Cream Of Crab And Brie Soup

One of my favorite restaurants in Louisiana has a Cream of Crab and Brie Soup that is out of this world. Another of my favorite restaurants has a Cream of Crab and Asparagus Soup that I also love. Of course (you know me!), I went home and poured through all my cookbooks looking for something comparable. I ended up taking several recipes, modifying them and came up with this one. You can make it with the brie, or not, and you can make it with the asparagus, or not! It's up to you. Either way you decide to go, this is a soup that is absolutely wonderful. Serve it as the main dish with some buttered french bread and a salad or as a side to a different main course like crab cakes. It's heaven in a bowl!

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup brandy, optional(increase the wine to 1 cup)
6 cups seafood stock
2 cups cream
8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
1 pound crabmeat (backfin or lump, NOT She-Crab)
1 bunch asparagus spears, tipped to 1-1/2” (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt and/or Tony’s to taste

Melt butter in a dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly, until a blond roux is achieved, about 6-8 minutes. Add onions, garlic and optional asparagus tips. Sauté 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Carefully add the white wine and brandy. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually blend in seafood stock. Add cream and blend.

Bring to a gentle boil. Be careful not to scorch. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes until reduced to a thick, velvety texture. Add brie; stir constantly until cheese melts. Gently fold in crabmeat. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Add cayenne, black and white pepper. Season to taste with salt and/or Tony’s.

Shrimp Bisque

It's that time of the year again! Today, it didn't get above 64 degrees, Whoo Hoo! Winter is on the way. Time to make all those wonderful soups I love so much. One of my favorite cream soups is an old Louisiana recipe, Shrimp Bisque. I prefer this recipe as it doesn't have tomato sauce or paste in it which gives it a lighter taste and doesn't overpower the delicate shrimp flavor. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! C'est Ce Bon!

1 pound shrimp, peeled and chopped
4 cups Half & Half
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons of onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
Tony’s to taste


Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add the shrimp, sauté until done. Blend in the flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Add Half & Half gradually and cook until thick, stirring frequently. Check seasonings and add Tony’s to taste. Serve.

Crabmeat Stuffing

Per request, here is a versatile crabmeat stuffing recipe that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. I use it to stuff vegetables like baked tomatoes and mushrooms as well as for stuffed crab, shrimp and even stuffed chicken! It can also be formed into patties and pan fried in butter.

It's more economical to use the claw crabmeat unless you are making crab cakes or something special and want to use jumbo lump crabmeat in your recipe. If you want more crabmeat in your stuffing than what this recipe calls for, just add another pound. Additionally, you can add chopped shrimp as well as chopped crawfish for a different flavor. This recipe makes a large batch but you can either cut it in half or freeze the rest in an airtight container.

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine
2 medium bell peppers - chopped
3 large onions - chopped
3 stalks celery - chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tbsp. Flour
3 eggs
1 handfull chapped parsley
1 lb. claw crabmeat, shells and cartiledge picked out


Melt butter in a sauce pan and saute onion, celery and bell peppers on medium heat until translucent - approximately 15 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients except the crabmeat. Add the sauted vegetables and mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat.

Lent Is Upon Us

Mardi Gras season ended with Ash Wednesday yesterday and now Lent is upon us. Time for all us South Louisiana Catholics to repent for the drunken debauchery we partake in the rest of the year! Mea Culpa!

Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter and is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. It lasts for 40 days and culminates with Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Ash Wednesday, every Friday and on other Holy Days during Lent, we do not eat meat.

Because seafood is acceptable and Louisiana has an abundance of fabulous seafood, we make a lot of our best and favorite seafood dishes during Lent. I've linked seafood recipes and other non-meat recipes that I've previously posted on the site so you can peruse them easily.

