Bartule - the Self Contained Bar Accessory

Meet the Bartule

Sexy ain't it?

Y'all know I like my occasional weekend cocktails, and recently, I had the opportunity to try out a product called Bartule, a self-contained bar accessory that, with its compact, interlocking fit-together design, makes it super easy to bring the party just about anywhere.

Available in six gorgeous colors, the unit is made of 100% recyclable materials, is dishwasher safe, and made primarily from a nearly indestructible high density polycarbonate. The included bottle opener/corkscrew is made of solid stainless steel, and you also get an ice bucket, a jigger, a citrus juicer with pulp removing handle and spout, and, the ice bucket lid that seals it all together, also functions as a wine or champagne coaster and a salt rimmer.

Tex-Mex Migas

Eggs, scrambled with hot peppers and tomatoes, and tossed with crispy fried tortilla strips, makes for a fine meal whether it be breakfast, lunch, or even breakfast for dinner.

How to Make Tex-Mex Migas

I love Tex-Mex migas!

Plus it seems I just about always have corn tortillas on hand so it's easy to whip 'em up too. Don't think they're just for breakfast either, because they make a mighty fine lunch, or even breakfast for dinner.

Macaroni Salad with crunchy veggies, in a mayo and sour cream seasoned dressing, and tossed with black and green olives.

Macaroni and Olive Salad

I love pasta salads, even if they aren't all that photogenic. Though this one is loaded with veggies for crunch, the central feature of this pasta salad is olives - both black and green.

I've already included pimentos as an add-in with this pasta salad, even though I use a stuffed olive, or use your own favorite pitted green olives. I've actually even used olive salad before in place of green olives, when I've had some leftover from making Muffuletta Sandwiches, and it is an excellent, tangy addition, but if you prefer black olives over green, it's still a great pasta salad with black alone.

Green beans quickly blanched, then tossed in a sweet and sour mix of vinegar and sugar, a few seasonings and bacon, make up this old fashioned spicy, tangy dish.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

You're either gonna love these or hate them, but then again, if you've ever even heard of them, well... ya probably already know that! Another old-fashioned dish, spicy and tangy, sweet and sour, I find them absolutely addictive. The more I eat, the more I want.

A basic but flavorful ground beef casserole, made with sauteed bell pepper, onion and garlic, cooked in a sauce of stewed tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup, a few basic seasonings and topped with crunchy onions.

Beef and Crunchy Onion Casserole

I have been busy this past week, cooking a few new side dish recipes to post on the site - Baked Pineapple Casserole, Copper Pennies Carrot Salad and Sweet and Sour Green Beans - none of which my meat and potatoes Cajun will touch.  I still have to feed him though, so last night we had Grilled Onion Chili Cheese Burgers, with a little help from Wolf brand chili, and some Crispy Oven Fries, but to be honest, when I'm a bit harried, or feeling particularly lazy and uninspired, casseroles are always my fall back.

Broccoli florets dipped in batter and tossed in seasoned flour, then quickly deep fried - a crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside appetizer.

Deep Fried Broccoli

Okay. I'll be the first one to tell you to eat your broccoli steamed, and tossed with a bit of minced garlic, maybe some red pepper flakes, little sea salt and a pat of pure butter.

It's my favorite way to eat it.

Broccoli is a power house veggie that is loaded with good stuff.

Copper Pennies Carrot Salad - Sweet and Sour Carrots

Copper Pennies, an old fashioned chilled carrot salad, made with thinly sliced carrots, sweet onion and sweet bell pepper, soaked in a sweet and sour vinegar marinade made with canned tomato soup.

Copper Pennies Carrot Salad

Just like pineapple, we southerners also love our sweet and sour dishes.

From salads, to green beans, to pickles, that combination of flavor has long been a southern favorite and Copper Penny Carrots are another dish that falls into that category. Named so because they resemble pennies, it is a cold marinated salad of thinly sliced vegetables - carrots, sweet onion and sweet bell pepper - tossed and left to marinade in a hot, sweet and sour mixture of tomato, vinegar and seasonings.

Also known as bronze pennies, they are as fabulous as a holiday side as they are at a barbecue, and perfect for the Easter table.

Old Fashioned Baked Pineapple Casserole

 

Old School Baked Pineapple Casserole, a favorite holiday side dish in the south, made with the unlikely combination of pineapple layered with crushed Ritz crackers and shredded cheddar cheese. Somehow it works!

Baked Pineapple Casserole

We southerners sure love our pineapple dishes. From sweet to savory and everywhere in between, we enjoy it in a multitude of dishes, and this is one of the oldest. Another one of those tasty dishes that doesn't really photograph all that pretty, and, at first glance, certainly seems an unlikely and odd combination of ingredients to pair together.

Like its southern sisters Watergate Salad, 5 Cup Salad, and Old Fashioned Cherry Coke Salad, it's also another one of those difficult to place recipes in a menu listing - but, indeed, it is intended to be a side dish, and not a dessert.

