Recipe: Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning Blend

From Denny: Slap Ya Mama seasoning - it's so good it makes you want to slap ya Mama - comes from Lafayette, Louisiana and is about equal parts salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Use sparingly. Great stuff and well loved by folks in Lafayette! Image by CooLFreaK via Flickr

From Denny: While there are many variations on this theme, this is a good basic version from which to start your own experimentation!

Use for any blackened fish or chicken recipe, sprinkle some in your boiled or sauteed greens, place it into your fried catfish flour seasoning, put it on pork chops before they go on the grill or a little on your steak after searing it on the stove and then placing into the oven to finish. The uses for this versatile seasoning are virtually limitless.

From CBS' Chow.com:

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons paprika

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ground white pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

Combine paprika, salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and cayenne.

Recipe: Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: From CBS' Chow.com comes an easy chocolate truffle recipe. Give it a try when you want to impress someone and with little effort! So simple the children can help.

***

What to Buy: We love Guittard Chocolate Compnay’s 72% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate; available in small wafers which are perfect for melting. You can find it in some groceries, and online.

Special Equipment: A melon baller, also known as a Parisienne scoop, is perfect for scooping truffle-size balls of ganache. You could also use a cookie scoop. Both are available at Cooking.com.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic heavy cream or whipping cream

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 whole vanilla bean

8 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside. Place chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and use the back of a paring knife to scrape the vanilla seeds into the cream. Let steep for 10 minutes, then return the cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture together until very smooth. This is referred to as ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream.
Pour ganache into a shallow 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Using a small melon baller or a small teaspoon, scoop a small ball of ganache into your hand and roll between your palms until somewhat smooth and round. Place ganache balls on a baking sheet until they are all rolled. They should be approximately 1 inch in diameter.

Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl or pan. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder to coat.

Truffles may be stored for up to two weeks at a cool room temperature (55 to 65 degrees) in an airtight container.

Note: Do not refrigerate or freeze the truffles; this damages the texture of the creamy ganache.

Smoothie Recipe: Chocolate Cherry

Berry Soy Smoothie Image by taupetortoise via Flickr

From Denny: It's the weekend and time to relax, take a moment to pause, make life easy, and drink a smoothie to help the process!

The food staff over at Atlanta Journal-Constitution adapted this recipe from Cook's Country Magazine, part of the Cook's Illustrated magazine group. This is a healthy yet chocolate recipe! Does life get any better? :)

Notes from the food staff: "This was tested with Stonyfield Farm brand nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt. They make two snack-size servings or 1 meal replacement size drink. If you like your smoothies sweeter, use vanilla yogurt, or add a tablespoon or two of honey to plain yogurt. If you like them more tart, substitute plain yogurt for vanilla.

For creamier texture, upgrade to low-fat yogurt, knowing you'll add calories. Use only 100 percent juice; don't use any with added sweeteners. You can substitute fresh fruit for frozen, but make sure it's cold. If possible, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes before using."

Hands on time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen cherries

1 ripe banana, cut in thirds

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/4 cup apple juice

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Instructions:

In a blender, combine cherries, banana, yogurt, apple juice and chocolate syrup, and process until thoroughly blended and smooth.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 272 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 7 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 78 milligrams sodium.

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Recipe: Shrimp Biscayne

Another version of Sauteed Shrimp Image by Pabo76 via Flickr

From Denny: This recipe comes from the area of Grand Isle just off the Gulf Coast of Mexico at land's end of the state of Louisiana. It's where everyone goes deep sea fishing and keeps a small camp to enjoy their weekends of fishing.

It's also the place that gets wiped out repeatedly by big storm hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina four years ago and now Hurricane Gustav this past year. Insurance companies are not crazy about insuring anything that close to the water any more, at least not without an outrageous premium like say a $50,000 deductible for an 8 x 10 foot tool shed. For over a century there has been a thriving small community in Grand Isle but times are looking tough for them now.

Seafood recipes abound in this fishing community. Enjoy this one that was published in our favorite regional magazine, Country Roads.

Shrimp Biscayne

Yield: Serves 1

5 21-25 count shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined

11/2 oz. olive oil, 80/20 blend of pomace and extra virgin

7 slices jalapeño, pickled

8 pieces garlic, slivered

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp. house seasoning (Cajun seasoning, lemon and pepper, your choice)

In a small sauté pan add the oil, add seasoned shrimp, cook on one side and turn over and then add the garlic, finish with jalapeños and zest.

Appetizer: Thibodeaux Shrimp

Another version of bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer Image by mhaithaca via Flickr

From Denny: OK, this is quite typical of what you can find in Louisiana restaurants for a shrimp dish! Yum! It's horseradish-stuffed and bacon-wrapped oven-baked black Tiger shrimp served with Cajun tangy mustard barbeque sauce.

The name Thibodeaux is pronounced as Tibb-oh-doe, not as difficult as it looks. Very common name in south Louisiana too! People even affectionately name their dogs and cats Tibodeaux. There are also Cajun Thibodeaux jokes, thought the majority are Boudreaux jokes.

From: Front Page News Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, where this is their most popular appetizer, published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, no photo.

Hands on time: 20 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Serves: 8


Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

16 large shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled down to first segment, deveined and cut halfway through

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

8 bacon slices, cut in half

1 teaspoon chopped green onion, garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley, garnish (optional)


Instructions:

In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, corn syrup, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and add to mixture, stirring well to combine.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill shrimp with horseradish, wrap a half slice of bacon around the shrimp to hold the filling and secure with a toothpick. Bake 25 minutes.
Pour sauce on a plate. Place shrimp around the sauce and garnish with green onions and chopped parsley.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 183 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 14 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams fat, 92 milligrams cholesterol, 359 milligrams sodium.

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