Last year was the first “Head To Toe” Event and wow, was it a success!!!  Once again, I am delighted and honored to serve as the Honorary Chairman for this fun day!!  If you missed it last year, this is a special day to spend with your friend, mother or anyone.  I am especially excited as my mother will be in town from Ft. Worth so she will be my special guest.  I will be giving a seminar with Matt Saurage of Community Coffee at 9:00am, “Stay “Hot” in the Kitchen with Community Coffee” and then the lunch menu will be from my cookbook, Too Hot in the Kitchen.  The luncheon will be the Kiwi and Mixed Green Salad topped with Grilled Chicken and Spiced Walnuts and for dessert, everyone’s favorite, cheesecake, with Lemon Cheesecake Squares.  You can pick up a jar of lemon curd in the grocery so this really is an easy recipe.  I like to serve with fresh berries.

Head To Toe Event in Baton Rouge

What a wonderful honor to be acknowledged as a Volutneer Activist of Baton Rouge.  When Leslie Berg asked me to plan the menu for luncheon for the 500 people attending this Friday, I was thrilled to be a part of such a great afternoon.  What’s nice is my recipes are mainstream enough to serve to 500 people.  The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza is very accomodating and does a great job of preparing my recipes. The menu being featured for the luncheon is from Too Hot in the Kitchen:  Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age.  and here’s the recipe for the Strawberry and Kiwi Salad that I thought I would share with you as it is the perfect salad for spring and summer.

Strawberry and Kiwi Mixed Green Salad
Mediterranean Chicken Summer Stir-Fry
Margarita Cake with Fresh Berries

Volunteer Activist Luncheon in Baton Rouge

Glazed Ham with Pecan Crust

Looking for the perfect menu to entertain guests this Easter? Holiday meals are known for their classic dishes and these have a delicious twist!  Just wait until you taste this classic Glazed Ham with Pecan Crust – you don’t have to make an extra trip to the ham store. And of course with my sweet tooth I have to include a dessert!  The Tropical Yam Trifle is an incredible finish to your meal and includes the fabulous Louisiana yams.

Glazed Ham with Pecan Crust from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Home Entertaining the Easy Way

No need to buy a honey baked ham at the store with this stunning ham with incredible taste, yet, so simply prepared.

Makes 20 – 25 (5-ounce) servings

1 10-pound fully cooked bone in ham

2 cups apple cider

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  Insert meat thermometer into center of ham without touching bone.  Place ham in baking dish, pour cider over.
2. Roast in oven, basting with cider every 30 minutes for total cooking time of 12 – 15 minutes per pound or until thermometer registers 140°F.
3. Meanwhile, in bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard and pecans.  Remove ham from oven last 40 minutes, firmly pat sugar pecan mixture all over ham.  Return to oven, continue roasting until crust is brown and ham is done.
4. Slice and serve with sauce.  Some of topping falls into sauce making it the perfect accompaniment to ham.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 306, Protein (g) 35, Carbohydrate (g) 12, Fat (g) 13, Calories from fat (%) 38, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 75, Sodium (mg) 1824, Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1 other carbohydrate

Terrific Tip:  Garnish ham with crab apples or pomegranates while in season.

Planning your Easter Meal – Glazed Ham with Pecan Crust

I go to the YMCA for my exercise classes but best of all, I make new friends that becomes a cult of its own!  I have decided I am not an “optional” kind of person, and the only way I exercise is with classes.  So, you will know, no aerobic classes–these are body conditionning, pilates or stretching type classes–after all I really don’t like to sweat.  We come to exercise not dressed and without make-up but recently I was at one of our Mardi Gras Balls and my teacher and a friend were there–hey we do know how to clean up!

My friends at the YMCA

Shrimp Cheese Grits Casserole

This post was from awhile ago…but making for Christmas gang also!  I am exhausted! I had 30 wonderful kids with me all weekend as we all went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  My daughter, Haley, invited 30 of her friends from Wash U in St. Louis to come experience Mardi Gras for the first time.  Many had never even been to the South so of course I had to have lots of food!! We had 5 king cakes and I cooked our classic Louisiana dishes that feed a crowd. I made Shrimp and Cheese Grits from Freezer Friendly Meals, ahead of time and froze so I didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen when everyone got there.  I also had to make our favorite appetizers kids love to dig into – Hamburger Dip and Super Salsa…both with only a few ingredients and so easy. Of course they were gobbled up! It was a whirl-wind weekend full of fun but good to be back in my routine too!

Shrimp and Cheese Grits for a House Full

Fun and informative, Too Hot makes another list and on one of my favorite blogs  Recipegirl blog has great information, with recipes, tips and good scoop.  I am flattered to be included.  Too Hot is a little different than my other books.  There are recipes on my website.

