CAJUN / CREOLE


 
 NEW ORLEANS STYLE RED BEANS AND RICE
1 ts Canola oil
2 c Hot cooked brown rice
2 c Cooked red kidney beans
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1/4 ts Crushed red chili pepper
2 Onions, chopped
1 c Vegetable stock
1 Green sweet pepper, chopped
2 c Cooked red kidney beans
1 Stalk celery, chopped
1/4 lb Lean ham, cubed
1 ts Dried thyme
1/2 ts Dried oregano
1/2 ts Salt
Fresh parsley or cilantro
Heat oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Cook garlic, onions, green pepper and celery, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in seasonings, pour in stock. With fork, crush about 1/3 of the beans. Add to skillet along with ham, stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over rice. Garnish with parsley.

 
CRUNCHY CAJUN CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups crushed sesame crackers (saltines will do)
1 teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 400*. In a small bowl combine salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, onion powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and garlic powder; mix well. Brush both sides of chicken with salad dressing mixture. In a small bowl mix cracker crumbs and paprika. Coat chicken with the cracker crumb mixture. Arrange chicken in an 11x7 inch baking pan. Bake chicken about 45 minutes or until juices run clear. NOTE: If preferred bone-in chicken, place in a 13x9 inch baking pan and cook for about 1 hour.
 
CAJUN DIRTY RICE STUFFING
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sausage - chopped (Andouille sausage to be authentic)
1/2 pound chicken livers - chopped
1 cup onion - finely chopped
1 cup celery - finely chopped
1 cup green bell pepper - finely chopped
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup garlic - minced
6 cups hot cooked long-grained rice
3 cups chicken broth (can use fat free for less sodium)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add next 7 ingredients (sausage through garlic); saute 15 minutes or until browned. Add rice, broth and salt; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed (about 15 minutes). May stuff turkey or chicken or serve on the side.
 
CAJUN BOILED PEANUTS
5 pounds raw peanuts, in shells
1 (6 ounce) package dry crab boil
1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers, with liquid
Place peanuts in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with dry crab boil. Cover with water. Stir in sliced jalapeno peppers and their liquid. Cover the slow cooker, and cook the peanuts on low 8 hours, or overnight, until peanuts float to the top of the water.
 
CATFISH CREOLE
1 lb Catfish fillets
1/3 c Oil
1/4 c Flour
1/2 c Water
1 c Celery, sliced
1/2 c Shallots, chopped
1/2 c Bell pepper, chopped
2 Garlic clove, crushed
1 lb Tomatoes, cut small, can
8 oz Tomato sauce
1 1/2 t Salt
2 Bay leaves
1/2 t Thyme
1/4 t Pepper
1 T Brown sugar, lemon juice
1 T Lemon juice
1/4 c Parsley, chopped
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 Tabasco, dashes
1 Rice, hot, cooked
Cut fillets into 1-in pieces. Heat oil in large pan. Add flour, stirring until brown. Remove from heat and add water slowly, stirring till blended. Add all ingredients except catfish and rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves, add catfish and simmer 8 - 10 min. more until fish flakes to the fork. Serve over rice in soup bowls. Possibly better to wilt all fresh vegetables before adding to pan. Also for: Catfish, Any Fish

CREOLE SEAFOOD SEASONING
1/3 c Plus 1 tablespoon, salt
1/3 c Plus 1 tablespoon, paprika
1/3 c Cayenne pepper
1/4 c Black pepper
1/4 c Granulated garlic
3 tb Granulated onion
2 tb Thyme
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Can be stored indefinitly in tightly lidded glass jar. Great with Shrimp Creole.


CREOLE STYLE BEANS AND RICE
2 ts Oil
1 cup Chopped celery
1 md Onion, chopped
1 sm Red or green bell pepper, -chopped
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded -and finely chopped
16 oz No salt added tomato sauce
15 1/2 oz Can red beans, rinsed
15 oz Can black beans, rinsed
14 1/2 oz Can vegetable broth
1/2 cup Uncooked long grain rice
1/2 ts Hot red pepper sauce
Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add celery, onion, bell and chile peppers; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Per serving: 340 cal., 14g pro., 63g carb., 11g fiber, 4g fat, omg chol., 690mg sod., 990mg pot., 3 starch, 1 lean meat and 2 1/2 vegetable exchanges.
 
