Cajun Food Where You Find It
Cajun French: la figue (la feeg) – fig
We have been experimenting with vinaigrettes lately and enjoying the results. Finding a few figs left from our farmers market purchase we decided to try a vinaigrette using the fresh figs as well as fig infused balsamic vinegar.
We tried it on our Corn Pudding and the vinaigrette gave the pudding an extra shot of flavor!
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Cajun French: la poutine (la poo-teen) – pudding
Any leftover or stale bread we have is frozen for later use as breadcrumbs or pudding. Having accumulated various types of bread we decided to make pudding. After sorting the bread which included whole wheat, French corn bread, cranberry and walnut, and sundried tomato and garlic, we realized it was not suitable to cook with fruit. Wanting to use all the bread we decided to make a vegetable pudding. It is great as a side dish or with eggs for breakfast.
This is not the usual corn pudding recipe. Give it a try for something different with corn.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
The roar of the propane burner, the pungent aroma of crab boil and pepper, and the taste of ice cold beer – it’s a crawfish boil. What’s more natural in South Louisiana than a crawfish boil with relatives and friends? Now, several days later, let’s use those leftover boiled potatoes and crawfish for a salad.
If you have not been to a crawfish boil, you can boil the potatoes in crab boil and purchase fresh Louisiana crawfish. When the potatoes are done, drop the crawfish in the water and let sit for ten minutes. Drain and you are ready to prepare the salad.
Mais C’est Bon!
The farmer’s market was alive with color this Saturday. Nothing was more brilliant than the yellow squash. They were so yellow; it was as
if we were looking at the sun!
Squash is so versatile that it is hard to decide how to cook the squash.
The below recipe is a quick and easy meal or side dish. In fact, you can make two different entrees or side dishes with the basic recipe.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Louisiana’s favorite greens include Mustard, Collard, and Turnip. The more gourmet greens like Kale and Chard can be found at farmer’s markets yet not so much at the local grocery. We have had Kale and Chard in the past; yet, it was from a friend’s garden and the greens were mature and we now know, past their prime.
Because of our past experience, we would not give the young Kale or Chard at farmer’s markets a second glance. Finally we decided to give young Swiss Chard a chance and it was well worth the effort. Last week at the market, there was young Kale and we purchased some. The recipe below is the result of much experimenting. We like it and yes, we will purchase more young Kale.
In the south, we were used to cooking greens down with pot liquor and serving them with cornbread. We now realize that young greens are great just sautéed!
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Swiss Chard is a green that we were never too fond of. The only time we tried it, someone had given us fresh Chard that was large and old. So whenever it was available at the Farmer’s Market, we would always pass it by. Recently, a farmer had young Chard and it looked inviting. Always on the look for new vegetables, we decided to give it a try. It was delicious alone or as a side dish. Laurie enjoyed it cold and John preferred it hot. Either way, it is worth preparing and enjoying.
This young Chard was nothing like the one we had in the past. We will definitely seek out young Chard!
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Squash blossoms have always been fascinating yet we never experimented with them. At this week’s Farmers Market the blossoms were in full bloom and were calling to us. Okay, more to Laurie than John, yet he was on
board to experiment. Of course, now that we are not eating animal fat, we had to develop a stuffing not using cheese or sausage. Cajun Jasmine Rice was to be the base of the stuffing, now we needed something to bind it with. The following recipe is the result of our thinking outside the box.
The process is time consuming although fun when done with another person.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Although Red Beans is a traditional New Orleans Monday Meal, we eat all types of beans and on any day. This week it is Pinto Beans. We cooked these on Sunday and used them all week in various ways from entrees to side dishes. Monday was traditional bean day since Monday was also wash day. It was easy to put a pot of beans simmering on the stove while completing other tasks like washing.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
