Shrimp and Andouille Cajun Alfredo

I believe that my favorite fusion cooking is Cajun and Italian. I mean they just sing together.

This recipe is simply perfect. I changed nothing except made about a half recipe. I owe it all to Patrick Johnson at JustaPinch who put this together.

This is quite spicy and you may want to tone down the heat a bit, that is up to you. I used chipotle powder for the “hot chili powder” and that stuff is a big on the hot side, so be forwarned. We really did love it though.

We had I think enough for 3 people easily, so this full recipe is probably good for 6 people I think. Those were very big servings too!

So do please splurge now and then and make this delight. It’s heavy on calories and fat of course, but then you only eat a meal like this every couple of weeks or so, right?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lb of shrimp (I used medium) peel, deveined
• 6 TBSP Cajun seasoning, this recipe or commercial
• 2 TBSP EVOO
• 1 pkg Andouille sausage (or another if you have a preference)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 5 cloves garlic, micro-planed
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 lb of linguine (personal preference here too)
• 2 c cream
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 TBSP black pepper
• 1/2 tsp hot chili powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I didn’t use any–the cheese and sausage have plenty)
• 1 stk butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 c parmigiano-reggiano or a very high-grade parmesan
• 1/3 c chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the shrimp in a bag and use 1/2 of the Cajun seasonings. Shake and refrigerate for an hour or so. (I went ahead and cooked the shrimp early and just placed it in a bowl. Once cooked you just want to reheat it in the finished sauce at the end. The recipe is somewhat busy and so having this done ahead allowed me to pull a salad together and so forth and not be rushed.)
2. To cook shrimp, place in a saute pan with half of the EVOO and cook, for a minute or two on each side. Remove from pan, and use this same pan to do the sauce in.
3. Get a pot of water heated for the pasta to cook in.
4. To the saute pan, add the rest of the EVOO,  and the sausage, cut into slices. Just saute lightly. Add the onions, and then the pepper flakes, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook just until onions are softened.
5. Add the cream, milk, rest of the Cajun seasoning, pepper and chili powder and salt if using. Stir until well mixed.
6. Bring to a soft boil, add the butter and melt it in, and then the cheese, shredded, stirring and reducing the temperature to a very low heat. You can leave it here, stirring now and again, for as much as 20 minutes if need be.
7. Cook the pasta al dente, drain and pour into the saute pan and mix until all is coated.
8. Then add the shrimp back in and mix until just heated. Place in a serving dish and cover with the parsley.

Serves: 6 generously

NOTE: This really is good. I urge you to try it. We had it with a nice salad and some very good french bread. Perfect.

Aw Shucks Southwestern Pasta Salad

If ever there was a recipe that is not sacrosanct in terms of ingredients, this would be the one.

You can add, subtract, change the amounts, just about do whatever you want, to make it fit your tastes.

That’s the beauty of pasta. It adapts. It has the ability to serve as the foundation of so many other tastes, and blend them beautifully.

This is but one version you might try. Quite frankly, it was what I had on hand at the time.

The dressing, however, can be used as a standard upon which to choose the veggies you wish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 of a box of pasta of whatever shape you prefer.
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped scallions
• 2/3 c chopped cherry tomatoes (or romas)
• 1 c corn (frozen if fine)
• 1/2 c Pico de Gallo (home-made preferred but commercial if you desire)
• 2 tbsp Mexican spices (taco seasoning–homemade or commercial)
• 2/3 c vinaigrette (using either lime juice or lemon as the acidic instead of vinegar)
• 1/4 c mayonnaise
• 1 tsp hot pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta al dente and then cool until no more than warm.
2. Add the veggies of you choice or those above.
3. Add the mayo to the vinaigrette and whisk until smooth.
4. Add the spices to the vinaigrette and stir until mixed.
5. Place the pepper flakes on a cutting board and run a knife over several times until it is minced. Add to the vinaigrette.
6. Pour over the salad, and mix.

Serves: 6

NOTE: You may wish to consider beans of any type, rinse before adding. Broccoli flowerets, cauliflower, lima beans, green beans, radishes, carrots, the list is pretty much endless. You might substitute a finely minced jalapeño or other fresh hot chile for the pepper flakes. Consider a pickled hot pepper. Note also that the addition of shrimp, seasoned ground beef, chicken, ham, etc., would make this a complete meal.

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Cajun-Italia Fettuccini Extravaganza

This is to die for. Simple as that.

It’s a bit of a job to make, but not that bad.

I got this from a wonderful cook at JustAPinch, Diane Smith.

I’ve altered the recipe just slightly, and I did rather liberally change the cooking order up a bit, mostly because of trying to wrangle with cream cheese.

I think you will like it.

