Crawfish Marguerite + Bayou Boogie

With friends coming over for dinner last night, I wanted to make something special with the 2 lbs. of crawfish tails that I had stashed in my freezer. Here's a family favorite that is "out of this world" delicious and is sure to please your family and guests. It is packed with wonderful flavors in a spicy sauce that compliments the pasta perfectly,  has just the right amount of heat, and less calories than the cream version of this dish.  Cest bon, cher! Enjoy!

Crawfish Marguerite

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1 lb. favorite pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 tsp.'s minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 bunch green onions , chopped
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails
2 cups hot water
1  tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Tabasco to taste

Here is a pic of my fresh parsley and thyme that I am growing on my patio this summer.  I am also growing Creole tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers, and will be sharing some recipes that will include those, soon. There really isn't anything quite like fresh herbs and tomatoes, for cooking up a great dish.

Prepare pasta according to directions on package, and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mix well, and place in a large serving bowl.

In a medium, heavy skillet,  heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add flour and whisk until a blond roux forms, (about 8 to 10 minutes) and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet and add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and celery and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add roux, hot water, crawfish, green onions, parsley, thyme, and seasonings. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. Add Tabasco, and serve over pasta.

Serve with a garden salad, garlic bread, and a nice glass of white wine, for a delectable summer meal. Bon appetit!

I'll be sharing this at~

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage 

^^^^^^

Bayou Boogie

Here's a little clip of Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, rockin the crowd at the Strawberry Park Crawfish Festival. Grab a cold drink, and crank it up for this one cher, and let the good times roll! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Strawberry Bread Pudding + An Award

With Louisiana strawberries in full harvest, I couldn't resist making a pan of this scrumptious strawberry bread pudding. Fresh, ripe strawberries in a creamy, bread pudding with a yummy, caramel bourbon sauce. Well, when I tell you that it's fabulous, then you know that I mean it, cher! Wonderful for breakfast, too, with a good strong cup of coffee. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bread Pudding w/ Caramel Bourbon Sauce

4 eggs
2 cups milk (or half and half)
1/2 cup white  sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups French bread, torn into pieces
1 1/2 cups  fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries, sliced

 In  small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugars, extract, and spices, until well blended.
Place bread pieces in a large bowl and pour egg/milk mixture over bread, tossing gently to mix well. Fold in the strawberries and pour the mixture into a buttered 13x9 inch baking dish. Place baking dish in a larger baking pan filled with 2 inches of water. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving and serve with caramel bourbon sauce. (recipe below)

Caramel Bourbon Sauce

1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1 small can evaporated milk
2 tbs.'s bourbon

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined. Slowly add milk, and stir constantly. Lower heat, add bourbon, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Drizzle over warm bread pudding. Sinfully delicious! For more of my Strawberry Delights,
 click here.

I am sharing this at ~
Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sister's Stuff

^^^^^
An Award

I was recently surprised and honored to receive the Sunshine Award. This very special award was passed on to me by Terry, from RV Life and Food.  Her fabulous blog is filled with great recipes and interesting stories about life in an RV. Please pay her a visit when you have time. Merci beaucoup for presenting me with this great award, cher!

The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The recipients of the Sunshine Award are: "Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere." The way the award works is this: Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. Answer 10 questions about yourself. Select 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs to your post and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine Award! Don't forget to post the award on your blog!

Here we go! Ten questions:

1. Favorite color:  Red

2. Favorite animal:  Cat

3. Favorite number:  2

4. Favorite drink:  Margarita

5. Facebook or Twitter:  Neither

6. Good Book or a Good Movie:  Good Book

7. My Passion:  Dancing to Cajun Music

8. Giving or getting presents:  Giving

9. Favorite day of the year:  My Birthday

10. Favorite flowers:  Sunflowers 

The 10 blogs that I am presenting the Sunshine Award to, in no particular order:

Mona @ The Hidden Art Of Homemaking

Linda @ Blue Star Gallery 

Michelle @ Ms. enPlace

Eddie @ Clouds and Silvery Linings

Pam @ Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

Larry @ Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings 

Kat @ At the Compound 

Sussah @ angels and people, life in new orleans 

Joyce @ kitchen flavours 

Drick @ Drick's Rambling Cafe

Congrats to all! Please pass along to 10 more blogs.

