Cabbage Soup

My husband, who is a Greek Orthodox Christian, and I observe a fast before Easter. So we had this simple but very delicious cabbage soup. I found this fresh and tender cabbage in a local farmers market. Cabbage is excellent for soup. Use it with various kinds of vegetables so that the soup becomes very rich and flavorsome.

Pralines

Pecan pralines are one of the Louisiana’s landmarks. They are a very sweet flavor with crunchy pecan nuts. I love to eat them with a cup of coffee au lait or milk tea.
It is quite expensive if you buy. But it is very easy if you make. Try this sweet, which was originally from Franc!

Gumbo Soup

It is already the middle of March. But it is still cold in Louisiana. It was 41 degrees F when I woke up this morning!!!
I need hot soup. So I decided to make this gumbo soup, which is one of the traditional Louisiana dishes. I was told that guineas fowl are the best to make gumbo soup. They are not familiar birds in regular super markets and I only found it in the local farmers market. It was quite expensive comparing to chickens. However, the soup became more flavorsome and thick.

After eating this soup, I checked the temperature. It is still 43 degrees F. Yet, thanks to this delicious soup, I feel much warmer.

Stuffed Cabbage with Egg and Lemon Sauce

Stuffed Cabbage is one of my favorite dishes since I was a little kid. This is a Greek version of stuffed cabbage. Rice, tomato, onion, beef, lamb and lots of dill leaves are used for the stuffing. The egg and lemon sauce is called avgolemono, which is a traditional Greek sauce. It was a lot of work to make them. But it was definitely worth it!

Salmon and Squid in White Wine Sauce

Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

Happy Mardi Gras!

These beautiful fresh oyster mushrooms are from the local farmers market. I used a little bit of soy sauce for seasoning, which makes this simple Mediterranean dish extraordinary. It was yummy :)

Eggplants with Mint

We had lost many of the plants in our vegetable garden because of the cold fronts. However, several herbs, such as mint, theme, rosemary and Greek oregano, did not get any damage. I am amazed by their vital power. Since these herbs are only things I can obtain from my vegetable garden, I decided to use them as much as possible.

I enjoy the flavor of mint leaves as much as appreciate their health benefits. This herb enriches meats, fish and many kinds of vegetables.

Because of the mint aroma, eggplants get an additional essence. When I invite my friends, I frequently make this eggplants-with-mint dish as a side dish since it is very easy to prepare. Amazingly I got a lot of compliments on this simple dish (ironically more than the main dish…).

Ingredients:
2 eggplants (Holland eggplants)
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoon of organic balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Slice the eggplants lengthwise. Soak the sliced eggplants in the salty water for about 15 minutes. Drain them well and pad them with paper towel.
2. Mix 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar, the chopped garlic and mint leaves in a shallow plate.
3. Heat plenty of olive oil in a large fry pan and fry the eggplants until they become tender. Season with salt and black pepper. Drain the eggplants. Then, transfer them to the shallow plate.
4. Stir the eggplants and the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and mint mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the top. Let them cool. Then, chill in the refrigerator for a few hours to several hours. Serve at room temperature.