Reasons to cook  Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip Recipe

Tuna steaks cooked offer many choices for your meal planning whether you’re serving alongside vegetables or adding to a salad.  Any leftover tuna will deliver the best damn tuna salad sandwich you have ever had in your mouth. It is worth it to drive to your local bakery and select bread that is worthy of Ahi tuna.  Sadly this will spoil you with flavor and may give you a dose of hesitation when buying canned tuna.

Like the champagne of beers, Ahi tuna tastes great and is less filling. Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip recipe is a low-calorie meal that does not taste like dieting. Ahi tuna is rich in protein, minerals and omega 3. Due to tuna’s mercury count it may pose a health risk to young children or pregnant women. Thankfully, this does not apply to me.

I love cooking this recipe in my favorite iron skillet. Simple seasoning, olive oil and Ahi Tuna steaks is all that you need for a wonderful entrée. In the Summer, we long for easy meals that won’t keep you in the kitchen or using the oven. Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip Recipe will meet your requirements for an easy meal without using the oven.

Side Dish Suggestions

Beach Ready? New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe

Southern Zipper Peas Recipe

A Vegetable Medley of Fresh Flavor

Less time in the kitchen means more time outside or just paddling. Shout out to Alexa for Fishin’ In The Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band or try Kid Rock’s All Summer Long.

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Of course, living near the Gulf Coast  with easy access to fresh seafood will spoil you for more than one reason. Being able to buy fresh shrimp, crawfish and  fresh catch fish is a luxury I adore. If  your landlocked and not as fortunate, most seafood markets will ship fresh or frozen seafood overnight. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Surprisingly, I have never cooked shrimp and grits. Yet I thought that it would be easy based on my love and familiarity  with the ingredients. What could go wrong with shrimp, butter, seasonings, shrimp stock, garlic and grits? Plus my grits were specially sourced from my Rural Alabama Trip To Inspire.

How to cook Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits

As a rule, growing up Southern you  learn about grits early.  Since I am always trying to cut carbs I rarely cook grits. It is important for me to save carbohydrate allowance for my obsession, potato chips, Doritos, chili cheese fritos, ZAPS etc.   Thankfully, the grits package  will provide instructions. You will only need to read and follow directions.

All in all gravy requires more skill but you will manage it well. Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits Recipe is easy to cook. At the same time, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling shrimp and making  stock. Great idea to recruit your man for peeling shrimp while you chop vegetables. Bribe him with a glass of wine or two if  you must. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Finally, shout out to Skate Mountain Records for Jimmy Lumpkin and The Revival  My Name is Love. I have only recently discovered this band but I love the soulful sound. Visit web site for tour dates and tunes. Trust me it is totally worth it.

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Read manual and learn to use Old or New pressure cooker

Our good friend Focus gave us “the magic pot” AKA electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer and rice cooker. I am still harboring a bit of hesitation when using the magic pot. I remember all too well my Mom displaying red beans on our ceiling from using her magic pot. The old-fashioned pressure valve was scary enough to watch, let alone listening to the wobbly noise spit and sputter.

This new cooking technology is great.  If you have one of these cookers, I would check the internet for a brand search to make sure you have a good brand.  While researching best pressure cooking tips, I discovered pressure cooker class action lawsuits and accidents. Elmer Fudd said “Be vewy vewy careful!”

Read the manual before you use.  I have used my device several times and I still read before using this device. In general, I am a big fan of all my body parts and want to avoid any accidents. Follow directions, be smart and don’t drink and pressure cook.

Drowning Seasoned Pork Roast in Yesterday’s Wine will give a great quick meal to serve alongside any vegetables. If you have access to French Bread,  heat it, slather it with mayonnaise, shredded lettuce and top with roasted pork. You can thank me later. A table of southern vegetables will marry well together with this pork roast.

Veggie Options to serve with Drowning Seasoned Pork Roast in Yesterday’s Wine

Here are a few vegetable recipes from earlier posts.

A Vegetable Medley of Fresh Flavor 

Flavorful Italian Green Beans

Beach Ready? New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe

Truly, a slow cooker is another easy way to cook a Roast and walk away from the stove.  Let me know what you think about this recipe, Easiest Meal Ever with Roast, Potatoes and Carrots.  

