little mint thrown in with the salt & pepper.  I used fresh mint rather than dried because that's what I had.  I thought it added a nice, summery freshness (if that makes sense).  This is the perfect recipe for when summer gardens are overflowing with cucumbers and mint.

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Cucumber Meze 
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

2 servings
1 peeled, sliced cucumber
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried mint (I used enough torn fresh mint leaves to look right)
salt and pepper
about 1 TBSP olive oil

Put the cucumbers and lemon juice into a bowl and crumble in the mint.  Add salt and pepper.  Drizzle the olive oil over just before serving.



Some lagniappe for you...Roast Lemon Potatoes, also from Food From many Greek Kitchens (page 241).  We ate the Cucumber Meze and Roast Lemon Potatoes as part of a Greek feast with Tessa Kiros' pita bread and Kebabs.  Here, it's a nod to my MIL serving her cucumber salad alongside potato salad all those Friday nights.

As much as I like lemon in savory dishes, I have to admit that I'm still taken aback at the thought of lemony potatoes.  Even though I've been eating a version of these potatoes for years and love them.  To me, it's just something that seems not quite right but so totally is.  Kiros describes these potatoes as soft and moist and they are...not the browned on the outside, creamy on the inside standard roasted potatoes.  These potatoes cook in a lemony sauce full of oregano and come out wonderfully flavored.

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Roast Lemon Potatoes 
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

6 servings
2 pounds, 10 ounces potatoes, peeled and rinsed
juice of 1 large lemon
6 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper
1 heaping tsp dried oregano
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350.  Halve the potatoes lengthwise then cut each half into 2-3 wedges.  Spread them in an 81/2 x 12" nonstick baking dish.  Splash the lemon juice and olive oil over them, and add salt and pepper generously.  Crush the oregano between your fingers, letting it fall over the potatoes.

Turn the potatoes to coat them with everything.  drizzle 2 cups of water down the sides of the dish and give it a shuffle.

Roast until the potatoes are tender and melting and a bit golden here and there with still a bit of sauce in the dish, about 1 1/2 hours, turning them and basting every 20 minutes.  Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Visit IHCC for more March Mezze Madness



Also linking with

Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous and Consciousnesses


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