Mardi Gras Recipes!

Mardi Gras Specialties !

It's Mardi Gras time again since Hurricane Katrina hit, we really celebrate it in Grand style!  Part of that celebration is food of course and some of our favorite Mardi Gras dishes are also some of New Orleans most known recipes. 

I'm talking about:

New Orleans famous Red Beans and Rice

Crawfish Etoufee"

New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp

These recipes are a MUST for any Mardi Gras celebration.

Visit Louisiana Creole Recipes.com for more recipes and cooking tips!

 

 

How to make a homemade Valentine's Day candy gift for the person you love.

Valentine's Day is the day that we share the joys and marvels of one of life's greatest pleasures, love. It is the time in which the goal is to totally spoil your loved one and celebrate the beauty of your relationship. Many people want expensive gifts and trinkets for Valentine's Day, but even if you are someone that can afford to give lavish trips and luxury cars, it is worth to stop and think about giving a homemade candy gift that guarantees the pleasure of your significant other in a way that an expensive piece of jewelery can never do.

Candy is sensual, sweet and seductive which makes it the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Of course you can buy the candy but a more meaningful thing to do would be to make the candy yourself. This would show the love of your life that you truly took the time out to give them something special this year. The perfect candy for this love gift is a delicious box of New Orleans style praline candy.

Affectionately known as "pecan candy" in New Orleans, pralines are a decadent blend of sugar, cream, butter and pecans that will excite every taste bud of your lover's mouth. Put them in a gift box along with some other presents of love and your partner will be so thankful that you will want to make them all the time. They are simple to make and it is with pleasure that I share this age old sinfully delicious recipe from the South. More FREE creole recipes and cooking tips can be found at Louisiana Creole Recipes.com


This recipe makes approximately 12 pralines.

"Authentic New Orleans Pralines"

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated white sugar

1 cup of light brown sugar

18 ounces of evaporated milk(about 1 1/2 12 ounce cans)

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract



In a sturdy saucepan or pot combine the sugar and milk and bring to a boil over a medium-high flame. Cook this mixture stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it reaches the soft ball candy stage(about 235 degrees if you are using a candy thermometer or when mixture forms a soft ball when dropped in ice water). This will take about 30 minutes. Make sure that you don't stop stirring as the mixture will thicken too quickly and burn if left unattended. After the mixture reaches the soft ball stage add the remaining ingredients(butter,pecans and vanilla extract) and turn off the heat. Stir the mixture for approximately three additional minutes adding a little milk if it gets too thick to stir. Spoon the mixture in the portion sizes that you want onto waxed paper and let cool.

ENJOY !
By Zarian Phipps

Shrimp and Mirlitons

Shrimp and Mirlitons

Ingredients:

6 mirlitons(aka coyote squash) peeled and chopped into cubes
1 lb raw medium cleaned and de veined shrimp(shell off)
1/2 lb smoked ham julienned
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup The Trinity
3 cloves garlic minced
Seasoned salt to taste(I prefer Tony Chachere's)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

Sauté smoked ham in 1/2 inch of vegetable oil for 5 minutes...Add The Trinity and minced garlic...Saute for another 5 minutes...
Add chopped mirlitons...Saute for 5 minutes ...Add chicken stock and salt, seasoned salt, garlic powder and
black pepper to taste...Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered...Lower flame, cover and simmer for 35 minutes stirring
every 10 minutes...Add more chicken stock if needed....Serve and enjoy...

Crawfish Etoufee'

Crawfish Etoufee'

Ingredients:

2 lbs of thawed frozen crawfish tails
1 14 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 cup of The Trinity
1 cup of green onions chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 tablespoons of Seafood Seasoning(I prefer Old Bay)
Seasoning Salt to taste(I prefer Tony Chachere's)
garlic powder to taste
cayenne pepper to taste(It's supposed to be spicy)

First you make a roux in the pot...(For this recipe all you do is put about 1/4 cup of vegetable oil into the pot...Make sure that your flame
is on medium...Add a little less than 1/4 cup of flour to the oil...Stir with a whisk until your roux is a light peanut butter color...DON'T
WALK AWAY from the pot while you are making a roux because it burns
easily...)Add The Trinity, green onions and garlic to the roux and stir constantly...Lower your flame to med-low...Cook Trinity mixture
for about 5 minutes...It should be a thick consistency...Add stewed tomatoes and break them up with a spoon...Cook for 10 minutes on
low heat...Add seafood seasoning,seasoned salt to taste,garlic powder to taste and cayenne pepper...Add crawfish tails and cook for
another 10 minutes covered on low heat...Stir well and serve over white rice...

