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!

Funny Video: Bride Laughing Loud at the Altar During Vows

From Denny: Just found this hilarious true video of a bride laughing so hard at the altar she almost fell over when they were trying to say their vows. The laughter is contagious! Laughter really IS the best medicine!

Its Cheeky Quote Day at The Social Poets! 9 Sept 2009

From Denny: It's Cheeky Quote Day over at The Social Poets and today I'm featuring another early American entertainer who was a big hit during the dreary Depression years: actress Mae West.

The woman was known for being a bit saucy and downright risque for her time period. She was a child actress in Vaudeville who grew up to write her own comedic material and star in many a Hollywood movie during the 1930's.

To read more about her and enjoy many more rib-tickling quotes from her and a couple of short videos from her movies, go check out Cheeky Quote Day, here.

3 Quotes From Mae West

* I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.

* Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.

* Don't keep a man guessing too long - he's sure to find the answer somewhere else.

For Cheeky Quote Day featuring Mae West, go here.

Recipe: Famous Chefs Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo by procsilas @ flickr

From Denny: When these pastry chefs come out with a new line of something, dark chocolate chips in this case, why don't they ever post a photo of the finished product on the TV show where they are doing the promotion or the network leave a video showing the process...? Oh, well, today we have to just enjoy this fun poster; it did make me grin. :)

It's interesting this chef uses both pastry and bread flour to make our traditional cookie recipe we love so much! Of course, if you don't want to make giant cookies, this recipe will probably yield a gazillion of them! More to share with friends! :)

The dainty polite version of our beloved chocolate chip cookie Image by esthereggy via Flickr

From: Chef Jacques Torres

Yield: 26 giant cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound butter
• 13 ounces sugar
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 14 ounces King Arthur pastry flour
• 14 ounces King Arthur bread flour
• 1/2 ounce salt
• Less than 1/2 ounce baking powder
• Less than 1/2 ounce baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds Jacques Torres 60% cocoa content dark chocolate, cut in small pieces

DIRECTIONS

Preheat convection oven to 325 degrees. Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until it reaches a light and creamy texture. Add the eggs, one at a time. When mixed, turn the mixer to slow speed and add the rest of the ingredients. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, bake on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan for about 14 minutes (light brown, a little underbaked).

TIPS

Jacques does not use cups and teaspoons so he suggests starting with the weights if you need to convert the recipe. His secret is in the butter, flour and chocolate ingredients.

Video: Summer Shrimp Recipes

From Denny: All together now, "We LOVE shrimp!" I've been dining on shrimp the past three days since I got some pre-boiled shrimp over at Whole Foods grocery since it was a such a great price. Then I ran across this food video and recipes from The Today Show and just had to post it!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mozambique Shrimp

From: Chef Angela Shelf Medearis

Serves: 4

Shrimp is transformed using an African cultural recipe, spices and flavor profiles. I call this dish African Fast Food because it's an easy, delicious and a delightful change from the typical ways shrimp is prepared in America.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails left intact
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2/3 cup canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

DIRECTIONS

Wash the shrimp under cold running water and drain on paper towels. In a heavy skillet, heat oil until it is hot but not smoking. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent but not brown. Add the shrimp and season it with the salt, pepper, the paprika and the cumin. Saute for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and vegetables from the pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes and the coriander to the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and stir in the coconut milk. Simmer the sauce for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shrimp and vegetables back to the pan. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve over rice.

***

Shrimp Salad with Corn and Peaches

From: Chef Angela Shelf Medearis

Serves: 4

Typically, a dinner salad is one of the smallest entrees on a menu. However, these bold recipes are meal in a bowl, and provide a delicious, diva-style twist on traditional salads.

If you're short on shrimp, just add a few more hard-cooked eggs to boost the protein in the salad and save on money!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium ears of fresh corn, shucked, and kernels removed from the cob or 1 cup frozen, thawed corn kernels
• 1 roasted red bell pepper from the jar, (5 ounces), packed in brine, drained, and coarsely chopped
• 1 small purple onion, minced
• 1/4 medium jicama (about 4 ounces) or a medium-sized green apple (Granny Smith or Empire), peeled and cut into julienne strips
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 1 pound peeled, cooked large shrimp, thawed if frozen
• 2 large ripe peaches, pitted and sliced or 2 cups frozen, thawed and drained peaches
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, cut in quarters
• 1 head radicchio or Romaine lettuce, or butter lettuce separated into leaves
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

If using fresh corn, in a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the corn kernels for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under running cold water. Put the corn in a large bowl. Add the roasted pepper, onion, and the jicama or apple slices, and half a teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Mix together the cumin, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño and the remaining half teaspoon of salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

Lay the thawed shrimp in a shallow dish and pour on the cumin-olive oil mixture. Toss to coat. Wash and peel the peaches (if necessary, dip the peaches in boiling water for 1 minute to facilitate removing the skin) and cut in half and remove the pits. Slice into wedges and add to the salad bowl. Or use frozen peaches that have been thawed and drained.

When ready to serve, arrange 2 or 3 radicchio, romaine or butter lettuce leaves on individual dinner plates. Toss the corn-peach mixture and spoon onto the leaves. Arrange the eggs over the corn-peach mixture. Spoon the shrimp and any remaining dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with the cilantro.