Shrimp Jambalaya
Seafood Gumbo
Seafood Eggplant Casserole
Cajun Cornbread Casserole
Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws
Barbeque Shrimp
Crawfish Bisque
Garlic Cheese Grits Just Add Shrimp!
Shrimp Salad
French Onion Soup
Chicken Enchiladas Substitute the chicken for Shrimp!
Vegetable Boil Season it up some more and add any seafood!
Shrimp and Spinach Salad or Dip
Creole Crawfish Etouffee
Crawfish Stew
Spinach Madeline Add some lump crabmeat or shrimp!
Shrimp Creole
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

Shrimp Jambalaya

Mmmmm, Mmmm, Chere! Talk about some good eating, Shrimp Jambalaya is one of my favorite dishes. Shrimp Jambalaya is a Creole or Red rice dish made with tomatoes as opposed to a meat based Cajun jambalaya that has no tomatoes and is darker from the browing of the meat. You can compare this recipe to my Jambalaya recipe that I posted last year.

Shrimp Jambalaya is very popular throughout the year but particularly during Lent when us crazy South Louisiana Catholics observe the penance of not eating meat on Friday's to make up for all of our debauchery the rest of the year! This recipe is taken from the old New Orleans Ursuline Nun's cookbook entitled "Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans" published back in 1971. I don't know about the rest of the nation but Popeye's Fried Chicken restaurants in Louisiana serve Shrimp Jambalaya during Lent just for us! Ahhh, eeiiii!

Shrimp Jambalaya

4 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled
3 tbls oil
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bellpepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 cups parboiled rice (see Tips and Information)
3 cups water

Peel the shrimp and set aside. In a large pot, saute onion, celery and bellpepper in oil until wilted and onions are clear. Add parsley, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and seasonings, stir well. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes.

Add rice and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low (or warm if your stove runs hot) and stir in shrimp. Cover tightly. Allow to cook untouched for 25-30 minutes. Peek under the lid to see if rice is cooked. Stir to fluff the rice and serve with a nice salad.

Seafood Gumbo

Seafood Gumbo is my very favorite gumbo of all and I just don't get enough of it. Since I moved away from Louisiana, I don't have access to the seafood ingredients like I did before and I am spoiled. I don't do well with substitutions with this recipe! But, if you've never had it before, you won't notice like I do, particularly since I am a "foodie"!

This is a tradtional seafood gumbo recipe that is a staple in South Louisiana homes particularly during the Lenten Season. There are so many different versions/variations of gumbo recipes, but this is a tried and true, easy recipe to make. Whatever you do, do not substitute fake crabmeat or Alaskan King Crab leg meat for the real claw or lump crabmeat; it's just not the same. The crabmeat and oysters can usually be found in the grocery store butcher section or specialized frozen seafood section. If you can't find crabmeat, find some uncooked whole crab (or claws), clean them and drop them in the pot! Cest Ce Bon!

Seafood Gumbo

3 tbl Oil
3 tbl Flour
3 lbs raw shrimp, peeled
1 lb claw or lump crabmeat, or 4 raw whole crab, cleaned
1 lb raw shucked oysters
1 med onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz pkg frozen sliced okra
Tony’s, salt and pepper
Parboiled rice

In large pot, combine oil and flour and make a dark brown roux (see Tips and Information on how to make a roux). Add onion and stir well; then add okra and blend well. Add all other vegetables except tomato and allow to cook down, cover if necessary to retain moisture. Add about 4 cups of water, tomato, and seasonings; blend well. Cook down for about an hour and a half adding more water if necessary. Recheck seasonings. Add oysters and shrimp, stir and cook about 5 minutes. Fold in crabmeat and remove pot from heat. Cover and allow to sit about 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Seafood Eggplant Casserole

Seafood Eggplant Casserole is a dish I usually make in the summer with plenty of fresh shrimp and nice eggplant. While there are many seafood eggplant recipes out there, this one is my favorite and is more "cajun" than "greek". When combining ingredients, I usually mash the eggplant but it can be left in chunks also.

Seafood Eggplant Casserole

2 lg eggplants
2 lb of crawfish or shrimp
1/2 stick butter
1 cup onion chopped
4 green onions chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2-3 ribs celery chopped
2 tbl parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1-1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper,or to taste
1/4 tsp tobasco, or to taste

Cut eggplant in half and boil till soft. Remove, cool and scoop out pulp. Set aside. Saute seafood in butter. Add vegetables and saute till wilted. Add eggplant and seasonings and mix well. Cook about 7 – 10 min. Add breadcrumbs and seafood, mix well and remove from heat. Use white wine, cream or chicken stock to thin if necessary. Pour in casserole dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with more bread crumbs. Bake at 350 till brown.

