World Recipes

Jambalaya

2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, diced
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups water
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes
Dash of garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cleaned and cooked shrimp
2 cups oysters, with liquor

Melt butter in a heavy cast iron skillet. Add onions and saute until browned. Add flour slowly and stir until browned. Add water, stirring constantly until a smooth paste is formed. Add all other ingredients except the seafood. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Add shrimp and oysters with the oyster liquor. Cover; heat thoroughly until edges of oysters are curled. Other fish or seafood may be added or substituted.

Louisiana Ring Cake

Topping
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Mix all ingredients together, blending well. Spread in bottom of a very well-greased tube pan.

Cake
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup solid shortening
1 teaspoon orange extract
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add sugar. Mix well. Cut in shortening; add milk, extracts, and eggs. Beat thoroughly. Pour batter over topping and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from pan immediately so that topping does not stick to pan.

New Orleans Jambalaya

4 cups cooked rice
8 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Salt, pepper and cayenne
Pepper to taste

Cook rice while make jambalaya (or you can use leftover rice for this). Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan; then saute the onion, celery, pepper and garlic about 5 minutes.

Mix in the tomato paste, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes longer over low heat.

Add in the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes.

Add raw shrimp and cook 5 minutes longer.

Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water; add to pan and cook 2 minutes longer. Add in the cooked rice, green onion and parsley. Mix again and cook for a couple of minutes.

Serves 6.

Jambalaya Stuffing

4 tablespoon (50 mL) vegetable oil
1 pound (450 g) spicy Italian, chorizo or andouille (Cajun)
    sausages, peeled and crumbled
3 cups (750 mL) diced red and green sweet peppers
2 cups (500 mL) onions, diced
2 cups (500 mL) celery, diced
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) raw white rice, washed
1 (28 ounce) (700-g) can diced tomatoes
1 ounce (25 g) tomato paste
3 cups (750 mL) chicken or vegetable stock

Heat half the oil in a large saucepan, and brown the crumbled sausage. Drain and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan, heat, and saute the peppers, onion, celery, jalapeno, garlic, basil, oregano and bay leaves. Season with pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock and bring to a boil. Stir thoroughly, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves, and let the rice stuffing cool enough to handle. Fold in the sausage mixture. Stuff the turkey in the cavity and the neck opening with the jambalaya dressing, making sure not to cram it in too tightly. Roast until juicy, and serve as you would any stuffed bird.

Jambalaya Spaghetti Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup cooked shrimp
1 cup cooked sausage pieces
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes and liquid
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Melt butter in large pot; add onions and peppers. Saute until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to blend. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook uncovered 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Makes 8 servings.

Ham Gumbo

2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10 ounce) package sliced okra
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup uncooked rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in a large, cast iron skillet; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in rice and simmer tightly covered, 20 minutes longer, or until rice is tender.

Grillades and Garlic Cheese Grits

Source: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Grillades and grits are a Louisiana brunch tradition. If you have not tried them, you are in for a treat.

3/4 pound lean, boneless flank steak
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, browned
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 (14.6-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
1 (14.6-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 cups Garlic Cheese Grits (recipe follows)

Combine the pepper, salt, flour, poultry seasoning and garlic powder. Cut the steak into cubes and pound to 1/2-inch in thickness to tenderize. Rub seasonings into steak.

Heat a large roasting pan or Dutch oven; spray with vegetable cooking spray. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from pan and hold. Add the onions and bell pepper to the pan and saute 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan. Then, while stirring, add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Cook for 40 minutes, or until sauce has thickened to a rich consistency and meat is tender.

Serve over Garlic Cheese Grits or plain grits. Serves 6.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 333 calories, 7 grams total fat, 18 percent calories from fat, 29 milligrams cholesterol and 560 milligrams sodium

Garlic Cheese Grits

These are fabulous with grillades, but can also be served as a side dish for any meat, poultry or seafood for breakfast or dinner.

1 cup yellow grits
3 3/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Combine the grits, garlic, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent clumps. Cook for 10 minutes.

Fold in the pepper and cheese. Place in a baking pan uncovered and bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 158 calories, 5 grams total fat, 29 percent calories from fat, 15 milligrams cholesterol and 182 milligrams sodium

Creole Meat Loaf

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups Heinz Tomato Ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt

Saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in ketchup; combine 1/2 cup this mixture with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg and salt. Form into 8 x 4-inch loaf in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve remaining sauce, cold or heated, over meat loaf.

Makes 6 servings.