Big Easy Chicken Creole

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 skinless split bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (see note)
Salt to taste
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Mexican style tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Place onion and bell pepper in a 2-cup glass measure; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 4 minutes; set aside.

With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 parallel slashes in each piece of chicken. Rub with Creole Seasoning and salt, spreading seasonings into slashes. Place chicken, meat side down, in a 2-quart rectangular glass dish. Cover with wax paper and microwave on HIGH 5 minutes.

Turn chicken pieces over, re-cover and microwave on high. Stir onions into tomato mixture and pour over chicken; re-cover. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 170 degrees F. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Gumbo

2 pounds shrimp
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chopped okra
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 can tomatoes
2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves
Red pepper

Peel shrimp and de-vein. Make a dark roux with flour and oil. Add shrimp for a few minutes and stir constantly. Set aside.

Smother okra and onions in oil. Add tomatoes when okra is nearly cooked. Add water, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and roux. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

South Louisiana Chicken Spaghetti

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons flour
1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can tomato paste
Salt and pepper
Meat tenderizer
Accent
Season-All
Cayenne pepper
3 large onions
1/2 bunch celery
1 bunch shallots
1/4 green bell pepper
1 large can mushrooms stems and pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 bay leaves
1/2 squeezed lemon, with rind
Accent
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
1 cup sweet red wine

In a large, iron pot, slowly heat oil and flour, very slowly and stirring all the while. Keep fire low as possible and stir constantly with a spatula, for this roux burns easily. Cook until the roux is the color of milk chocolate.

Meanwhile, prepare an additional roux of tomato sauce and tomato paste. In another iron skillet, combine tomato paste and tomato sauce and cook over very low flame, stirring constantly. This usually takes longer than the flour roux. The roux will be done when it turns a dark brown color.

While the roux is being cooked, season chicken that has been cut into small pieces by sprinkling on salt and pepper, meat tenderizer, Accent, Season-All and cayenne pepper. Dip each piece in flour and brown on all sides. Set aside.

Finely chop onions, celery, shallots and bell pepper. Sauté in the finished flour roux until vegetables are tender, stirring constantly. If the roux begins to stick, add a very small amount of oil.

Add the browned chicken, mushrooms, tomato roux and enough water to give a good liquid consistency, but not watery. Bring to boil, then immediately turn down to simmer. Add brown sugar, bay leaves, lemon juice with rind, Accent, oregano, Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken begins to fall off the bone.

Fifteen minutes before the chicken is done, add 1 cup of any sweet red wine, the sweeter the better. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

Baked Shrimp Creole

4 sheets Reynolds Heavy Duty Aluminum
    Foil (12 x 18 inches each)
3 cups cooked rice
1 (14.5 ounce) can garlic and onion diced tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 to 3 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Heat oven to 450 degrees F or grill to medium-high. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine rice, tomatoes, green pepper, celery, onion, Creole seasoning, brown sugar and oregano. Stir in shrimp.

Center one-fourth of mixture on each sheet of aluminum foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal package, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 8 to 10 minutes in covered grill.

Serves 4.

Bloody Mary Crawfish Jambalaya

1/2 cup Bloody Mary mix
1 (8 ounce) can beef consommé
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 small fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice (uncooked)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Combine all of the ingredients in an 8- to 10-cup rice cooker. Do not add water. Turn on cook cycle. When the cycle is over, keep on the warm cycle for at least 30 minutes. Do not attempt to cook this in a smaller rice cooker.

Makes about 8 servings.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bag penne pasta
Louisiana Cajun spice
1 jar Alfredo sauce
Chopped green onions (garnish)
Diced tomato (garnish)

Season chicken breasts with Louisiana Cajun Spice generously, then season with garlic powder. Pour 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook chicken until done.

Boil penne pasta until done, then strain and add Alfredo sauce.

Slice cooked chicken into 1-inch cubes. Put pasta mixture on a plate, then add diced. Garnish with chopped green onions and tomatoes.

Cajun Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken:
1 large chicken
2 quarts salted water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 pimento, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 quart milk
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup milk

Dumplings: In medium bowl, place flour, salt, garlic salt and ground white and black peppers. Add cayenne pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano and baking powder. Stir in egg, butter and olive oil. Gradually stir in milk. Knead dough until soft and smooth; divide into 5 small balls. Roll each ball on floured board until paper thin; cut into strips 1 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Lay strips on wax paper for about 15 minutes before adding to broth.

Chicken: In large saucepan, place chicken and water over medium heat. Simmer about 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Remove chicken, reserving broth. Chop chicken in large pieces, discarding skin and bones; set aside.

