Cajun Muffaletta Dips + Bayou Boogie

Here are a few of my favorite Muffaletta dip recipes that are easy to make and are perfect for a tailgating party or as a delicious appetizer for your holiday party. These dips are out of this world and I have paired them with toasted garlic French baguettes for a double flavor burst. Both are fab and I couldn't make up my mind about which one to make, so I'll be serving both of these scrumptious dips for the Saints game, this evening. Geaux Saints!

Spicy Muffaletta Dip w/ Toasted Baguettes

1 cup Italian olive salad, drained
1/2 cup salami, diced
1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
4 oz. provolone cheese, diced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Creole mustard
3 tbs.'s half n' half
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2  tbs.'s  fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. or more Cajun seasoning
Few shakes Tabasco, (optional)

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, except half and half and mix well. Add half and half to desired consistency. Chill for one hour or more. Transfer to a dip bowl and served with toasted baguettes. (recipe below)

Toasted Baguettes

1 French baguette
4 tbs.'s butter, melted
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Slice baguette diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Combine melted butter, garlic, and parsley, and brush mixture on top side of bread. Bake @ 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn and brush other side and bake for 3 more minutes.






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Baked Muffaletta Dip

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
1 cup provolone or mozarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell peppers, chopped
1 6 oz. jar Spanish olives, chopped and drained
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Spoon into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with crackers or toasted baguettes. Fab!

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 And maybe a tray of these babies.

For my Mini Muffaletta recipe, click here.

 

I am sharing these @

These Chicks Cooked @ This Chick Cooks

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

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Bayou Boogie

Here's another little clip from the after Thanksgiving blow-out concert at the Blue Moon Saloon. Lil' Buck Sinegal and friends were rockin' the crowd. Sorry that the audio is a bit strange,  at times.

Wishing you all a wonderful week,  filled with fun!  Merci beaucoup for coming by!

Spicy Creole Shrimp Scampi + Weekend Fun

Hope that you all had a wonderful holiday. I certainly did,  although it has taken me a while to recuperate and emerge from my food coma. I've been having an ahnvee for shrimp and here's a family favorite that is out of this world and so easy to make. Great over your favorite pasta and served with French bread with a nice glass of white wine. Bon appetit!

Spicy Creole Shrimp Scampi

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 stick butter, sliced
4 tbs.'s olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning and arrange in a single layer in an ungreased,  8 x11 inch, baking dish. In saucepan on medium heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saute for 5 more minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts. Pour over shrimp and top with Parmesan cheese, and bake, uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Sinfully good!

I am sharing this at ~

Potpourri Party @ 2805

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Weekend Fun

After all of that cooking for Thanksgiving, it was time to get out and have some fun. We headed over to the Blue Moon Saloon and Guest House, on Saturday, for an awesome 3 band blowout concert, featuring some of Cajun country's favorite bands. Here's a little clip that my dear friend took of the Bluerunners, rev-ing up the crowd. Let the good times roll, cher!

Wishing ya'll a wonderful week! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Blueberry Bread Pudding w/ Lemon Sauce + Weekend Fun

Here's another scrumptious Cajun dessert that I just had to try,  after tasting a similar one at a recent festival. I  concocted my own version of this sinfully delicious treat and topped it off with a luscious lemon sauce. I just love the wonderful combination of the lemon with the blueberries.  It's a match made in heaven and is out of this world! Cest bon,cher! Enjoy!

Blueberry Bread Pudding w/ Lemon Sauce 

1 (13 oz.)  loaf "day old" French bread, torn into pieces

3 tbs.'s butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2  cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and extracts and beat until combined. 

Slowly stir in milk and whisk until well blended. Place the bread pieces in a buttered 3 quart baking dish and pour the milk mixture over the bread and stir gently to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Gently stir the blueberries into the bread mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top. Place baking dish in a larger baking pan filled with 2 inches of water.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, for about 45 minutes or until set. Divine!

Lemon Sauce

1 tbs. butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbs.cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

2  tbs.'s lemon juice

1 tbs. lemon zest, finely grated

In small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add boiling water, and cook and stir  constantly until thick.Stir in lemon juice, zests, and butter. Serve over bread pudding.

I am sharing this at :  Wow Us Wednesdays ~ These Chicks Cooked

Garden Variety Wednesday ~ What's Cooking Wednesday 

Cast Party Wednesday~ Full Plate Thursday~ Fresh Food Friday ~ Show and Tell Friday

Sweets for a Saturday ~ Saturday Night Special ~ Sweet Indulgences Sunday

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Weekend Fun

It was another fab weekend in Cajun country and ended up being just one big,  nonstop party. We really packed in the fun and one of my favorite events was the Blues Berry Festival on Saturday, at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette.

 It was a combination blues music jam and blueberry cook- off,  with 6 area restaurants competing for first place. Patrons got to sample each blueberry entry and then vote on their favorite.

These blueberry bars  from Great Harvest Bread Company were my first choice and were scrumptious. They were crunchy and sweet and full of Louisiana blueberries.

And this blueberry bread pudding with blueberry- bourbon sauce from Pamplona's Restaurant was divine and was my second choice and my inspiration.

Also on the menu was blueberry-corn soup and and blueberry compote with lemon mascarpone custard.  Both were fab.

 A little later, there was a blues jam with Henry Gray and the Cats and legendary blues guitar player, John Mooney. They were really rockin' the crowd and there was a whole lotta jitterbuggin' going on. Here's a little clip that I took of the high spirited crowd. (Sorry it's kind of dark)

Blues Berry Festival Blues Jam

I'd like to extend a warm welcome and thanks to all of  my new followers. I'm so happy to have ya'll following along. Please be sure and leave a comment so that I can find you. Hope you're all having a fantastic week! Merci beaucoup for coming by!

