Smothered Cajun Potatoes
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken or beef stock
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add potatoes, onions, salt, peppers and garlic, stirring well. Cook for about 10 minutes, stiring and scraping pan bottom well each time and only when mixture is browning and starting to stick excessively.
Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture is mottled brown throughout, about 20 minutes, stirring and scraping only occasionally. Add 1/4 cup stock and scrape pan bottom well; cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add 1/4 cup more stock and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up half the potatoes. Add remaining 1/4 cup stock and green onions, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes more as above. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 5.
Shrimp Jambalaya
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 pound ham, cut into strips
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 pounds shelled, deveined shrimp
3 cups water, broth or fish stock
2 cups rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven and blend in the flour. Add onions, garlic and ham and cook just until the onion becomes transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook them down for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Wash the rice well and add to the sauce. Add more water, if necessary. Cook until rice is done.
Add shrimp and cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until shrimp looks opaque. Do not overcook shrimp, or they will become tough. Watch closely as rice cooks, to be sure there is enough liquid to keep from burning. Add water, tomato juice or V-8 if necessary.
Sausage-Shrimp Jambalaya
1 pound skinless pork link sausage
1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into pieces
3 large onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound shelled shrimp
1 1/3 cups rice
Fry sausage and bacon, stirring frequently. Remove and drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add onions and pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add parsley, bacon, sausage, garlic, and seasonings; mix well. Place shrimp over mixture. Do not stir. Pour rice over shrimp. Add water to barely cover rice. Do not stir. Cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 30 minutes.
Remove cover. Reduce heat and continue heating for 15 minutes to dry Jambalaya.
Yields 8 servings.
The Big Easy Jambalaya
2 tablespoons margarine
1 box chicken Rice-A-Roni
2 2/3 cups hot water
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup diced celery
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds fresh shelled shrimp or 1 pound country
smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
Melt margarine in large skillet. Add Rice-A-Roni and saute until light brown. Stir in hot water. Add chicken flavor packet from Rice-A-Roni package, black pepper, Tabasco, onion, celery, bell pepper and salt. Add fresh shelled shrimp or cut-up sausage. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serves 6.
Wing Dings
These are a Texas specialty!
1 cup beer
1/4 cup unsulphured dark molasses
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
Juice of 1 medium lime
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon aniseed, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 dozen chicken wings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a large baking pan or dish. Combine everything except the wings in a large, heavy pan. Simmer them over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, until they have reduced to a thick sauce.
While the sauce simmers, prepare the chicken wings. With a butcher knife, remove the wing tips, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Add the wings to the sauce, and stir to coat them. Ladle the wings and the sauce into the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir the wings in the sauce.
Turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the sauce glazes the sings. Serve the wings hot with a ranch dressing, if desired.
Texas Tumbleweed Peach Cobbler
Texas Tumbleweed was an Austin restaurant which burned several years ago.
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1 large can sliced peaches with syrup
Topping
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add milk and stir until lumpy. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine, then pour into a 9-inch square baking pan. Pour the wet mixture over the butter. DO NOT MIX. Cover with peaches and syrup. DO NOT MIX.
Combine Topping ingredients and sprinkle over the peaches. DO NOT MIX. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly.
Tex-Mex Meatloaf for Two
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles,
drained and divided
1/4 cup regular oats, uncooked
1 egg
2 tablespoons catsup
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup catsup
1 teaspoon minced onion
Dash of garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Combine 2 tablespoons chopped chiles and next 6 ingredients; stir well. Add ground beef and stir just until blended. Shape mixture into two (4 x 2-inch) loaves; place in an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Combine catsup, remaining chopped chiles, minced onion and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon sauce over cooked loaves; sprinkle with cheese.
Jezebel Sauce
This sauce is an institution in South Louisiana.
1 (10 ounce) jar pineapple preserves (1 cup)
1 (10 ounce) jar apple jelly (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/3 cup prepared horseradish
1 1/2 teaspoons finely-ground black pepper
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process all ingredients until blended. Spoon into jars. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 2 weeks.
Serve over a block of cream cheese to be spread on crackers.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.