Recipes from the Trails

Delta Delights Trail

Banana Caramel Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (regular
• low fat or nonfat)
• 2-3 bananas
• 1 9 in. pie crust - baked
• 1 cup whipping cream (regular or nonfat)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Crumbled Heath bars

Method of Preparation: Pour condensed milk into an 8 inch glass pie plate. Cover with foil. Fill a shallow 2-quart casserole dish with 1/4 inch hot water. Place covered pie plate in casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until condensed milk is thick and caramel colored, adding hot water to the water bath as necessary.Cut bananas crosswide into 1/8 inch thick slices and place in bottom of pie crust. Spread caramelized milk over bananas. Cool for 30 minutes. Combine whipping cream and sugar; beat until very stiff. Spread over caramel layer and sprinkle with crumbled Heath bars. Chill 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Creole Fusion Trail

Beignets

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp. Shortening
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 package yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 egg - beaten
• 3 3/4 cups silted flour (approximately)
• Confectioners sugar

Method of Preparation: Pour boiling water over shortening, sugar and salt. Add milk and let stand until warm. Dissolve yeast n warm waater and add to milk mixture with the beaten egg. Stir in 2 cups flour. Beat Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl; grease top of dough, cover with waxed paper and a cloth; chill until ready to use. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Do not let dough rise before frying. Cut into squares and fry, a few at a time, in deep hot fat (360 F); brown on one side, turn and brown on other. Drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Yields 2 1/2 dozen

Bayou Bounty Trail

Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 7 cups milk
• 6 egg yolks - beaten
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 French bread
• cut into 1" cubes
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 pound butter
• 1- teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Method of Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Warm 6 cups of milk. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, 1-cup milk, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Slowly pour the warmed milk into the bowl, stirring constantly. Melt butter add and stir. Add French bread and allow to soak in mixture. Add raisins. Butter an 11 x 15 inch pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake 45-60 minutes.

Creole Fusion Trail

Cafe Degas - Onion Soup

Café Degas, on Esplanade Avenue, is a favorite among New Orleans locals. The charm is undeniable—it’s intimate with a dining area that’s essentially a temperature-controlled deck with awnings that give patrons the sense of dining outdoors even when they aren’t exactly. French bistro fare—patés, quiche, steamed mussels—fill out the menu, but the specials are particularly noteworthy. Warm up this winter with a bowl of their onion soup.

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 slices of bacon, julienned

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 onions, sliced

6 ounces white wine

1 small bouquet garni

1 bay leaf

2 cups chicken stock

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon thyme

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded

baguette croutons

 

Method of preparation:

Render bacon in butter. Add garlic and toast lightly. Add ¼ onions and cook, stirring until lightly browned. Deglaze with white wine. Add remaining onions, bouquet, bay leaf and stock as necessary and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Add thyme, salt, pepper and any remaining stock and cook for three hours until onions are very tender. To serve, put soup in a crock or ovenproof bowl; top with croutons and a handful of cheese. Broil in oven or toast lightly with torch. Beware: The cheese is very hot and gooey. Makes ½ gallon.

Creole Fusion Trail

Cauliflower and Belle River Crawfish Soup

During spring in Louisiana, cooks around the state are focused on one ingredient: the crawfish. From crawfish boils to étouffée, it’s served up all kinds of ways. Here’s a recipe for a crawfish soup, courtesy of the new WYES show “Chef John Besh’s New Orleans.”

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• Half a head of cauliflower, cored and chopped


• 1 onion, chopped


• 1 leek, white part, chopped


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced


• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 4 cups basic chicken stock 


• 2 cups heavy cream


• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes


• 1 sprig fresh thyme


• Salt and freshly ground white pepper 


• 1/2 pound crawfish tail meat


• 2 tablespoons butter


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

 

Method of preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over moderate heat. Add cauliflower, onions, leeks, bay leaf, potatoes and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the cauliflower softens slightly and the onions are translucent, about 20 minutes. Add chicken stock, cream, red pepper flakes and thyme to the pot. Increase heat to high; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until potatoes are fully cooked, 15–20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.
Puree the soup in a blender and strain through a fine sieve. (Depending upon the size of both the cauliflower and potato, you may need to add more stock. The consistency will become obvious after you puree the soup. You don’t need to add more cream; just a touch more stock.) Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Return to the pot, cover, and keep warm. 
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat, add the crawfish tails and sauté for a minute, then add chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, add crawfish tails and sprinkle with chives.

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