Tag: Recipe of the month

In case you missed it, we kicked off our “Recipe of the Month” series in November with this recipe for stuffed acorn squash. Our wish was to celebrate Thanksgiving as well as pay homage to Baton Rouge’s beloved food writer Holly Clegg.

This month we are in full Christmas swing. In keeping with the holiday theme, we want to recognize another local celebrity chef and highlight one of their dishes that just might come in handy if you’re looking for something scrumptious to cook Santa or yourself.

Practically raised in a New Orleans kitchen, Chef Kevin Belton spent his early years mastering the art of Louisiana cuisine. Since then he has spent over 30 years further honing his skills and teaching the subtleties of southern cooking to audiences worldwide. He’s currently working on a new TV show, Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen, as well as a companion recipe book.

Compared to last month’s recipe — a nice, healthy side dish for the fall — December’s dessert might seem like it belongs on the “naughty” list. However we think it’s the perfect combination of Louisiana cooking and the spirit of Christmas joy, so this month we’re making Eggnog Bread Pudding.

“As a kid, it was always raisin bread pudding. At school, at home or a relatives or friends, it didn’t matter. When I became a chef, I couldn’t wait to see how many different and delicious types of bread pudding I could come up with. This has become one of my family’s and friend’s favorites. I hope it becomes one of your go to desserts.“

Chef Kevin Belton

Eggnog Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 (10-ounce) loaf French bread
• 3 cups eggnog
• 1/2 – 1 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 pound butter
• 1 cup golden raisins

Break up French bread in a large bowl. Add eggnog and let sit for 2 minutes.

Start mixing and add eggs. Stir until well mixed. Stir in sugar and all spice. The mixture at this point should be moist and milk can be added to attain the texture of oatmeal.

Melt butter on a low fire and add raisins to the butter once it has melted. Leave the butter and the raisins on the heat for 2 minutes until the raisins are plump and add the butter and raisins to the bowl.

Bake in a greased baking pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden brown and has a firm texture.

BREAD pudding sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 pound powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks

Melt butter and remove from heat. Spread sugar on top of the butter and place yolks on top of the sugar. Whisk together until smooth.

Tried it? Share your pictures with us! Stay tuned for more awesome recipes and let us know what you think of our new blog series.

Last month we lost Holly Clegg, a beloved food writer and Baton Rouge native. With an innate yearning to feed her family healthy meals, she rose to national recognition with her cookbooks, blogs, and appearances on shows such as The Today Show and Fox and Friends.

With cookbooks like Trim and Terrific Diabetic Cooking, Eating Well Through Cancer, and Eating Well to Fight Arthritis, there is no doubt Clegg’s recipes are geared toward healthy eating. Clegg herself struggled fighting cancer. If you attended our Self-Defense and Healthy Eating presentation in April, you know a wholesome diet is something we also value and want to share.

To honor Holly Clegg’s memory, we are starting a new series called “Recipe of the Month” with one of her holiday recipes: Stuffed Acorn Squash. In her own words,

“If you have never experienced acorn squash, don’t pass on this recipe–it’s outstanding. This fabulous dish requires some time to make, so prepare it the day before and refrigerate. Before serving, bake it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.”

Ingredients:

• 1 (6-ounce) package long grain and wild rice mix
• 3 (10- to 12-ounce) acorn squashes, cut into halves and seeded
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Makes 6 Servings

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the rice according to the package directions, and set aside. 

Arrange the squash halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Scoop out the squash pulp, carefully leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Place the pulp in a small bowl.

In a skillet, heat the margarine over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, squash pulp, lemon juice, and sage, mixing well and breaking up the squash pulp into smaller pieces.  Stir in the cranberries, walnuts, and brown sugar. Divide the stuffing to fill the acorn squash shells. Place the shells on the baking sheet. (You may have to trim a bit off the bottom of some of the shells to help them stand upright.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories 271, Protein (g) 5, Carbohydrate (g) 49, Fat (g) 8, Calories from Fat (%) 24, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 471

Tried it? Share your pictures with us! Stay tuned for more awesome recipes and let us know what you think of our new blog series.

For more on healthy eating, check out our blog post on hydration.