Evelyn's Blog - Taste of Gourmet

Meals in the Freezer....so good!

I'll admit....I do love stocking my freezer with my good foods!  I use the ideas on our Suppers Made Simple pages all the time...and we never feel like we are eating "left-overs" .....course I call leftovers... a "Bonus Meal."   You know what's in my freezer right now?  Well a few things are.....

One more serving for two of our Creole File' Gumbo...We ate one last night with a serving of rice and a fresh spinach salad!  Yum!  I made a pot of Gumbo during Christmas when some friends came over... with chicken and sausage like I usually do...but this time I put in a few HUGE shrimp that I had cut into 3 or 4 pieces each!  Talk about good!   The six of us ate Gumbo that night, then I put two containers in the freezer with enough for Tony and I a meal...and that first one was almost toooo much!   Even for me! (I do love to eat if you haven't figured that out yet!)

Then there is one more container of New Orleans Beef!  I made that in January for Art After Hours and had "Bonus Beef"...so froze it!  I'll cook two servings of grits and pour the Beef over the grits...the gravy just soaks into the grits..sooo good!  We'll have a salad with that too and probably some fresh steamed broccoli with a dab of Garlic Herb Butter (that stays in my fridge all the time..ready to serve.)

I've got a pie pan in the freezer with the last two servings of East Indian Curry that we'll eat over rice with my Cranberry Chutney on the side!  I'll make a fresh fruit salad with Vidalia Dressing to serve it with over a little fresh spinach!  (We love fresh spinach!)

There are still three containers frozen of White Chili made with boneless chicken breasts!  I've already served White Chili two other times from that batch!  One: I piled a bowl with fresh spinach, then topped the spinach with a small serving each of pasta then topped that with my thawed, hot White Chili!  A sprinkle of Parmesan and it really was a yummy supper!   Two:  We love brown rice ...and a simple plate of rice topped with the White Chili and a cucumber salad made with Lime Cilantro and thin slices of onion on the side!  Healthy too!

Southwest Soup made with chicken breasts is on the stove now and I'll make some Bayou Beer Bread to go with that for supper tonight...then tomorrow morning, Ill put together the rest into our King Ranch Chicken!  You know layered "soup" with fresh flour tortillas and cheese.  It freezes really well and the recipe is on the back of the box...also on our Suppers made Simple pages.

It's really nice on these cold Winter days, to just go to the freezer and pull out a meal...and in the Winter...what is better than a bowl of soup?  And then a Bonus Meal ( or two or three) made to go into the freezer for later!  Eat well...Eat healthy ... Eat economically....and it's all so easy with Taste of Gourmet in your pantry!  And we have a sale running right now too....check the Home Page for the Discount code!!

Super Bowl Sunday...are you ready with food?

I heard today that Americans eat more on Super Bowl Sunday than they do on Thanksgiving!  Now that is hard to believe....but it is a great snacking sort of day!  I've got some yummy Taste of Gourmet ideas for a super bowl party or just to fix a few things to enjoy in front of your own TV!

 

There's even a 10% Discount and a Free Suddenly Salsa when you order on line! (the Discount code is YZIDX and you get the free Salsa with a $20 plus order) Your order will go out the day we receive it too!  Can't have you missing our good food! 

We're really proud of the New Orleans Saint and Peyton Manning from the Colts is a "native son" of the Mississippi Delta!  What a game to watch!  And nibble on Taste of Gourmet!  Here's my menu ya'll...... and get those orders in!

 

Creole File Gumbo…A MUST HAVE for this year’s Super Bowl to honor the New Orleans Saints!   Prepare the mix using 1 lb. diced chicken and 1 lb. diced link sausage!  Let everyone help themselves!  It’s a Winner!

New Orleans Beef makes a huge crock pot filled with savory beef and gravy…to serve over rice or grits.  It’s a Louisiana brunch dish  -  Grillades and Grits!

Black Bean Chili…for the Colts and Peyton Manning!

Prepare with 1 lb. ground beef and top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips!  Serve yourself of course!

Smoked Catfish Pate.....of course!

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts

1 pkg. Simply Spinach Dip

Drain and chop artichokes. Mix all ingredients together and bake in buttered dish at 350 for 15 minutes.  Serve warm with crackers, wheat thins or corn chips.

Suddenly Cheese Dip 5 cups 

16 oz. Sour Cream

1 Suddenly Salsa mix

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes (drained)

Stir salsa mix into sour cream.  Add cheddar and cream cheese mixing well.  Add diced tomatoes. Serve with corn chips or refrigerate until needed.

