Cajun Potato Salad

I've told you before that my brother in law is a chef in New Orleans.  As if we weren't hooked on Cajun food before, we sure are now.  We make Cajun food often, whether it is gumbo, etouffee, or shrimp and grits.  I'm always down for anything with Cajun flavors and seasonings, as we always have an abundance of fish to fry or chicken to blacken.  This potato salad has the delicious Cajun flavors of both Creole mustard and Cajun seasoning.  It is so good as an accompaniment to not only any Cajun meal, but outstanding for any barbecue.  It's a very flavorful alternative to standard potato salad. Try it for your next potluck or tailgate.  It will be the hit of summer side dishes! 

This is the tastiest potato salad.
Don't just serve it for Mardi Gras,
enjoy it year round.

The ingredients.
Not pictured is my awesome
Homemade Cajun Seasoning.

Boil the potatoes until fork tender.

Combine the mayo, Creole mustard,
sour cream and Cajun seasoning.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Boil and chop your eggs.
I use Anthony Bourdain's method 
for the perfect eggs EVERY time.

Stir the cooled potatoes
with the dressing, and then carefully
stir in the remaining ingredients.

This is such a great twist on a 
classic potato salad.

Enjoy not only with Cajun entrees, but grilled
sausages, hamburgers, fried fish and more!

CAJUN POTATO SALAD

3 pounds red potatoes
1 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
3 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped


Scrub the potatoes clean and cut into quarters - you want them to be bite-sized pieces.  Boil in a large pot on the stove top until they are fork tender.  While the potatoes are boiling, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Creole mustard and salt and pepper to taste.  This will be the dressing.  When the potatoes are done, drain well and allow to cool slightly.  Once the potatoes are cool, stir in the dressing to coat well, then stir in the remaining ingredients just until coated with dressing.  Cover and chill a few hours before serving.

Crawfish Etouffee - It's National Crawfish Day!

It's National Crawfish Day, and if you've never enjoyed a crawfish boil you have been missing out.  The Devilish Nephew used to live in Houston, and that was my first real experience with a boil.  Houston has an amazing take on Cajun cuisine because they also have the Vietnamese flavors, not to mention the Texas philosophy of "make everything bigger and spicier."  There is a huge debate between Louisiana and Texas over who has the best crawfish technique, and I don't want to start a war.  I love both, but that Tex-Orleans style has my heart.  We typically have crawfish shipped here overnight at least once or twice per season and do a boil in our backyard.  What to put in a crawfish boil is as heavily debated as how to make chili.  Everyone has their own techniques and secrets and everyone staunchly believes theirs is the best.  That's the fun of cooking, especially something as regional as crawfish or Cajun food.  While you can't get fresh crawfish out of season for a boil, you can get packaged crawfish tail meat year round.  That's when we love to make Crawfish Etouffee.  It's a thick, rich gravy-like stew featuring the "trinity" of Cajun Cuisine: celery, bell peppers and onions.  You can use crawfish or shrimp and it is served over rice.  The main difference between gumbo and etouffee is the color of the roux.  Gumbo is known for its rich dark roux while etouffee uses a lighter "peanut butter" roux.  If you're not familiar with making a roux, then this recipe is great for beginners.  You simply cook your flour in melted butter until it has the look and almost consistency of peanut butter.  After that everything goes in one pot like soup or stew.  It really is simple, but oh so flavorful cooking!

Everyone has their own version of Etouffee,
just like their own way to boil crawfish.
This is one of our favorites!

We actually made this for Fat Tuesday.
Can you believe I didn't even get a 
picture of the roux?  I was too busy making
all of the other things while Mr. Devilish Dish
made the Etouffee.  It's so simple,
you won't miss the step by step pictures.

Mr. Devilish Dish's company is headquartered
in New Orleans.  They ship us an authentic
King Cake every year.  We enjoyed quite the
feast on Fat Tuesday.  He got the baby in his
slice of cake which means he has to provide
the King Cake next year.

CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 stalked celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 pound crawfish tails
1/2 cup sliced green onions
cooked white rice

Heat a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat.  Melt the butter and whisk in flour.  Continue whisking until mixture is smooth, thick, and the color of peanut butter.  Stir in celery, bell peppers, and onions.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in minced garlic, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion power, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.  Stir in tomato sauce and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes.  If sauce seems too thick, thin out with a little more water or chicken stock.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add crawfish tails and cook approximately 3-5 minutes or until they are heated through.  Remove bay leaves and stir in the green onions.  Serve with rice and hot sauce.