Cajun Cornbread Casserole

One of our favorite casseroles in South Louisiana is Cajun Cornbread Casserole. Cajun Cornbread Casserole is an excellent and versitile dish that we serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas but it can be adapted for Lent by eliminating the sausage. Also, it can be served as an entree or side dish. If you don't want to make your own cornbread or can't find the Pioneer mix, just buy what you can find but check the ingredients. You don't want to use a mix that has too much sugar in it thus making the casserole too sweet.

Cajun Cornbread Casserole

2 pkgs Pioneer Yellow Cornbread Mix or homemade cornbread
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 lb of Louisiana crawfish tails, chopped
1 lb shrimp, peeled
1/2 lb chopped hot sausage
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream style corn
2 whole eggs, beaten
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parsley
Tony’s

Bake cornbread as directed per package instructions or make homemade cornbread. Crumble into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan; add onions, celery, and bell pepper sauté mixture until the onions clear. Add crawfish tails, shrimp, sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add milk and cream corn, stir until mixture is fully blended. Fold all ingredients into the bowl of crumbled cornbread, along with eggs, cheese, and parsley. Mix well, season with Tony’s to taste, transfer to a baking dish, and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws

I went to Copeland's with a friend a while back and we ordered the Hot Crab Claws for our appetizer. I never had them before and boy, I really missed out all these years! They were divine! Doing what I always do when I find a new dish I love, I picked through it figure out what was in it. That evening I looked on the internet and I found Copeland's recipe! It's so easy to make and if you buy enough claws, you can make a meal off this with a nice salad to go with it. If you can't find crab claws, they can be substituted with crawfish or shrimp. Enjoy!

Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws

2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
6 ounces fresh crab claws, crawfish tails or shrimp
3 ounces chicken stock
1 ounce Italian dressing

Place seasoning, herbs, garlic and half the butter in a preheated skillet; saute until butter is melted. Add seafood, chicken stock and Italian dressing; increase heat to high and toss until seafood is cooked through. Add remaining butter; swirl into the sauce. Do not boil. Serve immediately with buttered and toasted French Bread slices.

Barbeque Shrimp

This recipe is a true, bonafide South Louisiana Bar-B-Q Shrimp dish that is made entirely in the oven. If you can find shrimp in your area with the heads on, do so. It really adds to the flavor of the dish. If not, just make sure you cook the shrimp with the shells on....do not peel them first! Also, some recipes call for lemon slices to be added but I find it makes the sauce bitter so, just juice the lemon and discard the rest.

4 lbs shrimp with shells on (heads on, if possible)
1/2 lb butter
3-4 tbl Worcestershire sauce
3 tbl pickapepper sauce
1-1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 lg lemon
1 tsp tabasco
4 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic sliced

Melt butter in large casserole dish and add all ingredients except lemon. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice, add to mixture. Bake in oven at 350 until done. Serve in large soup bowls with lots of sauce and toasted french bread for dipping.

Garlic Cheese Grits

GRITS! Yep, it's a totally southern dish but GRITS also stands for Girls Raised In The South! Ha! While it's historically been a breakfast food down here in the south, over the years, we've modified the traditional grits recipe to adapt it to the lunch and dinner table.

Previously we added scrambled or fried eggs to it, or added crumbled bacon, browned ground meat or sausage to it or some people spooned sausage or red eyed gravy over it. However, Southern Grits has finally grown up and made it as a special and beloved food on dinner tables and holiday menu's here in the south. No matter where you live in the contintental United States or abroad, if you can find grits, you can enjoy this satisfying, comforting and special side dish to grace your table be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy this wonderful cheesy garlic version!

**This is the original recipe from the early 1960's. Now with instant grits available, you can cook it according to the directions and add the cheese, garlic, butter and seasonings accordingly, to taste. I still make it the original way.

1 cup grits, uncooked
4 cups water
1 tbl salt
1 stick butter
1 lb cheddar cheese, diced, sliced or grated
3 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl worcestershire sauce

Cook grits in the salted water. When cooked, add butter, garlic, cheese and worcestershire sauce. On low heat, combine well until butter and cheese are melted. Salt and pepper according to taste. This can be served as is or placed in a casserole dish, topped with more cheese and baked at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.