Whichever cooking method  you choose will make a delicious and tender meal for your family. Happy Cooking Y’all.

Shout out to Alexa for Jason Isbell for “Alabama Pines”.

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Of course, my Momma’n’em used a pressure cooker and I have a very healthy respect for this device. To the point of being in awe of anyone brave enough to use one. On more than one occasion during my childhood, I saw the effects of a pressure cooker that had “gone rogue”.

Rogue Pressure Cooker

Momma like to cook Creole Red Beans in her pressure cooker which had a giggly top otherwise known as pressure regulator. On more than one occasion Momma’s pressure cooker spewed Creole Red Beans on our ceiling. Clearly Momma had a hot-pot which failed to work correctly whether it was the pot or operator error.

Thankfully no one was ever injured from the rogue pressure cooker but it was probably only a matter of time. As a teenager viewing the red beans being cleaned off the ceiling and everywhere else was a sight. Momma’s rogue pressure cooker managed to leave a lasting impression on me. To the point that I have always been hesitant about using one.

Just the thought that I might wind up having to clean the ceiling pretty much does it for me. In  my house, it’s hard enough to keep the walls and floors clean, let alone washing the ceiling down. I have to admit the speed of a new electric pressure cooker minus the giggly top sounded positive. Yet, still not brave enough to buy.

Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets

Until one day our friend Focus delivered a big, shiny new Instant Pot to us.  Great gift for a busy foodie even if she is a big ‘ole scaredy-cat.  Instant Pot whips up all sorts of yummy goodness. From venison cutlets to roasts, main dishes, stew, soup, rice, yogurt, dessert all cooked very fast. Quickly a roast is delivered to the point of submission and mouth-watering tender.

Speed alone is a reason to use. Warning: Read the manual before you start using your pressure cooker. Then read it again. Do not skip reading the manual because improper use may lead to worse things than red beans on the ceiling. Scaredy-cat reads the manual every time I use my magic machine.

Even then, I am a bit nervous as I follow all the steps.  Each new cooking phase adds a little more adventure to your evening meal. Instant Pot does not have a giggly top but it does click away while cooking. FYI probably not a good idea to have a glass of wine while using this device.

In my research I discovered class action lawsuits on certain brands of  pressure cookers and a new field called Pressure Cooker Injury Lawyers.  I imagine someone saying “Y’all watch this!” just before they did something really stupid.

Read the manual. Pay attention and save wine to drink with dinner for Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets. A friend gave us venison and it turned out delicious in my brand new shiny but intimidating Instant Pot. If there is a deficit of venison in your freezer beef cutlets could be swapped out.  Alexa Shout out to Hank Williams Jr, A Country Boy Can Survive.

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My friend Sunshine and I made a date for her to serve as guest chef. Since we both hail from Louisiana, we love cooking and entertaining. Sunshine is a great cook and I love cooking with her. Our cooking sessions include stories and laughter.  In our conversations about family memories and meals, Sunshine mentioned one of her Grandmother’s favorites, Cabbage Dressing.

Is it stuffing or dressing?

Dressing as in cornbread or stuffing not salad dressing, clearly dressing is a very southern term. Have you heard of cabbage dressing? In my review of food,  I located a million cabbage dressings for coleslaw. After my research, I was ready for Sunshine to introduce me to her Grandmother’s cabbage dressing.

Sunshine’s Grandmother Iris B. Lemoine served Cabbage Dressing on her large southern antique table. You could always count on Iris’s table to include delicious food including calas. The Lemoine family home started in Cottonport Louisiana on the bayou. A southern home filled with love, antiques and a porch to host story-telling.

Iris’s family were German and migrated from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana. Iris married a Frenchmen, Theofield Lemoine and raised  the family in Cottonport. Sunshine speaks lovingly of Iris and Theofield captured in  memories which center around an idyllic childhood. Memories which include listening to grandparents speak in French so little ears would be protected.