Southern Pecan Praline Poke Cake

As I've told you before, my brother-in-law is a chef in New Orleans.  Which works out great for me because I love that city and I love that cuisine.  He came home to visit the family for Thanksgiving.  The Saturday after Turkey Day, the Oklahoma Sooners played the Louisiana State Tigers.  Obviously our tailgate was Cajun-themed and we put the chef in charge of gumbo.  Legit Louisiana gumbo with andouille sausage and leftover smoked turkey parts.  My contribution to the day was dessert.  Finding a dessert that would stand up to to the quality of the gumbo was no easy task.  I've been told that King Cake outside of Mardi Gras is bad luck and a big no-no.  I settled on this Southern Pecan Praline Cake because not only was it simple to make, but the sugary praline layer is reminiscent of that delicious Pecan Praline Candy.  Bonus, it tasted great even though I made it the day before.  It was such a hit at the tailgate, I had several requests for the recipe.  As usual, tailgate is so hectic I never even ate a piece of cake, nor did I get any pictures of it.  Then I had the brilliant idea to re-create the same menu for our family Christmas meal.  Afterall we still had a freezer full of andouille sausage and my side of the family will never turn down a good 'ol Southern meal.  We enjoyed Gumbo with Potato Salad (the authentic way) but we also served rice to appease Little Devil.  My brother brought a big batch of Jalapeno Cornbread, and I shared some spicy saltine crackers and homemade bread & butter pickles gifted to me by a coworker.  The highlight of the meal was truly this cake.  As anticipated, it brought down the house.  An easy crowd pleaser for sure, and the tastiest finish to any home cooked meal.  

This is the best finale to
any Southern meal.

The ingredient line up.

Bake the cake according to the box mix
directions.  While it is baking prepare the 
praline mixture by boiling together butter,
brown sugar and pecans.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, 
poke holes evenly over the warm cake.  
Spread the praline mixture over the cake,
allowing it to seep into the holes.  
Spread the remaining mixture evenly 
over the entire cake.

Whip together the softened cream cheese,
heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract
until very fluffy.  Spread over the praline
layer carefully frosting the entire cake.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the frosting.

Top with remaining toasted pecans.
Cover and refrigerate at least two hours 
to allow the flavors to meld.

This is the yummiest cake.  
The tangy cream cheese frosting is 
the perfect counterbalance to
the sweet praline layer.

Enjoy at the end of any Southern meal,
especially if you have a brother-in-law
that can make gumbo!

SOUTHERN PECAN PRALINE POKE CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix + the ingredients called for to make the cake (eggs, oil, water)
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup prepared caramel sauce (I used a good quality ice cream topping sauce)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare the cake mix according to the box directions.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake the cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking prepare the praline filling.  In a skillet over medium heat, melt the stick of butter and add the brown sugar and 1.5 cups of the toasted pecans.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat until you have a thick, sticky mixture.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly allover the warm, baked cake.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over the cake, carefully allowing it to seep into the poke holes, and then spread evenly across the surface of the cake.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth and very fluffy.

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled praline layer on the cake.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the frosting and garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy,

French Quarter Cheese Dip

I come from a long line of ladies that like to entertain.  My Aunt Sue has guests at her lake house, my Mom belongs to the Red Hat Ladies and is active in her church.  She and her friends have a monthly birthday group that eats together.  So we're always on the look out for new recipes for pot lucks and other occasions.  Most of my entertaining revolves around sports.  Whether we're tailgating or parked in front of the television with a big group of friends, we want something delicious to snack on.  You can't beat a cheese ball and crackers when you need a fun appetizer for a crowd.  But cheese balls bug me.  They look cute. But you have a giant softball-sized mound of cheese rolled in just a little bit of coating.  Once the outside is eaten, you're basically left with a lump of plain cream cheese.  Whenever I make a cheese ball, I prefer to spread it on a serving platter and top it with the coating.  That way every bite has an equal amount of cream cheese and topping.  That solves the plain jane ball of cheese debacle.  The other great thing about this recipe is the cream cheese is flavored and seasoned.  It has a savory onion and garlic flavor while the topping is slightly sweet, slightly tangy.  The perfect combination.  Definitely a recipe I'll be sharing with my mom and my aunt.

French Quarter Cheese Dip....
Like a cheese ball only better.
And perfect for entertaining.

French Quarter Cheese Dip

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons freshly grated onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Combine the softened cream cheese, grated onion and minced garlic.  Mix well and spread on to a serving platter.  In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the brown sugar stirring until smooth.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook about 3 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat.  Add pecans.  The mixture should be slightly grainy (think mushy pecan praline candy).  Cool mixture slightly and spread over cream cheese mixture.  Serve with crackers for dipping.

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 10 minutes

Louisiana-Style Pecan Pralines

In 1984 my parents took me to the World's Fair in New Orleans, Louisiana.  This was my first experience in the Crescent City, and although I was only 12 I fell in love with the culture that is New Orleans.  Besides king cakes and beignets, pecan pralines are a New Orleans institution.  The delectable candy dates back to the 1700s.  The French elite of Louisiana enjoyed a candy made from white sugar and almonds, but soon their Creole neighbors added the plentiful local pecan and brown sugar.  And the praline as we know it today was born.  Throughout the 1800s, African-American women sold their homemade pralines throughout New Orleans.  They became the most popular of the street vendors in the area.  In the 1900s the praline ladies gave way to praline stores throughout the French Quarter.  I remember enjoying the candies on our trip so much that I picked out a souvenir that has well out-lasted any piece of candy.  I chose a beautiful doll, made in New Orleans from the Gambina Doll Company.  I'm sad to report the doll factory has long since closed, but I still have my beautiful doll as a reminder of that vacation and the delicious pralines we enjoyed. 