***Note: Shrimp is a favorite addition to grits, particularly Garlic Cheese Grits. I simply steam some peeled shrimp in seasoned water, drain and add to the grits. To steam peeled shimp, place shrimp in a microwavable bowl, add enough water to cover, season with Tony's, salt, garlic powder. Stir and heat in microwave until cooked, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to grits.

A Cajun Christmas, Heaux, Heaux, Heaux

Depending on what side of the family we are spending Christmas with or what our plans end up being otherwise, we will sometimes forego the traditional Southern Christmas and instead have a Cajun Christmas! Cajun Christmas traditions are celebrated somewhat in our household every season but some years we go all out and go full blown Cajun.

We have some wonderful Louisiana traditions that may seem crazy to the rest of you and are very different than the way you celebrate Christmas yet, they are so incredible and unique!

Instead of Santa Claus we have Papa Noel. Papa Noel lives down in the hot, humid, swampy bayou of Louisiana. He's a Cajun legend and you'll often find momma’s (Mère’s) and daddy's (Père’s) reading such books as The Legend of Papa Noel or Cajun Night before Christmas on Christmas Eve.

While Santa is pulled in his sleigh by eight reindeer, Papa Noel is pulled in a Pirogue (pro: Pea-row) by eight alligators: Gaston, Tiboy, Pierre, Alcee, Ninette, Suzette, Celeste and Renee.

On Christmas Eve we follow a tradition dating back hundreds of years....the lighting of bon fires on the levees of the Mississippi River and in the bayous to guide Papa Noel and his alligators to the swamp to deliver gifts to our children in Bayou Country.

Christmas in South Louisiana is so unique and magical with the Cajun decorations, traditions, food and Christmas Zydeco and Jazz music.

The following are a few of our traditional Cajun dishes we serve at Christmas.

Bar-B-Q Shrimp

4 lbs shrimp with shells on (heads on, if possible)
1/2 lb butter
3-4 tbl Worcestershire sauce
3 tbl pickapepper sauce
1-1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 lg lemon
1 tsp tabasco
4 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic sliced

Melt butter in large casserole dish and add all ingredients except lemon. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice, add to mixture. Bake in oven at 350 until done. Serve in large soup bowls with lots of sauce and toasted french bread for dipping.

Copeland's of New Orleans Hot Crab Claws

2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
6 ounces fresh crab claws, crawfish tails or shrimp
3 ounces chicken stock
1 ounce Italian dressing

Place seasoning, herbs, garlic and half the butter in a preheated skillet; saute until butter is melted. Add seafood, chicken stock and Italian dressing; increase heat to high and toss until seafood is cooked through. Add remaining butter; swirl into the sauce. Do not boil. Serve immediately with buttered and toasted French Bread slices.

Cajun Cornbread Casserole

2 pkgs Pioneer Yellow Cornbread Mix or homemade cornbread
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 lb of Louisiana crawfish tails, chopped
1 lb shrimp, peeled
1/2 lb chopped hot sausage
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream style corn
2 whole eggs, beaten
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parsley
Tony’s

Bake cornbread as directed per package instructions or make homemade cornbread. Crumble into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan; add onions, celery, and bell pepper sauté mixture until the onions clear. Add crawfish tails, shrimp, sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add milk and cream corn, stir until mixture is fully blended. Fold all ingredients into the bowl of crumbled cornbread, along with eggs, cheese, and parsley. Mix well, season with Tony’s to taste, transfer to a baking dish, and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Additionally, we also have dishes from previous posts such as Crawfish Stew, Creole Crawfish Etouffee, Shrimp Creole, and Spinach Madeline. And, of course, we have a smoked or fried turkey!

Shrimp Salad

Back in the early 80's when I was working as a dental assistant, a friend of a co-worker opened a little lunch place not far from our office. To help her jump start her business, we all went there for lunch on her opening day. I had the Shrimp Salad and it was nothing like any one I had ever eaten but I couldn't discern what made it so special as she had run the ingredients through a meat grinder. For years, I have looked and looked for a recipe that was close to what I thought hers was. Two weeks ago, I happened upon probably her identical recipe while surfing the internet. I made it this past weekend and Yep, it's the one! At Last....(conjurning up Etta James)! Here you go! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

1 pound shrimp
3 boiled eggs
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Zatarain’s liquid crab boil
salt
Lemon pepper
Tony’s

Peel then boil shrimp on the stove or in the microwave with some Zatarain’s liquid crab boil and salt. Boil, cool and peel eggs. Chop celery, green onion and mince the garlic and place in medium size boil. Remove egg yolks from whites and break them apart with your fingers or a fork into bowl. Chop egg whites, add to bowl.