Too Hot Makes Favorite 2010 Cookbooks on Recipegirl.com List

When you think of Louisiana cuisine, gumbo comes to mind.  My kids live in Dallas and New York but rely on my easy recipe for this Louisiana favorite.  If you are not in a region where seafood is plentiful, this version is the answer. The secret to a good gumbo is the roux, and my secret is I use browned flour for the roux.  Not only is this a time saver, but you get that rich nutty flavor with out all the fat.  Not only does it taste great, it is so easy as you bake the roux in the oven. So, no matter where you live, you can enjoy my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  Remember, gumbo freezes well and so does extra rice!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC  Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

Chicken and sausage gumbo, a Louisiana favorite, may be prepared easily and conveniently with chicken, sausage, and seasonings. Gumbo is served over rice.

Makes 14 (1-cup) servings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound reduced-fat sausage, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen cut okra or fresh cut okra
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1.  Preheat oven 400ºF.
2.  Place flour on baking sheet, bake 20 minutes, stirring every 7–10 minutes until a dark nutty brown color. Set aside.
3.  In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, stir-fry sausage over medium heat until crispy brown, set aside.  Remove any excess grease, recoat skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
4.  Add chicken and cook, stirring until starting to brown. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, cooking until tender. Add browned flour, stir continuously.
5.  Gradually add chicken broth, okra, thyme, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add sausage and green onions cooking 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 160, Calories from fat (%) 11, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 49, Sodium (mg) 550, Carbohydrate (g) 12, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo-Secret to a Simple Healthy Roux

Driving the Combine

Holly Harvests Rice

September is National Rice Month!  In Louisiana we eat a lot of rice–from gumbos,  etouffees, jambalayas, with red beans to my kid’s classic favorite, rice and gravy.  In honor of  this national recognition, Kevin Burkin invited me to his farm to see how rice is harvested.  I went to Port Arthur, Louisiana (about a 2 hour drive for me) and had a day to remember.  Never did I realize how big and sophisticated those combines were.  These farmers work hard to make sure their crop is harvested in a timely manner and the combines today get the job done.  I rode with Kevin in his combine and understood the feeling of serenity  of being in the middle of these rice fields watching the harvest process.  Now, when I got to drive the combine, I was nervous but it was amazingly easy to maneuver with all the modern gadgets and controls of today.  Rice is a big business in Louisiana as we are one of the top rice producing states. 

Did you know that 1 cup brown rice=3 1/2 g fiber and 1 cup white rice is less than 1 g fiber—so try to make the switch to brown rice for a fiber booster. 

My Gulf Coast book features Louisiana and southern recipes-so rice is a staple in that book.  Here is a Crawfish Etouffee recipe with two of our favorites:  crawfish and rice.   If you have leftover rice, you will want to turn it into another meal, with this scrumptous Chicken Apricot Rice Salad from my new book, Too Hot in the Kitchen.  So, think of the versatility with rice from a side, entree to a salad.

Thank you Kevin and all the rice farmers for all you do to get rice on the table each day.

National Rice Month – Rice a Louisiana Favorite

I am excited to be working with CancerFightersThrive to contirubute recipes for cancer patients.  This is such a challenging time so I feel grateful that I can give people comfort and food, as what you eat makes a difference when going through treatment.  The Raspberry Spinach Salad embodies spring with raspberries and kiwi.  You can use whatever nuts you like instead of Macadamia, or leave them out and spinach has so many nutritional benefits.  Remember the greener the lettuce, the more nutrition and look at the vibrant color of spinach.  Always adapt any recipe to your taste preference at the time.  Enjoy!  This recipe is from Eating Well Through Cancer:  Easy Recipes & Reccomendations During & After Treatment.

Cancer Recipes with CancerFighters Thrive-Raspberry Spinach Salad

Crawfish Etouffee

After adjusting back into school after winter break, I realized how much I missed my southern foods!  Within one week I made Crawfish Etouffee and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo both from my mom’s Gulf Coast Favorites book.  All of my friends at school love southern cooking and hover around my kitchen when I am cooking.  I always love to share southern recipes, because my friends always rave about how tasty the recipes are.  Both recipes took very little time and were full of flavor.  The only downside is that seafood is extremely expensive in St. Louis.  After a few grocery bills, my parents cut my southern craving down to only a few seafood recipes per month!

Crawfish Etouffee recipe from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

The key ingredients in this popular Louisiana staple are tender crawfish simmered with onion, green pepper, and garlic stared with a light roux.   This easy to follow recipe will quickly become part of your Cajun recipe repertoire.

Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup fat-free chicken broth

1 tablespoon paprika

1 pound crawfish tails, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch green onion tops only, finely chopped

1.  In large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, melt butter, stir in flour.
2.  Cook over medium heat until light brown, 5–8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic, sauté until tender, 5 minutes.
3.  Gradually add chicken broth, stir until thickened. Add paprika and crawfish. Bring to boil.

4.  Reduce heat, cover, cook 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Stir in green onions, cook another few minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 210, Calories from fat (%) 31, Fat (g) 8, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 170, Sodium (mg) 257, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 lean meat

Terrific Tidbit: The browned flour and oil creates a roux that gives the etouffee that deep rich flavor.

Missing the South – Crawfish Etouffee