Chipotle Cheese Rollups

16 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated

2 to 3 green onions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. Chipotle Sauce

Flour tortillas

Mix first 4 ingredients. Spread on flour tortillas, roll tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 week (or freeze.) Cut in pieces to serve with small dish of Tomatilla Salsa, Chipotle Sauce or Suddenly Salsa for dipping.

Ham or Turkey Rolls - Slice your favorite roll or bun in half.  Spread both sides with a mixture of cream cheese and RazzMaTazz, Cranberry Chutney or Jezebel Sauce, fill the bun, pile on a plate and watch them disappear. 

 

Sausage Balls - Make these with our Bayou Beer Bread Just add 1 lb. crumbled, drained cooked sausage to the prepared mix. Bake in mini muffin pans and reheat when needed!  Or use Tomato Basil or Roasted Onion)

Meatballs – Cook meatballs according to directions. Put in a bowl then pour half a jar of Peach Pecan Pepper Preserves or Cranberry Chutney over the hot meat balls to glaze and flavor them perfectly

Sauces to pour over cream cheese to eat with crackers!
RazzMaTazz – fruity with a kick!

Chipotle Sauce - traditional Mexican chili sauce!

Chimmi Sauce - a garlic pesto
Jezebel Sauce - a sweet, hot horseradish mustard
Cranberry Chutney - sweet and tart
Peach Pecan Pepper Preserves – So good…not too hot!  And the all time favorite!

Delicious Dips for a vegetable tray: 

   1. Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette
   2. Garlic Herb Dip
   3. Deliciously Dill Dip

   4. Simply Spinach Dip
   5. BLT Dip

All-American Apple Cake - Bake in 9x13 inch pan to cut in squares (for an extra scrumptious treat, top with Toffee Crunch Cheese Cake Ball before cutting.)  This cake freezes well or held at room temp for several days.

Mississippi Mud Bites – Prepare according to directions, but bake in an 8.5x11 or slightly larger pan instead of the round pan. Cool then rub top of Mud Bites with a little Confectioners sugar. Cut into about 50 or 60 bites. Freezes well and will hold at room temp for several days.

Sweet Potato Muffins – Make large or mini size – Perfect first thing in the morning or with barbeque and potato salad, or just so good, they can just be dessert!

Open a jar of Taste of Gourmet’s Pickled Black-eyed Peas, pour into a bowl and spoon up this scrumptious “chow-chow” into scoops or corn chips!  Healthy too!

Catfish Allison is a favorite!!!

I THOUGHT that I had put the recipe for my Catfish Allison on my blog two weeks ago...but obviously didn't...or my computer had one of it's coughing spells and deleted it instead of posting it....with my computer skills anything is possible!

One of our wonderful guests from the Nomads Travel Club emailed me today to say she couldn't find it...I had told her when she was having lunch that it was on my blog!  Then I went searching and couldn't fine it either!  So here is is...and of course my cookbook, Classic Catfish had the Allison and lots of other wonderful dishes in case you want the book...it's $16.95 on www.tasteofgourmet.com!  So enjoy the recipe and .....you CAN use chicken breasts too...but we really like that catfish!

Catfish Allison

6 to 8 catfish fillets
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter softened
6 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
6 green onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Generous dash Tabasco

Poach the catfish fillets in lightly simmering water for 4 to 5 minutes.  Gently lift the fillets from the water and set aside to drain.
Place all the other ingredients  in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Butter mixture may be made days ahead and kept refrigerated.
When ready to serve:  Place fillets in au gratin dishes (or in a broilable pan) and cover with 2 Tablespoons of Allison butter (or more)  Then broil for 2 or 3 minutes or until the dish is deeply browned. 
You can poach fish the day before, cover with butter and then with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight to make your party easier the next day!  Enjoy my Allison and come see us again in Indianola!

New Products ready to ship......

I'm so excited about our new foods.....Especially the jars of Pickled Black-eyed Peas!  I played in the kitchen with the idea for months it seemed...trying this brine and that "pickling flavor"....and I'm so excited with the final version of the Pickled Peas! 

We've sampled and sold them in The Crown for several weeks now and they are really popular!  I've been serving them as a "dip" with corn chip scoops!  I put a spoon in the bowl and guests fill up their scoop..pop it in their mouths and smile!  The flavor is really fine!  Fresh vegetables are "cooked" with the peas, onion, green pepper and a touch of celery!  You'll find my Peas in the Sauces section of the website!  A 12 oz. jar is $8.95 and is some good eating!  Perfect for tailgating parties too! 

