Sausage Appetizer
5 pounds smoked link sausage
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 pound brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Cook sausage in a heavy skillet, barely covering with water, on
low heat and cook until all water is boiled away.
Pour off all
grease and cut sausage into small bite-size pieces.
Heat pineapple,
brown sugar and mustard until boiling.
Stir well and pour over
sausage.
Serve with wooden picks, very hot, in a chafing dish.
Short Ribs, Bayou Style
3 pounds short ribs
Flour
2 bay leaves
8 whole cloves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 lemon, sliced
Sprinkle meat with flour.
Brown.
Pour off fat.
Add 1 cup water
and remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer for about 3 hours.
Shrimp Creole
1/4 pound butter
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced shallots
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
1 cup tomato purée or 2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves
3 pounds peeled, de-veined shrimp
2 ounces cornstarch
1 pint cold water
1 ounce lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Melt butter; sauté peppers, onions, celery and
shallots for 5 minutes.
Add tomato purée or paste and
bay leaves, then simmer 15 minutes.
Add shrimp and simmer 15 minutes.
Dissolve cornstarch in 1 pint cold water, add and simmer 5
minutes.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; add pinch of cayenne,
simmer 15 minutes.
Serve over steamed rice or creamed potatoes.
Shrimp Gumbo
2 pounds shrimp
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chopped okra
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 can tomatoes
2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves
Red pepper
Peel shrimp and de-vein.
Make a dark roux with flour and oil.
Add shrimp for a few minutes and stir constantly.
Set aside.
Smother okra and onions in oil.
Add tomatoes when okra is nearly
cooked.
Add water, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper.
Add shrimp
and roux.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
“Some Good” Onion Rings
Peel and slice red onions into rings.
Use only red onions! The
amounts you use in this recipe will depend entirely upon the amount
of onion you use.
In a paper bag, mix about a cup of white flour with paprika and
1 tablespoon salt.
Dip the onion rings in buttermilk, then shake
them well in the bag of flour and fry them in hot, deep fat.
Sweet Potatoes in Praline Sauce (New Orleans)
This sauce is very rich, and you may want to save some for over
ice cream.
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
Salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Boil the potatoes in salted water until not quite tender, about
15 minutes.
Prepare the sauce by melting the sugar in a heavy saucepan over
medium heat.
In a short time the sugar will begin to turn to a
light golden brown.
Stir to prevent burning.
When light brown syrup
is formed, immediately add the corn syrup, followed by the water.
Blend thoroughly.
Allow to cool for just a moment and then stir in
the pecans, butter, salt and vanilla extract.
Place the potatoes in
a greased baking dish.
Pour some of the sauce over the potatoes and
bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
Taco Oysters
Many years ago, there was an immigration of Yugoslavians to
Louisiana, where they settled along the mouth of the Mississippi
River.
Many became oyster fishermen.
Since they are known by their
nickname, Tacos, there are a number of oyster dishes also known by
that name.
Oysters
Bacon
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of Tabasco  sauce
Salt and pepper (sparingly)
2 teaspoons tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
American cheese, finely shredded
Arrange oysters on the half-shell in a pie pan of rock salt.
Prepare enough partially-cooked bacon so that there will be enough
to cover each oyster with a bacon strip.
On each oyster, place the above ingredients.
Cover each oyster
with finely-shredded American cheese.
Bake at 450 degrees F until
oysters are done and curl on the edges and the cheese is bubbly (10
minutes or less).
Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Tomatoes Creole
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan.
Add:
4 large skinned, sliced seeded tomatoes
or 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1 large onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 shredded green bell pepper
Cook the vegetables until they are tender —
about 12 minutes.
Add:
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
Strain the juice from the vegetables and add to it enough cream
to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons flour.
Simmer and stir the sauce until it is thick and smooth.
Combine it
with the vegetables and serve hot on toast with
sautéed bacon.
Or you can use it to fill pepper or
squash cases.
Spinach Balls
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
2 cups herb-flavored stuffing mix
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 eggs, well-beaten
3/4 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 to 2 teaspoons Tony’s Creole Seasoning (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Lightly grease a cookie
sheet.
Cook spinach according to package directions and drain well,
squeezing to remove excess moisture.
Combine with stuffing mix,
chopped onion, eggs, margarine, cheese, Cayenne and garlic salt.
Mix well.
Shape into 3/4-inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
Bake
15 to 20 minutes.
These are successfully frozen by placing on a pan in freezer
until hard, then storing in airtight bags.
To serve, thaw slightly and bake 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 dozen.
Spicy Gator Etouffee Sandwich
1 pound chopped alligator tail meat
1/4 cup water
Pinch of flour
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley
Garlic, as desired
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 pound crawfish tail meat
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
Chardonnay
Fresh baked hoagie rolls
Herb Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons parsley
Dash of basil
Wash alligator thoroughly and sauté in herb butter
for 2 minutes on each side.
Set aside.
Cook etoufee by combining butter, onion, celery, bell pepper,
bay leaves and garlic.
Sauté until tender, squeezing
lemon juice while incorporating Cajun spices, cayenne pepper, and
parsley.
Add water and flour; simmer.
Add crawfish, green onion and
a little chardonnay.
Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until crawfish is
done.
Blend in food processor.
Take your cooked alligator and place on skillet and top with
etoufee.
Top with Swiss cheese; melt cheese, and grill the hoagie
roll next to it.
Place hoagie roll on top, flip over, and finish
off sandwich by slicing in half and garnishing with a kosher
pickle.