Spicy Cajun Shrimp Scampi

Here is a fabulous recipe that was given to me by one of my dear cousins, that will really send your taste buds through the roof! The robust, spicy flavors blend together to yield a succulent version of this classic dish. And it's so fast and easy that it doesn't even heat up the kitchen much during the "dog days of summer". Perfect for entertaining those "drop in after work guests", or if you have a hungry husband or both! Cest bon,cher!

Spicy Cajun Shrimp Scampi

2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 tbs.'s butter
3 tbs.'s olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp's minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbs's Cajun seasoning, divided
Salt and Tabasco to taste
Juice of one lemon
1 box favorite pasta

Season shrimp with 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning and set aside. Prepare pasta according to directions and drain.

Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the seasoned shrimp, stir and saute for 5 minutes. Add the onions and bell peppers and and stir and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the wine, lemon juice, parsley, 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning and Tabasco, and stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over pasta with a big garden salad, French bread, and a glass of wine. Serves 4  Bon Appetit!

More Cajun Fun on the Swamp + French Rockin' Boogie

After a fabulous lunch of Crawfish Etoufee and Fried Catfish, ordered to go, from one of our favorite restaurants, we headed over to the levee in Henderson for a little fun in the sun. It wasn't quite as hot today and there were clouds, here and there, so it turned out to be a good day for water sports. We boarded the boat at McGee's landing and headed out for a beautiful boat ride. There was a nice breeze on the water that saved us. We ran into friends on boats and jet skis and others who were water skiing. Then, we all refreshed at McGee's Restaurant with iced cold drinks, until it was time to go to the dance at Whiskey River.

 When we arrived, the place was packed to capacity, and overflowing with hot, dancing, nitty- gritty Zydeco fans. Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie were rocking the house. The dance floor was so crowded that when I ventured onto it to get the video clip, I got stuck in the middle of the dance floor and couldn't get out of the crowd until the song was over! I was nearly knocked down by the  dancers, but I well understand that there's no parking on the dance floor at Angelle's Whiskey River Dance Hall. "If you can't keep up with the big dogs, here, stay off the dance floor" !! The wood floor beneath was vibrating so hard that I thought it would cave in or that surely the roof might blow off!! 


 
 Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie

Spicy Cajun Boiled Crabs

One of my favorite things to do in the summer time is to eat boiled crabs. A friend called me this morning to say that they were boiling today and wanted to know if we were "in". Well no one has to ask me twice if I'm "in" for eating some delicious boiled Louisiana Blue Crabs, since in my book, eating crabs is akin to being very close to heaven. We headed over to the house where this feast was being held, and arrived just in time to smell the fabulous aroma coming from the patio. When I tell you that these crabs were some of the best that I've ever had, then you know that I mean it, cher! Ca cest bon!!

Spicy Cajun Boiled Crabs

1 tbs. "Louisiana Brand" crawfish , crab and  shrimp boil/ per dozen crabs
or 2 tbs.'s or more Cajun seasoning /per dozen crabs
1 12 oz. bottle of beer /per 2 dozen crabs
1 lemon, quartered/ per dozen crabs
4 ears of corn, halved /per dozen crabs
8 small red potatoes /per dozen crabs

 

In a large pot deep enough to accommodate all the crabs, use tongs to place crabs in the pot.
Fill the pot 3/4 full with water, to cover crabs. Add the potatoes, corn, beer, seasoning, and lemon, squeezing the juice into the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until bright red. Remove with tongs and move to an ice chest or large platter. Serve with boiled potatoes and corn with seafood sauce for dipping. Sinfully delicious!

Tangy Hot Seafood Sauce

6 tbs.'s ketchup
2 tsp.'s horseradish
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste

Mix all together, chill for 1 hour, then serve with crabs.

Bon appetit!

Bayou Blues Jam at Artmosphere

We had an absolute blast at

Artmosphere Bistro last night, where they have a Jazz/Blues Jam every Thursday night. The place is well known for it's nightly music, great food, awesome art and chocolate martinis. Artmosphere is a combination art gallery, restaurant, and live music venue, as well as a great spot to catch beads during Mardi Gras season. I have company from Maryland, this week, and wanted to give them a taste of our talented blues musicians.