Life in a small town

In Cottonport, life centered around the Catholic Church, small town events and life of the bayou. Iris shared her love and happiness with all that came into contact with her. Passing lessons of love on to her family including  manners and etiquette.

During December, Lemoine’s would host a Christmas on the Bayou. An Open House for friends, family and neighbors. Of course, tables of food, huge pot of gumbo and treats to tempt the palate. Surely, if I close my eyes, I can see the huge mimosa trees covered in moss bordering the bayou, shading the Open House.

Lush green grass filled with chairs and blankets for guests to relax and share a meal. In the background, nature, laughter and Christmas music infiltrating the southern day on the bayou.  Uniquely, if only I had a ‘back in time” button, I would press it to meet Iris B Lemoine and her Frenchmen Theofield. For certain, I would love our time together.

Family and friends called Iris “The Pink Lady”. Sunshine describes her Grandmother as a Grand Lady. Iris loved entertaining, cooking,  her family and everything pink.” Clearly Iris could share secrets of being a great host and Southern belle. I am dying to know how she introduced boots to her classmates at LSU .

After all, Iris B Lemoine’s Cabbage Dressing is an old southern rice dressing recipe. Certainly, not a recipe that I have been familiar with but I love it. Sunshine and I spent an afternoon in the kitchen  cooking during which I learned how to make Cabbage Dressing. Sunshine shared memories with me while we cooked cabbage dressing and reminisced about families.

In conclusion, whether you call it Iris’s cabbage dressing, cabbage stuffing or old southern rice dressing  this recipe will yield rave reviews from your guests. Serve as a new side dish on your holiday table and start your own tradition with family.

Alexa Shout out to Billie Holiday’s “I’ll be Seeing You”.

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There are a couple of things that I would give up before my crock pot. And it’s not because I have a fancy-smancy crock pot. Oh no, my crock pot is a hand-me-down. My last crock pot was attacked in his home on the bottom of the pantry. A high-level canned good took ‘ole crock out. Our house went into mourning, our  beloved crock pot had delivered  for a long time.

Finally, just when I thought I was going to get a high-tech crock, my bonus Mom came to the rescue with a slightly worn but loved extra. Best part about my slightly worn crock is that it is simple. No bells and whistles for me to ponder over or operating manuals to read. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before a high-level canned good takes it out.

Roasted vegetables in the oven for an hour add extra flavor to this sauce. While the vegetables are roasting, I use this time to cook the sausage. When the sausage and vegetables are cooked, its time to marry together all the ingredients in the crock pot. Set the dial of the crock pot on low and leave it for 12-16 hours.

A delicious hearty and thick sauce that will stand up to any pasta. Serve with crusty  garlic bread, salad and a glass of vino. In my research I found a great wine and food pairing site. Check out their wine suggestions for red sauce with pasta. Food and wine pairing is always an important thing to consider for a meal.

Alexa shout out to Dean Martin for “That’s Amore”.  I enjoyed watching the suave and talented men in the “Rat Pack” as a girl. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis were witty, dancing men that could sing and make a girl swoon.

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Cooking seafood seemed mandatory today. Yesterday we had a jubilee on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. I have lived here for over twenty plus years and never ever had the opportunity of witnessing a jubilee.  For years, I have waited  patiently for “the jubilee call” but to no avail.

Typically, every Saturday I head to beach to join  Fairhope Paddle Group  to paddle board in the bay. Little did I know that this Saturday would include a special surprise.  Earlier before I arrived that morning, a jubilee started in our area.  Waaaah? Still, no one called?

Before I arrived, one of our paddlers caught a flounder with her hands and then graciously gave it to a family with a bucket. Prior to entering the water, a fisherman went by us with a single flounder trailing behind him on a line. He was looking for fish, apparently they were getting away.

We started our paddle and headed out towards the Yacht Club.  Lots of adults and children were trailing the shore line with nets, buckets and ice chests. Everyone had their head down scanning the water, looking for fish, shrimp, crabs and other marine life. Along the beaches it was a hubbub of activity and squeals of delight.