The picture here is Diane’s and I would say it’s pretty close, but I thought my sauce was a little pinker. I must have had more paprika and cayenne in mine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 chicken breast, deboned and cut up into bite-size pieces.
• Either 1 lb of andouille sausage or 1 lb of shrimp, cleaned and deveined (or both!)
• About 2/3 of a stick of butter (total)
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced (expect that the trinity of pepper, onion and celery should be about 2 cups uncooked)
• 4 cloves garlic, micro-planed
• 1 1/2 TBSP Cajun seasoning, or your favorite commercial variety
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 c chicken stock
• 2/3 c cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 3-4 scallions, chopped with green parts
• 2/3 c parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1  12oz box of fettuccine, cooked (or any other pasta you would like)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt about 4 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken and brown, turning often, until done. Remove with slotted spoon to a large bowl.
2. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic and celery, cook until softened and nearly done. Remove this also and add to the chicken.
3. Add the remainder of the butter, melt, and add the flour, stir until mixed and cook for a minute or so.
4. Remove and add to the chicken and vegetable bowl.
5. Add the chicken stock, and add the cream cheese, cubed into small bits. Heat until boiling and boil for about 3 minutes or so, breaking up the cream cheese as best you can. It will not look great, since the cheese resists melting, but don’t worry. The stock will continue to cloud up and thicken as it melts about half way out.
6. Add the Cajun spices and return the bowl of chicken and veggies to the pan. Stir, and it will thicken quickly. The cream cheese bits will disappear and all will be smooth and creamy.
7. You can shut it off at this point, and let it sit until you are nearly ready to eat. (I did this in the morning and then started it back to warm about 15 minutes before dinner time)
8. If using shrimp, add now, and bring the mixture to a low boil, until cooked–about 3 minutes.
9. Add the  andouille sausage cream, scallions, parmesan and parsley, stirring until just heated through.
10. Serve over the pasta.

Serves: 4

Note: I did not use the shrimp, but I would not recommend that you eliminate the sausage as it is integral to the dish I think. Also you could probably skip the cream cheese. It did seem to disappear fine once I returned the chicken and veggies to the mix and the roux. I don’t add the sausage until the last minute for this reason: it is already cooked, and I find that th flavor bleeds out if you put  it in too early in the process.

Wickedly Wild Taco Soup

Creating a recipe is a bit of a crap shoot.

I kept seeing taco soup recipes on JustaPinch and when I looked at them, well I liked the concept, but most seemed rather boring. And so I didn’t try any, but I kept thinking about it.

After a while I figured I had the basics, and then started thinking of what I might like to add.

Which I did. (dried chiles)

Then I added a bit of stuff I just happened to have opened and on hand.

And I did that. (V-8 juice)

And when I had it all together, I was a bit worried, because it looked a lot like chili.

But, when we ate it, oh my, but it was simple mindblowingly wonderful. At least to us. This is kept soupy by having enough liquid and no thickeners such as tomato paste or masa. And we can’t wait to have more as left-overs!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb each, ground beef and chorizo sausage
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 1 c celery, diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded (optional) and diced
• 2 dried chiles such as New Mexican or Anchos (seeded and placed in a bowl with 1 c hot water for 30 min)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz c of diced tomatoes
• 1 can black beans (or other you like), rinsed
• 1 c corn
• 1 tbsp adobo powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 qt V-8 juice
• 1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 corn tortillas, cut into wedges
• salt as needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brown the meat in a large soup pot. While it is cooking add the onion, celery, and jalapeño.
2. When the chiles have soaked for 30 minutes, remove and mince. Save the water.
3. When the meat is browned, add the garlic, chiles, and the chile soaking water.
4. Add the tomatoes, beans and corn and all the spices. Add the V-8 juice. (tomato juice would be fine)
5. Bring to a simmer and simmer on low for a good two hours or as long as you wish.
6. Just before bringing to final heating, add the cilantro and stir in.
7. Take the tortilla wedges and fry until crisp in canola oil, drain on paper towelling, and place in a basket at the table.
8. Add sour cream, chopped scallions, and grated cheese as condiments if you wish.

Serves: 8-10

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Buffalo Wing Hoagie Sandwiches

This sounded so good when I saw this recipe over at JustaPinch, that I had to save it and make sure I made it sooner rather than later.

And today was the day, and we darn near foundered on these and the great salad that I made to accompany it. (That recipe will come tomorrow!)

If you like buffalo wings you will most surely like this. It just combines all the great tastes of hot sauce, chicken and blue-cheese in one luscious combination.

So you should thank Kelly Williams from JustaPinch for this great recipe and one superb meal.