My son and daughter met us there and it was starting to become quite a party. After adjusting to the darkness, I looked around the cozy bar area and saw several people waving at me. Oh my gosh, it was a group of friends from good old Abbeville who I had gone to high school with, that I hadn't seen in ages. Well, the party began turning into an Abbeville reunion, as one friend pointed out that most of the band members were also friends from Abbeville.

An old family friend told me that his son was up next to play in the jam. Then my son told me that one of his friends was about to play, as well. It turned out that our sons were friends and neither realized that their parents were old friends. Talk about synchronicity! The music was hot, as always, in Cajun Country and seeing my old buds was icing on the cake. Lassier les bon ton rouler, cher!

Have a fabulous fun weekend!! Do you have a place like this in your town?

Hotter than Hot in Cajun Country

(Eh-Fay-Show-Sha!) With temperatures above 100 degrees for three days in a row, we are quite simply, boiling down here. We're no strangers to hot weather, here in Cajun Country, but we usually hover around the low 90's , in June, with daily afternoon thunder showers, better known as monsoon season. It's always more humid, after the rain, but it drops the temperature about 10 degrees, so it's a good trade off. We also have not had any rain in 4 weeks and are headed into a serious drought. Global warming? Perhaps, but we're headed for a cool front, this weekend, and will only top out in the mid- nineties! Yikes! So how to stay cool?
Here's my list:

1. Buy a gallon of frozen Margaritas and sip, as needed
2. Find the coolest place in town
3. Stay in the pool, when not in the air conditioning
4. Do as little, as possible, including cooking
5. Go out to dinner

Since I spent the day doing the first 4 things on my list, that brings us to number 5. We headed over to Agave Mexican Grille and Cantina, (one of my favorite restaurants). Frozen Margaritas all the way around for this group, except for a few beer drinkers. I decided to order one of my favorite items on the menu, The Fiesta Salad. It is so colorful and appetizing and divinely delicious, A zesty mixture of lettuce, squash, tomatoes, carrots, roasted corn and black bean salsa, topped with shredded tortilla chips, served with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing. Out of this world!! Cest bon, cher! What are you doing to stay cool, this summer?

Creole Chicken Pasta Bake w/ Asiago

Here's a fabulous pasta recipe that was given to me by my dear friend, Marie Boudreaux. This spicy Creole pasta dish is sure to be a hit at your dinner table or anytime that you want an easy, fresh from the garden meal. A treasure from Italy, Asiago cheese is low in fat and rich in protein . For all of you vegetarians, this recipe can be made without the chicken and is equally delicious. The nutty flavor of the Asiago cheese blends perfectly with the fresh veggies, herbs and spicy chicken. Serve with a big spinach salad and french bread and maybe a nice glass of wine. Cest bon, cher! Bon Appetit!

Creole Chicken Pasta Bake w/ Asiago

4 cooked, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
(cut into  horizontal strips)
2 tbs.'s olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper. chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 small Creole tomatoes, sliced
1 small jar artichokes, drained
1 small can, sliced, black olives, drained
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tbs.'s fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbs.'s fresh basil, chopped
1 tbs. Tony's Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Few shakes Tabasco
8 0z.'s bow tie pasta
8 0unces freshly grated Asiago cheese
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta in large pot of salted water with 1 tsp. white vinegar for 12 minutes. Drain , rinse well, and place in a large, lightly greased casserole dish, and set aside. Blend the cheeses together in a small bowl and set aside.
In large skillet, on medium heat, saute the onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, Tabasco, and seasonings and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, spinach, and herbs and saute for 5 more minutes. In greased casserole dish, combine with bow tie pasta, half of the blended cheeses, and chicken-veggie mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle the other half of cheese blend on top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Out of this world! Enjoy!