MARINATED ROAST CHICKEN
4 whole roasting chickens (4 to 5 pounds each
Marinade:

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Zatarains Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup honey
1 12 ounce bottle Abita Amber Beer
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 cup Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 Pinch ground cloves
Seasoning mix:

1 cup salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
To make the marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process for 5 minutes. Fill a syringe with the marinade and inject each chicken breast, back, wings and legs. You will have to fill the syringe several times. Next, combine the seasoning ingredients and rub the mixture evenly over each chicken. Place them in large plastic bags, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and place on a spit. Place the spit over the fire. Slow cook the chickens over the fire for about 4 hours or until the chickens are golden brown and the juices run clear. The internal temperature of the chickens should reach 170 to 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove the chickens from the spit and transfer to large platters. Allow the chickens to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Yield: 16 to 20 servings
DIXIE’S RED BEABS AND RICE
2 Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
1/2 package Sausage -- fully cooked
1 Onion -- Chopped
1 cup Rice --
Cajun-- Creole seasoning
Louisiana hot sauce
Cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Cook rice according to package directions. Microwave is best. Takes about20 minutes. Meanwhile, in saucepan, combine cans of beans, 2 cans water, Louisiana hot sauce (Red Devil is right kind but not Texas Pete or tabasco. Sauce is based on cayenne peppper.) Also onion, Creole and/or Cajunseasoning, avail. in spice or Cajun section of store; but LOOK OUT FORTHOSE THAT CONTAIN SALT if so, don't add too much and don't add extra salt.If Cajun seasoning contains salt, you can easily get too salty! Also mayadd cayenne pepper to taste; Black pepper. Chop up sausage (any kind is OKas long as "Fully cooked"; hot is preferable to most who prefer a hottaste!) Taste as you go to make sure not too salty or too hot. Boil slowlyfor about 20 minutes, until it begins to thicken and smells REAL good.Serve beans in bowl OVER white rice.
 
RED BEANS AND RICE (DUPREE)
1 pound dried red beans -- soaked overnight
1/2 pound salt pork -- diced (or ham hock, diced)
3 cups chopped onion
1 bunch green onions with tops -- chopped
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 large garlic cloves -- chopped
1 cup fresh parsley -- finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano -- finely chopped
2 bay leaves -- crumbled
3 dashes hot sauce -- generous
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups boiled rice
Drain the beans, place them in 2 quarts of water with the salt pork, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add the chopped onions, green onions, bell pepper, and garlic; and cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Test the beans after 2 hours. They shout be tender not mushy. Add the parsley, salt, peppers, oregano, bay leaves, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. In a large pot combine with the cooked rice. May be made ahead and reheated over low heat or in the microwave.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


SHRIMP CREOLE
For tomato sauce:
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 small cans (14 to 16 ounces each) whole tomatoes including juice
a 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1 bay leaf
For Creole seasoning:
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño chili, or to taste, seeded and chopped fine (wear rubber gloves)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
two 14- to 16-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped coarse
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (about 48), shelled and deveined if desired
Make tomato sauce:
In a large heavy skillet cook onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add remaining sauce ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes, or until thickened. Discard bay leaf and in a food processor purée sauce until smooth. Tomato sauce may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Make Creole seasoning:
In a small bowl stir together Creole seasoning ingredients.

In a large heavy saucepan cook onion, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeño in oil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add Creole seasoning and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 2 cups sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Creole sauce may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring Creole sauce to a simmer before proceeding.
Discard bay leaves and add shrimp to Creole sauce. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through.
Serve shrimp Creole over rice, garnished with parsley.

