Cajunlicious

10 Health Benefits of Lemon Water

Cajunlicious — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:24:56 +0000

First thing I do every morning is drink a large glass of lemon water, it balances PH, keeps your skin clear and glowing, it kick starts your digestive system, helps with weight loss, and helps to control your coffee habit. Lemon is also a natural energizer, it hydrates and oxygenates the body so it feels revitalized and refreshed!

1. It’s good for your stomach

Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.

2. Superb for Skin Care

Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as ananti-agingremedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.

3. Aids in Dental Care

Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums.

4. Cures Throat Infections

Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat andtonsillitisas it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently.

5. Excellent for Weight Loss

One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well.

6. Controls High Blood Pressure

Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its highpotassiumcontent. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression.

7. Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders

Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma.

8. Good for treating Rheumatism

Lemon is also adiureticand hence lemon water can treat rheumatism andarthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body.

9. Reduces Fever

Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.

10. Acts as a blood purifier

The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier.

Bonus: Lemon water is an excellent source of anti-oxidants and vitamin C, which prevents formation of free radicals. These free radicals can cause death of the cells and rob electrons. It’s an excellent remedy for a hangover!

Fun Fact: Lemon water is as calorie-free as water, but it taste better, acts as a blood sugar stabilizer, boosts metabolism, helps with digestion, contains calcium, and can clean your skin.

{Guest Post} What to drink with Cajun food

Cajunlicious — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:07:37 +0000

When trying out a new cuisine, people are often unsure what they should drink with it. So it goes with Cajun food. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules, but there are some alcoholic drinks that lend themselves more naturally as accompaniments to the flavours and spices of Cajun cooking.

In case you’re not familiar with Cajun food, it’s the name for the style of cooking done by French speaking immigrant population who were deported by the British from Acadia, Canada, to Louisiana in the States.

An authentic Cajun meal will centre around three pots – one for the main dish, one for rice, sausages or seafood and a third pot for vegetables. Dishes are often flavoured using bell pepper, onion and celery, in the same way that mire poix is used in traditional French cooking. Cayenne and black pepper and bay leaves and parsley are often used as well.

So, what’s best to drink with your jambalya, dirty rice and gumbo or barbecue shrimp? Some people prefer a nice cold beer to wash it down with. Beers like Budweiser or the new Foster’s gold beer are great as they can be drunk straight from ice cold bottles – a refreshing contrast to the warmth and spice of Cajun cooking.

If you’ve not had a chance to try the new Foster’s Gold, it’s a premium beer that the company launched last summer. Foster’s is hoping it will be chosen by both men and women as a social drink – in the same way that Budweiser already is. To encourage this, the company has launched a new set of ads featuring the Aussie agony uncles from last year’s ‘good call’ ads – Brad and Dan – in different social settings – away from the comfort zone of their beach shack where they drank Foster’s regular beer from cans.

Other people prefer wine with Cajun food. Popular wines to drink while eating Cajun cuisine include low alcohol white wines. These can offer relief from any spicy heat in the food as they are acidic without increasing the heat via a high alcohol content. Try wines like Pinot Grigio, Muscat or Gewerztraminer.

While you’re trying out Cajun food, try it with different kinds of drinks – though preferably not all on the same night, or you’ll end up feeling worse for wear the next day!

The cutest Voodoo dolls in the French Quarter

Cajunlicious — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:57:46 +0000

Welcome to the Jamie Hayes Gallery this is one place you must visit if you are in New Orleans. I recently found this gallery/shop with walking through the French Quarter and fell in love!

I absolutely LOVE this shop! The dolls are so cute & the shop is bright and colorful.

The art is amazing!

Pick up a key chain doll to always have with you!

One of my favorites the Alligator!

A French Quarter art gallery featuring a unique selection of Jamie Hayes' New Orleans style Art Prints, Children's Books, Dolls, and Fine Art. Jamie Hayes Gallery offers a unique selection of Jamie’s New Orleans style Art Prints, Children’s Books, Whimsical Dolls, and Fine Art. Jamie’s popular themes include his Kitties, Pucker Fish, Music, Guitars, Blimps, Sun & Moon, Cajun Chefs and New Orleans style themes. Also notable are Jamie’s wildly successful doll collections: Big Lip “The Better to Kiss You With” and Voodoo Child Dolls “The Better to Stick You With.”

{Guest Post} Simple and Delicious Pizza

Cajunlicious — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:06:37 +0000

Simple and Delicious Pizza Recipe
Pizza is one of my all time favourite foods but the problem is, pizza from takeaway stores and even some restaurants just doesn't seem to be that tasty or that traditional. It is for this reason that over the past few months, I've been perfecting my own simple, cheap and delicious Pizza recipe which I now think is at good enough stage to share with the wonderful visitors of Cajunlicious. Here it goes:
For the Pizza base
250g Plain White Flour (high protein content if possible)
1 level teaspoon of salt
1 level tablespoon of sugar
1 level teaspoon dried yeast (around 6 - 7 grams)
150ml warm water
Drizzle of olive oil
Extra flour for dusting
Directions:
1. Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl with a small drizzle of olive oil. Stir with wooden spoon.
2. Add the yeast and sugar to 150ml warm water and stir for 30 seconds. Leave to sit with tea towel on top for 5 minutes until the mixture froths slightly.
3. Pour water into the flour and mix together until the mixture comes together into a dough like ball.
4. Dust a flat surface with flour and tip the dough onto it. Knead the dough for 10 - 15 minutes then leave to rise in a warm area for 30 - 40 minutes until doubled in size.
5. Pull or roll the dough into a pizza shaped disc (around 12 inches in size) and put on a pizza tray or stone (if you have one)
For the sauce (makes enough for 3 large pizzas)
1 tin of tomatoes (400 grams)
1 heaped tablespoon of tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Drizzle of vinegar (red wine if possible)
1 small onion (or half a large onion)
Basil and Oregano (half a teaspoon each)
1 garlic clove
Olive oil
Bay leaf (optional)
100ml water
Directions:
1. Dice the onion and sauté in a saucepan with olive oil until soft.
2. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the pan and stir.
3. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes or so, adding more water if the mixture gets too thick.
4. Remove bay leaf and add mixture to blender or if you prefer your sauce chunky, skip this step.
5. Divide into 3 equal portions.
For the topping:
Ball of mozzarella cheese
Topping of your choice (pepperoni, tuna, sweetcorn, chilli's...BE CREATIVE)
And that's it, all that is left to do now is to put your pizza in the oven at 180 degree for around 10 - 15 minutes and then eat it! You can store the remainder of the sauce safely in the fridge or freezer for another day!
Bio: David is a keen cook and loves almost all cuisines; he often cooks and invents his own recipes at home. David also owns a Pork Chop Recipes website, dedicated to publishing the best pork chop recipes on the net.

Mouth-Watering Wordless Wednesday

Cajunlicious — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:40:09 +0000

Mouth-Watering: Crawfish Balls

… Read the rest

Red Chile Gravy Shrimp Enchiladas for Cinco de Mayo

Cajunlicious — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:11:26 +0000

My Red Chile Gravy Shrimp Enchiladas were recently featured as the Recipe of the Month at Renee's Joy Journey !

So I thought these enchiladas would be perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend Cinco de Mayo!

For the Shrimp Enchiladas

Dip corn tortillas in the red sauce, layer with shrimp, onion, and cheese. Roll up and place seam side down into a baking dish covered with a thin layer of sauce. Top with a little more sauce and cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is bubbly and enchiladas are heated through. I served the enchiladas with an avocado salad.

Directions for the Sauce

Select a dozen red chilies off the ristra from the top and washed in warm water. Soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the stems and any loose seeds. Place the cleaned pods in a saucepan; add 2 cups of water and a teaspoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

The Chile flesh will become plump, red, and softened. If not fully rehydrated, remove from the heat, cover the pan, and let it steam for a few minutes until the chiles are soft.

Taste the Chile water…if it is bitter; pour it out and replace it with 2 cups of fresh water. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth puree.

Strain the puree through a sieve or colander to remove the chopped bits of skin and any remaining seeds.

To season I used a 1/2 teaspoon of the following

Salt

Onion Powder

Granulated Garlic

Cumin

Oregano

I also added a pinch of smoked paprika and a pinch of splenda.

Muffuletta Mix

Cajunlicious — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:35:27 +0000

The Famous Muffuletta Sandwich

Ingredients

1 round loaf Italian bread 1/4 pound Capicola, thinly sliced 1/4 pound Mortadella, thinly sliced 1/4 pound Salami, thinly sliced 1/4 pound Emmentaler cheese, sliced 1/4 pound Provolone cheese, sliced 1-cup olive salad with oil

Directions

Split the loaf horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. Place layers capicola, mortadella, salami, emmentaler and provolone evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread. Heat the sandwich through to heat the cheese. Cut in quarters.

A Cajunlicious Veggie version of the Muffuletta

Ingredients

Everything Bagel Thins Olive Salad Mozzarella Cheese Swiss cheese

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Open the bagel thin and top one side with mozzarella cheese & one side with Swiss cheese. Spread on the olive salad, another layer of cheese. Carefully roll the top portion onto the bottom. Wrap in foil. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through. Slice in half and enjoy!

Muffuletta Pizza

Ingredients

Pre-made thin crust pizza dough Provolone cheese & 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Thinly sliced Vidalia & Red onion 6 ounces Canadian bacon & 6 ounces salami 6 ounces salami Red pepper flakes Olive salad with oil

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, remove the pizza dough from the container and spread it onto the stone and brush on olive oil. Bake the pizza dough for 8 minutes on the lower rack of the oven. Remove from oven and spread on provolone cheese. Top with olive salad, ham, salami, onions, and mozzarella. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on, to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

Return to oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest about 3 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Muffuletta Dog

Ingredients

Bratwurst Sausages Olive Salad Provolone cheese Mozzarella cheese, shredded Sliced Salami Sliced Ham Buns

Directions

Grill Sausages. Toast buns, once the buns are toasted top with provolone cheese and allow to melt. Remove everything from the grill.

Muffuletta Dog Assembly

On each side of the toasted bun layer the salami and ham, top with sausage, olive salad, and mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

My Interview with Maureen The Orgasmic Chef

Cajunlicious — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:19:07 +0000

My AMAZING friend Maureen of the incredible Orgasmic Chef is featuring me today for Food Writer Friday so get over there, the interview is incredible and to top it off a recipe from my cookbook Cajunlicious All Things Cajun is included: Cajun Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps!

{Guest Post} The Art of {FOOD}

Cajunlicious — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:15:56 +0000

Jessica has an obvious love for Cajun cooking. Like you, I’m excited to droll over her inspiring pictures and watch her develop professionally. I’m honored to share an article from my series, the art of {COOKING} and hope you will learn something new today. I’m Renee, author/speaker and blogger at Renee's Joy Journey, your roadmap to get on track. My passion is to help you connect with the dreams in your heart, and to give you a practical 20 day guide to moving toward a life of balance, purpose and victory through my free ecourse, The Mommy Makeover Project {psst. It’s not just for mommies.} So, without further adieu, here’s …

The Art of {FOOD}, Part 1.

We are living in a time, when “the art of {Cooking}” is in a renaissance. Women have started to re-embrace the joy of home keeping, and with it, comes a new love for cooking - with new flavors, better techniques and beautiful presentations.

The Dinner Atmosphere. You don’t have to go to Chef School to learn how to deliver a piece of artwork each evening at the dinner table. Any meal is enhanced with a little atmosphere. Even if Friday night is “Take-out Pizza”, put on the soft Jazz music, get out your nice china, add cloth napkins, a burning candle and a white glass of wine, and you just turned “take out” into five star experience {almost, anyway}.

White Paper vs White China? I have served guests great meals on white paper plates and they thank me, but I have also served guests average meals on white china and they rave! Treat your family to a great atmosphere often, and you will be one step closer to an artful meal. But, let’s face it. Making a meal come into the level of “art” goes beyond atmosphere. It calls for a higher level of knowledge in the areas of proper food and drink pairing, plate presentation, meal planning, essential kitchen tools, and more. Let’s take a look at the basics of the art of {FOOD}.

Proper Food and Drink Pairing. As a general rule of thumb, wine is the perfect accompaniment to dinner. Red wine pairs well with beef, and white wine pairs well with the light meats such as chicken, pork and seafood. Ultimately, your taste buds should decide the wine selection, but you can get ideas from food websites and books as well. I, personally, prefer fruit infused water is a lovely and low-calorie dinner drink, and I like to save higher-calorie wines for special occasions.

Plate Presentation. The #1 secret to plate presentation is balance. Make your presentation artful by adding balance in nutrition, flavor, texture and appearance.

• Nutrition - To make each meal nutritionally balanced, follow the fourth-fourth-half rule. One-fourth of your plate should have a lean protein such a low-fat beef, white chicken breast, seafood, pork or beans. One-fourth of your plate should have a high-fiber starch such as multi-grain bread, whole grain rice/pasta or potato. One-half of your plate should be filled with a vegetable that is prepared to retain the nutritive value.

• Flavor – Balance flavor by infusing your meat with spices and then adding complimentary side flavors. For example, a spicy taco is well complimented with some soothing sour cream and mild or neutral rice.

• Texture – Learn to enjoy a variety of textures together. A chunky chili with a soft corn muffin. A smooth cream soup with a crispy cracker. Opposite textures work well together and add to your eating pleasure.

• Appearance – A beautiful meal means a variety in color, size and shape. A white corn chili pops when topped with a bright cilantro-tomato salsa. Serving portions that look filling, but not over-flowing make the plate more presentable. Create different shapes for interest as well. Use an ice cream scooper to mound the mashed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle green parsley to add a little color. You get the idea.

Get Moving: 3 STEPS TO AN ARTFUL DINNER TONIGHT!

• Create a special atmosphere. Set the table in your best plates, add cloth napkins, a candle and soft dinner music.

• Properly pair your food and drink. Strawberry-infused water goes well with almost any meal. Slice a fruit such as strawberry or lime and add it to each water goblet or select a wine based on your meat.

• Plan out a balanced plate presentation. First, choose a spice infused meat. It could be rosemary-olive oil chicken or lime-cilantro chicken. Then select a complimentary whole grain starch and nutritious vegetable. Remember the fourth-fourth-half rule. Next, balance your flavor, texture and appearance.

To learn more about the art of {FOOD} , view Renee's {Create My Life Planner} or to use her #1 tool, the free {MOMMY MAKEOVER PROJECT}, your life road map to stay-on-track, visit here>

Red Chile Gravy Shrimp Enchiladas at Renee’s

Cajunlicious — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:38:15 +0000

Head over to Renee's Joy Journey where my Red Chile Gravy Shrimp Enchiladas are being featured as the Recipe of the Month!

Renee is such sweetheart and I am honored that she asked me to guest post!

I hope you enjoy my Cajunlicious Red Chile Gravy Shrimp Enchiladas!