Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Cajun New Year's Faves

It's almost time for one of my favorite holidays, and I'm looking forward to hosting a little party on New Year's Day. I love to have a casual buffet, with lots of scrumptious Cajun faves, plus a bottle or two of champagne and a big batch of my Cajun Bloody Mary's. And I'll be including a few traditional New Year dishes for good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. Links below. Bon Appetit and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Main Course 

Cajun Pork Roast  w/ Honey Bourbon Glaze

1 (5 lb.) boneless, center cut pork loin
1 tbs. or more Cajun seasoning
Few shakes of Tabasco
Few shakes Worcestershire sauce
2 cans chicken broth
Honey Bourbon Glaze, (recipe below)



Rub Cajun seasoning over pork and  and place in 13x9 inch baking pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and add broth, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco to pan, scraping any pork drippings.  Coat with half of the glaze over the pork and roast for 30 minutes longer basting occasionally. Add the remaining glaze and continue baking for 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.


Honey Bourbon Glaze


1/2 cup pure honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon
1 tsp. creole mustard
Dash of ground cloves, cinnamon, and allspice



Combine all glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.


Appetizers

Spicy Crawfish Dip w/ Pastry Shells











 Spicy Cajun Shrimp Dip w/ Mini Croissants
 
Bayou Bread Pudding 


Wishing ya'll a happy, healthy, and prosperous, New Year!

Happy 2016! Let the good times roll, cher!

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Cajun Christmas Eve Party Menu

Cajun Christmas Eve Party Menu 


Tis' the season for holiday parties and I've been looking through my favorite recipes and finalizing my menu for our annual Christmas Eve Party. Here's what I have so far and I'm thinking of including maybe some boiled crawfish,  and maybe a few grilling recipes, too, since it's supposed to be 80 degrees on Christmas day, here in Cajun country. Life doesn't get any better than that, cher!  All guaranteed to please your family and guests! Bon Appetit!

(click on recipe title to view recipe)

 Appetizers
 

Crawfish Spinach Bread Bowl


 Spicy Crab Stuffed Jalapenos

 Smoky Blue Cheese Dip w/ Fresh Veggies








Main Course 

Cajun Roast Turkey Breast 

Cajun Baked Ham w/ Honey-Mustard Bourbon Glaze




Sides

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole




Spinach Madeleine 

 Brandied Sweet Potatoes 

 Southern Corn Pudding





Breads 

Cranberry-Pecan Muffins 




 Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins 

Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits







Desserts 

Marguerite's Christmas Cookies


Eggnog Bread Pudding w/ Cherry-Bourbon Sauce

Kahlua Fudge Cake w/ Kahlua Fudge Frosting

Creole Pecan Pie w/ Bourbon Whipped Cream
 



Wishing you all a happy, safe, and blessed holiday season. Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Happy Holidays, Ya'll! 

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Cajun Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole + Bayou Boogie

Now that we are finally getting some regular cool fronts, I am starting to feel like cooking again. The bell peppers were on sale at my local produce market and instead of the usual stuffed bell peppers that I usually make, I decided on a scrumptious casserole that I had at a recent family gathering. It's chocked full of delicious, spicy flavors and and so easy for those busy days.  Pair with a nice garden salad and my jalapeno cornbread, (recipe below) for an easy and delicious week night meal. Cest bon, cher!

Cajun Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
3 or 4 bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup of fresh,  frozen, or canned corn
2 tsp.'s minced garlic
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbs.'s fresh parsley, choped
1 tsp. or more Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1/2 soup can of water
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheese, divided

In large skillet, on medium heat, brown ground beef with Cajun seasoning and drain excess oil. Add chopped onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, and garlic, and stir fry for 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and water, stir well and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in half of the cheese and mix well.


Add the cooked rice to the meat mixture and mix gently. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish, and top with other half of the cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Serves 6

Jalapeno Cornbread


^^^^^^^
Bayou Boogie
Here's another little clip that I took at Festival Acadiens. Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars were really revving it up and the crowd was loving this band. Let the good times roll, cher!



Wishing ya'll a fun and happy week! Merci beaucoup for passing by!