Photo by Bourbon Street in the French Quarter by Lyndi and Jason @ flickr
From Denny: Have some fun with puff pastry, try out some easy grilled Louisiana style shrimp, make a warm dip for your chips, eat well and enjoy the day whether it's carnival time, the Super Bowl or a weekend gathering. Make it fun!Zatarain's is a century old company in Louisiana. In New Orleans every year when Marti Gras is celebrated the whole city shuts down for the holiday, even the banks treat it like a federal holiday!
Check out what Zatarain's is offering that is kid friendly for education about carnival and fun with a couple of simple crafts:
* Download Zatarain's free Party Guide to Marti Gras, go here.
* 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.
Recipes:
Who Dat Grilled Shrimp
Mardi Gras Muffuletta sandwiches
Warm Spinach Dip With a Tobasco Kick
Sausage Bites puff pastry appetizers
Who Dat ShrimpFrom: Redwood Creek Winery
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch rosemary (preferably from a mature plant so the branches are stiff)
1-1/2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 to 3 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
Freshly ground or cracked black peppercorns
Red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup sauvignon blanc or other white wine, poured into a spray bottle
Grill shield or sheet of aluminum foil folded in thirds like a business letter
Directions:
1. Strip the leaves off the bottom half to two-thirds of the rosemary sprigs. Finely chop the leaves. You need about ΓΈ cup. You can save any extra for another grill session.
2. Skewer the shrimp on the rosemary skewers. Depending on how stiff the rosemary is, you may need to make starter holes with a bamboo skewer. If skewering solely with rosemary, it helps to cut off the woody end of each stem on the diagonal to make a sharp point. When skewering the shrimp, have the skewer pass through both the head and tail end of each shrimp. The result will look like an old-fashioned one-cent sign. Align the shrimp so all face the same way — this looks more professional. Place the shrimp in a baking dish.
3. Lightly brush each shrimp kabob on each side with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), chopped garlic and chopped rosemary. Let marinate in the refrigerator while you set up your grill.
4. Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Brush and oil the grill grate.
5. Arrange kabobs on grill and grill until shrimp are browned and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
6. Spray shrimp with wine as the shrimp grill. Set the nozzle so the wine comes out in a mist. (If you don’t have a spray bottle, brush the shrimp with the wine during grilling). If the exposed parts of the rosemary start to burn, slide the grill shield or foil under the skewers. Serve immediately.
Mardi Gras MuffulettaFrom: Tabasco
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
Garlic Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. original Tabasco brand pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsps. finely chopped fresh parsley
Spicy Olive Filling:
1 cup pimento-stuffed olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup pitted black olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsps. original Tabasco brand pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar or cane syrup
Sandwich:
1 large loaf French or Italian bread, about 22 inches long
8 ozs. sliced hard salami
8 ozs. sliced deli ham
8 ozs. sliced provolone cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, garlic and parsley in small bowl; stir until well blended.
2. Combine pimento-stuffed green olives, black olives, roasted red peppers, Tabasco sauce, black pepper, olive oil and sugar or cane syrup in medium-size bowl until well mixed.
3. Cut bread in half, horizontally, with serrated knife, but not all the way through; open flat. Spread both cut sides with Garlic Aioli mixture. Arrange salami, ham and cheese on bread evenly. Spoon spicy olive filling lengthwise down center of loaf.
4. Place sandwich on large piece of foil; close tightly to seal. Place on large baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted. Cut into serving-size pieces.
Warm Spinach Dip With a KickFrom: Pace Kitchens
Makes: 32 servings of 2 tablespoons each
Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
2 tbls. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup picante sauce
4 ozs. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables
Directions:
1. Spray a 2-quart saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it’s tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the spinach and flour to the skillet. Gradually stir the milk in. Cook and stir
until mixture boils and thickens.
3. Stir in the picante sauce and cook until bubbly. Add the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with chips or vegetables for dipping.
Sausage BitesFrom: Pepperidge Farm
Makes: 36
Ingredients:
Half of a (17.3-oz.) pkg. Pepperidge farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut into 3 (a little more than 3 inches by 12-inch) strips.
2. Divide the sausage into thirds. Shape each into a cylinder the same length as the pastry.
3. Place 1 piece sausage on the long edge of each pastry rectangle. Roll up the pastry around the sausage and press the seams and pinch the edges to seal.
4. Cut each roll into 12 (1-inch) slices, making 36 in all. Place the slices, with one of the cut-sides down, onto a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and the sausage is cooked through.
6. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
*** For more party recipes, check out Comfort Food From Louisiana, 9 Easy Marti Gras and Super Bowl Eats!
*** 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!