SIMPLE GUMBO
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. flour
1 onion, chopped fairly small (quarter inch, for those who want 'zactness..)
1 bell pepper, chopped fairly small
1/2 lb. (give or take) fresh okra, sliced into "rounds"
just a bit less than 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into "half moons" (Andouille)
5 fresh (frozen) cayennes, stem cut off but left whole (told ya I was lazy...)
abt. 1 quart + 1 cup liquid (used what I had on hand: 1 1/2 c. veggies stock/1 c. chicken stock/rest was water)(all stock, of some sort, is best, o'course)
approx. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
approx. 1 (+) teaspoon gran. garlic
approx. 1 (+) teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
approx. 1/2 teaspoon brother Jim C's apple smoked habanero, ground
salt to taste
1/2 bu. fresh parsley, rough chopped
1/4 file powder --
This recipe is very bare-bones, very simple, took about an hour and a half, most of that with the whole mess simmering. It can obviously (should, be actually...that's what makes a great recipe...people adding their "special touches" and such..) tweeked, played with, and so on. Great with chicken added, shrimp would be groovy, most anything really, even catfish. Ya'll know what yer doin'. Anywho...
Make a roux with the flour/oil; brown is best, but I was impatient and made a blonde one. Various methods, but I heat to oil to smoking, dump in the flour with one hand, stir with the other, pulling it off the heat at various times to insure you do NOT BURN IT (if you do...dump it...can't be saved), and say little prayers the whole time that the cajun napalm don't get me in the eyes...arms don't feel kaka anymore so I ain't worried about them. None-o-the-less, always use caution when making a roux. It'll scar you but good, baby... Dump the veggies into the roux, cooking them for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently (may need to drop the heat to medium and/or take the pot off the heat). Toss in the sausage and the dried seasonings; NOT THE FILE POWDER. File goes in at the very end of cooking, OFF heat. Watch that hab powder steam cloud...
Stir the above for another 5 minutes or so, keeping the heat at medium-ish. Dump in about 1 cup of the liquid and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot well. Good stuff down there...get it all. You can put in about 1/2 of your parsley here now. Once it all looks fairly well mixed (gonna be thick, mind you), add in the rest of the liquid, stir/mix well.
Bring to a nice mellow simmer and let it cook for a while. Taste frequently, adding a bit of salt as you see fit, more chile, other seasoning(s), whatever. You Da Boss. Adjust with more liquid as you see fit. Should be almost sauce like, but a bit thinner...after all, it is a soup...pretty much...
When you think it's done (flavor of sausage has developed, chiles, and such...no flour taste...you'll pretty much know), take it off heat, dump in the rest of the parsley and the file powder.
Put some rice in a bowl (which you should have cooked up whilst simmering your gumbo...jeez, must I tell you everything?!) and a nice big ladle of gumbo. Eat it up, yum...
Peace, Hendrix, and Chiles in my gumbo, baby...

SKILLET RED RICE AND BEANS
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup raw long-grain rice (not converted)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch pure hot chili powder (or cayenne)
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 can black beans ( or any type you like)
Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until rice turns opaque white, about 2 minutes. Quickly add onion; saute over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Add tomatoes and beans; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add stock; mix well. Heat over high heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

TURKEY GUMBO
1 turkey carcass*
4 cups leftover turkey meat -- or more
1 cup oil*
1 cup flour*
1 large onion -- chopped or
2 small onions -- chopped
6 green onions with tops -- sliced
4 small stalk celery -- or more sliced
1 green bell pepper -- chopped
4 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- or more chopped
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne -- or more to taste OR
1/8 teaspoon Bayou Blast or other creole seasoning
1 package frozen sliced okra -- optional (10 oz)
additional chicken broth -- or
turkey broth -- if needed
1 dash Tabasco Habanero Sauce -- or other hot sauce
Boil carcass in 2 qts water for at least 1 hour. Pick meat from bones. Strain broth. Add chicken broth to make 3 qts liquid.
Make a roux (stovetop): Heat oil in heavy skillet, over med. heat. Remove skillet from heat and gradually add flour until well blended. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, over very low heat until rich dark brown, about 45 min.
Make a roux (Microwave):Combine in a deep bowl, stirring well. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Stir well. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 2-4 minutes more until roux is the color of a copper penny, stirring every 30 seconds. Do this until you come to the color you like. Add vegetables and seasonings and continue to cook and stir 10 minutes or till vegetables are tender. Add turkey and cook and stir 5 more min. Add to broth with seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. Add some Tabasco Habanero Sauce and serve over rice.
ACADIAN PEPPERED SHRIMP
1 lb Butter
1/2 c Lemon juice
2 t Fresh basil, chopped
2 t Cayenne pepper
2 t Fresh oregano, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 c Black pepper, finely ground
1 Salt
4 lb Large raw shrimp in shells
The shrimp should be of a size to number 30-35 per pound. Melt the butter in a large deep-sided frying pan or iron skillet over low heat. When melted, raise the heat, and add the remaining ingredients except the shrimp. Cook, stirring often, until browned to a rich mahogany color, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp, stirring and turning to coat well with the seasoned butter. Cook until the shrimp have turned a rich deep pink, about 10 minutes. Serve the shrimp in their shells, peeling them at the table.
CAJUN JAMBALAYA
2 lb Sausage cut 1/4 in. thick
3 tb Salt
1 lb Boneless chicken
1/2 t Cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lg Onions
3 Bay leaves
1 Bell pepper
6 oz Tomato paste
4 Cloves garlic
1 lb Peeled shrimp
5 c Water
3 c Raw rice
Saute sausage, chicken, onions, bell pepper and garlic until sausage and chicken are browned. Add the water, salt, cayenne, bay leaf and tomato paste. Bring to a boil with the lid on. When water boils add the shrimp and the raw rice. Stir and lower fire. Let rice simmer, stirring every five minutes until rice is cooked. Yield: 6-8 servings.
NEW ORLEANS STYLE TWO POULTRY JAMALAYA
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in small pieces
3 smoked turkey sausages, cut in 1/4" rounds
4 shallots, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 1 oz cans Zesty Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos -- (1 to 15)
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
Tony Cachere's Cajun Spice Blend, for sprinkling
Habanero sauce, to taste
Sprinkle cajun spice blend on chopped chicken and sliced turkey sausage. Let sit for 1/2 hour before cooking.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute onions and shallots and brown in a tsp of vegetable oil. Add chicken and turkey sausage. Saute until chicken is no longer pink and turkey sausage is browned a bit. Add more cajun spices if you wish. Add rice, water and Zesty tomatoes with it's liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 25 minutes until rice has absorbed all the liquid. Sprinkle in lots of habanero sauce, to taste.*
Note: If you wish, substitute shrimp for the chicken.
NOT YO’ MAMA’S RED BEANS AND RICE
For the few of us who are very low fat eaters, here's Paul Prudhomme's very low fat recipe for RB&R.
1 pound red kidney beans -- or other red beans
***SEASONING MIX***

