Andouille & Shrimp Stew

Want another Cajun option for a chilly night, other than GUMBO?

This recipe will NOT disappoint you!

It was an experiment, but after Mads' reaction, it will be a regular on the menu at our place!

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup olive oil

-1 pound (16 oz) of andouille sausage (in DK, I use Kålpølser)- Slice into 1 inch pieces and then half each piece

-1 chopped yellow onion

-Slap ya Mama (or your fave Cajun seasoning)

-2 cloves of garlic, minced-- I prefer to grate my cloves on a cheese grater. The consistency is PERFECT--better than a garlic press, in my opinion!

-2 cans of Rotel tomatoes

-1 pound of sliced okra (frozen or fresh will do, although you know fresh would be just a little bit better!) (In DK you have to buy this in the Turkish

market.)

-2 cans of chicken broth

-1 can of hot water

-1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined

-1/4 chopped green onions

In a soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until browned (about 10 min). Transfer the sausage to another bowl (just to hold it until later), reserving the grease in the pot.

Add the onion, season generously with Slap ya Mama, and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute longer. Replace the cooked sausage in the pot with the onions, and add the cans of Rotel tomatoes, the chicken broth, water, and okra. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

Reduce heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Peel and devein shrimp and of course, season with a little Slap ya Mama! Set the shrimp in the fridge until you are ready for them.

When you are about 10 minutes from being ready to serve dinner, add the shrimp to the stew and cook about 6 minutes longer (until shrimp are pink). You should not need to use a thickening agent because the okra helps the broth to thicken to a stew-consistency.

Serve with a small serving of white rice and top with the green onions.

Zydeco Sweet Potato Crab Chowder

I received a great gift from my mother awhile back...Louisana Cookin' magazine. It has some of the best recipes, and this one was a hit with my family. It's a little bit of work, but well worth it.

Ingredients:

2 pieces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces andouille, ground or chopped (approximately two 4-inch links of andouille)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño, seeded
1 15-ounce can cream-style sweet corn
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups, drained and diced Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes in Light Syrup
1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
8 ounces cooked Louisiana lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, in all

Cook the bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Remove bacon. Add the andouille to the bacon drippings. Sauté for about 3minutes or until the andouille is crispy.
Remove 2 tablespoons of the andouille and set aside for garnish. Add the bacon along with the red bell pepper, shallots, celery, and jalapeño. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and vegetables are tender.
Add the cream corn, chicken broth, Creole seasoning, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Next add in the sweet potatoes, stir to incorporate and let simmer 5 minutes, then add the milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the crabmeat, let simmer another 5 minutes or until mixture is heated through.
Stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley. Adjust seasoning if necessary. In a small bowl toss the remaining parsley, crab, and andouille together and use as garnish.
Ladle into bread bowl, individuals bowls, or a soup tureen. Garnish with the reserved andouille/crab mixture.

Shrimp Chowder

A perfect dinner for cold winter night!

Even if this batch sounds too big for your family, make it anyway because this freezes GREAT and tastes even better the second time around!



Ingredients:
1 bag whole kernel corn (or 3 cans)
½ pound bacon
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3 TBSP flour
Slap ya Mama Cajun seasoning (or your own favorite brand)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
½ pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup cream

Directions:
In a soup pot fry the bacon in 3 TBSP of oil until crisp. Chop into small bite-sized pieces and set aside, reserving the oil. Add onions, celery, and bell pepper to the "bacon" oil and saute until tender. Add garlic until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and several shakes of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, stirring for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Add potatoes, bay leaf, bacon bits, and corn, bringing to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the shrimp and cream.


If your chowder is too thin, add another TBSP of flour. If it is too thick, add additional milk.
Cook until the shrimp are pink. Taste before you serve in case you need another shake of Cajun seasoning!



Remove bay leaf before serving.
Goes great with warm french bread.