Mardi Gras kind of snuck up on me this year. Not that I ever do anything anymore. I’ve just been busy so I forgot about it. Even though Mardi Gras has already passed, any time is perfect for Cajun and Creole food as far as I’m concerned. Plus my neighbor Patricia McKee shared both a recipe for Mardi Gras Crawfish Cornbread as well as several samples. I’m going to share it with you, as well as a few others I like.
Mardi Gras Crawfish Cornbread
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
6 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 12 oz bag frozen corn
2 pounds crawfish tail meat, chopped
1 4 oz can of diced jalapeños
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Stir the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and creole seasoning together in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and oil and mix thoroughly. Add the onion, cheese, corn, crawfish and stir until everything is completely mixed and evenly distributed. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth out surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.
My notes: That is not nearly enough Cajun seasoning for me. I think I’d skip the salt and add a lot more Tony Cachere’s because it already has salt in it. I might even add some extra red pepper, but that’s just me.
I saw a recipe for Jambalaya Stuffed Red Bell Peppers, but it had a million ingredients so I’m not going to share it. But I like the idea of stuffing jambalaya into red peppers to change things up a little. Here’s what I would do instead: Go buy a box of Zataran’s Jambalaya mix, make it. Oil then bake the bell pepper halves for about 15 minutes at 350. Stuff the jambalaya into the halved red peppers, bake a little more, eat. Because I’m lazy like that. Kathie Bassler is going to take issue with me about this one I’ll bet.
Here’s a yummy and easy sounding side dish. I’d serve this with just about anything.
Maque Choux
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cups corn
1 onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ cup heavy cream or chicken stock depending on how fat you are
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add bacon. Cook bacon until crispy. Set aside. Into the bacon drippings stir in onion, peppers and Cajun seasoning. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. After looking at your reflection in a full-length mirror, add the cream or chicken stock. Cook and stir for two minutes. Eat.
I’ve gained at least 20 pounds since moving back to Rockdale and I’d still go with the heavy cream, so just skip the mirror part and enjoy.
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