In medium fry pan, place butter over low heat. Add mushrooms, celery, bell pepper, pimento and onion; sauté about 2 minutes.

To broth in saucepan, add milk, hard-cooked eggs, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, cayenne and white and black peppers. Stir in sautéed vegetables; heat to boil, reduce heat to simmer and add alternating layers of chicken and dumplings, pushing each layer down into broth. Simmer about 15 minutes or until dumplings are tender.

Serve chicken, dumplings and broth in individual bowls.

Makes 6 servings.

Cajun Chicken and Seafood Gumbo

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth (canned or from bouillon)
2 cups water
2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes
2 cups sliced okra (fresh or frozen)
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup peeled, cooked shrimp (bite-size pieces)
6 crab claws
2 tablespoons file powder
6 cups cooked white rice

In a cast-iron Dutch oven, combine oil and flour over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low as flour begins to brown. Brown until the color of a penny, or darker.

Add chopped onions, celery, and garlic and cook until onions become transparent. Add broth while stirring. Add water, tomatoes, okra, chicken, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer.

Cook 2 to 3 hours or until tomatoes and okra come to pieces. Add shrimp, crab claws, and file powder 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Serve over white rice. Serves 6.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti

1 pound butter or margarine divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups chopped onion, divided
7 tablespoons Cajun seasonings, divided
5 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons chicken base
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce or to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 chicken breast halves, skinned, de-boned
    and cut into bite-size pieces

Melt half the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the garlic and 2 cups of the onion and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoon of the Cajun seasonings and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the water, chicken base, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce and simmer 6 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and add the sugar and 2 more cups of the onions. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Coat chicken pieces with remaining Cajun seasonings. Melt remaining butter/margarine, add the rest of the onions and sauté 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until tender.

Stir chicken into sauce and serve over pasta (hot cooked spaghetti or linguine).

Cajun Country Breakfast

1/4 pound lean bulk sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
Tony Chachere's Dirty Rice Mix
2 1/4 cups water

In a large skillet, brown sausage. Drain fat. Add eggs and cook until firm. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yields 6 servings.

Cajun Crawfish Quesadilla recipe

Makes 1 entree serving or 2 appetizer servings

1 large (12-inch) flour tortilla
12 to 18 peeled and deveined crawfish tails
1/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded or sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon fresh jalapeños, chopped (optional)
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Cajun spice blend, to taste
Sour cream
Shredded lettuce
Homemade salsa

Melt butter in large frying pan over moderate heat.

Assemble quesadilla by layering all ingredients except sour cream, lettuce and salsa on one half of the tortilla. Fold in half and sauté until tortilla is browned on one side. Flip and sauté on other side until cheese is melted.

Cut into pie-shape wedges and serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce and salsa.

Cajun Quiche

1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup (4 ounces) chopped chicken livers
6 eggs, divided
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed
3/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, stir together rice and tomatoes. Bring to boiling. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

In skillet over medium heat, cook chicken livers in 1 tablespoon of butter until tender but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat 1 egg. Stir in cooked rice and livers. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of greased 9-inch pie plate, forming thick edge around rim. In same skillet cook celery, green pepper, and onion in remaining butter until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle into rice crust. Beat together remaining eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour over vegetables. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Cajun Shrimp Balls

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper sauce
1/2 pound shrimp, cooked, cleaned and finely chopped
2 eggs
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
Oil or shortening for deep frying

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add parsley and scallions, cook for 1 minute. Blend in flour. Stir in milk, salt and pepper sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp. Shape into balls using 1 tablespoon mixture per ball. Beat eggs. Dip balls in bread crumbs, then eggs, then bread crumbs again. Chill for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to 350 degrees F to half fill a large saucepan. Fry 4 balls at a time until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Yields 24 shrimp balls.

Cajun Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground meat
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups cooked rice
6 to 8 bell peppers
Sliced cheese

Cook meat, tomatoes, onions, chopped peppers and tomato paste. Cook 20 to 30 minutes until done.

Cook rice. Mix rice into meat mixture, then simmer 20 minutes.

Clean peppers. Boil in large pot until peppers turn darker green. Dry peppers on paper towels. Cool.

Stuff peppers with meat and rice mix.

Serve with a slice of cheese on top.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

1 pound hot smoked sausage, cut
    into 1/4-inch slices
4 chicken breast halves, skinned
1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 quarts hot water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Gumbo filé (optional)

Brown sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove to paper towels, leaving drippings in Dutch oven. Brown chicken in drippings; remove to paper towels, reserving drippings.

Measure drippings, adding enough oil to measure 1/2 cup. Heat in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add flour to hot oil; cook, stirring constantly, until roux is the color of chocolate (about 30 minutes).