Southern Easter Menu Ideas and Recipes

A collection of Southern Easter menu ideas and recipes from Deep South Dish.

Deep South Dish Southern Easter Menu Ideas and Recipes

Looking for some menu ideas for Easter? Well, Easter dinner is certainly the best time to finally throw open the curtains and throw back the heavy covers of winter to bring in some fresh, spring color, fragrant flowers and a few favorite recipes to the table. Besides all of the religious attachments many of us have to Easter, it is also a time of refreshing and renewal. What better way to welcome spring than a nice brunch, buffet, or dinner?

Often called Banana Split Cake, this layered dessert has the same base ingredients from a banana split but in a convenient and well loved layered pan dessert.

Layered Banana Split Dessert

Take the elements of a banana split - bananas, pineapple, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts - layer that on top of a cookie crust, throw in a layer of that fabulous cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream mixture as a stand-in for the usual ice cream, and you have one well loved Layered Banana Split Dessert.

 

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips, seasoned and dusted with flour, dipped into beaten egg, and rolled into well crushed saltine crackers - a southern favorite!

Crunchy Saltine Chicken Tenders

I guess we all have a go-to chicken strip recipe since you can really stretch out a chicken breast by cutting it into strips. Two or three large chicken breasts literally will make a huge platter of strips. When made at home with whole chicken breasts purchased on sale, they are economical and a super thumbs-up kid favorite (even for us big kids)!

A spicy honey mustard sauce that is a perfect dipper for chicken strips, nuggets, even fried shrimp!

Spicy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I know... honey mustard is just, well, honey and mustard pretty much, but recently I had the opportunity to give Colman's dry mustard products (#affiliate) a try and let me tell you, if you want to bump your mustard up above and beyond spicy mustard, yes even those we love so much down here in The Deep South, then you'll want to give Colman's a try.  

One of only three mustard mills in the world that uses a unique blend of brown mustard seeds with white mustard seeds, there ain't a thing mellow yellow about this fiery mustard y'all!

A hot ham and cheese sandwich, covered with a creamy Béchamel sauce, and finished with a fried egg. Simply omit the egg for a Monsieur.

Croque Madame or Monsieur

I love love love this sandwich and after I posted about having one for a late breakfast/early lunch over on Facebook a few days back, I've had several requests to post the recipe for the cheese sauce I used.

Whole Stuffed Flounder

Whole flounder, dressed with a seafood stuffing mix of shrimp and crab.

Stuffed Whole Flounder

If you've ever visited along a coastal area like the Gulf Coast where I live, you've probably seen lights bobbing around right along the shoreline at night, and may have wondered what exactly was going on. If you've ever actually lived along the coastline, you've probably done it at least once in your lifetime.

A versatile stuffing mix made with toasted bread, sauteed onion and sweet bell pepper, tossed with crab and shrimp, and versatile enough for use in many different recipes.

Seafood Stuffing Mix

I have this basic seafood stuffing mix that I use for many different dishes, so this weekend when I was making Stuffed Flounder, I figured it was about time to get the stuffing recipe up all on its own.

It's a very versatile mix that can be used to stuff large butterflied shrimp, to make patties for Vancleave (crabmeat and cheese) po'boys, to stuff large mushroom caps, hollowed out eggplant and squash of all types, and other vegetables, fill crab shells, or to make pan-fried crab cakes, to name just a few.

Featured Reader Recipe - John's Yankee Pot Roast

Chuck roast, slow braised in convenient canned vegetable soup, providing a great base to spoon over creamed potatoes.

John's Yankee Pot Roast

When a reader, John, shared this recipe with me, I have to say that I was intrigued by his use of canned vegetable soup for a Yankee Pot Roast. Originally from Wisconsin, John was stationed in South Carolina in the 70's and apparently decided to stick around! He refers to himself as a "Southernified Yankee."

Green Gumbo - Gumbo Z'herbes

Gumbo Z'herbes is a traditional green gumbo made with multiple greens, a wide variety of meats and traditionally served on Holy Thursday before Easter. Sometimes it is prepared meatless to be served during Lent.

Gumbo Z'herbes

Gumbo aux Herbes, better known as Gumbo Z'herbes, or just simply Green Gumbo, is a traditional Lenten dish here in The Deep South, though it is an excellent dish served anytime for us lovers of all things greens.

I feel certain that its origins were based on a completely meatless gumbo, and while it is sometimes still served meatless during fasting Fridays of Lent, it is more often served with an over-abundance of meat, and most traditionally on Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter.  Frankly, while I do adore greens, I am much more fond of Gumbo Z'herbes flavored with the meats.

Hash Brown Quiche with Andouille Sausage

Smoked sausage quiche with onion, bell pepper and Swiss cheese in a hash brown crust, shown here served with a drizzle of hot sauce and Fire Roasted Green Salsa.

Hash Brown Quiche

The Cajun is not a big fan of quiche, so I don't make it as often as I'd like to, though I happen to love it. It's as good a meal for lunch or dinner as it is for breakfast in my opinion.