Dancin' on the Bayou

Of all the things that a Cajun loves to do, dancing is perhaps at the top of the list. "There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good", to quote the famous dance critic, Edwin Denby. Here in Cajun Country, dancing is taught from birth, when your parents took you along, as a baby, to the weekly dance. Back then, it was usually a feast, with live music at a friend's or relative's home. My dear mother used to dance around the kitchen ,while she was cooking, when she was expecting me! So you might say that I've been dancing since before I was even born!

To a Cajun, to dance is to release such inner joy, that nothing else quite compares to it. Whether it be Cajun, Zydeco, Rock and Roll, Jitterbug, Swing, or Swamp Pop music doesn't matter, nor does where you dance.. The dance partner is very important because there is nothing quite as fun as dancing with a partner that really knows how to boogie. No shortage of great men or women dancers here in Cajun Country.

And if you should happen to go to any dance hall in Acadiana, you will see people in their eighties who are really cutting the rug, right alongside, and with, the younger generation. I dance with a 75 year old friend who can dance better that most forty year olds I know! In my dancing travels, I see lots of " hot as Tabasco" dancers who take the fine art of Cajun or Zydeco dancing to a new level. Here are a few examples. Enjoy! 

Have you been dancing lately? And what is your favorite kind of dance music? Let the good times roll, cher and hope all of my bloggie buds have a very Happy Father's Day!

Calgon Take Me Away!

Cajun Delights Receives Noblesse Oblige Award

A few weeks ago, I was surprised and honored to be among those chosen to receive the Noblesse Oblige Award. This prestigious award was graciously presented to me by my dear friend, Janine, of Sniffles and Smiles and Been There, Done That . Janine is a woman of many talents which include superb writing, painting, and poetry. Her wonderfully rich and colorful blogs and comments are well known and cherished by so many in the blogosphere. As is her friendship. She is on a little siesta right now, but please visit her soon and she'll catch up with you later.
Merci Beaucoup, Cher' Amis !

The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:

• The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade amongst different cultures and beliefs
• Their Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage, and offers solutions
• There is a clear purpose at the Blog: one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Cultures, Sciences, and Beliefs
• The Blog is refreshing and creative; and The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking
  

The requirements of the person receiving the award are as follows:

• Create a post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award
• The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post
• Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older posts as support
• The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions- Blogger must display the Award at any location at their Blog

When I originally started blogging and created Cajun Delights, I really had no idea what blogging was all about. I merely wanted to promote and share our wonderful Cajun culture with the rest of the world. The area known to most as Cajun Country, is so rich in culture and history and is such a fabulous place to live and have lots of fun. Delectable cuisine, incredible music, and warm-hearted people with a contagious "joie de vivre". ( joy of living) My goals of achievement for the Blog, were completely fulfilled, when a reader made a comment on one of my posts, Whiskey River+ Cajun Fun on the Swamp. She said, "You make everyone want to be a Cajun!" And I said, " If I make you want to be a Cajun, then I have accomplished my goal".

Now, I have the most fun job of all, which is passing this distinguished award along to several fellow bloggers who make me laugh and inspire and entertain me with their fantastic blogs; each so richly deserving.
The envelope please.......

A Majority of Two

Gumbo Writer

Women of a Certain Age

Whole Latte Life

Smoky Mountain Cafe'

Elizabeth Bradley Fiction, Bits & Bites

I am truly grateful for each and everyone of you, my dear bloggie friends, who take the time to visit and encourage and support with your thoughtful comments. And most of all I appreciate your friendship; ya'll are the best of the best!! Congratulations to all !!

Cajun Daiquiri Drive Thru + Banana Colada Daiquiris

With temperatures hitting 95 degrees today, here in Cajun Country, the after-work line at New Orleans Original Daiquiris Drive Thru was long and reached out to the street. Yes, The drive thru daiquiri hut was extra busy not only because it was hot, but because it was Monday, as well. Frozen daiquiris on a hot Monday. What could be better?

With dozens of flavors to choose from, it was a hard decision, but I settled on the Banana Colada. Just a little touch of heaven in a styrofoam cup! 