2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups chopped onion -- IN ALL
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 1/2 cups defatted chicken stock -- IN ALL
2 cups grape juice -- IN ALL
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Feel free tofire it up as you see fit; the next time I make this I'm going to try some habanero powder from the habs I just got finished drying
Day 1: Add enough water to the red beans to cover them by 3 or 4 inches, and soak overnight in the refrigerator. As the beans absorb the water; they'll more than double in volume.
Day 2: Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Drain the beans and set them aside. Preheat a heavy 5-quart pot, preferrably non-stick, over high heat to 350 degrees, about 4 minutes. Add 2 CUPS of the onions, the bell peppers, and the celery, and 1 TABLESPOON of the seasoning mix. Stir and cook until the vegetables start to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 CUP of the stock, scrape the bottom of the pot to clear all the browned bits, and cook 3 minutes. Add the REMAINING 1 cup of onions, stir, and cook 5 minutes. Add the drained beans, 5 CUPS of the stock, and the REMAINING seasoning mix. Stir and cook for 45 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to check for sticking. Add 1 CUP grape juice and continue to cook for 25 minutes. CAUTION: At this point, the starches in the beans start to break down and sticking will occur more often. It is therefore important to check and clear the bottom of the pan frequently. Add the REMAINING stock and grape juice, turn the heat to medium, and cook until the beans are tender, and the liquid is thick and begins to look creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve over the rice.
NOTES : Red beans with rice is an old traditional New Orleans Monday supper dish. Monday used to be wash day, and the story goes that the beans could simmer while the laundry was being done. When the wash was finished, so were the beans. In the past, in order to make the beans really good, the cook started off with a lot of oil. While this recipe eliminates the oil, it still is mouth-watering.
MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 6 MAIN-DISH SERVINGS
1/2 c Water
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green pepper, chopped
2 bn Scallions, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 tb Worcestershire sauce
1 ts Dijon mustard
1/2 ts Ground oregano 1 Bay leaf
1/16 To 1/8 teaspoon cayenne Pepper
1/2 To 1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco Sauce
1 ea Fresh ground pepper to Taste
4 c Cooked small red beans (3_15 Oz cans, drained and rinsed)
Place water in a large saucepot with the onion, green pepper, scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve over brown rice.
Hint: This is very spicy if you use the maximum amount of cayenne and Tobasco. Use the lesser amount to begin with and add more if your taste buds permit.

Ri






 





 
 

 

 


 
 

 

No comments: