Shrimp Creole [Re-post]

Today was shrimp day at the house. Dear sister spent the day and we made Spring Rolls for lunch and Shrimp Creole for dinner. When I originally posted the Shrimp Creole recipe the camera battery died and I did not get a photo of the finished dish. So I decided to photograph the finished plate today. Now you can see how delicious looking it is. This is really a tasty dish. Probably the easiest and maybe the healthiest of all our Cajun family recipes. I hope you will give it a try some day soon.

Shrimp Creole

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

28 oz. can whole tomatoes, crushed or diced

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. Black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. Red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or to taste

2 clove garlic, minced

5 sprigs parsley, chopped

2 sprigs thyme, leaves only

1 bay leaf

3 lbs. shrimp

Directions

Peel and devein the shrimp. Heat oil in saucepan, add onion and brown. Add tomatoes with juice and celery; cook 10 minutes, stirring thoroughly. Add all other ingredients except shrimp. Cook 10 min, then add shrimp. Cook 20 - 30 min. longer or until shrimp are cooked adding a little water if necessary. Cook covered on a low fire, stirring occasionally. Serve over steamed rice.

For more about this recipe including step by step photos, 

check out the original post [Here].

Linking to:

The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You do This Weekend?

Crawfish Ettouffe

There seems to be as many different recipes for Crawfish Ettouffe as there are cajuns. I remember when I went to work for an Architect here. He gave me his recipe for Crawfish Ettouffe and he said he used flour and butter to make a roux. I was shocked? I went home to question my Mom. Were we doing it wrong or was he? I was still a young woman with hardly any years behind me at the time. I don't even think I had cooked an ettouffe yet, I had just helped Mom. She explained that everyone does it differently and it really depends on the ingredients. If the ingredients are dry and don't lend liquid to form a gravy you sometimes have to help them out. She used cornstarch and water if it ever happens to her. Others make a light butter roux. Now with more years behind me and lots of blogs read and cooking shows watched; I know people add everything from a roux, bell pepper, stock, cajun seasoning, etc. Our family recipe is very simple and delicious. The flavor of the crawfish really shines through. Mom was taught by her Mom and they always just used butter, onion, maybe some celery, salt, pepper, green onions and parsley. As dear sister pointed out it is buttery and a little sweet. So good!

For this pot of ettouffe I used some frozen tails dear sister bought from a co-worker. His second job is a seafood business called B&D Seafood. He brings the delicious seafood of south Louisiana to all of us up here in north Louisiana. The crawfish tails were delicious and included the crawfish fat. They were certified Cajun and a product from right here in Louisiana. I will definitely buy from him again. His crawfish were so much better than the brands I find in my grocery store. We have one more pound in the freezer. I look forward to another crawfish dish real soon. I hope you will give our crawfish ettouffe and B&D Seafood a try.

Crawfish Ettouffe

Serves 4 

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 onion, finely chopped (Mom sometimes adds a little celery, I used 1 rib)

1 lb. crawfish tails, reserve crawfish fat

Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (or cayenne), to taste

a handful of parsley, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

Cooked white rice

Directions

Melt butter in a pan add the onion (celery if using) and cook until translucent. Add crawfish fat and crawfish tails. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer covered 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and green onions. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve over rice.

Linking to:
Ms.enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Christmas 2014 and Broiled Tomatoes

We just had a great Christmas. I finally made the Turkey Gumbo Christmas Eve. Mom made the Potato Salad; and we gathered at Mom and Dad to enjoy the meal, exchange gifts and sleep over. Everyone ate light for some reason? We had lots of leftovers. Maybe they were saving room for the baked goodies I made. I fancied up some boxed dark chocolate brownies with white chocolate and candy canes. I also made Eggnog Cheesecake Muffins. Both were very easy and went over very well. More on that soon.

Christmas day we had another brunch because dear sister went in to work about noon. We made great recipes from Cuisine at Home and Foodista. Mom made her Broiled Tomatoes too. It was a delicious brunch!

The Eggs Benedict Breakfast Bread Pudding was from the November/December 2014 issue of Cuisine at home. It was so pretty, fluffy and light. It really did taste light eggs benedict. I had my doubts because the recipe called for spinach, but you really didn't taste the spinach and it added so much color to the dish. The only adjustments we made was to eliminate added salt and the wine it called for in the hollandaise sauce. We did not miss either, the ham and Parmesan had plenty of salt to season the dish. Using water in the hollandaise instead of wine worked out fine too. It called for both vinegar and lemon juice. I think the sauce would have been too acidic had we used the wine. I would definitely make this casserole again but I would try to cut the recipe in half. It made a ton!

The Winter Fruit Salad from Foodista was so pretty! It looked so "Christmasy". The mint and pomegranates almost looked like holly. The citrus dressing was delicious with the pears and apples. Just a delicious combination. We did take a short cut and used a jar of mandarin orange instead of supreming oranges. We also peeled the pears because their skin was a little over ripe and not a pretty light green as in the Foodista photo. It was still a very pretty salad. I would make this again too. I told Mom it would make a great pot luck dish for a Christmas party. We are going to enjoy having this recipe in our recipe box.