When shrimp are cooked and cooled, chop and place in bowl. Add mayo, lemon pepper, salt and Tony’s, mix well.
Check seasonings and add more or add mayo as needed. Cover and refrigerate to let the flavors all meld together. Serve on a bed of lettuce. I prefer finely shredded lettuce with this recipe. It’s also good on tomato slices.

*** You can coarsely chop all your ingredients, but I really like them finely chopped. This is the one recipe that makes me really miss my Cuisinart!!!

Vegetable Boil

Yes, we boil crawfish, we boil shrimp, we boil crab but we also boil vegetables! One of the things I like to do is gather some great vegetables together and boil them in seafood seasoning. Sometimes I serve it with just a store bought shrimp cocktail but mostly I serve it with a broiled or grilled meat or fish or something I have leftover. What a healthy and tasty meal! Any type of vegetable will do as long as it will hold up. Here is what I generally boil.

1 large Sweet Onion, quartered
3 stalks Celery, cut into thirds
2 Lemons, halved
4 large Red Potatoes, cut into chunks
4 Corn on the cob (I use the small frozen ones)
2 Squash and/or zucchini, cut into chunks
2 Artichokes, halved or quartered, top to bottom (cut out heart fibers)
1 bag Baby Carrots
1 lb Fresh Green Beans
1 container Baby Portabella Mushrooms
1 head Garlic, peeled
1 bag Zatarain's Seafood Boil
1/3 bottle Zatarain's Liquid Seafood Boil
1/2 cup salt

Put seasonings, lemon and garlic in a large soup pot and add 1/3 pot of water. Boil for 5 minutes. Add vegetables and then add water to cover 1". Bring to a boil and cook until done. Allow to sit in seasoned water for 15 min. Drain and serve. Butter or margarine may be used on corn and potatoes. Good stuff!

***These make good leftovers too!

Shrimp and Spinach Salad or Dip

It was my first summer in Phoenix, Arizona and it was sweltering. I was looking for recipes that I could make in the microwave instead using the stove or oven thus heating up the house and I also wanted something cool to eat. Someone brought a Vegetable Dip to work, made from the Knorr Vegetable Soup mix. I absolutely loved it, but OMG was it ever fattening! I kept wondering, how can I modify this recipe to make it less fattening, more healthy but just as enjoyable? After some thought, I decided to cut back on the amount of sour cream and mayonnaise, increase the spinach and add seasoned, steamed shrimp. It turned out to be a winner!!!

3-10 oz boxes chopped spinach, steamed and squeezed dry
1- 8 oz container sour cream
¾ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 package Knorr vegetable soup mix
3 green onions, chopped
1 lb shrimp, peeled
3 tbl Zatarain’s liquid Shrimp/Crab Boil
2 tbl salt
Tony’s
New York Style Garlic Bagel Chips or Roasted Garlic Panetini Toast

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, Knorr Vegetable soup mix and green onions; set aside. Steam spinach in microwave until cooked. I open the boxes, sprinkle some water in each and steam the spinach in the box until done then squeeze the excess water out and allow to cool.

Peel shrimp, place in microwaveable bowl, cover with water, add seafood boil, salt and Tony’s to taste, cover and cook in microwave until done (in increments of 6 min, stirring in between). When cooked, drain and allow to cool.

Combine the shrimp and the cooked/drained spinach with the mayo/sour cream mixture and stir well to fully incorporate all. Refrigerate overnight (doing this allows the flavors to bloom). The next day, check seasonings and add salt and Tony's if necessary. Serve on New York Style Garlic Bagel Chips or Roasted Garlic Panetini Toast. I serve this as a lunch item with fruit or as a dip. Wonderful!!!