New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp

New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Fresh raw cleaned and de veined shrimp(Shell ON)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup melted butter(Cooled but still liquid consistency)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice(Reserve a few lemon slices)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
5 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoon of Seafood Seasoning(I prefer Old Bay)
Seasoned salt to taste(I prefer Tony Chachere's)
cayenne pepper to taste
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

Put your shrimp in a large bowl...Pour in oil and butter...Mix lightly with clean hands...Add remaining ingredients and mix lightly
again...Pour half of mixture into a deep baking pan...Layer half of reserved lemon slices on top of mixture...Pour remaining
mixture and smooth out gently with a spatula...Layer remaining lemon slices on top and seal tightly with aluminum foil...Put
into a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes...Stir mixture and re-wrap with foil and bake for additional 15 minutes...
Serve hot !!!!

The Trinity

The Trinity

In most if not all Louisiana and Creole dishes, we use what we call in Southern Louisiana;
"The Trinity". The Trinity is made up of diced onions, diced green bell peppers and diced
celery. This is the base for our dishes. We consider it a part of seasoning, along with garlic,
salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Don't confuse The Trinity with a mirepoix which is carrots, onions and celery. The
combination of onions, celery, and green bell peppers makes our cuisine have that rich and
unique taste. The importance of this seasoning mixture is why it is held in such high esteem
in Louisiana hence the name The Trinity.

Louisiana Baked Turkey Wings

Louisiana Baked Turkey Wings

Ingredients:

2 Turkey wings(drumsticks and wing parts)
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste

Rinse turkey wings and separate at the joint so you have the drumsticks separate from the wings...Place turkey in big bowl and
season to taste with salt,pepper and garlic powder...Combine hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce in small bowl...
Pour over turkey and massage sauces into the skin...Let marinate in sauces for at least 20 minutes...Put about half inch of water
or chicken stock into a large baking dish...Place turkey
into baking dish and pour sauce over turkey wings...Cover tightly with aluminum foil...Bake for 2 hours in a preheated 375 degree
oven, making sure to turn turkey wings over twice during cooking....Serve and enjoy...

New Orleans "Smothered" Chicken and Rice

"Smothered" Chicken & Rice

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken(Cut into 2 breasts,2 thighs,2 legs and 2 wings)
Flour(Enough to coat each piece of chicken)
Vegetable Oil(Enough to brown chicken)
2 Cups of Chicken Stock
1 cup of the "Trinity"(The creole cooking "Trinity" includes chopped onions,chopped green
bell peppers, and finely chopped celery)
4 cloves garlic(Minced)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Season chicken pieces with salt,pepper and garlic powder...Coat chicken pieces with flour...Brown the chicken in a large pan and set
chicken aside...Pour out most of the oil leaving just enough to sauté "The Trinity" and garlic for about 5 minutes...Pour in chicken
stock and bring to a slow boil...Season chicken stock lightly with salt,pepper and garlic powder to taste(ONLY SEASON LIGHTLY)...Add
chicken to pan and bring up to a boil again...After coming to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least an hour...Serve
over white rice...

Welcome to the Recipe Hunter!

I am a native New Orleanian looking for a way to express my extensive history of cooking. Cooking is an emotional experience for me and this blog is for real cooks. It's for those people out there that realize that there is nothing better than cooking a home cooked meal for your family and enjoying the pleasure spread across their faces.

Here you will find a plethora of recipes that I am looking forward to sharing to sharing with you. Since I am from Louisiana, my specialty is creole/new orleanian/southern cooking, but I love food from all over and look forward to trying out the various recipes that I hope readers will be posting.

Enjoy this recipe blog and Bon Appetit!