Tuna Fish Po’ boy

Not your typical New Orleans po’ boy but… you may think that this is just a sub but it’s not.  What makes a po’ boy a po’ boy is the french bread.  Sandwiches from different deli’s or Subway or ones you may make that are on white bread or a hoagie or sub bun is just a sandwich by another name.  The po’ boy is on a french bread.

My Tuna Fish Po’ boy came out of nothing else to make.  I had the ingredients on hand and thought it’d be clever to make.  It tasted great!  My wife loved it and I loved it.  It’s just one of those things to pass along.  In case your in the mood for a tuna sandwich, it’s just a way to add a twist to it.

On thing I’ve noticed about New Orleans, is that everyone is willing to help out everyone else.  I’ve been to a few concerts here in the Detroit area where brass bands from New Orleans have come to perform.  Not all the original members of the band is there, but there are other musicians filling in and the band doesn’t miss a beat.  I know they are there for a paycheck, but even at the clubs in New Orleans, musicians fill in and sit in for one another just to help out.

I talked to one musician on Facebook and told him my plans to vacation in New Orleans fairly soon.  He gave me his number to call him once I get down there.  I talked to a chef on Facebook, Tommy Centola, who runs an excellent blog the Creole Cajun Chef.  He recently published his book “You can’t keep New Orleans out of the cook” which you can find on his website.  Not knowing me other then the fact that I also like to cook Creole and Cajun foods, he told his Twitter followers to check my blog out.  I thank you Tommy and I encourge all to check his blog and book out.

What I’m trying to say is, is that New Orleans isn’t just a city, New Orleans is a culture.  It’s what I love about it.  My two favorite football teams are the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints (I know, no Detroit Lions).  I love the Raiders for who they are, always will, and I love the Saints for where they are, always will.  When I wear my Raiders hat, no one ever says anything about it.  Who talks about Oakland?   When I wear my Saints hat, I hear stories about New Orleans.  People who love New Orleans, no matter where they are at, or what connection they may have, come together.  There’s a lot to share about New Orleans and everyone loves to talk about it – the food or the music or Bourban Street.

I want to share what I’ve learned of the food and what I’ve heard with the music.  From the muffuletta to Glen David Andrews.  From Tommy Centola’s cookbook to the history of the po’boy.  Like Dr. John sang in “Sweet Home New Orleans”, “…this is what it means to love New Orleans.”

TUNA FISH PO’ BOY

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna fish
• french bread
• mayonnaise
• swiss cheese
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• pickles
• creole seasoning
• mustard (or Creole Mustard)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Mix the tuna with the mayonnaise and creole seasoning.  Spread the tuna across the french bread and top with the cheese.  Heat in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Once heated, the french bread will have a crisp top, add the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mustard.  You could make the Creole Mustard to use instead of regular mustard.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

New Orleans isn’t a southern town.  New Orleans is the northernmost Caribbean town.

The Caribbean has had a huge influence of New Orleans from the style of homes to the cuisine and all the way to the music.    They brought with them spices and cooking techniques that have had a big impact on the flavor of New Orleans cooking.

This past November, my wife and I went to the “A NIGHT IN TREME” concert in Ann Arbor Michigan.  Before the show we went to a Jamaican resturant where we both had Jamaican Jerk Chicken.  It was as close to a New Orleans meal as we were going to get.  I’ve been craving it ever since.

With the Grammy Nominations recently announced, it reminded me of the night.  The Rebirth Brass Band played the entire show with Glen David Andrews, James Andrews, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Dr. Michael White, and Cyril Neville joining in.  If you ever get a chance to see the “NIGHT IN TREME” concert or any of the above musicians – DO IT!  You will not be disappointed or be seated long!  They will have you moving.  Rebirth was nominated for a Grammy for their newest cd – Rebirth Of New Orleans.