And don’t forget, tomorrow I’ll post the great pasta salad that I made to go with it. That also came from JustaPinch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 hoagie rolls (note a ciabatta bread would be great for this as well), split open
• 1 stick butter softened
• 1 very large clove of garlic or enough to make a good tbsp of minced garlic
• 2 tbsp  fresh parsley, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders (she used already cooked ones, but I made my own)
• 2 tbsp my southwest spice mix
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 c hot sauce, (Frank’s or Sriracha which is what I used)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• slices of your favorite among Muenster, mozzarella, or provolone (about 8 slices)
• shredded lettuce or lettuce leaves for each sandwich
• tomatoes, diced, or whole and sliced for each sandwich
• chopped celery to sprinkle over each
• plenty of blue cheese dressing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. If you are starting with raw chicken tenders, pour the canola oil into a large skillet. While that heats, salt and pepper your meat. Add to the pan and then sprinkle with the southwest seasonings. Cook, turning as needed until meat is done.
2. Add the 4 tbsp butter, hot sauce and chili powder and bbq sauce to the skillet and mix with the chicken, until chicken is covered and then keep on low to keep warm.
3. Blend your softened stick of butter with the garlic and parsley until well mixed. Spread on the inside of all the hoagie rolls. Place in the oven on 300° until nicely melted, then turn on the broiler, and watching carefully, lightly toast the buns.
4. Remove the buns from the oven and place chicken pieces down the center, then add slices of cheese to cover. Place back in the oven, now set at about 400°, and leave just until melted.
5. I placed the rest of the stuff at the table in bowls to add as one wishes. Lettuce, celery and tomatoes and then a couple of nice plops of the blue-cheese dressing. We ate ours with forks!

Serves: 4

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True Blue Beef Stew

It’s a universal food, beef stew, or at least some kind of meat stew.

And in the US, there are regional differences as well. This is my version, which is pretty much normal. However, it is delicious if I do say so.

It has as much to do with the method as the ingredients here. There is a reason that it is calls for tougher cuts of meat.

I hope you enjoy it, and perhaps it will cause some tweaking to your own recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1/2 c flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 qt more or less of beef stock (I use unsalted)
• 3 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 med onion, cut into twelve pieces
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, micro-planed
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 med potatoes, diced
• 1 more medium onion, cut into twelve pieces
• a roux made of 3 tbsp each butter and flour
• 1 c frozen peas, defrosted

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

1. Put the oil in a large and heavy stew pot, and warm to medium.
2. Pat dry (with towelling) the meat (this actually is quite important). Then toss in the flour until coated.
3. Place in a single layer, and with some room in the pot, as many of the cubes of meat as you can fit. Brown on all sides, and then push to the side, and add more until you have them all in.
4. Once browned, add the  first onion, carrots, and celery, garlic and thyme. Add enough stock to cover.  Add the paste. Stir everything up,  cover, and reduce heat to a bare simmer and let go for three hours. I check about every 45 minutes or so, but as long as its covered it won’t dry.
5. About an hour before eating, add the potatoes and the second onion.  Add more stock to cover again. Continue simmering at a bit higher rate.
6. Meanwhile make your roux in a saute pan. Once combined, cook for about 3 minutes, and then set aside until a few minutes before eating.  Add half, and warm up the stew to a boil and see how this looks. If it is thick enough, then stop, or add the rest if it still needs thickening. Once you are finished here, taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed. Then add the peas. Stir in, and you are ready to eat.

Serves: 6

Serve with: nice crusty bread, on noodles, with dumplings, with buttermilk biscuits.

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CopyCat Lafayette Coney Island Sauce

I promised you this recipe. It is the much ballyhooed closer than a tick to a dog recipe for Lafayette Coney Island Sauce.

I made this. I smelled it. I smiled. I tasted it. I wept. And the years disappeared and I could remember standing in that steamed up windowed small joint across from headquarters, ordering “2 coneys and an order of fries” as I had done dozens of times before.

Go figure why Greeks (who own all the Coney joints I think) get things so right with a hotdog. Whether you go to American Coney Island, or Lafayette Coney Island, or Zorba’s Coney Island (my local one), the recipe is fairly the same.

It’s an odd little recipe. I doubt anyone could figure it out. But somebody got hold of it. This is it.

I could swim in this stuff.

If you want a true and authentic Detroit Coney experience, then make this. It’s easy, and you can divide it up into 1/2 or so serving sizes and freeze in plastic bags. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 TBSP canola oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 14 oz chicken stock
• 4 TBSP flour
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 6 oz V-8 juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oil and then cook the ground meat in it, until no longer pink. Use a potato masher to break it up into very fine pieces.
2. Dump all the rest of the ingredients in a blender and whirr for a few seconds just to mix.
3. Add to the meat and heat until bubbling and thickened.
4. Remove 2 c of the mixture and return to the blender and puree.
5. Return to the pan.
6. Done.

Serves: 20 or so hotdogs.

Now to properly experience this wonderful sauce, maintain perfect coney dog etiquette:

Place two buns on a plate, opened. Place a hotdog in each. Ladle about 3 tables or so of sauce over each. Grab a handful of raw onion, diced and sprinkle all over. Squiggle a bunch of ball-park mustard over the mess. Grab a fork. Coneys are eaten with a fork, preferably a plastic one, for which you will need a plastic knife to slice off a bite. If you attempt to cut with a plastic fork, you will break it. Trust me.  If using actual cutlery, you can cut this fine with a fork. No go forth and eat a real hotdog!

Image via Wikipedia