Now the Tomatillo Salsa is fabulous too!  Green chilis and tomatillos with fresh onions and peppers...ready to open and start eating.  It's a 12 oz jar for $8.95 and will make you smile without catching you on fire!  Try it spooned over a simple omelet or as a sauce on hamburgers, melt some cheese and Tomatillo Salsa together for a scrumptious cheese dip!  And of course with tortilla chips!

There's Brunch Bread too...especially nice for a lazy morning or when you have to bring snacks for coffee break at the office or have company coming for breakfast!   Takes 3 minutes to put together and 25 minutes to bake!  Hot out of your own oven...that smell of cinnamon roll...you've just got to try it!

Here's the List of new Products....on the internet and ready to order!  Or just call your local Consultant to arrange a Tasting party for you and your friends!  That's the joy of Taste of Gourmet...Tasting before you buy and learning just how to prepare and serve your new goodies! 
Sassy Seasoning Salt - $5.95
Tea Room Scones - $7.95
Cashew Caramel Scones - $7.95
Fudge Triples Cookie Mix - $7.95
Tomatillo Salsa - $8.95
Pickled Black-eyed Peas - $8.95
Brunch Bread - $7.95
Fabulous Four Delicious Desserts - $32.00
    including: All-American Apple Cake,  Toffee Crunch Cheese Cake Ball,
    Southern Praline Pie and Mississippi Mud Cake!

New Recipe Sharing Page..........

I'm calling the new page..... Customers and Consultants Cooking at Home!  I want all of you who have a favorite Taste of Gourmet product...to let me know how YOU use it!  

Maybe you make the Curry exactly like the directions on the box...but instead of chicken broth, you use beef broth, take the chicken off the bone and stuff it into a pita pocket with shredded cabbage!  (Actually that sounds really good and I'll have to try it!) 

But you get the idea......twists and tweaks and recipes and one sentence explanations of how YOU use our foods...like April Savell, MS, has said to me many times......"My family loves a 5 lb. beef roast cooked whole in the crock pot with the New Orleans Style Beef...with the tomato and broth of course. That's Clay's favorite and it cooks while I'm at school."  Simple things.....just sharing how YOU enjoy Taste of Gourmet! 

You can email your "cooking" ideas to me at evelyntog@yahoo.com or use the comment section of the website or write a comment on this blog page and I'll transfer it!  Even give your Consultant your ideas and she'll pass them along to me!   Hope you'll enjoy reading the page and check it often for new ideas.  I'd love to have some pictures of ya'll too....cooking withTaste of Gourmet...or just enjoying our good food!  Look forward to hearing from you!   Have a Delicious supper tonight!

Let's Look at the Numbers...Dollar Value that is...

Is ANYONE you know pinching pennies and watching everything they spend?  Of Course!  Taste of Gourmet products can actually help people "Pinch" those pennies and get great value for the money they spend with us!

Let's examine the economics of our Main Dish Meals!  

The Soup Collection:  Seven Main Dish Mixes are included (two Delta Bisque mixes are in the box.)  At full price ($54.95 for the Collection) each mix costs $7.85. A family of 4 to 6 will get at LEAST two meals from each of those mixes (Southwest Soup and Black Bean Chili could be only one meal)

So that is FIVE mixes providing the consumer two meals each and TWO mixes providing just one meal (unless the mixes are stretched using our Suppers Made Simple Ideas.)

That’s TWELVE meals for a basic cost of $4.58 each. 

NOW think....when you buy the Soup Collection at Half-Price the basic cost comes down to just $2.29 for each of those 12 meals!  Of course you have to buy the meat and broth or tomatoes - but that is a given cost with ANY meal - even one prepared from scratch when you have to cut up your own onions!  Our Half-Price items are a huge savings in time AND in money!

In the grocery store yesterday, I saw a woman with EIGHT Hamburger Helper meals in her basket!  I wanted to cry for her family!  Same old - Same old with artificial flavors, additives, etc...... When she "could have been serving a Taste of Gourmet meal!" 

 

I am so very proud of all our mixes....flavors are all distinct...value is there with CONVENIENCE and the TIME SAVED in the kitchen is just unbelievable!   When you spend $40.00 with Taste of Gourmet…you can buy the Soup Collection or the Super Sauces or the Dip Collection at Half-Price!  Now that is a Value for Money! 

Dessert First?

Our guests at The Crown are just wonderful!  So full of smiles and excitement (and hunger!) They seem to really enjoy being in our restaurant!   We certainly enjoy their visits every day!  It's just like welcoming "old friends" back home when we see each individual or group who come in!  Jen and I just love that part of "work" at The Crown! 

