Dennys Food and Recipes: cajun recipes

Showing posts with label cajun recipes. Show all posts

14 February 2010

05 February 2010

9 Easy Marti Gras and Super Bowl Eats

Photo of Bourbon Street at night in the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana by Lyndi & Jason @ flickr

From Denny: New Orleans and all of Louisiana is heating up for this weekend's Super Bowl to watch the Saints play in Miami. People are so excited you would think it's already Marti Gras season a bit early! :)

Featured today are favorite Cajun recipes for easiest versions of gumbo and jambalaya and Creole potato salad - along with appetizers like chicken wings, a warm dip for your chips, puff pastry appetizers, little pizzas and grilled shrimp with three sauces.

Zatarain's company from New Orleans packages a lot of quick dry spice mixes to make your own Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, Seafood Gumbo and more Cajun dishes without the long wait. We all enjoy those food shortcuts and this century old New Orleans company is a well loved company here. Did I mention their products also taste good?

Zatarain's also put out a fun pdf file Party Guide to Marti Gras and a few simple craft projects that are kid friendly:

* Want to print out your own Marti Gras mask fun? Zatarain's has a fun one for kids, go here.

* Marti Gras fun trivia cards to print out, go here.

* Print out your own fun float for the parade, go here.

* Download Zatarain's free Party Guide to Marti Gras, go here.

Recipes:

Carnival Jambalaya
Creole Gumbo
Creole Mustard Potato Salad
Oysters Rockefeller Pizza
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings
Shrimp Cocktail with Three Sauces
Baked Artichoke and Corn Dip
Nacho Cheese Bites
Pepperoni Bites

The Cajun version of cheering on the home team: GEAUX SAINTS!!!

Carnival Jambalaya

Throwing a party, but you're pressed for time, then this dish is for you. It's quick, easy and is sure to satisfy a variety of appetites.

From: Zatarain's

Makes: 12 (1-cup) servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1/4 cup oil (optional)
2 packages ZATARAIN'S® Jambalaya Mix
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring water and oil to boil in large saucepan. Stir in Rice Mixes, chicken and sausage; return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

2. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Nutritional Info per 1 serving

Calories: 305
Sodium: 965
Fat: 13
Carbohydrates: 30
Cholesterol: 41
Fiber: 1
Protein: 17

Creole Gumbo

From: Zatarain's

Like a traditional gumbo, this one is prepared without rice. Instead, prepare Zatarain's® Long Grain Parboiled Rice to serve with the gumbo.

Makes: 8 (1-cup) servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1 package ZATARAIN'S® Gumbo Base
2 tablespoons oil
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch cubes
ZATARAIN'S® Gumbo Filé (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring water, Gumbo Base and oil to boil in large sauce pot on medium heat, stirring to dissolve any lumps. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in shrimp and sausage; cover. Simmer additional 30 minutes.

3. Serve over rice and sprinkle with Gumbo Filé, if desired.

Nutritional Info per 1 serving

Calories: 350
Sodium: 1627
Fat: 22
Carbohydrates: 12
Cholesterol: 193
Fiber: 1
Protein: 26

Zatarain's® Creole Mustard Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 pounds red potatoes

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ZATARAIN'S® Creole Mustard

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon ZATARAIN'S® Creole Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon (optional)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

Directions:

1. Cook potatoes in lightly salted water to cover in large sauce pot. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain, then quarter potatoes.

2. Mix mayonnaise, Creole Mustard, sour cream, Creole Seasoning and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add warm potatoes; toss to coat well. Add tomatoes, bacon and green onion; toss lightly. Cover.

3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Refrigerate Time: 2 hours
Serves: Makes 12 (2/3-cup) servings.

Oysters Rockefeller Pizza

From: Food Focus Encore 1997 recipe booklet, “Louisiana Food Lover’s Holiday”

Makes: 12 small pizzas

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks), plus 2 tbls. butter for sautéing oysters

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped (use the packaged pre-washed leaves)

2 cups parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 pint Pernod

24 to 36 oysters, lightly sautéed in 2 tbls. melted butter (can be cooked covered in a microwave for 1 minute)

Pizza dough, use a readymade dough to form into 12 small pizzas)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Combine 2 sticks butter, spinach, parsley, celery, salt, peppers and Pernod in a bowl. Mix with a mixer on medium speed or by hand until well blended.

2. Transfer spinach mixture to a colander to drain off excess liquid. Let set for 30 minutes.

3. While spinach mixture is draining, partially cook pizza doughs, according the dough product’s directions. Cool for 15 minutes. Spread spinach mixture evenly over the 12 small pizzas. Top each pizza with 2 or 3 sautéed oysters.

