Small Cajun & Creole Recipe Collection

Lake Ponchartrain Sauce
Categories: Cajun, Ethnic, Sauce
Yield: 1 batch

1/2 cup butter
16 fresh mushrooms, sliced
16 medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup whipping cream
Garlic powder to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 tb Madeira wine

Saute mushrooms in 1 teaspoon butter until tender.
Stir in shrimp, and cook until pink. Transfer to a bowl.
Melt the remaining 2 teaspoons butter.
Slowly mix in cream. Stir in the shrimp and mushroom mixture, and season to taste with garlic powder and black pepper.
Simmer over very low heat until thick.
Stir in wine just prior to serving.

ORIGIN: Gene Arquette, Lafayette-LA, circa 2000

Paula's Praline Bacon
Categories: Cajun, Ethnic, Vegetable, Pork, Dixie, Southerm, Side dish
Yield: 6 servings

1 lb Sliced bacon
3 tb Brown sugar
1 1/2 ts chili powder
1/4 c Toasted pecans minced

Pre-heat ovent to 425 deg-F.
Line two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans with foil.
Arrange bacon in a single layer in pans.
Bake at for 10 mins. then drain.
Combine the brown sugar and chili powder.
Sprinkle over bacon.
Sprinkle with pecans.
Bake 5-10 minutes longer until bacon is crisp.
Drain on paper towels.

ORIGIN: Paula Barbineaux, Slidell-LA, circa 2000

Shrimp & Eggs Gumbo
Categories: Seafood, Egg, Cajun, Ethnic, Dixie, Southern, Main dish
Yield: 8 servings

2/3 c  Peanut or corn oil
2/3 Pll-purpose flour
1 1/2 Onion chopped
1-1/4 garlic cloves minced
4-1/2 cups Hot water
2-1/4 cups and 1 tablespoon chopped celery
1-1/4 Green onions bunches chopped
1-1/2 Green Bell pepper chopped
1-1/4 ea Tomato chopped
1-1/4 ea Bay leaf
1/2 ts dried thyme
2-1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 EA hard-BOILed eggs whole & peeled
1 1/3 Okra
salt & pepper to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3-1/2 c  White rice cooked

Heat oil in a cast iron Dutch oven.
Stir in flour to make roux.
Cook whiel stirring constantly until roux is a dark brown being careful not to burn roux.
Add onion & garlic then cook until slightly wilted.
Whisk in water.
Stir in celery, green onions, tomato, green peppers, okra, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, & cayenne pepper.
Simmer for 1 hr.
Add shrimp & hard boiled eggs.
Simmer 15-20 minutes longer.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve gumbo over cooked rice.

ORIGIN: Adele Sonnier, Houma-LA, circa 1999

Creole Black-Eyed Peas & Rice
Categories: Creole, Ethnic, Vegetable, Beef, Dixie, Southerm, Side dish
Yield: 6  servings

1 lb Lean beef ground
2 ea Onions chopped
1 c  green bell pepper chopped
1 c  Long grain white rice
2 c  Water
1 tb Creole seasoning
1 ts Black pepper ground
1/2 ts Garlic minced
2 ea 15.5 oz cans black-eyed peas drained

Crumble ground beef into a deep cast iron skillet over med-high heat.
Add onions, garlic & green pepper.
Cook awhile stirring constantly until beef is evenly browned.
Drain off grease.
Add rice & water then season with Creole seasoning & pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover then reduce to low-heat.
Simmer for 30 mins. until water is absorbed.
About halfway through cooking rice stir in black-eyed peas.

ORIGIN: Nina Palanais, New Orleans-LA, circa 2000

Cajun Grilled Shrimp Remoulade
Categories: Cajun, Ethnic, Seafood, Dixie, Southern, Main dish
Yield: 4 servings
Remoulade Sauce:
1/4 c  Mayonnaise
1/4 c  Plain yogurt
1 tb flat-leaf parsley chopped
1 ts Dijon mustard
1/4 ts Tabasco sauce

Shrimp:
2 ts Ground cumin
2 ts Sweet paprika
1 ts Ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
36 ea shrimp raw peeled & deveined

Remoulade Sauce:
Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, parsley, mustard & hot sauce in a small bowl.
Cover then refrigerate.
Pre-heat grill to high.

Shrimp:
Combine cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder, salt & pepper in a large bowl.
Add shrimp and toss to coat with spices.
Thread shrimp onto 4 skewers.
Grill shrimp for 2-3 mins. per side until just cooked through.
Carefully remove shrimp from skewers.
Serve immediately with their sauce.

ORIGIN: Jill Urbain, Algiers-LA, circa 2001