Add onion, bell pepper and celery; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often. Gradually stir in water; bring to a boil. Return chicken breasts to Dutch oven; add garlic and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1 hour.

Remove chicken; let cool. Return sausage to Dutch oven; cook gumbo, uncovered, 30 minutes. Stir in scallions; cook, uncovered, an additional 30 minutes. Add salt, if desired. Bone chicken breasts and cut into strips. Add to gumbo and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove bay leaves.

Serve gumbo over rice. Sprinkle with gumbo file, if desired. Serves 8.

Crab and Cream Cheese Bake

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 (8-count) can crescent rolls
1 cup lump crabmeat
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 teaspoon dillweed

Combine the cream cheese and green onions in a bowl and mix well.

Unroll the crescent roll dough on a greased baking sheet; do not separate the triangles. Press the dough into an 8 x 11-inch rectangle. Spoon the crabmeat lengthwise down the center of the rectangle. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crabmeat. Fold the long edges of the rectangle over the cream cheese mixture, slightly overlapping. Pinch the edges to seal. Arrange seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush the top lightly with the egg yolk and cut slits. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.

Cut into 12 slices. Serve warm.

Serves 12.

Crawfish Smothered Grits

1 pound peeled crawfish tails
Salt
Cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cups beef stock
3 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking white grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

In a mixing bowl, toss the crawfish tails with salt and cayenne.

In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season the onions with salt and cayenne. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the crawfish and garlic. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and half-and-half to the pan. Season with salt and cayenne. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grits and stir constantly until they are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to mix and melt it. Serve warm. Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Creole Stuffed Peppers

4 large green peppers
1 cup boiling water
Salt
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup minced onion, divided
1/2 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced green pepper (optional)
1 egg, unbeaten
1/2 cup light cream or undiluted evaporated milk
1 (1 pound 4 ounce) can tomatoes (2 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup cold water

Rinse peppers; cut into thin slices from stem, removing seeds. Boil peppers in water with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Combine meat with 1/4 cup onion, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup minced green pepper, egg and cream. Drain peppers, stuff with meat mixture. Place in an 8-inch square baking dish.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In saucepan, combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Stir in flour and cold water until smooth and add to strained liquid. Cook, stirring until slightly thickened, pour over peppers. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Downright Easy Jambalaya

1 package Zatarain's dirty rice mix
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1 (8 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

Cook the rice according to package directions. This is best done in a rice cooker, but a microwave is all right. Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery in cooking oil. Boil the chicken breasts and cut them into bite-size pieces. Parboil the sausage. Drain and chop finely or pulse in food processor. Combine all ingredients and adjust seasonings. Let sit for at least 1 hour.

Warm in microwave, taking care not to stir too much. The flavor is best when the rice kernels are unbroken and not mushy.

Serves 10.

Pan Fried Louisiana Crab Cakes

1 extra-large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 or 4 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
3 or 4 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 cups corn or peanut oil

Combine egg, mayonnaise and seasonings. Add crabmeat and enough bread crumbs to absorb excess moisture. Stir to blend well. Mixture should be firm enough to hold together. Adjust seasoning as desired. Form crabmeat mixture into 8 patties. Place on wax paper for about 20 minutes to dry slightly.

Pour oil into skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch and heat to 350 degrees F. Fry crab cakes for about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides. Do not crowd pan. Fry in several batches, if necessary. Drain on paper towel.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Source: decorating4less.com

1 pound dry red kidney beans
1 pound smoked sausage
1/3 pound andouille sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 chopped green onion with stalk
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons red pepper sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Red or black pepper to taste
Approximately 6 cup water
2 cups cooked white rice

First, empty dry beans into a large cooking pot and fill with water to about 3 inches above beans. Add salt, pepper, pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce to pot and let soak.

Cut up sausage into approximately 1- to 2-inch lengths.

In a large skillet, add cooking oil and sauté sausage on medium/high heat until browned. Remove and add to pot with the red beans.

You can begin cooking the beans over medium-high heat while completing the next steps. With the oil and drippings from the sausage, add the onions, green onions, bell pepper and brown sugar and sauté over medium heat until onions are opaque. Add garlic and flour and stir constantly over medium heat for about 6 minutes. (be careful not to burn roux) When browned, stir mixture into pot with beans and bring to a boil. Turn heat setting to "low" (but, still bubbling) and cook slow, stirring occasionally about 3 hours or until beans are soft and water is thickened. (If not thick enough, you can remove 1/2 cup of just the beans and mash with a fork and return to pot.)

Serve over rice with sweet cornbread!