Many moons ago, I made a wild rice stuffing for my turkey that was delicious. However, this post is not about that. It’s about the leftover box of wild rice I’ve had sitting in my cupboard for those many moons (7 years!). While rice going bad isn’t something that I had ever really thought of, I was kind of surprised when I opened it and no weird odors or growths appeared. Then I moved onward with my plans to make a delectable rice laced with crisp green veggie slivers.

California wild rice is black, with a somewhat nutty, somewhat earthy flavor, and a texture that is the epitome of “toothsome”. And it’s fuss-free. “Add water to pot with rice. Boil. Drain.” are pretty much the instructions on the box. As a girl who often burned pots of rice dry, I can get on board with these directions. (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

While every year I struggle with which favorites to serve and what new things to try, this cranberry sauce has been a staple since I started making it a few years ago. Last year I was tempted to shift to a Pinot Noir-laced cranberry sauce, but at the last minute I decided not to stray from a good thing.

Those last two words should give you a hint of where I found this recipe — in one of my many Martha Stewart magazines. One of my guilty pleasures around this time of year is pulling out all of my November and December issues from years past and combing through recipes, seeing what I’ve missed or what I haven’t made and trying to decide whether it will go with this year’s theme.

But back to the cranberry sauce. This recipe creates 2 versions – one spicy, pepper-jelly-and-herb version, and a sweet-tart orange version. (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian by Courtney

Last weekend we had some beautiful weather, and I thought it would be the perfect time to finally try out the recipe for pork barbecue sandwiches that it took me so long to procure from my dad. While I can’t give you that recipe (I’ve been sworn to secrecy), the sides are pretty darned awesome too. One of my favorites for barbecue is potato salad, but I do mine with a tangy twist. Instead of using mostly mayo as many recipes do, I use mostly mustard, and a good blend of them at that, and throw in a few savory seasonings that make this not your normal potato salad. The result will make your taste buds tingle and beg for more! (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian by Courtney

As I was reading through the recipe for Smothered Rabbit yesterday, I decided I wanted to go beyond the basic white rice and try making dirty rice. Usually I fry the livers and giblets and serve them as an appetizer with a bit of creole mustard sauce, but since I had made rabbit stock and had 2 cups leftover (just the perfect amount for the dirty rice), I thought I’d try my hand at this Cajun classic.

Here’s a bit of a shocker — as much Cajun and Creole food as I’ve eaten over the years, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a homemade dirty rice made with the giblets. The old standbye was Zatarain’s dirty rice with sausage thrown in.

So back to the rice. If I don’t use parts of an animal, I tend to throw them back into the freezer for later use. (more…)

Filed under:
Cajun & Creole, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch by Courtney