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!

Cool Summer Drinks + A Bon Temp !

It's been hotter than hot in Cajun country, and what better way to cool off than with a nice, yummy, frozen drink. After a long, hot day and a dip in the pool, I whipped up a batch of these heavenly, Pina Coladas. So easy to make and so refreshing and relaxing, too! What could be better! Cheers!

Frozen Pina Coladas

1 1/2 oz. light rum
2 oz. cream of coconut
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 cup fresh frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy! Serve in your favorite cocktail glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge. Warning: These can be addicting!



And for those of you who may want to refresh with a non-alcoholic, nutritious, drink, I am including my recipe for a Strawberry-Banana Smoothie. I've been making these since my kids were little and they are a great way to start the day! Sometimes I add a little protein powder or ground flax seeds, for an extra boost. This is my fave, but you can get creative and use whatever fruits that you have on hand. Enjoy!

 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 sugar substitute, optional

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!

 
A Bon Temp!

It was another great weekend in Cajun country and my guests wanted to sample some of the best Cajun cuisine that Lafayette has to offer. We made the rounds at some of my favorite haunts and totally over-indulged in some sinfully delicious selections. Oh cest bon, cher!

But, first, when they arrived, I had a big pot of Crawfish Etouffee waiting for them.

Next, it was lunch at Julien's Poboys for some nitty-gritty Cajun favorites.

Fried Shrimp En Brochette (my favorite)

And Hot Sausage Poboy! Out of this world!

Then it was time to lighten up a bit and we headed over to Jefferson Orleans Restaurant for a nice big salad, topped with Grilled Jalapeno Encrusted Tuna Steak. "To die for", cher!



Then, on Sunday, we took a ride to the levee in Henderson, and stopped, on the way, at Landry's Restaurant, for some Oyster and Shrimp Poboy's. You might say that we were on a tear!

This shrimp poboy was divine! Cest bon, cher!

Next stop was Turtle's Bar, at Basin Landing, for a cold drink, before heading over to the dance, at Whiskey River Landing. Our usual routine, on the levee! We so needed to dance off all of these calories!

When we arrived at the dance, we could hear the spicy sounds of Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin' Cajuns from the porch. Oh the life of a Cajun, is oh, so fun! To be continued......

Merci for stopping by, cher amis! Hope ya'll have a wonderful week!