4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each pizza. Bake pizzas on a cookie sheet or pizza stone in preheated 400-degree oven until topping is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings

From: Pace Kitchens

Makes: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

12 chicken wings or 24 chicken drumettes
1 cup picante sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

1. Cut off wing tips and discard. Cut wings in half at joint. and put in foil-lined pan.

2. Stir picante sauce, honey and ginger in large bowl. Pour 1/3 cup of sauce over wings in pan. Toss wings with sauce.

3. Bake in the oven at 500 degrees on lowest oven rack for 35 minutes or until crispy and cooked through, turning over once halfway through baking.

4. Remove from oven and toss chicken wings with the remaining picante sauce. Serve.

Zatarain's also partners with Martha Stewart Living:

Shrimp Cocktail with Three Sauces

From: Martha Stewart Living, August 2009

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

FOR THE SHRIMP

Coarse salt
1 pound (about 25) large shrimp, heads (optional) and shells on

FOR THE MANGO-BASIL SAUCE:

2 small mangoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 lemon, peeled and rind finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

FOR THE TOMATO-HORSERADISH SAUCE

1 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE REMOULADE sauce:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon spicy stone-ground mustard, preferably Creole (zatarains.com)
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped scallion
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make the shrimp: Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Boil shrimp until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain, and refrigerate.

Make the mango-basil sauce: Pulse mangoes, lemon rind and juice, vinegar, salt, and white pepper in a food processor until smooth. Fold in basil. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Make the tomato-horseradish sauce: Stir together chili sauce, horseradish, and lemon juice. Season with black pepper. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

Make the remoulade: Whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. Stir in celery, parsley, and scallion. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately (or refrigerate for up to 1 day).

Place shell-on shrimp in a large bowl, or peel shrimp and arrange in small serving dishes. Serve with the 3 sauces on the side.

Baked Artichoke and Corn Dip

From: “Big Taste of Little Rock” cookbook published by The Junior League of Little Rock. The cookbook, a finalist in the Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards, can be ordered from the League’s Web site at http://www.jllr.org/.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (16-oz.) can corn kernels, drained

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 to 1 (4-oz.) can chopped jalapeño chilies, drained (See Testing Note.)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Corn chips (Frito Scoops work well)

Directions:

1. Combine the artichoke hearts, corn, green onions, jalapeño chilies, Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and garlic salt and mix well.

2. Spoon into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

3. Serve with corn chips. You can substitute fresh garlic for the garlic salt and fresh jalapeño chilies for the canned chilies if preferred.

Nacho Cheese Bites

From: Pepperidge Farm

Makes: 20

Ingredients:

Half of a (17.3-oz.) pkg. of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

1 egg

1 tbl. water

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Pace Chunky Salsa

5 pitted ripe olives, cut into quarters, optional

Chili powder

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Stir together the cheese and salsa in a separate small bowl.

2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 15x12-inch rectangle. Cut into 20 (3-inch) squares.

3. Place about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in the center of each pasty square. Top each with 1 olive piece, if desired. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg mixture. Fold the pastry over the filling to form triangles.

4. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.

5. Place the filled pastries onto baking sheets. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture and sprinkle with chili powder.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Pepperoni Bites

From: Hormel

Makes: 40 appetizers

Ingredients:

1 (3.5-oz.) pkg. sliced pepperoni, chopped

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (or a blend of Italian cheeses if you can’t find the Swiss)

1 tomato, chopped into little pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

2 (10-oz.) pkgs. refrigerated flaky biscuits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, combine pepperoni, cheese, tomato, onion, mayonnaise and basil.

2. Cut each biscuit in half. Place biscuit halves into greased miniature muffin cups, pressing gently to fit cups.

(Note: Miniature muffin tins come in several sizes. This recipe works with a muffin cup that is about 17/8 inches in diameter. You may have to adjust the size of the biscuit dough piece and amount of filling depending on the size of your muffin tin.)

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon (or the amount that fits in your muffin tin) of filling into each cup.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

*** ALSO: Be sure to check out what's happening over at Romancing The Chocolate blog for more great easy party recipes, 4 Fun Marti Gras and Super Bowl Recipes

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave comments, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

15 January 2010

Paula Deens Shrimp Gumbo Casserole

From Denny: Here's an unusual but easy recipe I ran across the other day from Food Network star Paula Deen who lives in Savannah, Georgia. I've seen and cooked a lot of different styles of gumbo but never have I seen anyone choose to put a cornbread topping on it like a Shepard's Pie, very clever, and so easy! Just think, she found a way to skip the step of baking a pan of cornbread by throwing it on top of the stew. Talk about a one dish meal. The winter is the perfect time for this easy crowd pleaser and time saver dish!

From: Paula Deen, Paula's Home Cooking @ Food Network

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

Gumbo:

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup chicken or fish stock
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
10-ounce package frozen cut okra
2 cups shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined

Topping:

1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk
12-ounce package corn muffin mix

Directions

In an iron skillet, saute onion and celery in oil. Add bay leaves, thyme, lemon-pepper seasoning and House Seasoning. Pour in stock and add tomatoes and okra. Cover pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp.

To prepare the topping, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together egg and milk, add to muffin mix, and combine until just well-blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls on top of hot shrimp mixture, leaving the center uncovered. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

*** Paula's Cook's Note: This Southern dish usually is prepared and served in an iron skillet, but may be cooked in a frying pan with an oven-proof handle.

*** Denny's Cook's Note: If you do use an iron skillet, make sure it is well seasoned as tomatoes have acid that can compromise that seasoning layer, putting pits in it, leaching a little too much of that iron taste into the food. After you do use an iron skillet with tomatoes or lemon acid in a dish, make sure to season it again just to make sure the pan is well sealed.

Paula's House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, huge hug to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

27 October 2009

5 Cajun, Creole Recipes: 2 Gumbos, Dirty Rice, Pickled Shrimp, Shrimp Stuffed Vegetable Pear

Chef Emeril Lagasse's Creole Dirty Rice dish

From Denny: This is a continuation of last week's post about the Association of Food Journalists annual conference held in New Orleans this month. There were so many recipes posted in our local newspaper! They were skimpy on the photos though.

Some more history on how Louisiana cuisine developed over the centuries with the melting pot of immigrant cultures... Did you know there are two kinds of Italian cooking in New Orleans? One is with the Arab Slavic influence and the second is more French and Spanish seasoning.

What food stands out as an example contrasting the two cultures? Red gravy (think spaghetti sauce). The Arab Slavic seasons with a pinch of cinnamon and sugar to their version of red gravy as a way to take the edge off the sourness of the tomatoes, especially if they are not fresh but canned. (I use dark brown sugar.) The French and Spanish don't use sugar at all. They also don't use a roux base to make their gravy.

What about Creole? They employ a roux to thicken the red gravy, use tomato sauce but never tomato paste. From Chef Leah Chase who cooks Creole style, "Vegetables were cooked down or stuffed in the Creole kitchen. We stuff everything, including people.”

Typical ingredients in the Creole kitchen are garlic, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and paprika. Celery was not on their radar most of the year until the holidays. And they love to use wine in their cooking too.

For the Creole table, Sunday was gumbo day, Monday was red beans and rice day. Turtle stew was served on Easter holiday. Fridays you were out of luck to get a meal with meat as they observed the old Catholic custom of sacrifice that day, substituting fish.

The following recipes are a sampling of the food loved centuries later to this day that is Creole and Cajun. Hey, if it tastes good, eat it! That's the motto in Louisiana!

Seafood Gumbo

From: Chef Poppy Tooker

Serves: about 10

Ingredients:

Gumbo crabs are small crabs mainly used for flavor.
2 lbs. shell-on shrimp
1 medium yellow onion, chopped, onion skin reserved
1 gallon plus 1 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying as needed, plus 1/2 cup
2 lbs. okra, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 gumbo crabs
1 (1-lb.) can whole tomatoes
2 tsps. fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Peel and devein shrimp, set shrimp aside; save shells. Combine shells and onion skins in a stock pot. Add 1 gallon plus 1 cup water; boil for 20 minutes. Strain; reserve shrimp stock.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2-inch oil. Add okra and fry until light browned. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

3. In a large stockpot, make a dark roux by whisking 1/2 cup oil and flour together over medium heat. Cook — stirring frequently — until the color becomes milk chocolate brown, about 30 minutes. Add onions to the roux, stirring until it darkens to a bittersweet chocolate brown color, about 5 minutes more.

4. Add celery and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the gumbo crabs, tomatoes, okra, thyme, bay leaf and the shrimp stock. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 45 minutes or longer.

