The Sisterhood Award & Shrimp Etouffee'

This morning I was plesantly surprised and honored with a blog award from one of my favorite bloggers out there... NuKiwi!

A Kiwi Kitchen is a fantastic blog filled with honesty and great taste, so to receive this from someone so dedicated to her blog and readers means a lot to me. It's great to know that my hobbies are shared and appreciated by such phenomenal people. Thanks again.
And now to pass the award along! I chose the bloggers below.
Nicole of From the Inside
Caitlyn of The Alchemist Chef
Kikki of White Plate

Thank you guys so much for creating such interesting and honest content on your blogs. Keep up the great work!

Rules of the Award

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
   
2. Nominate as many blogs as you want which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
   
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
   
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
   
5. Share the love and link to the post and the person from whom you received your award.
   

Now...on to the recipe of the day!
Fat Tuesday is almost here and I'm really excited! I'm going to be making Shrimp Etouffee' tonight for dinner tonight! With as much as this recipe yields, I'm either going to have to invite a bunch of friends over, or freeze some! I decided against making a King Cake this year, as I foolishly fell into the trap of Amish Friendship bread again! I absolutely love Amish friendship bread, but I know the sweet cinnamon-sugar path will eventually lead to a large quantity zip lock goop bags sitting on my kitchen counter, and a sneaking suspicion that I should have more friends to pawn this stuff off on before trying it again. At any rate, tomorrow is day 10, and I will be making my Amish friendship bread to enjoy after the Fat Tuesday Feast. I know it's a strange combination...but I'm kind of a strange person, so it works for me! I'll remember to record the process with my flip for everyone to see. And BTW...if anyone wants an Amish Friendship Bread Starter....I'm going to have quite a few of them in about 10 more days ;)

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
  
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
  
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
  
• 1 cup finely chopped green pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
  
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  
• 2 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
  
• 2 (14-ounce) cans water
  
• 3 bay leaves
  
• 1 teaspoonful dried basil
  
• 1 teaspoonful chili powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoonful dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoonful black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoonful Cajun Spice
  
• 3 pounds large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Recipe Directions
In a heavy Dutch oven or stockpot, add oil and butter. When the butter has melted and the mixture is hot, add flour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to foam and turns a deep shade of golden brown. It will emit a "nutty aroma." Add onions, celery, green pepper, garlic and tomato paste and mix thoroughly; the flour mixture will be absorbed. Add broth and water and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Add bay leaves, basil, chili powder, oregano, black pepper and Cajun Spice and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the shrimp, cover and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Source:Shrimp Etoufe'