Time flies when you’re having fun. Today marks another milestone. This is my 200th article with the Daily Citizen. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would write that many. It’s always a pleasure when I sit down on a Saturday morning at my laptop to share my love for cooking with my wonderful readers.
So today, I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite recipes. These recipes have appeared in the first few articles I have written. Since it has been five years since they have appeared here, I thought it would be a great way for those who missed them the first time. The recipes are Creole Sausage Jambalaya, Crab Cakes and Fudge Pie. Let’s head to the kitchen!
Creole Sausage Jambalaya was the very first recipe that I shared with the citizens of White County. I started with it because it is a quick and simple dish, which you can easily change the meat component. Jambalaya is a great and tasty way to stretch a household food budget
Creole Sausage Jambalaya
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 quart beef stock or broth
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
4 tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
In a 6 quart pot over medium heat, cook sausage, onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add stock, tomato sauce and dry seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and lower heat to low. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.
My Crab Cake recipe is my most published recipe. It first appeared in the Thomas Kinkade cookbook. It has also appeared in the Louisiana Cookin’ and Louisiana Kitchen and Culture magazines. Of course, it has appeared here in the Daily Citizen, with this being the third time.
Crab Cakes
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked thru to remove shells
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon Old Bay seafood seasoning
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
Over medium heat, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté garlic in butter until golden brown. Add green onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add parsley and cook one more minute. Add crabmeat to pan. Add Old Bay seasoning and mix thoroughly. Add heavy cream and mix well. Add breadcrumbs and mix well. The mixture should not be liquidly. If so, add more bread crumbs. Allow mixture to cook. Form cakes in hand, making a 2 1/2” circle. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
You can cook them many ways. 1) Sauté them in an olive oil sprayed pan over medium heat for 3 minutes a side. 2) Cook in a 350 ℉ oven for 10 minutes. 3) Deep-fry them in a 360 ℉ deep fryer. Dip the crab cakes in a mixture of milk and beaten egg, then cover with breadcrumbs. Cook them for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
How could I not include my mom’s most requested recipe? This childhood favorite is still welcomed at any family meal. No one has been able to exactly duplicate my mom’s version. The missing ingredient must be her love.
Fudge Pie
1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour, unsifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325℉.
Grease a 9-inch pie pan. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Cream margarine until soft. Gradually add the sugar and continue mixing until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating hard after each one is added. Stir in the melted chocolate. Mix in the flour and vanilla. Pour into pie pan and bake for 30 minutes.
I want to thank Wendy Jones, the Community Editor at the Daily Citizen, for giving me this opportunity to share my recipes with you. I hope you enjoy reading and cooking these recipes as much as I do. If you have any questions or suggestions for future articles, please send them to me at tommy@creolecajunchef.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Onward to 300!
