posted on nola.com

Advertising

 

10 carrots, roughly chopped

5 celery sticks, cut into pieces

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups of water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

½ teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Salt

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Cook chopped garlic and chopped onion for 4-5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of curry powder, stir. Add all of the remaining ingredients except salt and cook until the vegetables are tender. Mix in a blender until the soup is smooth. Add salt to taste and serve.

You may also add hot sauce or fresh herbs.

 

 

Eat Like a King on the Cheap - the Chef Ed way

By Jennifer Nall - Nov 30, 2006


DESTREHAN - You can eat healthy “on the cheap” with gourmet recipes from St. Charles Parish’s own Chef Ed Rhinehart that are simple enough for anyone to make.

"Healthy cooking is big right now," Rhinehart tell the Herald-Guide.

“And I mean really big.”

His homemade vegetable soup, the South Louisiana Farmers Salad, Asian Chicken, and his Cajun Crunchy Rolls are just a few of his delicious recipes that are healthy and relatively inexpensive.

The South Louisiana Farmers Salad can be made for as little as $3 and his Cajun crunchy rolls can be made for around $17 and serves eight.

This fall, as part of the parish’s community education program, he incorporated healthy eating into his classes. He taught "Getting Started on a Healthier Menu Plan," "Low Fat Appetizers" and "Fresh Salads and Dressings" classes.

Rhinehart has some tips to help people lead healthy lifestyles.

"Do not eat after 7 p.m., try to eat sugar free products, stay away from fried foods and always drink eight glasses of water a day," he says.

In addition to teaching healthy classes, he also writes diets for special needs patients, and goes shopping with people to help them choose healthy products and pick out what they need to incorporate into their diets.

Rhinehart taught over 10 classes this semester at the high schools, and says that his Cajun Sushi class was the most fun.

As many watch what they eat, so does Rhinehart, and says that his favorite thing to eat and make are salads.

"My favorite meal to make is the Cajun crunchy salad which consists of pecans, blue cheese crumbles, sliced apples, onions and a balsamic vinegar dressing, which I make from scratch," says Rhinehart.

Although Rhinehart is a big fan of healthy food, with the holidays coming up it is OK to cheat a little.

"I always make Seafood Bread Pudding and Death by Chocolate Cake for the holidays," says Rhinehart.

Rhinehart says he has always enjoyed cooking. "I've been cooking forever. I actually started really getting into it when I was 14."

"I was always active in preparing meals for the holidays. I used to get up early Thanksgiving morning and watch my Mom put the turkey in the oven."

Rhinehart teaches cooking classes at both Hahnville High School and Destrehan High School, and is an instructor at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux and used to teach at the Culinary Institute of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

In addition to teaching, Rhinehart has his own line of hot sauces and seasonings, does catering, does cooking demonstrations at the St. Charles Farmer's Market Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and has a book titled, "The Culinary Stylings of a True Professional."

He has done book signings in Louisiana and as far away as New York.

Rhinehart is also looking forward to opening a restaurant, called Chef Ed's, in the New Sarpy area.

Rhinehart is originally from the Baton Rouge area, but moved to Destrehan seven years ago. He is a Certified Culinary Professional, a Food Manager Professional and also is internationally certified.

 

---

 

 

Each month, Annrose Guarino, a registered dietitian with the LSU AgCenter, and market chef Ed Rhinehart prepare a dish with a food supplied by market vendors. Recipes for the samples, along with a recipe analysis, also are available free to market patrons.

"The mission of the Farmers Market, Taste of the Season and Kitchen on Wheels is to provide families with values that come from preparing fresh foods at home," Guarino said.

Working together, the LSU AgCenter's St. Charles Parish Cooperative Extension office provides the expertise, cookware and recipes, and the farmers market board provides the space for the kitchen and the products list, and solicits an audience.

The project, financed by a $500 grant from the AgCenter, is designed to promote healthier eating patterns for residents, who, LSU AgCenter statistics show, don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, Guarino said.

In addition to sampling the featured dish, participants are asked to complete a consumer survey about their eating habits. Results are calculated, and an assessment is made.

"Our intention is to perform a data analysis each month and then eventually publish our findings after the first year," Guarino said.

Here is the AgCenter's recipe for Cajun Carrot Soup.