A taste of New Orleans:  Louisiana-Style Pecan Pralines

Here's my beautiful Gambina doll.  Her tag reads:

"ODELIA"
PRALINE LADY
The people of old New Orleans were delighted to see this lady
walking down the street selling her pralines (prah-leens).
She made this savory candy herself using sugars, syrups and
tasty pecans.  She added other ingredients to vary the flavor
and color.  Those same recipes are still handmade and sold
in New Orleans today--M-M-M Good!
C.V. Gambina, Inc 1983

Little Devil and I picked these pecans ourselves out
of my aunt's backyard.  My uncle (who was like a dad to me)
passed away in 2005.  One of my favorite activities as a child was
picking buckets of pecans with him every fall, so this recipe
has a special place in my heart.  Also it is my mom's
absolute favorite kind of candy!

King Cake Bites

Mr. Devilish Dish had some gumbo a while back that he really enjoyed.  When it came time to create the menu for our Super Bowl party, he suggested gumbo.  I really liked the idea of Cajun-themed meal since Mardi Gras is currently going on and it's Fat Tuesday!  King Cake is traditionally associated with the Pre-Lenten or Mardi Gras/Carnival season.  Many years ago the cake started out as a French-style bread with sugar on top.  It's evolved into many variations including a puff pastry filled sweet filling topped with colorful sugar.  The colors on the king cake symbolize justice (purple), faith (green), and power (gold).  They honor the Three Kings who visited the Christ Child the 12th day after Christmas.  After researching the history of King Cake I started looking for  recipes.  Normally I love to cook the long, complicated version of things but in this case I needed something simple and party perfect. This quick version isn’t the real thing, but these little bites are so tasty and they are similar to my Sopapilla Cheesecake recipe, and using crescent roll dough speeds up the process.  These were so good and fun, I can promise you I'll be making them again and I will not be waiting until Fat Tuesday to do so. 

Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Grits

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," and it refers to the last night of indulging in rich, fattening food before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday.  I can't think of a richer dish to indulge in either, and nothing says the South like Shrimp and Grits.  This recipe has a variation of my Grits Souffle and uses instant grits.  Although when I use instant grits, my husband likes to quote the guy in My Cousin Vinny and say, "No self-respectin' Southerner would use instant grits." Instant or not, this recipe is definitely Mardi Gras worthy, so as they say in New Orleans, "Laissez les bons temps rouler," or "Let the good times roll!"

Go ahead!  Indulge!
It's Fat Tuesday!

The Grits Casserole ready to bake.

The rich, thick shrimp mixture ready to top the grits.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Let the good times roll!

Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Grits

3 cups water
3 1/2 cups half and half
2 cups instant grits
1 (8 ounce) carton Mascarpone cheese OR 1 (5 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less if you like spicy or mild)
8 slices bacon, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 pounds medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (I like Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere's)
additional green onion, chopped for garnish (green parts only)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.   In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 3.5 cups half and half to a boil over medium heat.  (Keep an eye on this so the half and half does not burn.)  Add the grits, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in Mascarpone, egg, salt and cayenne pepper.  Spoon into prepared casserole dish and bake until set, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove and place on a platter lined with paper towels.  Crumble when cooled, if necessary.  Leave the bacon fat in the Dutch oven.  Add bell pepper and green onion.  Cook and stir until soft, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add chicken broth and heavy cream; stir well until combined.  Continue cooking this mixture until thickened, approximately 5 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Season with Creole seasoning.  To serve, spoon a serving of prepared grits onto plate.  Top with shrimp mixture.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and chopped green onion.

Prep Time:  Approximately 25 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 1 hour total

French Market Sandwiches: Make Ahead and Freeze!

Mr. Devilish Dish likes to come home for lunch.  His office is literally a mile away.  It doesn't make good sense for him to go out and eat fast food.  A waste of money and calories.  He can run right up the road and have a homemade lunch.  And by homemade I mean leftovers.  Well sometimes I fix him something for lunch, but a while back I decided to prepare several things ahead that freeze well, and re-heat well.  These sandwiches are perfect for making ahead and freezing.  They're like a hot ham and cheese sandwich with a really tasty spread.  If I'm not here, he has a "homemade tv dinner" of sorts for lunch.  That way, his lunch hour does not interfere with my pool time.  And now that fall is here, and the hectic entertaining and holiday season is quickly approaching, it's great to have something delicious in the freezer, that you can pull out and serve guests on a moment's notice!

Hot Ham and Swiss, the perfect lunch!

The French Market Sandwich Soiree

Combine softened butter
and Dijon mustard.

Add chopped green onions.

Stir in poppy seeds and curry powder.

Spread each croissant
half with butter mixture.

Place a slice of ham and cheese
on each sandwich.

Replace tops.

Wrap each sandwich individually
in foil.  Freeze.

Heat for 20 minutes
in oven and enjoy.