Mom's Broiled Tomatoes are so easy. She has been making them or some variation for years. I think it was dear sister's favorite. Mom said she makes them basically two ways; sliced like she did for brunch or as halves. Either way they are delicious. We used Swiss cheese this time because it is lower in sodium than other cheeses, but you can use mozzarella too. I need to make these more often. They make a great side for a variety of dishes.

Broiled Tomatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 oz. Swiss or Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 slices pre-cooked bacon, chopped

Directions

Slice off both ends of the each tomato, then slice each tomato into 3 slices. Place tomato slices on a baking sheet. Top each tomato slice with cheese and chopped bacon. Turn on the broiler. Place baking sheet under broiler and broil until cheese is melted, bubbling and beginning to brown. Watch closely it happens really fast. Serve hot. Also delicious at room temperature.

Christmas evening we had planned to make a beef roast for sandwiches but like I said we had so many leftovers. We decided to wait until the weekend so we could really enjoy it. Instead we made an appetizer and had more Turkey Gumbo. The appetizer was from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Cookbook. Her Shrimp, Artichoke and Avocado Dip was so different. When Mom had suggested the recipe I thought whoa that is a lot going on. It had two bunches of green onion, grainy mustard, ketchup, artichokes, avocado and shrimp. I was a little worried about the onions and mustard overpowering everything. But I was so wrong. It is delicious. Very well balanced. It made a great appetizer. It would also make a great addition to a salad plate. Another great new recipe for this family.

See I told you we had a great Christmas! I hope you and yours did too. Wishing you a great New Year as well.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

Red Beans and Rice

In our family red beans means smoke sausage and white beans ham. I have already shared the White Beans and Rice recipe with you in another post. Now I am happy to share the red beans. Last week I made this pot of Red Beans and Rice. Dear sister brought me some beef and pork smoke sausage from Bergeron's. I decided to let the sausage contribute the sodium and not add any salt. I was really surprised how much flavor and seasoning can be contributed to the sausage only. I did add black pepper and Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy. It is quickly becoming my favorite no sodium replacement for creole seasoning. I personally did not miss the salt. I just added my usual shake of Tabasco sauce and was very happy. I am not going to lie, I saw a little salt being shaken at the table. But who could blame them, I know just how delicious this recipe is prepared the traditional way. So shake that shaker if you can. I am just happy to share a recipe that everyone no matter their health concerns can enjoy. You just can't beat a plate of Louisiana Red Beans and Rice.

Red Beans and Rice
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 lb. dried red beans (kidney)

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

8 cups of water

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 ribs of celery, chopped (including the leafy tops)

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large bay leaf
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy and black pepper, to taste (low sodium version)
    or kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning, to taste

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped (I like more)
White or brown rice, prepared for serving

Directions

Rinse and sort beans. Cover with 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand, covered for 1 hour. Drain beans.

Add 8 cups hot water and return pot to heat. Add sausage, onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer; add bay leaf, Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy and black pepper (or other seasonings except salt). Simmer uncovered for two hours. Do not add salt (if using) until beans are soft. When beans are soft, add salt (if using) and taste for seasoning. Add seasonings to taste. Beans are done when creamy and not soupy. Stir in parsley just before serving. Serve over white or brown rice prepared as directed on the package.

After one hour

After two hours

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Creative K Kids: Tasty Tuesdays
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Better Butter Beans

Sunday we (the family) all ganged up and prepared a half bushel of Butter Beans with Shrimp. There is no doubt in my mind that fresh or frozen butter beans are the way to go. It was so much easier and faster than dry beans. I will not go down that dry road again. These butter beans were fresh from Ed Lester Farms. They sell them hulled and in bags. We bought a half bushel and it made a huge pot of butter beans. They were the small green ones, Mom's favorite. This pot really looked like Maw Maw's (Dad's Mom) Shrimp and Butter Beans. I think I may need to go back and get some to put in the freezer for this winter. This pot we made salt free. I have been experimenting and I have found that Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy is a great salt free alternative for Cajun recipes. Of course the salt eaters added salt at the table. But I tried it without, it was delicious! The shrimp adds some salt to the beans, they were actually salty tasting next to the butter beans and rice. This pot of butter beans were better in so many ways. Better for you. Fresh beans are better than dry beans. And finally they looked better, just like Maw Maw's.

Butter Beans and Shrimp

Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

1 cup Flour

1 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 bushel fresh or frozen butter beans

2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy and seasoned pepper, to taste 
    or salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning, to taste

1 bunch green onions, sliced 
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
Cooked white rice 

Directions

Heat flour and oil on medium heat, stirring constantly until the color of a brown paper bag.

           

Add bell pepper, celery, and onion cook until softened. About 30 minutes covered stirring often. Add beans and enough warm water to cover. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook stirring often scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Cook until beans are tender and creamy inside but still whole. Season with your seasonings or choice from above. Add shrimp and cook until pink. If necessary add more warm water until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Add green onions and parsley just before serving. Serve over rice.