With Johnny Neptune leading the pack we paddled furiously trying to catch the last remnants of the jubilee. While out on the water I could only imagine the sights on shore. As we paddled towards the Yacht Club, a thousand birds were circling waiting on their prey, lined up in formations. We paddled out to see birds but they flew away and landed further away.

Paddling  hard we finally landed on sand. On shore, tiny little catfishes had been spit from the bay and landed on shore. One of our paddlers, Owa started scooping up the little fish and placing them back in the water. Owa continued scooping and tossing. I think I heard him say “Swim, Nemo swim”. In the water, you could see tons of little schools of fish swimming very close to waters edge.

In awe of Mother Nature

At the same time, parents and their little ones were walking up and down the shoreline. I can only imagine the glee of scooping up fish. A shrimp swam by and I was happy just recognizing the little swimmer. In the water, I reached in to grab the shrimp and squealed. Too slow apparently, the shrimp darted away. Those little suckers are fast.

Uniquely, Mother Nature started our week with an eclipse and finished off with a jubilee. I enjoyed the camaraderie of our group chatting about the unexpected happenings of the day. Until our group rested up, we sat on our boards laughing and chatting about the days events.

In contrast we paddled back slower than when we started our journey that morning gazing at all of the sights on the water. Catfish, shrimp, sting ray, flounder, crabs and more were part of what we saw on the tail end of the jubilee.

Sadly, I went home without any seafood. Thankfully, I had salmon in the freezer. After a review of my pantry, I settled on Easy Low Calorie Baked Salmon, Sweet Baby Limas,  okra from the garden, and Italian Green Beans.   Please don’t let the name fool you, it is easy and low calorie but the salmon  dish is succulent despite the ease.

Shout out to Alexa, for Octopus’s Garden” – The Beatles (1969)

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Watching the meal planning exercise and execution with your adult child is educational. It is  amusing to hear her make comments to me about the need to cook healthy. What?  Me the Mom who has received more than my share of eye rolls, snarky comments and blank stares when I have made simple comments like:

-limit drinking soda’s or totally avoid
-stay away from junk food
-drink plenty of water
-limit fried foods

What is best way to add new healthy habits?

Learning to merge healthy habits into  your diet and cooking is a process. My belief is that adding in healthy habits are sustainable if you adjust over time. A total change overnight is harder to keep going after the “new” wears off. Cooking healthy is vitally important to our overall health. Healthy food assists our bodies to work properly and in boosting our immune system.

My girl has introduced her own healthy suggestions into our home. We are never too old to learn, even from our children. I requested muffins, meat-loaves and new chef recipe to be used on my site and a healthy mix of vegetables for our meal.  Quickly, my new chef stated that the menu would consist of ground turkey for the Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe.

Off she went to the grocery to buy items needed for dinner. Time for me to put my feet up, I could get use to this. Is it time for wine?  I moved to the couch and my computer while I waited for my new chef to whip up a recipe.

My girl and I chatted about pans, ingredients and typical meatloaf recipes in general. The healthy addition to her meatloaf recipe was ground turkey. Prior to this, Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe, ground turkey was MIA from my kitchen. In our house, we love whole turkeys baked in the oven, grilled on the egg and in the slow cooker.

But, ground? This tiny piece of information would be on the “need to know status” for Grill Man.  Certainly the meat-loaves cooked in a muffin pan would be delicious. This had been on my list to try for some time. My favorite part of a traditional meatloaf is the crispy end or edges where all the flavor concentrates. The black-ish part that appears  too burnt to eat but is oh so delicious. The multiple muffin tins would allow for more crispy edges to share less crispy to negotiate over.

To use Ground Turkey or not in Muffin Meatloaves ?

My girl had experience cooking with ground turkey therefore I was not worried about the taste. Since Grill Man was traveling, she would have time to complete the dish before he discovered the ground turkey secret. How would he like the meatloaf? Would he notice the  turkey before we shared the secret with him? Over time would he want to eat the meatloaf again after he found out it was turkey? Inquiring minds want to know.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is a hit. Grill Man and I loved the flavor of the meatloaf. Muffin tins provide more crispy bits of heavenly flavor to fight over. The turkey secret remained intact until I decided to share with Grill Man.

As with most “food dislikes” once the person learns of additional add of “item to avoid” they may or may not want to eat the item again. Over time, a person with “food dislikes” may change their opinion and learn to love an item once avoided. Then again, some times not. Food like and dislikes is a very personal choice.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is yummy with turkey.  In lieu of turkey swap out your favorite ground meat. The spices may need to be adjusted accordingly. For a completely different type of meatloaf which includes meat, meat and more meat visit Meatloaf Trifecta Beef, Spicy Sausage and Bacon

Alexa Shout out to Peter Frampton  for Wind of Change. I tried to search for the newest album Acoustic Classics but Alexa isn’t that hip yet. Grill Man has this album and loves it.

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What to add in your Culinary Bag

Fresh ingredients are key to a proper start for any dish. When we have a garden, I am able to walk outside and grab a few items. I love easy access to the fresh vegetables. Coupled with it is convenient and a huge cost savings. First hand knowledge of methods used growing food is valuable and gives added peace of mind. Growing  your own vegetables makes for frequent farm to table menu options at your dinner table.

By the same token, planting in containers is an option too. Container gardening will yield a surprising amount for the space. With this type of gardening it is easier to manage the weeds. A green thumb comes in handy when growing fresh fruit and vegetables. If your minus a  farmer or green thumb, support the local farmers markets and cooperative farms in your area.

Together with fresh yellow squash and zucchini from the garden, you will have a wonderful partner for Grouper or snapper. Marry together with a bit of herbs, onion and garlic and ‘the party’s in the bag’. Fish is easy to cook. It is important that you don’t over cook.  No one wants to eat dry fish especially Grill Man. It would be better to pull out early and check than to over cook.

Additionally, cooking the fish and vegetables  in a culinary bag allows for minimal fat in this recipe. The seasonings are on the lighter side of my palate. This dish is also gluten-free if you have celiac or attempting to remove gluten from your diet. I hope that this will be dish that you will enjoy and share with others.

Alexa, Shout out to The Doobie Brothers.

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Fresh Gulf shrimp make amazing shrimp recipes. Shrimp is a great start to a delicious appetizer recipe or meal. I am fortunate to live near the Gulf Coast and fresh seafood is a special treat.  The shrimp, crabs, craw-fish, oysters and the wide range of  fish is a bonus when cooking and developing recipes.

It is a luxury that many may afford whether they buy or catch their own seafood. On the coast, we have multiple markets that offer the Gulf’s finest fish and shrimp for your dining pleasure. You may still enjoy our fresh seafood even if you live far away from the coast.

Most markets will ship seafood out-of-state fresh or frozen directly to your door.  No one should have to long for fresh quality shrimp or seafood, ever. Alabama Gulf Seafood  has a great web site that details how to find, catch, cook and see Alabama seafood.

On occasion, I have had the pleasure of fishing in Gulf waters off shore  and loved it. Being a guest on a charter boat is  always  exciting. There is nothing like a fresh catch whipped into a great recipe on board. A fish  that was recently swimming turned into a ceviche recipe before your eyes is “as good as it gets”. Add this to your list, it will get no fresher than that.

There is nothing like dragging in a big ‘ole fish. I am not a fan of the entire bait process but it is hard to fish without bait. The next time you’re in the area, charter a boat and  experience the joy. You not be disappointed, unless you’re a “lilly-livered-land-lubber”.

If your lucky enough to own a boat then you know what it is like to wander on the Gulf waters, as you please. Perhaps it helps to have “coördinates of fishing honey holes” or a great charter captain so that you always find and catch fish.

The Gulf is a great big place and fish know where to hide. Finding and catching fish is part of the challenge.  Sometimes it is hard to find a “mess of fish”. Find a local market and place your order. Fish and shrimp are plentiful and easy to manage for transport or preserving to cook your favorite fish and shrimp recipes.

Forrest Gump on Shrimp Recipes

Who could say it better than Gump? Forrest Gump said, ” Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey’s uh shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep-fried, stir fried, There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. ”

Shout out to Alexa for Light Jazz, it has been a long day and I need to start my shrimp recipe in a rich sauce.

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