Crawfish Fettuccine

Crawfish usually come fully into season midway through Lent. As a result, one of my family's favorite Easter dishes is Crawfish Fettuccine. It's a nice fattening celebratory splurge after the restrictive fast of the Lenten period so this is the only time I make it!! This dish is absolutely fabulous and really not all that difficult to prepare. You will need a very large pot and two large 9x13 casserole dishes (or equivalent), however. This recipe makes enough for a fairly large gathering or you can have plenty of leftovers. It also freezes well. Just put it into gallon size ziplock bags and squeeze all the air out before sealing the bag closed. Lay the bag on its side and flatten it as much as possible before placing it in the freezer. Shrimp may be substituted for the crawfish. Beware! Crawfish Fettuccine produces cravings!!!

2 lg onions, chopped
1 bellpepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sticks butter
2 12oz pkgs fettuccine
¼ cup flour
1 qt Half & Half
1 can mild chopped green chili peppers
4 lbs crawfish tails with fat (or peeled Small to Medium Shrimp)
1 lb Mexican Velveeta cheese, cut up into chunks
Grated Parmesan cheese

Put pasta on to cook. In the large pot, saute vegetables in 2 sticks of butter. Add flour, blend well. Add peppers & crawfish. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until crawfish are done. Raise heat a little, add cheese and Half & Half slowly. Stir frequently until cheese melts. Drain cooked pasta. Add remaining stick of butter to crawfish mixture and allow to melt. Stir well. Mix pasta and crawfish mixture together until well blended. Separate mixture into 2 lg greased casserole dishes. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese and bake @ 350 for approx 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and browning on top. Serve with a nice salad and french or garlic bread.

Odds And Ends Cooking

I love making a great meal by just pulling odds and ends out of the fridge. Last nite, I had 1 lb shrimp, leftover cooked angel hair pasta, butter, garlic, green onion...ok, I thought...Shrimp Scampi. Then I found some heavy cream and fresh grated parmesean cheese! Shrimp Alfredo! Gotta love cooking from scratch! Accompanied by a side salad with romaine and a home grown tomato, a little green onion, a pinch of anchovy paste, a splash of Italian dressing, salt, pepper...YUMMY

Shrimp Creole

Shortly after college graduation in December, 1990, I was staying at my paternal grandparents for Christmas. All my cousins and I were gathered there and were watching "Driving Miss Daisy" that night with my grandmother as she had been given a VCR and that video for Christmas.

After a filling Christmas lunch, we began to get hungry again so my grandmother pulled out some Shrimp Creole for us to thaw and eat. I hadn't eaten Shrimp Creole my entire time in college and it was fabulous...so warm, comforting and soothing. I asked my grandmother where she got the recipe. She said one of my aunt's made it and she pulled out an old, small, yellowed pamplet-type cookbook and showed it to me. Funny, it was produced by family members of my maternal great-grandmother! I was stunned!

My maternal great-grandmother was Bernadette Landry of the Landry family from Sorrento, Louisiana who settled there after migrating from Nova Scotia. Her cousins founded Don's Seafood, an old establisment in Donaldsonville and Baton Rouge back in the 1930's. Since then the business has expanded all over Louisiana and into Texas. This is their recipe taken from that same small recipe pamphlet Don's produced back in the 1960's. It's one of my favorite winter comfort foods, is so easy to make and very healthy!

2 lbs peeled shrimp
1 med onion chopped
½ bellpepper chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
4 green onions chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 lg can tomato sauce
1 lg can tomato paste
2 tbl parsley
½ cup oil
1 tsp sugar
3 cups water
salt, pepper, cayenne, Tony's to taste
Parboiled Rice

In a bowl, season shrimp with Tony's, salt, pepper and cayenne. Heat oil in large pot, cook vegetables (except garlic) until wilted. Add tomato paste and fry 5-10 min until it begins to brown or change color, stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce and cook another 5 min. Add 2 cups of water. Cook about 40 min or until the oil comes to the top, stir constantly. Use more water if mixture gets too thick. Add shrimp garlic and sugar, stir well. Check seasonings. Cook 30 min or until shrimp are tender. Serve over cooked rice.

***See Tips and Information on Tony's and Parboiled Rice.
*** I double and sometimes triple this recipe so that I can freeze it for later use!