Now for this to be legal they are required to tape the straw hole shut on the lid and then everything is good to go! Only in the great state of Louisiana, I promise, will you find the laws governing the sale of alcohol to be slightly relaxed and out of sync with the rest of the country. There are four sizes of daiquiris to go. Small, medium, large, and gallon! The girl in the car in front of me ordered a gallon size.

This is a nice option if you're not going to be coming back for a while or if you have a lot of unexpected company. Just freeze and enjoy, as needed. When a good friend of mine from Maryland came down a few summers ago, she was amazed by this Cajun tradition that allows" to go" alcohol. She should have lived here in the 60's and 70's, when there was a drive up beer/liquor stand on practically every corner.




Banana Colada Daiquiris

4 oz. spicy gold rum
8 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut cream
2 bananas

Place all ingredients in a blender, plus 1 cup crushed ice, and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Garnish with maraschino cherry and fresh pineapple slice. Serves two. Enjoy! Cheers!
Note: This simply divine drink can also be made without alcohol. Equally delicious!

Cajun Pot Roast w/ Rice and Gravy + Honky Tonk Boogie

When my son informed me yesterday, that he wanted to bring a new girlfriend to Sunday dinner, I wondered what type of food this girl might like. So, he called her to inquire and she said that since her parents were out of town, she wished that she could have some roast and rice and gravy that her mom usually made on Sundays. I said, " no problem" and picked up a nice roast at my favorite butcher shop. I learned how to cook this Cajun favorite, early on, from my mother, whose fabulous roasts and gravies were the talk of the town.


One of her secrets was to stuff the roast, the night before. She would take a paring knife and make deep holes, all over the roast. Then she would place into each hole, a little salt, a few good shakes of Tabasco, and a good dose of minced garlic. She would then sprinkle the roast with salt, cayenne pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce and wrap in foil and refrigerate it overnight. She said that this would not only tenderize it but give it a wonderful flavor. Mama didn't measure anything, but her hand was heavy when it came to seasonings. Divinely delicious! Ca cest bon, cher!

Mama's Cajun Pot Roast

3 lb. beef roast, (eye of round or rump)
1 cup each of "the trinity", (onions, celery and bell peppers), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, cayenne pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce to taste
vegetable oil
water
16 oz.'s beef stock or broth
3 or 4 white potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 cups cooked white rice


Cover the bottom of a large heavy Dutch oven with oil of choice. On medium high heat, sear roast on all sides, scraping bottom with spoon to prevent sticking. Add a little water, stir, then add the trinity, and turn heat to meduim and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add beef stock, a little more of each seasoning, and cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes and cook for 1/2 hour more. Serve over hot cooked rice with several side vegetables.


I received another special request from one of my dear friends. She wanted to hear a little honky tonk piano and I had the ultimate clip in mind. I took this snippet of the great Marcia Ball and her hotter than HOT band when they played recently in Lafayette, at Parc International. 

Marcia Ball

Cajun (T.G.I.F.) Lagniappe' w/ The Bayou Boys

Friday means party time in Cajun Country, and this week is no exception. That's right, a special, lagniappe' edition, (make-up, rain-out show), starring Acadiana's own "Bayou Boys" continued the 25th anniversary edition of Downtown Alive, tonight in downtown Lafayette. It was a great surprise, since last Friday was supposed to be the last concert of the Spring series. Starting to get too hot for outdoor dancing, so for the next few months we'll have to find a nice air conditioned dance hall to dance in, which is not a problem here in Cajun Country.

We started out at Agave Mexican Grille and Cantina for a Margarita happy hour and a fabulous dinner of Grilled Seafood Fajitas. Despite the hot weather we've been having, (inching up into the mid-nineties), there was a huge crowd at tonight's T.G.I.F. block party in Parc Sans Souci. You never know who you're going to run into at this event or what person from your past, that you haven't seen in 20 years, is going to pop up. Old friends, new friends, and family know that they can catch up on the latest at the T.G.I.F block party with just about everyone they know and ever knew once.