Linking to:
Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist

Sunday Dinner and a Peach Pie

We had a great family dinner this past Sunday. The meal was prepared from veggies and fruit from Ed Lester Farms. We all ganged up and prepared a half bushel of Butter Beans with Shrimp. Then for dessert we enjoyed a peach pie Mom made. This pie is a family recipe. She uses it for all her fresh fruit pies. Most often she would use strawberries. But I remember her using blueberries and even hand picked blackberries. She says her favorite is actually cherries in a chocolate graham cracker crust. I am rather fond of the peach version. I like fresh fruit pies more than baked fruit pies. They are so refreshing on a hot summer day. What makes this pie a little different is the layer of cream cheese in the bottom of the crust. It creates a nice barrier between the fruit and the crust preventing the crust from getting too soggy. This pie is so delicious! It is not a looker, it can be a bit of a mess to cut sometimes. But it is oh so tasty. I sure hope we can find the time and the occasion to make a cherry pie while the cherries are still in season.

Peach Pie
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 ready made graham cracker crust
3 oz cream cheese, softened
5 cups sliced peaches, (approx. 7 medium)
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 to 1 cup water *
1/2 pint whipping cream 
2 tsp powder sugar (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl mix softened cream cheese with just enough whipping cream to make it spreadable. Spread in the bottom of pie crust and set aside. Peel and slice the peaches. Reserve 1 cup and set aside. Arrange peach slices on top of cream cheese in pie crust. Mash reserved peaches. Add peaches sugar, cornstarch and water to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. When cool pour over sliced peaches in pie shell. Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Whip whipping cream and powder sugar (if using), spread on top of the chilled pie.

Notes: This recipe can be made with any fresh fruit. Try strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, or cherry. You can use a baked pie crust too. 

* About the amount of water in the recipe, I used 1/2 cup when I made it in the past. Mom used 1 cup this weekend. It sort of depends on the fruit. She said she always uses a cup when making berry pies. I say use less and the pie will hold together better.

See the cream cheese layer? YUM!

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Ed Lester Farms

Saturday Mom, dear sister and I went to Ed Lester Farms in Coushatta, LA. Last year I discovered them on the very last day they were open for the summer. So this year I have been patiently waiting and watching their website for when their crops come in and they open. It was dear sister's first visit. She was so impressed. It is hard not to be. Everyone is so nice and helpful. It is such a beautiful setting under a huge old oak tree. Sister loved the music they play as you shop. They have benches and rockers to sit in if you need to rest. They really do everything they can to make your shopping with them comfortable. We bought more than we could handle, I think. Three kinds of green beans, pinto beans, leeks, new potatoes, turnips, beets, cabbage, creole onions, peaches, and cucumbers. Have a look at some of the photos I took with dear sister's phone and check back later for what I did with all the great produce.

See these posts for more about Ed Lester Farms 

and recipes to use all those beautiful veggies.

First Trip to Ed Lester Farms and Green Tomato Gazpacho

Grilled Caponata Salad

Yogurt Pie

Recently I made a Banana Split Yogurt Pie for Mother's Day. It was an embellishment of a family recipe we have been making for years. I don't know where the recipe came from, but I do know we made it a lot. It was another recipe I remember making to help Mom out. I asked dear sister which flavors she remembered making most often. We both agreed orange, cherry and peach seemed to be most popular. Today Mom makes lemon frequently and sometimes lime. She uses a jar of lemon curd instead of the fruit. It is so creamy very similar to a lemon ice box pie. The possible combinations are endless. Especially with all the yogurt flavors out there. So I wrote the recipe pretty generic and have included some possible combinations.

Growing up we used full fat yogurt and whipped topping. Today I use light ingredients. The only difference I have noticed it that is freezes a little harder. So take it out of the freezer a little ahead of serving. If you forget, no worries serve it with a fork rather than a spoon it helps cut through the frozen pie. In my experience Greek yogurt works too. So go nuts! Be sure to come back and share your flavor creations.

Tried and True Flavor Combinations

Black Cherry Yogurt + Fresh Bing Cherries

Peach Yogurt + can or fresh Peaches

Lemon Chiffon Yogurt + Lemon Curd

Key Lime Pie Yogurt + Lime Curd

Blueberry Yogurt + Fresh Blueberries

Vanilla Yogurt + Bananas, Strawberries, Pineapple and Hot Fudge

Below are photos I took of Orange Creme Yogurt + Mandarin Oranges.
It is light, cool and creamy. A delicious dessert for summer.

Yogurt Pie
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cartons of yogurt

1 cup fresh or can fruit

8 oz. light whipped topping, thawed

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

Directions

Place yogurt in a mixing bowl, fold fruit into yogurt. Add an equal amount of whipped topping (about 1-1/2 cups or half of the carton) gently fold whipped topping into yogurt and fruit mixture. Pour into pie crust and spread evenly. Place pie in the freezer and freeze solid. When frozen, spread the top with the remaining whipped topping, and garnish with additional fruit.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
My Pinterventures: Tasty Tuesdays
Far From Normal: Wake Up Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday: Oranges, Mandarins & Grapefruit

Love Bake Good Cakes: The Ultimate List of Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt and Milkshakes