^^^^^^

Wishing all of you a wonderful summer weekend!  Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Cajun Father's Day Menu

It's that time of year again to honor our fathers and show them how much we appreciate them. I am planning to prepare a Father's Day spread that consists mostly of my Dad's all time faves, plus a few of his new ones. He has requested that this year's Father's Day menu be an all seafood menu and being a seafood lover, myself, I am more than happy to oblige. And here is a recipe for one of his favorite desserts that I will be making. Sinfully good and worth the calories, cher! Enjoy!

Banana Split Pie

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling 

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tbs. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large bananas, sliced

2 cans crushed pineapple, drained

2 quarts fresh strawberries, trimmed and sliced

Topping

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Garnish

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Chocolate syrup, if desired

Maraschino cherries

Combine the crumbs, butter, and sugar and press into an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish. Chill for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over crust and chill for 30 minutes. Layer with bananas, pineapple, and. strawberries.

In medium bowl beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Spread over fruit layer. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate syrup, and maraschino cherries. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 12 Fab! 

^^^^^^ 

Father's Day Menu

(click on title to view recipe)

~ Appetizers ~

 Cajun Shrimp Dip w/ Mini Croissants

Cajun Crawfish Stuffed French Bread

~ Entrees ~

Spicy Cajun Boiled Crabs w/ Tangy Hot Seafood Sauce

 Crawfish, Crab, and Shrimp Etouffee

Creole Mini Crab Cakes w/ Spicy Remoulade Sauce

Spicy Fried Catfish Strips w/ Jalapeno Hush Puppies

~ Sides ~

Creole Boiled Crab Salad

6 hard boiled eggs, quartered
1 carton grape tomatoes
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1 lb. lump crab meat, peeled from boiled crabs

Place lettuce in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Layer with crab meat, onion, bell pepper, avocado, and tomatoes. Top with eggs.

Serve with my Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

1 (1/4) cups, no-fat buttermilk 

3/4 cup light mayo

1 tsp. Creole mustard

2 tsp.'s white vinegar

2 tbs.'s  lime or lemon juice 

1 tsp. crushed garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tbs. fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

Salt to taste

Whisk ingredients together in the order given, in a mixing bowl. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator, for up to one week. Shake well before each use.

Fried Green Tomatoes w/ Shrimp Remoulade

^^^^^^

 And it wouldn't be Father's Day without preparing my Dad's favorite cake.

Chocolate Praline Bundt Cake

 I am sharing these at ~

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sister's Stuff

Summer Salad Sundays @Easy Natural Food

^^^^^^
Wishing all of you a fun and fabulous weekend and all of you wonderful Dads,  a very Happy Father's Day! Merci beaucoup for coming by!

Spicy Caj-Mex Grilled Chicken w/ Cajun Salsa

With summer in full swing in Cajun country, I've kicked my grilling recipes into high gear. Grilling is so easy and keeps the heat out of the kitchen. I usually grill batches of chicken, seafood, and veggies on the weekends, and freeze left over portions in freezer bags, for use in week night dinners. Here are two of my family's favorite grilled chicken recipes that have a Caj-Mex flavor. They are out of this world and sure to please. Bon appetit!

Caj-Mex Grilled Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbs.'s olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs. Creole mustard
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. or more Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. chili powder
Salt to taste

Place all marinade ingredients in large zip lock bag. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. Drain and place directly on medium hot grill and grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Great with my Creole Garden Pasta Salad and garlic bread. What could be easier!

And here's another family fave that I like to make with some of the chopped, grilled chicken that I keep in the freezer. Great with grilled shrimp, too. Enjoy!

Caj-Mex Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups chopped, grilled chicken breasts
1/2 cup Cajun salsa (recipe below)
2  fresh jalapenos, sliced
2 cups Cheddar-Jack cheese, grated
2 green onions, sliced


Combine chicken, salsa, green onions and peppers in a large bowl. Place tortillas on a large cookie sheet and place a layer of cheese on each one. Spoon a layer of chicken mixture on each one. Top with another layer of cheese and place another tortilla on top. Brush with olive oil and place, top down, directly on medium hot grill and grill for 3 to 5 minutes. Brush with olive oil and turn and grill for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Cest bon, cher!

Cajun Salsa

3 medium Creole tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. or more Tabasco sauce

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips, pitas, or use in recipes.

I'll be sharing these at ~

See Ya in the Gumbo @ Ms. Enplace 

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

^^^^^^
 Hope that ya'll are  having a wonderful weekend! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!