Aunt Annie's Shrimp Gumbo

3/4 cup of corn oil
3/4 cup of all purpose flour
3 lbs of cleaned shrimp
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 celery rib diced
1 bunch green onions chopped
File (ground sassafras leaves)
2 quarts of water
salt and pepper

Make a very dark roux with the oil and flour. (see Basic Roux recipe in Roux, Simple Cajun Recipes Cookbook); add onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery and 1/2 green onions. Saute until clear.
Spoon this mixture into a gumbo pot and slowly add 2 quarts of water stirring to mix thoroughly ; add 2 Tablespoons of File and simmer about 1/2 hour.  Add more water if gumbo is too thick. 
Add salt and pepper to your taste, remembering that when you add the shrimp 15 minutes before serving, that they will absorb the seasoning.
Ladle gumbo over steamed white rice in a large soup bowl.  Add onion tops and dust with File.

Carrots for the winter months!

I just purchased some organic carrots and didn't want any of them to spoil so I froze some of them...
1. Wash and peel carrots, cut into chunks and/or slices
2. Blanche in boiling water for four minutes
3. Drain and place in an ice cold water bath
4. Package and freeze

The blanching helps the carrots keep their color and taste.  They can be frozen up to 6 months...right through the winter soup and stew months.

Bon Appetit.

Louisiana Crawfish Bake

Louisiana Crawfish Bake

1 to 2  lbs crawfish tail
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can French onion soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup ...
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped celery
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except cheeses and pour into a large greased casserole.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle cheeses over casserole.
Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes more.

Bon Appetit!

Holiday Menu

So here is our menu for Thanksgiving dinner. 

I have already started purchasing ingredients for the meal so we don't have a large grocery bill at the peak of the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Menu

 

Turkey Breast

Pork Loin Roast

Spiral Ham

White Rice and Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Yummy Yam Casserole

Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

 

 

Christmas Menu coming up soon!

Holiday Shopping Lists...Shopping for...GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients - Page 14 of Roux, Simple Cajun Recipes

Everyone prepares and serves Green Bean Casserole for the holidays.

The recipe is on page 14 of Roux, Simple Cajun Recipes and of course, everywhere else in the world, but it's nice to have all of your holiday recipes in one little book!

Now, we are not cooking yet, we are stocking our pantry for the holidays.

You are buying staple ingredients for each recipe ahead of time, little by little, so you don't have a large bill for groceries during the holiday season.

You can double (I usually double this recipe) and triple your purchase of the ingredients for a larger dish.

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cans of cut Green Beans

Soy sauce

Black pepper

1 large can of French's Fried Onion Rings

Listed are the things you buy ahead of time and put away (they're perishables in this recipe that you have to purchase during the holidays).

I have a decorated Holiday box that I put everything in so I won't use the staple ingredients for anything else before the holidays. Bon Appetit!

Shopping lists for the holidays...

I am getting ready to post the lists for your shopping for the dishes you would like to prepare for the holidays...if you start buying a few things now on your shopping lists it is easier on your pocket book and your feast will be awesome!

I will post lists for small get togethers that are easy to prepare. Also shopping lists to prepare Christmas and New Years Day traditional dishes in South Louisiana.

Check back soon!  Bon Appetit!

Catfish Stew

Ingredients

1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 jar of picante sauce
1/2 cup of corn oil
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup Roux, Simple Cajun Recipes
Dried Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 pounds of cleaned fileted catfish

Steamed rice

Instructions

Soak dried seasoning mix in 1 cup of water, set aside
First you make a roux with the flour and oil until golden brown
Add tomato sauce
Add crushed tomatoes
Add seasoning mix with water
Add two tablespoons of sugar
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add catfish and simmer for 15 minutes.

Served over fresh steamed rice with a side salad and garlic bread.

How to make a roux and the dried seasoning mix are found in my little Cajun book, Roux, Simple Cajun Recipes!
Bon Appetit!