Alibris wrote:

About this title: Executive chef at the Caribbean Room, as well as chef at the popular Kabby's restaurant, the late Chef Louis Evans established a reputation as one of the most creative and skilled Creole chefs in the nation. The first black chef in history to be admitted to the exclusive Order of the Golden Toque, Evans utilized his unique talent and distinct blending of flavors to create some of New Orleans' finest Creole dishes. In his new forward, Chef Rhinehart, silver medalist of the 2000 Baton Rouge Culinary Classic and outstanding contributor to the 2001 Acadiana Culinary Classic, enthusiastically... read more

Print

close window

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our cooks try Ed’s cheese cake recipe - and love it

By Heather R. Breaux - Nov 30, 2006

Kandis Pitre of Des Allemands says that she rarely cooks, but was willing to put her culinary skills to the test with the help of her friend Danielle Jenkins of Paradis. Together they whipped up one of Chef Ed Rhinehart’s quick recipes - Pumpkin Cheese Cake.

The two followed directions closely, each measuring one ingredient at a time and making sure that the cake’s graham cracker crust was just perfect.

“So far, so good,” said Pitre as she preheated the oven and finished mixing the ingredients.

“I can’t wait for the taste test,” said Jenkins.

The cake was put into the oven, and in no time, well, actually - an hour and a half later the timer went off.

“I think it might be ready,” says Jenkins glancing one last time at the instructions.

“But we have to let it cool before we can dig in.”

After cooling, pieces were cut and plates were passed around.

“Mmmm. Although I normally don’t like pumpkin, it is unbelievably good, and easy to make,” said Pitre.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 can (16 ounces) solid pack pumpkin

2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 egg white

3/4 cup canned evaporated skim milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add graham cracker crumbs; shake to coat pan evenly. Set aside.

Put pumpkin and ricotta cheese in food processor until smooth. Add sugar, flour, milk powder, cinnamon, allspice, egg white, evaporated skim milk, oil and vanilla. Process until smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees; bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool completely on wire rack. Remove sprinform pan side. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.


More recipes from Chef Ed Rhinehart

Rock'n Berry Rice

Ingredients:


1 package Louisiana Pop Corn Rice and white rice

1/4 cup toasted pecans

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp orange zest (Remove white pith)

1 tsp olive oil

Vougue Veg to taste



Directions:

Prepare the rice according to package directions (includes 1 tablespoon butter).

In a medium bowl, mix together the pecans, green onions, cranberries, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the rice and toss well.

Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings.



Wham Bam Thank You Ham

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Abita Root beer

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

½ cup Granulated Sugar

¼ cup Bourbon

2 Tbls. Pepper Jelly

1Tbl. Balsamic Vinegar

1tsp. Asian 5 spice powder

2 Cloves

2 cups 10x Powdered Sugar (for latter use)



Directions:

In a large sauce pan boil root beer then add dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Then add bourbon pepper jelly balsamic vinegar and cloves. Cook until the glaze coats the back of the spoon. Then add five spice powder cook for two more minutes.

Pour over ham 30 minutes before taking out of the oven. Once ham is removed and glaze is set pack powdered sugar around ham. Let set two- three minutes then either broil till sugar crisp or torch.



Alternatives:

Add o.j. concentrate

Maraschino cherry juice

Maple syrup

Creole mustard





ChefEd Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray

1 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup Fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup Fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinager

Vouge Veg seasoning to taste



Directions:

Spray medium skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Saute onion and garlic 3 to 4 minutes.



Add sweet potatoes and juices to skillet; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until



French Herbed Broccoli

Ingredients:

Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray

2-4 tablespoons chopped pecans

1/8 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/8 cup Itlian breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried chervil leaves

1 teaspoon Vogue Veg

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1-1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets and stalks sliced, cooked



Directions:

Spray small skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add pecans and spray with cooking spray; cook over medium heat until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add breadcrumbs, marjoram, and chervil to skillet; cook until crumbs are toasted, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Season broccoli with salt and pepper to taste; arrange in serving bowl. Spoon crumb mixture over broccoli.

Recipe makes six servings.



Smoked Brine Turkey

Ingredients:

1 (10 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

8 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons seasoned salt

¾ cup butter

2 (12 fluid ounce) cans Abita root beer

1 apple, quartered1 Bartlett pear

2 onion, quartered

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper



Directions:

Preheat an outdoor smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).

Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Rub the crushed garlic over the outside of the bird, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place in a medium roasting pan. Fill turkey cavity with butter, rootbeer, apple, pear, onion, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper. Cover loosely with foil.

Smoke at 225 to 250 degrees F for 12 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when measured in the thigh meat. Baste the bird every 1 hour with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.




heraldguide.com is a supplement to St. Charles Herald Guide.
Copyright © 2001 - 2007 St. Charles Herald Guide, Inc. All rights rese