With Rebirth on the mind, and the Jamaican Jerk Chicken taste, I decided here I try.  Two staples of New Orleans culture.  Rebirth Brass Band and music, Caribbean flavor for food.  Where else can you get such combinations?  One culture with one thing involving another within it.

Here is a brief history of Jerk Chicken from the Jamaica Travel and Culture .com website:

Jerk Chicken is believed to have been conceived when the Maroons introduced African meat cooking techniques to Jamaica which were combined with native Jamaican ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak. The method of smoking meat for a long period of time served two practical purposes, keeping insects away from the raw meat and preserving it for longer once it has been cooked. This process also introduces a strong smoky flavour to the meat.

There are two commonly held theories regarding how the name “Jerk” came to be used. One is that it originates from the Spanish word “Charqui”, used to describe dried meat. Over time this term evolved from “Charqui” to “Jerky” to “Jerk”. Another theory is that the name derives from the practice of jerking (poking) holes in the meat to fill with spices prior to cooking. Nowadays, the word “Jerk” is used as a noun to describe the seasoning applied to jerked food and as a verb to describe the process of cooking used.© 2006 Jamaica Travel and Culture .com

This is a recipe I found online awhile ago while looking for a good Caribbean meal to make.  This is my first time making it.  It was from “The Sugar Reef Caribbean Cookbook” by Devra Dedeaux but I found it by way of Diana’s Kitchen website.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs Chicken Breasts
• 1 tbs Ground Allspice
• 1 tbs Dried Thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Sage
• 3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbs Garlic powder
• 1 tbs Sugar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 3/4 cup White Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 1 Lime Juice
• 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (Habanero)
• 3 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 cup Onion, chopped

Mix all the dry ingredients in a deep bowl, later you’ll have the chicken marinate in it.  Slowly, with a whisk, add the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice.  Get it until it is smooth.

Add the pepper and onions and mix well.  I pierced the chicken multiple times with a toothpick just to add little holes for the spices to soak into.  Add the chicken breasts, cover for at least an hour – longer if possible.  I left it in the marinate over night.

Preheat oven at 350.  Place tin foil in a pan.  Add the chicken from the marinate and place extra sauce on top.  Cook for 30 minutes.

Flip chicken over.  Add more sauce.  Cook for another 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Heat the remaining marinate on the stove.  At the 30 minute mark, I put the remaining sauce on the stove over low heat.  Use as dipping sauce for the chicken.

I added red beans and rice along with potatoes as sides.  Don’t forget the french bread.  Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice… crock pot style! And Cajun?

I’m always up for a new Red Beans and Rice recipe to try. This one makes the traditional Monday meal a little easier to do on, well, a Monday.

It’s taken from the Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine December 2011 issue. They have what appears to be two versions – “New Orleans Red Beans” and “Cajun Sausage and Beans”. I’m making the Cajun version that seems to be easier to get together first thing in the mornining. The two recipes look very similiar so… I don’t really get why this is called “Cajun” with the tomatoes in it. The only difference is this version uses canned red beans where the other is dried beans with the steps of washing them etc. You can purchase the magazine or purchase the book “Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook” by Good Books (www.goodbooks.com).

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs Smoked Sausage, cut to 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup diced ham (my addition)
• 1 16-oz can red beans
• 2 10-oz cans crushed tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbs Italian seasoning
• Tabasco sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cover.  Cook on low until creamy, about 8 hours.

As the crock pot is about to finish, cook white rice or Creole White Rice and serve with the crock pot Red Beans.  You may want to go with the white rice, the meal is pretty spicy with the tabasco and green chiles then adding the creole seasoning with the rice – ouch!  We went through quite a few dinner rolls.  But it’s nothing a glass of milk can’t fix.

So enjoy this take on the classic New Orleans Red Beans and Rice dish.  Get ready for the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football and put on some Glen David Andrews in the meantime – “Kimballs Ride” is an excellent song.  Download it on iTunes and you won’t be disappointed.