Once the sun started going down, the dancing started getting hot and you could almost see steam coming off the dance floor. The last hoorah until September for Downtown Alive. The mood was almost frantic, as everyone who had a stressful work week started to unwind. The hotter than Habenero, Bayou Boys were really jammin' and playing their Louisiana Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, and R&B blend of fantastic dance music. We partied with these guys for Mardi Gras and they are a blast, cher! Have a fabulous, fun weekend, my dear bloggie friends! Let the good times roll!!

The Bayou Boys

A Cajun Birthday Blast !

After a lovely morning brunch of seafood omlettes, beignets, and mimosas, my girl-friends and I headed over to visit friends, who own a houseboat on the Henderson Swamp. As we traveled along the levee road, I marveled at the sheer beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin. Nature at it's best!

When we arrived, we found our friends at their next door neighbor's houseboat. They were grilling up a batch of T-bones, pork fingers, and sausage on the Old Smokey and wanted to know if we were hungry. This method of grilling takes longer, but results in a very tender and juicy meat. We played a few games of boo-ray, a favorite Cajun card game, while we waited for lunch to be served. A big pot of camp beans was cooking on the side.

Then we went over to Turtle's Bar, at Basin Landing, where there was a Cajun birthday party already in progress. Birthdays are celebrated to the maximum degree in Cajun Country and sometimes go on for days. This one was on day two of the birthday bash! It turned out to be a friend of a friend's birthday, so we joined right in. The party barge was an absolute blast!

A little farther up on the levee, there was a band starting soon at Pat's Atchafalaya Club. The birthday guy wanted to hear some Swamp Pop, a 60's retro style of music that we all grew up with, here in South Louisiana. Memories of your first love, first kiss, or first dance come to mind when listening to Cookie and the Cupcakes. So, away we went to dance the night away. Let the good times roll, cher! Oh, the life of a Cajun is fun, fun, fun!!!

Spicy Cajun BBQ Chicken w/ Creole Rice Dressing

When a cousin of mine and her family of four dropped by unexpectedly today, I told her that she was just in time for some barbeque chicken that I was grilling on the patio. I had made a big bowl of potato salad, this morning and had cooked the baked beans in the crockpot, last night while I slept. This spicy chicken is fabulous and the rice dressing, which was my mother's recipe, is divine. It was great to see them and we enjoyed reminiscing over a plate of Cajun comfort. Try this, you'll love it!
Cest bon, cher!

Cajun BBQ Chicken
 

1 whole chicken, cut up
2 tbs.'s or more, Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp.  Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs.'s Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste

BBQ Sauce  

2 cups ketchup 

2 tbs.'s Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. each, yellow mustard and Creole mustard
2 tbs.'s brown sugar

1 tbs. molasses

1/2 tsp. salt

4 dashes Tabasco
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped

Place all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep warm, until ready to use.

Season chicken and chill for one or more hours. Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes, turning once, after 10 minutes. Baste with barbeque sauce and grill for 5 minutes on one side, then baste and grill for 5 minutes on other side. Serve with Creole rice dressing, baked beans, and potato salad.

******

Creole Rice Dressing

1 cup onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1 cup bell pepper, chopped fine
2 tsp.'s minced garlic
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/4 lb. chicken giblets, chopped
Salt and Tabasco, to taste
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs's Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 bunch green onions, chopped, including tops
2 cups beef stock or broth
1 1/2 cups cooked rice

In heavy skillet, on medium heat, brown the beef, pork, giblets, salt and Tabasco, and cook, stir and chop with large spoon, until browned. Drain excess oil and add the trinity, (onions, bell peppers, and celery), garlic, and remaining seasonings and stir fry for 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth, stir, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the green onions and parsley and cook for 10 more minutes. Cut heat off and add the cooked rice and gently stir until well blended. Divinely delicious! Serves 6

Creole Reggae & A Cajun Festival Weekend

When I woke up this morning and went out on the patio to read and drink my coffee, I was pleasantly surprised with a beautiful breeze and temperatures much more like early April. By this time of year we are usually in the "gumbo", meaning very hot and muggy and quickly headed for the "dog days of summer".