5. Ten minutes before serving, add shrimp and green onions. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Chicken Andouille Gumbo

From: Broussard’s Restaurant

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. chopped andouille sausage
3 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup celery
1 lb. chopped okra
Water or half water/half chicken stock
1 tbl. oregano
1 tbl. thyme
2 tbls. filé
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 lb. chopped chicken (white and dark)
Salt and pepper
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Sauté the sausage then add onions, bell peppers, celery and okra. After, add 1 gallon of water or stock or half water and half stock and all spices. Cook for 30 minutes.

2. In a separate pot, melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook until dark brown.

3. Add roux to gumbo and stir to mix in. Then add chopped chicken and cook 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with plain white rice.

Note: Can also be made with seafood, such as shrimp and crabs.

Ashley’s Pickled Shrimp

From: Susan Spicer of Bayona

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
3 tbls. capers
2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
2 tbls. chopped flat-leaf parsley

For shrimp:

1 lemon, quartered
2 bay leaves
1 tbl. coriander seeds
1 tbl. mustard seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbls. salt (kosher or sea salt)
2 lbs. medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, cider or vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, onion, capers and bay leaves.

2. Place a large pot filled with about 1 gallon water over high heat. Squeeze the lemon quarters into the water, dropping rinds into the pot. Add bay leaves, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, pepper flakes and salt to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, then add shrimp and return to the boil. Cook until shrimp become opaque and the tails turn bright pink, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Drain well then transfer the still-warm shrimp to bowl of marinade. Marinate shrimp for at least 15 minutes before serving. If made ahead, remove shrimp from marinade before refrigerating; reserve marinade. Dress shrimp with marinade and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Note: One bag crab boil can be used in place of the bay leaves, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns and crushed red pepper flakes.

Stuffed Mirliton With Shrimp and Ham

From: Chef Frank Brigtsen, Brigtsen’s Restaurant

Makes: 13-1/2 cups (12-15 portions as a side dish).

Chef’s Notes: The mirliton, also known as chayote, vegetable pear, or christophene, is a member of the squash family, but is a very unique vegetable with its smooth texture and sweet flavor. In New Orleans, the pale green, pear-shaped mirliton is a “backyard” vegetable, grown in home gardens on trellised vines and harvested in the fall, just in time for holiday tables. Found in specialty grocery stores.

Ingredients:

6 large mirlitons
2 tbls. unsalted butter
2 cups diced ham (1/2-inch pieces)
2 cups finely diced green bell peppers (1/4-inch pieces)
4 cups finely diced celery (1/4-inch pieces)
6 cups finely diced yellow onions (1/4-inch pieces)
2 bay leaves
4 tsps. salt
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. whole-leaf dried thyme
1 tsp. whole-leaf dried oregano
2 tsps. whole-leaf dried sweet basil
1 tbl. minced fresh garlic
2 cups peeled medium-size Louisiana shrimp
1 cup shrimp stock
4 tbls. unsalted butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups finely ground plain French bread crumbs
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare the mirlitons: Place the mirlitons in a large pot and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the mirlitons are tender, 40-45 minutes. Drain the mirlitons and cover with ice until fully chilled. Peel the mirlitons with a vegetable peeler. Slice in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Slice the peeled mirliton halves in half again, lengthwise, and slice into wedge-pieces about 1/4-inch thick. (This should yield about 8 cups of mirliton meat.) Set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy pot over high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring constantly, until brown.

4. Add 1-1/2 cups of bell peppers, 3 cups of celery, 4 cups of onion and the bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn dark brown (caramelized).

5. Add the remaining bell peppers, celery and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the second stage of onions turn soft and clear.

6. Reduce heat to low. Add the salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, thyme, oregano, basil and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.

7. Add the shrimp and cook until pink on the outside. Add the shrimp stock and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the mirliton and heat until warm. Remove from heat.

8. Mix in remaining 4 tablespoons butter.

9. Fold in the cheese and bread crumbs.

10. Temper the eggs: In a small bowl, add the eggs. Add 3 spoonfuls of the mirliton dressing, one spoon at a time, until the eggs are heated through. Fold the egg mixture back into the dressing and blend well.

11. Transfer the mirliton dressing to a shallow pan (sheet pan) and bake at 350 degrees until brown and crusty on top, 35-40 minutes.

Creole Dirty Rice

From: Chef Emeril Lagasse

Makes: about 3 cups, serves 4. It is served at Emeril’s Delmonico restaurant with pork cheeks.

