Creative Culinary Challenges - Week 2 Challenge

Each week we will try one new baking item and one new cooking dish! A grocery list will be posted for both together, and each individually (none of the recipes are going to call for specialty items- you should have a lot in your pantry already!) This can be a personal challenge or a fun family activity! Join us if you are up for the challenge– or just follow along to learn something new!

Just the Baking Challenge Grocery List:

3 sticks butter (unsalted preferred)
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 cups powdered sugar
1 pkg yeast (active dry or fast rising)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
nonstick cooking spray

This may seem like a ton of ingredients- but more than likely you can cross 75% of them off your actual grocery list because you already have them in your pantry/spice cabinet.

Just the Cooking Challenge Grocery List:

1 lb medium raw/uncooked shrimp
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 lb andouille sausage
1 large yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
2 stalks celery
4 cloves of garlic
1 bundle green onions
1 1/2 cups rice
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 bay leaves
3 3/4 teaspoons paprika
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/3 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

The Ultimate Chef's Combined Grocery List:

3 sticks butter (unsalted preferred)
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 lb medium raw/uncooked shrimp
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thigs
1/2 lb andouille sausage
1 large yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
2 stalks celery
4 cloves of garlic
1 bundle green onions
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 can diced tomatoes
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
3 cups powdered sugar
1 pkg yeast (active dry or fast rising)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
nonstick cooking spray
salt
black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 bay leaves
3 3/4 teaspoons paprika
1 1/3 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

When using yeast you need to think of it as something that is alive that you want to keep alive until you go to the oven for baking. Temperatures over 120F will kill it. So when you warm your milk in the microwave be sure that it doesn't get too hot.
The recipe explains how to mix by hand, while the video shows how to use a stand mixer. If you have a stand mixer use it- if you don't be sure NOT TO SKIP THE KNEADING! You need to develop those gluten strands in order to make a stable dough to hold up to the rolling and filling.

When it comes time to let the dough rise (after kneading) it is best to do this in a warm area. What I like to do is turn my oven on to preheat for just 2 minutes (it gets up to about 100 degrees or so). Then I put the dough in a bowl and tightly wrap it with plastic wrap, and put into the oven. Remember yeast die at temperatures over 120 and we do not want to kill them at this point (we still need them to do their job and allow our cinnamon rolls to rise).
After the rise, it calls for you to roll it out. You might see recipes/videos call for flour so it doesn't stick. I HIGHLY ADVISE AGAINST USING FLOUR. I find when I use flour the dough dries out. Instead use non stick spray, and lots of it! Spray your counter top, and then dump your dough onto the heavily sprayed counter top. Then spray your rolling pin and a little on your hands. Roll out your dough to the 16x21" rectangle.
Personally I love the big cinnamon rolls. So once I roll my rectangle into a log, I cut it in half. Then I cut the halves into half (so now you have 4 sections). Then each of those I cut into thirds (into 3) to get 12 cinnamon rolls.
The recipe calls to use a glass pan. I use 2- 9x13" pans, sprayed with nonstick spray and put six in each one. The main reason I do this... is I like to share. I have a small family, so I make one pan for my family and gift one pan to a neighbor =)
I always make the night before. So I put my pans into the fridge, and bake the next morning. Remember to still let rise for 30 minutes prior to going to the fridge.... the fridge puts the yeast into a hibernation mode where they will not rise once cold. For best results- while your oven is preheating, take your pan out of the fridge to get closer to room temperature.
NOTE: The recipe provided is just slightly different than the video. I couldn't find a video using the exact recipe, but I have been making this recipe of cinnamon rolls for 8 years and have never found a better one. Use the recipe but the video as guidance.

Let's get one thing clear first: this is CREOLE jambalaya, and not cajun. Creole jambalaya uses tomatoes which give it a red color, where cajun jambalaya never uses tomatoes (you will find the same is true of the style of gumbos).
In the above video you are watching two famous New Orleans chef's versions of jambalaya. The recipe included in this week's challenge is BAM! famous Emeril Lagasse's!

Not a tip, just some brain food: If you watch enough cooking videos you will hear the word "mire poix" used frequently for the base of flavor added to food in the form of onion, carrots and celery. The cajun/creole version of mire poix is called "the holy trinity" which is onion, celery and bell pepper.
Baking is a science, and you need to follow directions precisely and measure ingredients accurately. When cooking, you can add more ingredients without totally ruining the dish. I mention this because while you are cutting your vegetables, if you get a little more (or double the amount of) onion, unless you have immediate plans for that extra cut up onion- USE IT! It's more flavor. Personally I like more vegetables and more meat than rice in my jambalaya. I always add double the garlic, double the chicken and a lot more of the andouille sausage (I used two links, which is 24 oz). BUT DON'T GO ALL WILLY NILLY- You can NOT mess with the ratio of liquid to rice... if you do you will end up with mushy or crunchy rice. So the moral of this story- add more vegetables, add more protein.... but don't change the liquid amount or rice without keeping the ratio the same (1 1/2 cups of rice to 3 1/2 cups of liquid).
What is andouille sausage? It's a smoked cajun style sausage. You will find it with other sausage links at the grocery store. On the rare chance you can't find it-- just get any smoked sausage.
Not a fan of one of the proteins used (andouille sausage, chicken thighs or shrimp)? Substitute with whatever protein your prefer. Frozen crawfish tails, diced ham, oysters, chopped pork loin, chicken breasts, etc. You get the picture.
This recipe is not all that spicy. If you prefer more spice- add 1/2-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper when you add the hot sauce.

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