A Cool Cajun Lunch + Bayou Boogie

It's been hotter than hot in Cajun country and we've been eating light and trying to stay cool. I just love going for a dip in the pool and then eating a cool poolside lunch and sipping a frozen fruit smoothie. I like to make up a platter of fresh fruit for nibbling and dipping in a creamy fruit dip and maybe a yummy salad or sandwich. On the weekends, I like to grill a lot of chicken, shrimp, and veggies, and then freeze in individual containers for use in week day meals. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that I love to prepare for those hot, summer days.  Cest bon, cher! Enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Salad  

 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 cup Creole or Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 small red onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt to taste
Lettuce and sliced tomatoes
12 slices of your favorite bread or 6 rolls

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix well, and chill until ready to use. Place salad in a serving bowl and serve with bread or rolls and a platter of lettuce and tomatoes. Makes 6

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And what could be better than a platter of fresh fruit with a heavenly fruit dip. Fab!

Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) container Vanilla Greek Yogurt
2 tsp.'s fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar or honey





Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Transfer to a dip bowl and enjoy!

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And why not top it all off with a refreshing frozen fruit smoothie. Here's my fave.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

6 strawberries, cut in half

1 banana, sliced
6 oz.'s vanilla frozen yogurt
1 cup low fat milk
2 tsp.'s sugar or honey, optional
Ice cubes





Place strawberries, bananas, and sugar, in blender. Add frozen yogurt and milk. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth and thick. So delicious and good for you, too!

Bon Appetit !

Hope ya'll are having a fun and fab weekend! Thanks for passing by!


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Bayou Boogie

Here's a little clip that I took at the final Spring concert at Rhythms on the River, in River Ranch. Wayne Toups and ZydeCajun were tearing it up and there was a whole lot of nitty-gritty dancin' going on. Crank it up for this one, cher, and let the good times roll. Geaux Wayne!

Chocolate-Praline Bundt Cake + Cajun Fun on the Bayou

Here's a Cajun delight that I love to make for special occasions or when I'm having guests. When I was invited to a wedding shower recently and asked to bring a dessert, I knew exactly what I wanted to bring. This rich, delectable cake is out of this world and will have you going back for more and is even more decadent when you add a little bourbon! Cheers! Bon appetit!

Chocolate-Praline Bundt Cake

2 sticks butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup water

1/8 cup bourbon (optional)

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Spray a bundt  pan with Baker's Joy, baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On low heat, cook the first three ingredients in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In large bowl, beat buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and extract, with an electric mixer, until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until well blended. In small bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and add to the bowl, beating until well blended.

Pour into prepared bundt cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack and invert on cake plate, before frosting. (recipe below)

Praline Frosting

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Bring first three ingredients to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan and boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in pecans and stir gently for about 3 minutes or until frosting begins to cool and thicken. Frost immediately because it will harden quickly. And yes, you will want to lick the spoon! Cest bon, cher!

I'll be sharing this cake at  Sweet Treats Thursday, It's a Hodgepodge Friday, Friday Potluck,  Sweets for a Saturday, Saturday Nite Special,  Sunday Showcase, A Themed Baker's Sunday, and Savory Sundays. Join in the fun!

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Cajun Fun on the Bayou

We had an absolute blast at the Spring Finale' of Rhythm's on the River in River Ranch on Thursday evening. An enormous crowd gathered to see the fabulous Marcia Ball and her talented band.

The honky tonk sounds of this fantastic band filled the Town Square and they were really jammin'up a storm. Marcia plays a mean keyboard and her soulful brand of Louisiana boogie is the best!

It was a warm and sultry evening and the drink booths were hoppin' and the wine was flowing. After all, it has been a very stressful week in Cajun country and it was almost the weekend.

Many were coming straight from work and decided to indulge in a nice dinner while relaxing with friends on the patio at the City Club. Others opted for the Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya at the Rouse's Market booth. Yum!

Then of course, there was plenty of dancing to work that dinner off and to relieve the stress of the work week. Cajuns consider dancing a good form of therapy and love every minute of it!

I took quite a few clips, that I will be sharing with ya'll, but here is my fave. My friend, Tom, was cutting the rug and really twirling that lucky girl around. This one's for you, cher!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful weekend, filled with fun! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Rockin' on the River - Spring Finale'

We had an absolute blast at the final Spring concert of the season, at the Rhythms on the River music series, last night, in Lafayette! It was a lovely warm evening, although a bit humid, and if you were dancing, it was downright hot! The Town Square at River Ranch was overflowing with a huge, rambunctious crowd, ready to relieve some stress! This is how Cajuns relieve stress and we've had more than our share, lately! We like to live life to it's fullest, because we never know what tomorrow will bring! Lassiez les bon temp rouler, cher!

Many people went straight from work and decided to dine on the patio at The City Club Bar and Grille. We opted for the Shrimp Fettucinni, at the Rouse's Market booth. 

There were long lines at the drink booths and these guys could barely keep up with the demand for ice cold beer. Really hits the spot, after a stressful day, at work!

The legendary Wayne Toups and Zydecajun took the stage and when I tell you that this band was HOTTER THAN HOT, then you know that I mean it, cher! They were boogie-ing down!

And there was a whole lotta dancing , two-stepping, and jitter-bugging going on! This crowd was lovin' this band! One of the best that Cajun country has to offer! Geaux Wayne!

I ran into two dear friends of mine who were celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary. And these two sure know how to party! Happy Anniversary G. and J. and many, more! Cheers!

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And here's a little clip that I took of this fabulous band. I had to upload it to You Tube because it was too large for Blogger. Check out my You Tube Page, when you get a chance, under Bayougirl! Subscribe, I'll be adding a lot more, soon! Wishing ya'll a fun and happy weekend mon cher amis!! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Wayne Toups and Zydecajun