Company's Coming: What's for Dinner?

Friends are coming for dinner. I thought it'd be fun to take a trip to Louisiana. We'll be having Crusty French Bread, Louisiana Red Beans and Rice, Tossed Salad with Currants and Sunflower Seeds and Bread Pudding with a Caramel Sauce.


Crusty French Bread

2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2.5 c. warm water (100 to 110*)
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
6.5 to 7 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tbsp. water

Combine yeast, sugar and water. Let stand 5 minutes or until yeast has proofed.

Stir together yeast mixture, salt and butter in a large bowl. Gradually add enough flour to be able to knead the dough. Knead for a few minutes until soft dough forms. Place in a greased bowl and cover with cloth towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.

Gently knead for a minute. Divide dough in two. Roll out into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Roll up dough, starting at the long end, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Pinch ends to seal; turn under.

Place dough, seams side down, on a greased baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled again. Make several cuts, about 2 inches apart, on top of each loaf with a sharp knife.

Combine egg and water; brush over loaves. Bake in a 400* oven for 25 minutes or until golden.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. dry red kidney beans
4 links Andouille sausage, sliced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves, garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Bay leaf (fresh or dry)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. creole spice like Emeril's Bayou spice, McCormick's Cajun Bayou spice or Old Bay spice
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. cumin, optional


Put beans in a pot of water and rinse well. Remove any beans that float to the top. Drain water. Place beans in Dutch oven. Cover beans with about 8-9 cups of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover and let sit for two hours. You can also let the beans sit in water overnight.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute sausage. Add celery, onion, garlic, and parsley. Cook 5 minutes and drain the fat and add to the pot of beans. Add bay leaf and spices. Boil gently; simmer for 2 hours or until beans have softened and mixture becomes thick. If mixture becomes too thick, add a little boiled water to them.

Serve over cooked Basmati or brown rice. Great with crusty bread! This dish is always better the next day. It thickens up nicely. Great make ahead recipe!


Green Salad with Currants, Sunflower Seeds with Balsamic and Olive Oil

My friend Lori made a version of this salad for us and I have been making it ever since!

Dressing:

I don't measure, I just put approximately equal amounts of vinegar and oil and add 1 T. of honey or so. Shake well.

Salad

Spinach leaves
Green and Red Leaf Lettuce
Currants
Sunflower seeds
Fresh parsley and dill, rough chopped
Blueberries or sliced strawberries (optional)
Crumbled feta cheese (optional)


The Best Bread Pudding Ever with Caramel Sauce

8 c. cubed day-old bread (dry bread soaks up the moisture better)
9 eggs
2 ¼ c. milk
1 ¾ c. heavy cream
1 c. granulated sugar
¾ c. butter, melted
3 tsp. good vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

1 c. granulated sugar
¼ c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. heavy cream

Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in by 9-in baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour evenly over bread.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in comes out clean. Let stand before cutting into.

Meanwhile, make the Caramel Sauce: It's very important to use a saucepan that will hold the sauce. Once the cream is added to the beautiful amber-colored sugar syrup, it will bubbly violently and could come over the pan if your saucepan is not large enough!

In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture turns a lovely amber color. Stir in remaining butter until melted. Add cream. Remove from heat. Serve with the bread pudding.