Bon Temps Rouler!
In honor of Mardi Gras, Jami and I (well, mostly Jami) cooked up a big Cajun/Creole feast! Josh and I came over to play with Harlee while Jami cooked up a big pot of jambalaya. It was pretty darn spicy, but pretty darn good.
 |
| My cooking tastes so good because of the faces I make... |
She also made muffuletta. I’d never had muffuletta, but these sandwiches were quite tasty, too. I’m not a huge fan of olives, but I’ll eat this any day.
Of course, a meal wouldn’t have been complete without our “world famous” cornbread! Also delicious. Granny and Debbie stopped by, but they didn’t eat (they had already eaten liver and onions at Mary’s….), but Debbie sampled the jambalaya and cornbread. The jambalaya had quite a kick to it, but it was still tasty.
The best part was after dinner…. Beignets! (Pronounced Ben-Yays, not Bay-uh-nets…. Jami.) This was our first time ever making beignets, but they turned out delicious! Granny tried one and said they tasted just like Café du Monde. I hope she was being honest! Even if she wasn’t, they were still really good, especially with powdered sugar piled on top. Yum Yum. Justin fixed a pot of coffee, and it was the perfect complement to our puffy little pastries.
Jambalaya, muffuletta, beignets and zydeco music made for the perfect Mardi Gras feast. Oh and Harlee, well, he was just dandy, too.
Jambalaya1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage link, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Small yellow onion, chopped2 stalks celery, chopped
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped jalapeno pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can diced stewed tomatoes
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 bay leaves
2 cups sliced okra
1 pound fresh or frozen raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
Hot pepper sauce to taste
In a pan oven over medium heat, cook sausage, onion, celery, peppers, and garlic until tender. Add remaining ingredients except okra, shrimp and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add okra, shrimp, and hot pepper sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Remove bay leaves. Serve!
Muffuletta
adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/muffuletta-sandwich/detail.aspx
1 loaf fresh Italian bread or sourdough bread
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
8 oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
8 pitted green olives, chopped
salami, thinly sliced
ham, thinly sliced
provolone cheese, sliced
In a small bowl combine olive oil, olives, spices, and Parmesan cheese.
Slice bread in half lengthwise and divide into sandwich-size portions. Spread olive mixture on both halves. Layer with salami, ham, and provolone cheese. If desired, place in oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is crispy. Enjoy!
Check back here for that delicious cornbread we can't get enough of...
And let's not forget those bayonets or beignets or whatever they are ;-). Just a note - we made the dough first so it could refrigerate while we cooked dinner and ate it. It was ready to go for the next step when we were finished!
from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/costas-french-market-doughnuts-beignets/detail.aspx
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degree F (180 degrees C).
Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them. Place in a clean paper bag with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degree F (180 degrees C).
Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them. Place in a clean paper bag with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment