Tag: #FoodieFriday

Lacie Ring: How Brian and I Cooked Crawfish Pie Together {Foodie Friday}

 

Crawfish Pie easypeasypleasy foor arkansaswomenbloggers.com

I had cut the first piece of the Crawfish Pie which is always the hardest. I set the slice aside to let it cool. Steam in a camera lens just doesn’t work. When I came back to start snapping pictures, someone had taken a huge bite out of the middle of the pie. I thought I would just die. All I could do was laugh and pull out two more slices. That’s the kind of fun that ensues when you are cooking and blogging at deer camp.

Crawfish Pie is on the menu tonight but first a little back story on how this recipe came about.

So, when Debbie said she needed volunteers for the Foodie Friday posts, I knew I wanted to help. I loved her idea of theming each month to a song. I noticed February was themed towards the song…Jambalaya on the Bayou. Lightbulb moment, I have a friend who lives in New Orleans and he could help me out with an easy Cajun dish. I emailed this idea to Debbie and she responded back with…”Is your idea to cook together with your friend?” I figured, that was something that could be arranged. The only problem, he lives in NOLA and I live in Arkansas. Oh the logistics. I called up my buddy Brian and we put together a plan.

Our only chance to meet up was at Brian’s family deer camp. This worked perfect for me being that it was only a couple hours from my house and the hubby and kiddo could get in a little hunting too. Did I mention, I know Brian because he’s my best friend’s brother-in-law? Yep, that’s right! This was also a chance to hang out with my bestie too. Y’all…she calls me Betty Crocker and I call Brian Guy Fieri. I’m sure you can see why…lol.

With our plan in place, we were ready to meet up back in January. Low and behold, the only snow we’ve had all winter decided to hit that very weekend. I thought, well, how are we going to get this Crawfish Pie recipe done together if the snow stops us from meeting up? I guess I should tell you that our big hurdle was the fact that we were taking our camper. Pulling a camper through snow and ice did not sound appealing. It was either leave a day early to beat the snow or Brian and I were going to have to skype to make the recipe together. Brian had already made his 6 hour drive so I was thankful my hubby had the fore sight to leave a day early. We had easy driving and Brian and I could still cook together. Yay!

Without further ado…Brian’s Crawfish Pie! If you love Pot Pie and Cajun food then this recipe is for you!

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This recipe couldn’t have been possible without my person Guy Fieri. Big thank you goes out to my buddy Brian for the effort put forth to make his Crawfish Pie with me for ARWBal. We had so much fun cooking together or should I say me watching Brian cook…I did wash the dishes though.

 

 

Y’all can find tons of other easy and delicious recipes at www.easypeasypleasy.com. If you love social media then you can find Easy Peasy Pleasy on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

 

Alicia Dowell: Summer Squash Hash {Foodie Friday}

Celebrating the Bounty of Arkansas

The rising temperatures mean lots of fresh veggies straight from the garden.  If you can’t grow your own food or just don’t have time to add to your busy schedule, make your way to your local farmer’s market. I have made friends with a couple of local farmers since I lost all my plants to a huge storm. This means I have some great treats leaving with me from my local market on Tuesday and Saturday. The hues of yellow, white, green and red make me eager to make supper. 

In past years it has been hard to get my daughter to eat those delicious vegetables. I tried everything including frying some but no luck until this year.  I finally got her to believe squash and zucchini hash is the best thing. It was a simple idea which came to me. After a long day at work, I was tired and didn’t feel like spending a huge part of my evening cooking. Also with it being so hot already, I wanted something which could be left alone and not require me to stand over the stove. I had some squash and zucchini so I thought I would give it a try in some some hash – maybe even sneak in  one or two more items my daughter normally wouldn’t eat.

This hash is really easy and simple to make. If you have a child old enough to help, this is a great way to get them started in the kitchen.  Allow your child to help by washing the vegetables, peeling the onion (if they don’t mind onion) or cutting the vegetables. My daughter has expressed an interest of wanting to cook more and this has been a great opportunity for her to learn.

alicia dowell headshot

Simple Words by A

Born and raised in Arkansas, Alicia Dowell loves her home state. She grew up on her family farm in Southwest Arkansas. She was taught a deep love of caring for animals, growing a garden, and the slower way of life. Alicia married her college sweetheart and welcomed her daughter a year later. She can still be found in Southwest Arkansas on their one acre farm or on Instagram which fuels her photography habit

 

Laurie Marshall: Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Foodie Friday Feature with Text (1)

My sister has a husband who is willing to try almost any kind of food – lucky her! Or, maybe it’s lucky him, since she is one of the best cooks I know. She is not afraid to experiment, loves to create her own recipes, and she makes bread from scratch too. I’m a little jealous of her kitchen skillz. Or, more accurately, the time and inclination she has to spend in the kitchen. Feel free to join me in directing some long-distance envious thoughts to the Pacific Northwest…

When she does make amazing food, she usually sends me a text with a picture of said food, and I always vow to pull out a notebook and start creating meal plans and utilizing the dozen or so cookbooks collecting dust in my kitchen. And I do that once, maybe twice, before falling back into the same old rut.

But once in a while I throw some things together in a crock pot that are deserving of accolades and the recording of the process and ingredients. This recipe is a result of one of those times. Don’t let the color throw you off, this concoction is savory and delicious and freezes brilliantly, making it a great make-ahead option.

On top of this soup being delicious, it is super simple and inexpensive to make. So, let’s get to the serious business. And feel free to share photos on social media when you make it yourself – you deserve to be on the receiving end of envious thoughts just as much as my sister.

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Creamy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips
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Ingredients
  1. 1 ½ cups yellow lentils
  2. 2 cups diced sweet potato
  3. ½ cup diced parsnips
  4. 1 clove garlic, riced or smashed and finely chopped
  5. 1 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 teaspoon curry powder
  7. ¼ teaspoon paprika
  8. ¼ teaspoon pepper
  9. ½ teaspoon allspice
  10. 2 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth can be substituted, if desired)
Instructions
  1. Soak the lentils as directed on the package, preparing for cooking. (I used yellow lentils, but any color is fine.)
  2. Drain the lentils and put them into a slow cooker with all of the remaining ingredients.
  3. Cook on your slow cooker’s low setting for six to eight hours, until lentils and other veggies are soft and mashable.
  4. Ladle soup into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth – it should only take a few seconds. Be sure to put the lid on the blender, even if it’s making a weird noise. Trust me on this. Depending on the size of your blender, you might have to do this step in a couple of batches.
  5. Serve your soup in a lovely handmade or vintage bowl, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, and enjoy it with some crusty bread.
  6. If you prefer your vegetables with a little more protein, add some sausage to the mix, but it is thick and savory enough to satisfy most folks without.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
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Enjoy!

lauriemarshall

 

In addition to her love for a perfectly turned phrase, Laurie Marshall has a passion for reusing and repurposing, and may get a little too excited about power tools and the wall of paint chips at her local home improvement store. She graduated from the BA program in Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas in 2007 at the ripe old age of 39, and after spending six years working at a desk job (that she loved!), she took the leap and began her freelancing career. Her work has been published on VisitRogersArkansas.com, TasteArkansas.com, NWAMedia.com, and in AY Magazine and Do South, among others. @LaurieMMarshall 

Laurie lives in Northwest Arkansas where her mother was a majorette in the high school band and her grandmother inspired her love for homemade and handmade. She is spoiled by the availability of locally-grown foods in her community. Being the decision-maker for dinner every night wears her out, but, thanks to Food Network, she still enjoys experimenting with new flavors and concoctions. She prides herself on the fact that no one has gotten ill after eating her food.