Well, it has been a long time since I posted anything to this blog but now I'm back. To get things started again, I decided to post some of my favorite cajun (or at least cajun-inspired) recipes.
Cajun Corn and Bacon Maque Choux
Ingredients
* 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 large onion, thinly sliced
* 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
* 1/4 cup milk
* salt to taste
* cayenne pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions
* 8 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
Directions
1. Cut corn off the cobs by thinly slicing across the tops of the kernels; place in a medium bowl. Cut across the kernels again to release milk from the corn, add milk to bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper, cook until onion is transparent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Combine corn, tomatoes, and milk with the onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 20 minutes longer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Do not boil. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Lower heat, cover skillet, and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in green onions and bacon. Remove from heat and serve.
Chicken Creole
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 stalk celery, sliced thin
* 1 green bell pepper, minced
* 2 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 4 minutes). Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook this Creole sauce 3 minutes longer, stirring often.
3. Arrange the chicken breasts in an 8 x 11 inch baking dish. Pour the Creole sauce over the chicken.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender and white throughout.
Andouille and Chicken Creole Pasta
Ingredients
* 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
* 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
* 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
* 2 tablespoons margarine
* 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
* 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 4 green onions, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
* 1 cup 2% milk
* 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 cup cold water
* 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
Directions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage and chicken with the Creole seasoning until the meat is about halfway done. Add the mushrooms, green onion, green pepper and red pepper. Sautee over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to shrink, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken broth and milk, season with lemon pepper and garlic powder, and reduce the heat to medium-low. (Now is a good time to start boiling water for the pasta.) Place pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Drain.
3. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water until dissolved - I like to use a coffee mug. Stir into the skillet. Cook, stirring gently, until the sauce returns to a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat and set aside. Serve hot over cooked pasta.
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