Blow-Out on the Bayou + Crawfish Quesadillas !

It was another fun weekend in Cajun country, packed with great food, great music, and great times! We headed over to the Blue Moon Saloon, on Sunday, for a fundraiser event and benefit dance to help out a worthy cause. NuNu's Nitelife and Cafe', in Arnaudville, La., recently suffered extensive damage from a fire and this event was held to help them rebuild. Everything was donated and all proceeds went to the cause. The place was packed and the event was a huge success.

There were 6 local bands playing, including one of my favorites, Ryan Brunet and Les Malfecteurs. They were hotter than Tabasco and the crowd was doing some nitty- gritty dancing.

There was a lot of great Cajun food, for sale, and the smell was heavenly! These pork steaks, rice dressing, and red beans were fabulous and I had a little bit of each! Ca cest bon, cher!

There was a silent auction, with work donated from local artists, and there were T-shirts and cd's for sale. I loved this painting done on a piece of cypress, but someone else had already bought it.

 

Here's a little clip that I took, in between dances, of Ryan Brunet and Les Malfecteurs. The crowd loved this band and were really cutting the rug! The wooden dance floor was vibrating and the fans, (no air conditioning) were working overtime. Really sweated off a few pounds!

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We ran into some friends that told us about another fun event going on at Artmosphere, which is a restaurant, art gallery, and live music venue, and is just one block away from the Blue Moon. The Green Monkeys Foundation of Louisiana, was holding the first in a series of "Deep South Sundays", with Cajun dance lessons, a booray card game, and live music, all in an effort to preserve our Cajun culture. We couldn't resist checking it out!

Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band were just taking the stage, but I needed a little break.

These Cajun gals were having a blast!

I ordered a Lemon Basil Martini and sat back and listened to the music for a while. The aroma coming from the kitchen was wonderful and I asked to see a menu.

After all that dancing, I was starting to get hungry again. I decided to order one of my favorite items on the menu, the Crawfish Quesadillas. Cest bon! Divine, cher! For my recipe on how to make this succulent creation at home, click here.
Great with shrimp, too! Oh the life of a Cajun is so much fun!

Hope ya'll are having a great week! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Cajun Queen for a Day !

It was a marvelous family day, on the bayou, filled with good food, great music, and fun. The day began with a lovely breakfast in bed and roses and just got better as time went on. Families were out on their pleasure boats on the Bayou Vermilion, enjoying the warm but, beautiful day. The line was very long at the Mother's Day buffet, at my favorite restaurant, and was filled with just about every world famous Cajun and Creole dish imaginable. Well worth the wait !! Cest' bon, cher! The Crab Cakes and the Stuffed Shrimp were divine, cher!

Then it was on to the Blue Moon Saloon which celebrated Mother's Day with a benefit for for Lymphoma survivor and friend, Francis Haymark Handy, who has been bravely battling the disease for a couple of years. Happily, she is doing well, but the financial toll has been great.

There was a silent auction with various local artists donating their work for the event.

Three different bands played this benefit and drew a huge crowd. Band #1, "L'Angeleus" really wowed the crowd with their unique style of traditional Cajun music. They are the grandchildren of master fiddler, Hadley Castille, and it is evidently "in the genes".

They were a breath of fresh air with their unbridled enthusiasim and superb performance. Hope that everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day because tomorrow will be business, as usual, right? And time to give up the crown, or not?

L'Angeleus

Happy Mardi Gras!

Record crowds turned out to celebrate Lundi Gras (Mardi Gras Eve) tonight, in Lafayette. The Queen's Parade started rolling at 6 pm. and shortly after, the downtown party was in full swing. Elaborate floats with costumed revelers and lots of beads made this year's Lundi Gras parade a lot of fun.

And the crowd went crazy for the The Krewe Of Attakapas float which is known for throwing the most beads. After the parade, we headed over to the Blue Moon Saloon where a super Mardi Gras party was already in progress. Balfa Toujours, a popular Cajun band, was rocking the house and the dance floor was filled to capacity with a whole lot of two-stepping going on. Hot is the only way to describe it! Fat Tuesday, coming up next. See ya'll there! Let the good times roll, cher!

BeauSoleil Takes Grammy

Many fans and supporters of Michael Doucet avec Beausoliel gathered at The Blue Moon Saloon on Grammy night . A complimentary Red Beans and Rice dinner was served. The Jimmy Breaux Band rocked the crowd, with Roddie Romero on the guitar. Jimmy is, of course, the accordion player for Beausoleil and is now wishing that he had gone to L.A.

 Some serious champagne drinking going on right about now, out there. The crowd was lively and went wild when they heard the news; that Beausoleil, 11 time Grammy nominee, had won the 2009 Grammy in the best zydeco/Cajun category, for " Beausoleil Jazz Fest Live 2008'" Congratulations and have a blast in L.A.! Let the Good Times Roll!

Live at the Blue Moon Saloon

After all that cooking, it was time to have some fun and what better place to find it than The Blue Moon Saloon, in Lafayette. The balmy weather was perfect for the double header, featuring Steve Riley and Friends and Cedric Watson and Creole Bijou. The lively crowd was ready to dance, as usual. More than a few pounds gained on Turkey Day were shed on the crowded dance floor 

 The bands were awesome with several of Acadiana's favorite musicians sitting in on the jam. Steve Riley and Kevin Dugas from The Mamou Playboys, Roddie Romero from the Hub City Allstars, and Chris Stafford from Feufollet, just to name a few. For a complete schedule click here.

Steve Riley and Friends