It was an even more pleasant evening at the last concert of the Downtown Alive Spring concert series. Several of my friends, (Wayne, on keyboard and vocals, Steve, on bass. and Dickie, on sax) were playing in tonight's band, True Man Posse, a very popular Creole Reggae Band . The mood was more relaxed and laid back than usual and my appetite was begging for something light and healthy and maybe a nice cold, yummy drink. 

After the fabulous concert, which made us feel as though we were on the beach instead of in Lafayette, we headed over to our favorite bistro, to feast on something cool and delicious. I was craving a big salad, after that sinfully delicious seafood lunch that I had earlier today, over at Pat's Downtown.

 

There are two great festivals, this weekend! The Church Point Buggy Festival in Church Point, La., (more info.- go here) and The Spice and Music Festival in Opelousas, La. (more info.- go here) Both will be packed with great Cajun/Zydeco music, food, and fun. Plus a little Zydeco on Sunday, at Whiskey River, followed by Lil' Buck Sinegal and Buckwheat Zydeco, at the Blue Moon Saloon and Guest House on Sunday night. 

  

Come on out and get into the festival spirit and enjoy what might be the last cooler weekend of the summer! Hope to see ya'll there! Let the good times roll and have a great, fun weekend!

Whiskey River + Cajun Fun on the Swamp !

One of my favorite places to spend a Sunday afternoon is the Atchafalaya Basin, better known as the Henderson Swamp. It's majestic beauty is unparalleled and the fun one might find there on any given Sunday, is really incredible! I've had a lot of inquiries about this car-boat that I'm seen waving from in my sidebar. It is a 60's German Amphicar, owned by a bachelor friend of mine and it actually floats on water and drives on land, and is an absolute blast. It only goes about 10 miles per hour and has a built in bilge pump to pump out water that sometimes gets in the car-boat. It's a total blast!

He launches it at Angelle's Whiskey River Landing, on Levee Road, in Henderson. It's perfect for cruising around the swamp for a few hours before the Sunday afternoon dance at Whiskey River. We have friends that have camps on the swamp that we stop by and visit, along the way. Then when 4 o'clock comes, it's time to dance. Whiskey River is also a dancehall, as well as a boat landing, and plays host to some of the best Cajun and Zydeco music and dancers, anywhere.

There is a beautiful view of the basin from the dance floor and the dancing that goes on here is nitty-gritty, like no other place I know of. As the night goes on, it becomes more and more crowded and some patrons take to dancing on the bar! I am planning to go there this Sunday to hear Jeffrey Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, except this time we'll be driving up to the dance on jet skis! Let the Good Times Roll! Oh, the life of a Cajun!!! To see more pics and videos of Whiskey River and for more information, click here.

Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers

It's that wonderful time of year again, when the local summer produce is ready and available in abundance. I went to my favorite fresh market today and got a little carried away with the fruits and veggies. Fresh local Louisiana strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and the list goes on. I like to have all of these on hand during the summer months and to be able to whip up a fruit or vegetable salad or recipe, on a moments notice. One recipe that I especially love to cook and eat is stuffed bell peppers. Sometimes I stuff them with seafood and sometimes with meat or rice. Great as a side dish or as an entree with fried green tomatoes and corn on the cob. Cest bon, cher!

Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 whole bell peppers, ( red, green, or yellow)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup each, onions, bell peppers, and celery, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp.'s minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup, plus 1/2 soup can water
2 tbs.'s Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked rice
2 tsp.'s Cajun seasoning
Salt and Tabasco to taste
1/2 cup of buttered breadcrumbs

Cut tops off of bell peppers and remove seeds. In large pot, boil the bell peppers in lightly salted water, for five minutes. Drain and place in a large, buttered casserole dish.

In large skillet, on medium heat, brown ground beef with Cajun seasoning, Tabasco, and salt and drain excess oil. Add chopped onions, bell peppers, celery, tomato, and garlic and stir fry for five minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup and water, stir well and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked rice to the meat mixture and mix gently. Fill each bell pepper with meat and rice mixture and top with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 6 Bon Appetit!