Shrimp Jambalaya

The Creole Crab Burgers and fresh remoulade were absolutely fantastic last night. Tonight, it's going to be shrimp Jambalaya. I'm going to invite some friends over, and throw together a huge pot of this stuff. Now that cold weather has returned to Chicago, it's time again to turn up the heat with hearty food like this.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups cooked rice
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
  
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
  
• 2 tbs tomato paste
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
  
• 1 lb peeled jumbo shrimp
• 1 cup finely chopped green onion and parsley
  
• 8 tbs butter
  
• 1 cup chopped celery
  
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Recipe Directions
Cook rice while making jambalaya . Melt butter in heavy 3-quart pot. Saute onion, celery, pepper and garlic until onion is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring constantly 3 minutes over low heat. Add 1 - 1/2 cups of water and sugar. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp. Cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through (3 to 5 minutes). Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and add. Cook another 2 minutes. Mix ingredients with cooked rice. Add green onion and parsley. Mix again. Serves eight as a side dish.
Source:Jambalaya

Home Made Remoulade for Creole Crab Burgers

As promised...Remoulade!
This recipe makes about 1 & 1/2 quarts. Hope you have a lot of seafood around!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
  
• 4 tbs paprika
  
• 2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 Creole Mustard
  
• 1 1/2 pints olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup vinegar
  
• 1 lemon
  
• 1/2 cup shallots
  
• 1/2 cup celery
  
• 5 stalks parsley
  
• 1/4 cup catsup
  
• 3 bay leaves
  
• 2 tbs horseradish
  
• Tabasco to taste

Recipe Directions
Put eggs, paprika, salt and Creole mustard into a mixing bowl. Add oil slowly; after mixture is thick, add vinegar. Grate lemon rind into mixture; squeeze the juice from the lemon into the mixture. Finely chop celery, garlic, parsley, and shallots, add to mixture. Blend in catsup, bay leaves, horseradish and Tabasco. Chill for 5 hours. Serve with cold shrimp or crab meat.

Creole Crab Burgers

Going through my Creole/Cajun recipes made me really want a Creole Crab Burger. This recipe is one of the best I have found. The recipe I adapted to create this one called for Tartar sauce as the accompaniment, but I can't stand Tartar sauce. I make my own remoulade and I like using that. I'll post that recipe a little later today. I'm also going to hunt down a recipe for Bananas Foster and give that a shot. Anyone happen to have a good recipe for Bananas Foster? I would love to hear from you!

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Jonah crab meat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  
• 1 3/4 cups fine dry bread crumbs, divided
  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
  
• Accompaniments: Remoulade & iceberg lettuce

Recipe Directions
Stir together crab meat, mayonnaise, scallions, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup bread crumbs in a bowl until just combined. Form into 4 (1-inch-thick) patties (3 1/2 inches in diameter; patties will be soft but will firm up when fried). Spread remaining cup bread crumbs on a plate, then dredge patties in crumbs, knocking off excess, and transfer to a platter. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then fry patties, turning over once, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Assemble burgers with buns and accompaniments.
Source:Creole Crab Burger Recipe

Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

I'm having my parents over for dinner tonight, so I'm going to be making a rack of lamb. I rarely make lamb, but my Mom is about to finish her nursing class and requested it as her celebration dinner. So...rack of lamb it is. This is a pretty easy recipe, and it always turns out awesome. The only down side is my house is going to smell like lamb for a week. I'm glad we are still having decent weather in Chicago, I'm going to need to air the place out!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fine fresh bread crumbs
  
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 frenched racks of lamb (8 ribs and 1 1/2 lb each rack), trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat, then brought to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Recipe Directions
Stir together bread crumbs, parsley, mint, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then drizzle with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and toss until combined well. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400°F. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb 1 rack at a time, turning once, about 4 minutes per rack. Transfer to a 13- by 9- by 2-inch roasting pan, arranging fatty sides up. Spread fatty sides of each rack with 2 teaspoons mustard. Divide bread crumb mixture into 3 portions and pat each portion over mustard coating on each rack, gently pressing to adhere. Roast lamb until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center (do not touch bone) registers 130°F (for medium-rare), 20 to 25 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into chops.
Source:Rack of Lamb Recipe

BBQ Steak & Pepper Sandwiches

The weather in Chicago is absolutely beautiful today! It's warm, it's sunny...and I want a fresh tasting meal to go with this fresh feeling day! This great filet recipe is going to be dinner tonight! As far as the pepper goes, it's not necessary to use the red. I enjoy yellow peppers with this recipe more often than not. I also make the french baguettes myself when I have the time, but unfortunately, that's not tonight. Perhaps next time. Now...what to make for dessert ;)?

Ingredients

• 4 6 oz. Filet Mignon steaks
  
• 1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
  
• 1 red pepper, quartered
  
• 1/4 cup real Mayonnaise
  
• 4 baguettes (6 inch), split, toasted
  
• 4 lettuce leaves (optional, can be repalced with another color of pepper)

Directions
Preheat greased grill to medium-high heat. Grill steaks 8 to 10 min. on each side or until medium done-ness (160ºF) and grill peppers 2 to 3 min. on each side or until crisp-tender, brushing both with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes. Thinly slice steak and peppers. Spread baguettes with mayo. Fill with lettuce, steak and peppers.
Source:BBQ

Brown Bagging Lunch in Style- New Orleans Shrimp Toss

Lunch is a seriously abused meal. Working here in a gourmet food company, most of us LOVE to eat. Unfortunately the cost of eating out every day is astronomical, so brown bagging lunch is the easiest way to save cash, and extra calories. This fantastic shrimp recipe is easy to make and will last me 3 days for lunch. It's absolutely delicious, and far healthier than eating one of those antibiotic pumped "Cheeseburgers" from some fast food window. I try to keep cardboard out of my diet at all costs....this is a great way to stay healthy! Besides, during a cold winter like this one in Chicago, a nice hot home cooked meal is always comforting!


Ingredients

• 1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
  
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 can condensed low fat cream of chicken with herbs soup
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1 tsp. paprika
  
• Cornbread OR biscuit
  
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Directions
Mix shrimp, 1 tbsp. oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire and Cajun seasoning. Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add soup, milk and paprika. Heat to a boil. Add shrimp mixture. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min. or until shrimp is done. Serve with cornbread. Garnish with chives.
Source:Big Easy

Moroccan Stuffed Pork Chops

It's another week, and I am bound and determined to have a better week than the last one! This flavorful pork chop recipe is from Rachel Ray. I'm not really a fan of most of her recipes, but I really like the complexity of this one. Nothing like a little spice to reanimate a sad soul. Happy eating foodies!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 3 cups small pieces prepared cornbread
  
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
  
• 1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• Four 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (8 ounces each)
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• Two 6-ounce bags baby spinach

Recipe Directions
In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 3 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes; add to the pine nuts. Stir in the cornbread pieces, chicken broth, currants and cinnamon until combined. Slice each pork chop in half horizontally, up to the bone. Spread the pork chops open and season with salt and pepper. Form the stuffing into 4 patties. Place 1 patty inside each pork chop and close the meat around the stuffing. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, cover and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the skillet, cook the baby spinach until just wilted. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with the pork chops; drizzle any juices on top.
Source:Steak and Bread