Recently, we've had a family fly in from Jackson to eat with us and go to the Museum!  A family of 8 came in from St. Louis who were "doing the Blues Trail!"  Six young men from Chicago were at the Museum, eating with us and then going to play at Ground Zero in Clarksdale on Thursday night for open mike night!  Yesterday a jewelry designer from New Mexico came by for lunch on her semi-annual trip to the South - she loves the Catfish Allison!  And a retirement party....and a "Welcome to Town" party and an 88th Birthday Party.....and some girls from an office who were just hungry for a great meal!  We love them all!

But back to Dessert First....A sweet, sweet guest came in last week (for the first time) with a printout from our website...showing the Dessert on the Home Page and some other pages too!  And she did ask for that exact picture to be duplicated for her!  (It's the Praline Pie with cream and Caramel Pecan Sauce)  Of course I fixed it for her and she did eat it FIRST - before her Gumbo and Bayou Beer Bread! 

I loved that!  Y'all come see us and we'll make you feel special too!

Free Spinach Dip for you to enjoy!

That's right!  With every $25.00 order you place.....we'll include a box of our delicious Simply Spinach Dip!  Two mixes are in each box...so you'll have lots of ways to enjoy!   I've even included a brand new recipe page for the Spinach Dip - some aren't even on the website!  Chicken Florentine and White Pizza!

And the inspiration for this gift was at supper on the Fourth!   Dale and Phil cooked ribs and steaks and ice cream cake and all of it was yummy!!!   Really yummy!   And for the baked potato....Dale offered a bowl of Spinach Dip to top off the potato!   She had all sorts of other toppings too...but I chose the Spinach Dip and it was so good!  And I even added a bit more during the meal... I'd never thought of our Spinach Dip as a potato topping!

I wonder about the Dill Dip....and the Garlic Herb...and the BLT.......I've topped with Salsa before...but I love a new idea of how to use our good food!  So YOU place an order and we'll give you a box of our Simply Spinach Dip Mix...FREE!   Hope your Fourth was as fun and yummy as ours! 

Jambalaya.....the easy way!

This recipe is one of our Bonus Meals on our Suppers Made Simple pages on the website...so many good ideas there!  I just had to pull this one off and make sure everyone knows how to do this Jambalaya!  Talk about good and easy!  We made it for supper over the weekend and still had two serving left for lunch today!  YUM!

And it takes Leftovers to a whole new level......Order our Gumbo...enjoy it thoroughly and then FREEZE the "leftovers."  Then bring it out to make Jambalaya a couple of weeks or a couple of months later!  It is REALLY delicious - and it just takes a simple stir with your spoon!  The flavor is so deep and good, you'll THINK you must have slaved over the stove ....but you didn't!!  Enjoy!

 Bonus Meal - Simple Jambalaya
             (Bonus Meals use what other people call "leftovers!")

2 cups of prepared Creole File Gumbo (using recipe on the box)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup diced ham (optional)

• Mix Gumbo and rice (and ham)
• Pour into buttered baking dish.
• Cover and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Fluff mixture with a fork and serve hot.

Texas size "bonus meal" with Southwest Soup Mix...

Here are the recipes I promised!  First you make the Chicken and Cheese Soup and then the King Ranch Chicken with the "leftovers".....of course, we don't call them that any more...they are Bonus Meals!  With a few additions...you will serve a fresh meal to your family and they will love the variety!  Be sure to check out all the Suppers made Simple recipes on our website...you'll be thrilled with the easy way of cooking and stretching the food dollar at the same time!  Taste of Gourmet mixes are healthy and economical and time-saving!  It doesn't get betther than that!

Chicken and Cheese Soup

1 package Southwest Soup Mix
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis (12 oz.)
1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
2 cups milk
8 oz. grated Cheddar or Mexican Cheese.

Put first four ingredients in large saucepan, stir, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
Shred chicken and return to pot. 
Add milk and cheese. Stir and simmer until cheese melts.
Serve hot soup in bowls topped with sour cream and crumbled corn chips.

King Ranch Chicken – Bonus meal using “leftover” Chicken and Cheese Soup

3 ½ cups prepared Chicken and Cheese Soup
Flour Tortillas
8 oz. grated Mexican or Cheddar Cheese

Butter a 9x9 inch baking dish
Put layer of tortillas in dish, then soup mixture, then cheese. 
Repeat layering ending with cheese.
NOTE:  The Dish will hold at this point for several days or can be frozen.
When ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until bubbly and puffed.