Craw-Mama’s Shrimp or Crawfish Bisque

Some people think cookin’ bisque is a hard task.  Anyone can make bisque with a little practice.  What is different with this recipe is that the seafood is what makes the consistency of the bisque soup.  It is thick and creamy. 

To make Craw-Mama’s Shrimp or Crawfish Bisque you will need: 1 lb raw or cooked shrimp or crawfish tails 6 tbsp of butter or margarine 1/4 cup flour 2 cups water 2 cups half and half 2 cubes chicken bouillon 1/4 cup onion 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp Cajun seasoning

 

	You will want to boil your seafood before you start your bisque.  I boil my shrimp and use the shrimp water in place of the two cups of water.  Once your seafood is done, set two cups of water to the side and add your bouillon cubes.  If you are not cooking your seafood, warm two cups of water in the microwave and then add your bouillon cubes.  Peel your shrimp or crawfish and put’em to the side.

 

In a 4 quart pot, melt your butter between medium / high mark on de burner.  De butter will start to sizzle. Now you are going to make a roux. Add your flour a little at a time while stirring.  The flour will look like it is melting.  Continue to stir your roux until it starts turning a light brown.  Slowly add your water into the roux.  It should become quite thick.  Turn your burner down to medium.  Stir in your onions and let them simmer for five minutes.

"Add your flour a little at a time while stirring. The flour will look like it is melting."

"Continue to stir your roux until it starts turning a light brown."

While your onions are simmerin’, get your mincer out.  Put about 1/4 of your seafood into the mincer.  Add 1/4 cup of your half and half in the mincer with the seafood.  Mince the heck out of it until they are itty bitty.  Stir that into your pot.  Continue to do this until you have nothin’ left of the seafood but a handful.  Cut up that handful (I half them) and add them to your bisque so you have a few big pieces.

Add your onion powder, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning to the pot.  Stir it around and turn your burner down to medium/low.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, continuing to stir de bisque every once in a while.

Happy cookin’!

~ Craw-mama 

New Orleans Gourmet Foods Jalapeno Style Cornbread Mix

The New Orleans Gourmet Foods Jalapeno Style Cornbread Mix is not a jalapeno cornbread mix for the spicy impaired.  Along with our dirty rice, we cooked this jalapeno cornbread mix.  The flavor of the jalapeno cornbread was fantastic and it had such a spicy kick, Emily had to get a full glass of milk AND she mixed it in with her dirty rice. 
 

The New Orleans Gourmet Foods Jalapeno Style Cornbread Mix was easy to make.  The jalapeno cornbread recipe calls for one cup of water.  Just mix the water with the jalapeno cornbread mix and let it rest for about five minutes.  This allows the jalapeno cornbread to rise.  While I am letting my jalapeno cornbread rise, I put my 8 inch cast iron skillet on the stove with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  I heat the vegetable oil on about medium.  This coats your cast iron and gives it an extra non-stick surface.  When my jalapeno cornbread is done rising, I pour my jalapeno cornbread into the cast iron skillet.  It’ll bubble a little bit.  Then I throw it into the oven and let it cook.  This is the southern way to cook any type of cornbread.  It gives your cornbread that crispy bottom and sides.

The New Orleans Gourmet Foods Jalapeno Style Cornbread Mix came out super fluffy.  You can see in the pictures that it came out perfect.  If your family can handle the spice, they will love the slightly sweet and spicy taste of this jalapeno cornbread recipe mix. Purchase the New Orleans Gourmet Foods Jalapeno Cornbread Mix and other great mixes here:  Jalapeno Cornbread Mix Happy Cookin'! ~ Craw-momma

New Orleans Gourmet Foods Dirty Rice Mix

Looking for a dirty rice recipe?  There are several dirty rice recipes and dirty rice mixes out there.  Our family has tried most of them.  The authentic Cajun dirty rice recipe calls for liver, which my family will gag when I’m cookin’ it.  So . . . I tried the dirty rice mixes. 

Cajun Dirty Rice is a very popular Cajun dish down here. It is basically ground beef mixed in white rice and flavored perfectly. It is not spicy and great for the entire family.

Last night we tried the New Orleans Gourmet Foods Cajun Style Dirty Rice Mix.  I’ve got to say that this is the best tasting dirty rice mix out of all of them.  The problem is that most of your dirty rice mixes are extremely salty.  They also usually have too much seasoning or just do not make enough to feed an entire family.  When I was cooking the New Orleans Gourmet Foods Cajun Style Dirty Rice Mix, I was pleased to find that the seasoning pack is separated from the actual rice mix in the package.  If you find that the recipe is too salty, just don’t add the entire pack.  We used the entire package of seasoning and it was seasoned just right. 

The dirty rice recipe on the back of the box calls for four cups of water.  If you know about cookin’ rice, you know that for every two cups of water and one cup of rice, your results are enough rice to feed four people.  The New Orleans Gourmet Foods Cajun Style Dirty Rice Mix made enough dirty rice to feed at least eight people.  You will need to use a large pot (at least a 6 quart) to cook this dirty rice mix.

It was seasoned perfectly.  It tasted authentic.  My family and I give this dirty rice mix two thumbs up!

Purchase the New Orleans Gourmet Foods Dirty Rice Mix and other great mixes here:  Dirty Rice Mix

Happy Cookin'!

~ Craw-momma

Fall Off De Fork Baby Back Ribs

People just make cookin' look harder than it is.  Try this BBQed baby back rib recipe and fool dem all.  These ribs will put all dem crazy restaurants to shame! 

What will ya need?

Broiler Pan
Pack of Baby Back Ribs
Cajun Seasoning
Favorite Barbecue Sauce

Cover de bottom of the broiler pan with tin foil.  Split de ribs to where they fit in de pan.  Shake Cajun seasoning on bottom and top. 

** Was just told by Scott Coco with Alliance Security Systems (Alexandria, Louisiana) that when cooking ribs, there is a thin film on the bottom of the ribs.  When you take that thin film off the bottom, it makes the ribs easier to eat. 

Cover the ribs with tin foil so they're air tight.  Cook in oven at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. 

After 'bout 1 1/2 hours, you should see the rib meat coming away from de bone (like de picture above).  Put ya some of your favorite barbecue sauce on the ribs.  We don't mean put a drip here - we mean REALLY put the sauce on.  CAKE IT.  Then cover yer ribs back up.  Put'em back in de oven for another half hour. 



That is some mighty fine ribs right chere!

Happy Cookin'!

Craw-Momma

That wall is down!

They completed gettin' that ugly wall down. Now we got ta fix the ugly that's left.  Time to get our paintin' clothes on!

The NEW Cajun Outdoor Cooking Store

Boy, do we have our work cut out for us. . .


Thought y'all would like the see the "before" pics of the new Cajun Outdoor Cooking store.  The store will be located right in de middle of town. . . go down MacArthur - we gonna be right across from the pecan shellin' place and mattress store.  There's also that tattoo shop in the same shopping center where we are. You can look for de big crawfish on the sign in a few weeks.  :)

The store use to be a "give ya money right now" loan place.  They have bullet proofed the entire place.  Guess that's understanding and all - but this wall and all dat glass gonna go.  We want ya to feel at home and sit a while - not feel like you gonna rob de place.

This is where all the regulator kits, outdoor burner brass parts and other cookin' accessories gonna be.  It'll look like a LOT more room once that dang wall is gone.

This is where we gonna put all the double outdoor burners.  We got one that is particularly interestin'.  It is the colors of purple and gold!  We will have about 6 - 8 you can look at.  We don't have them all listed on the website . . . but workin' on it.

This is where all those big stock pots gonna be settin'.

We gonna have all those Cajun food grocery items you need to.  Heck, even some of it you can't get in OUR grocery store. 

Be sure if you are in the area, you come and see us! 

Sincerely,

Craw-Momma  ;)

Crock Pot Cajun Black-eyed Peas Recipe

Every New Years Craw-Momma cook a crock pot full of these yummy black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas suppose to bring ya luck for de year. Don know if it works, but I ain't jinxing it - so we keep eatin' em. Don bother me none, cause they good anyhow. Cajun black-eyed peas is super easy to make. Just throw stuff in crock pot and let 'em cook. Takes about 4 hours in de crockpot.

To make your Cajun Blackeyed Peas you will need de followin':

7 Cups Water (OR 4 cups beef broth / 3 cups water)

1 Pound Uncooked Blackeyed Peas
1 Small Onion - Chopped
1 Pound (16 oz package) Andouille or Smoked Sausage - Quartered
1 Tsp Tony's Seasoning
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
4 Beef Bouillion Cubes (Only IF You Didn't Use Broth)

Get yer uncooked black-eyed peas and wash em. Not wit soap. Just run some water over them and swish dem around. Put 'em in de crock pot.

Chop de onion and quarter yer sausage.

 . . . dis is quarterin' yer sausage.

Add all the ingredients.  Plug the crock pot in.  Put crock pot on high.  Let ‘dem cook fer ‘bout 4 hours.  Stir ‘em every once in a while.  Watch de water in ‘em and make sure yer pot don get hotter than ours and cook de water out.  If it does, just add a cup of water in there.   Don add salt while you cookin' cause that Tony's got salt in it. 

. . . crock pot suppose to look like dis before it cook.

In ‘bout four hours you have a good tastin’ crock pot full of Cajun black-eyed peas.  Don forget to cook ya some rice and cornbread to go wit! 

. . . crock pot suppose to look like dis when it done.

Black-eyed peas should be soft but not cook down so much they mush.

Serves ‘bout 6 people.