Ingredients:

1 tbl. vegetable oil
1 tbl. butter
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. chicken livers, puréed
2 bay leaves
1 tbl. finely chopped jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, if desired
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 cups cooked long-grain, white rice
1/4 cup beef stock or canned, low-sodium beef broth
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Dash of Tabasco or other Louisiana hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter, onion, and bell pepper; sauté vegetables until tender and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the pork and cook, using the spoon to break the pork into small pieces of meat, until well-browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the liver purée, bay leaves, jalapeño, salt, coriander, cumin and cayenne. Cook until spices are fragrant and liver is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice and beef stock; continue to cook, stirring, until well-combined and rice is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add kosher salt and pepper, if necessary. Finish with hot sauce, to taste.

*** For part one of the food conference - 3 Oyster Recipes: Awesome Louisiana Food From National Food Conference

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone, come back often and eat well!

11 September 2009

Make Your Own Cajun Blackened Seasoning for Fish or Chicken!

Photo of Cajun blackened drum fish from chef Paul Prudhomme at his New Orleans restaurant K Paul's by wallyg @ flickr

From Denny: Seasoning spices are a personal thing for cooks everywhere. We all have our own way of doing things. Some like a lot of spice, others tone it down. OK, so my middle name is practically "garlic" but who's noticing, right?

Seriously, whenever I've moved out of Louisiana it was the seasonings I first missed. Sometimes, you can't get a hold of your favorite brand. Worse, you've traveled in America, experienced yummy New Orleans or Lafayette racetrack food, go back to Europe and no proper seasonings to be had on the grocery shelves. Then that wonderful taste experience starts to dim in your memory... Well, we can't have that! :)

Here are a few recipes to get you started. Try making a few and adjusting after you try it, that's what I always end up doing, adjusting to personal taste. You should be able to find these ingredients anywhere in the world.

Cajun Blackening Seasonings RECIPES

Recipe #1

This is a more exotic version of the traditional Cajun seasoning.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons ground paprika

4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste (if you can't find cayenne pepper then grind up and substitute red pepper flakes)

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Simple Directions:

Place all ingredients in a jar and store in a cool dark place. Shake jar well before each use.

Recipe #2

This recipe is the traditional authentic early version of Cajun seasoning - before more exotic spices from other cuisines were added, like the Mexican cumin or nutmeg.

I use this one and add spices like turmeric and/or mild curry powder (Sharwood's brand is awesome) and New Mexico Chipotle Morita chile powder (available from dagiftbasket.com) and ground fresh coriander and some dried basil, sometimes some white pepper too. Hmmm... maybe I should start selling the Dennys Cajun Spice Blend! :)

Ingredients:

1 heaping tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping teaspoon onion powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 teaspoon leaf thyme

1/2 teaspoon leaf oregano

Directions:

Mix the ingredients well and funnel into a shaker. Seal well and store in a cool dry place.

Blackened Catfish Recipe

Serves: 6

Cook outdoors: 1/2 pound(2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted.

Seasoning Mix Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teasponn thyme

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne)

Directions:

Now you can cook this outdoors as it can flame up and get really hot. How I get around that is to either use clarified butter, getting rid of and skimming off the milk fat makes it so the butter can stand to be used at a higher heat. It also has the added benefit of ridding you of artery-clogging cholesterol! (Yay!)

If you don't want to use butter or are concerned about flame-up in the house or outside, try using any oil that can withstand high heat like peanut oil, a favorite with chefs for deep fat frying.

Preheat well-seasoned cast iron skillet on outdoor-cooker or inside on gas burner at least 10 minutes, until a white ash forms in skillet bottom. Thoroughly combine seasoning mix in a small bowl. Dip fillets in melted butter so that both sides are well coated. Then sprinkle seasoning mix generously and evenly on both sides of fillets, putting it in the frying skillet by hand. (What I do is mix the seasonings while the skillet is heating, dip the fillets in oil and sit them on a plate ready to go. That way you keep your focus on that unusually high heat you are using so there are no accidents.)

Place in hot skillet and add 1 tablespoon of butter/oil over the top of fillets. (Caution - if using unclarified butter it will flame.) Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until charred. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. (We like fresh lime juice in our house!)

Good eating!

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Enjoy a wide range of food from the newest beverage trends to pasta to all things chocolate to Louisiana food and more.

Reporting on food news, trends and new delights with lots of demonstration food videos along with the recipes. Merging my three food blogs into one: Romancing The Chocolate, Comfort Food From Louisiana and Unusual 2 Tasty!

Awesome blog photo from one of my fav Louisiana restaurants - Bittersweet Plantation by Chef Folse.

Email me: warriorspearl@gmail.com.

Enjoy a cup of coffee with me and let's talk like all good foodies love to do! And please join me on Google Friend Connect and Google Plus. - Denny Lyon

Dennys Food and Recipes

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