Jambalaya, toast of Cajun cuisine

Jambalaya salad with greens

JAMBALAYA

2 cups long grain rice

4 cups water

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 pound cooked andouille sausage or

other cooked, smoked sausage

1 tbs olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tsp finely shredded orange peel

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tbs snipped fresh thyme or

1 tsp dried thyme, Crushed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp pepper

1 pound cooked and peeled crawfish tails or

cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)

1-1/2 cups chopped green, red, and/

or yellow sweet pepper

1/2 cup snipped parsley

8 cups mixed salad greens (such as Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, arugula, and/or leaf lettuce)

Andouille sausage and crawfish tails give an authentic Cajun taste to this robust salad.

In a large saucepan combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat; rinse rice well with cool water. Drain and set aside. *Bias-slice sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large skillet brown sausage over medium-high heat for two to three minutes. Drain off fat.

Remove sausage from skillet. Add the 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet; cook onion in hot oil until tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, for Citrus-Pepper Dressing, in a screw-top jar combine the 1/3 cup olive oil, orange peel, orange juice, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt, ground red pepper, and black pepper. Cover and shake dressing well. Use immediately or chill. Shake again before using.

In a very large bowl combine rice, sausage, onion, cooked crawfish tails or shrimp, tomato, sweet pepper, and parsley. Add the Citrus-Pepper Dressing; toss well. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

To serve, arrange greens on a large platter; top with the chilled seafood mixture. Makes 16 to 20 side-dish servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare salad but do not add greens. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Serve over greens.

Chicken and shrimp jambalaya

If you like spicy Cajun food, use the Homemade Cajun Seasoning. The Cajun seasoning blend you buy in the supermarket is less peppery than this home-mixed three-pepper combo.

CAJUN SHRIMP

This shrimp dish is an easy, yet elegant appetizer for everyday celebrations.

1/2 of a lemon

1/3 cup water

1 small onion,

chopped (1/3 cup)

2 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs cooking oil

2 cloves garlic,

minced

1 tbs Cajun seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 pounds fresh or frozen peeled medium shrimp (about 2 pounds in the shell)

1/2 cup chopped green or red sweet pepper

Lettuce leaves

•Carefully remove peel from the lemon half, being careful not to include the white portion. Cut the lemon peel into very thin strips.

•Combine lemon peel, water, onion, lemon juice, cooking oil, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and salt in a large skillet; heat to boiling. Add shrimp stirring to coat. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 4 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring twice. Stir in green or red pepper. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours, stirring the mixture occasionally. 3. At serving time, drain mixture well. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl with serving picks. Makes 12 servings.

FRIED OKRA

The cornmeal is definitely American, but okra is African, as is the generous dose of pepper in the batter.

1 pound fresh okra (about 45 small to medium)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

Cooking oil for deep-fat frying

•Wash okra; trim ends. Slice okra into bite-size pieces; set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, cornmeal, salt, red pepper, and black pepper; mix well.

•In a shallow bowl beat together egg and milk. Dip okra into milk mixture, then into cornmeal mixture; coat well. Fry about one-third of the okra at a time in deep, hot fat (365 degrees F) for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven while frying remaining okra. Makes 6 servings.

CAJUN QUICHE

This quiche is loaded with plenty of shrimp, cheese and crabmeat. Real men will eat this quiche; that is, if the women and children do not get to it first.

2 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie shells

6 large eggs, beaten

1-1/2 cups shredded

American cheese (6 oz.)

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 pound fresh lump or jumbo crabmeat or

1 can (16 oz.) refrigerated, pasteurized crabmeat, picked over 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 tsp Creole seasoning

•Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prick bottoms of frozen pie shells with a fork. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

•Meanwhile, combine eggs, cheeses, green onions, heavy cream and Creole seasoning in a large bowl until well blended. Fold in shrimp; then gently fold in crabmeat.

•Divide filling evenly into each pie crust. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until filling is set in centre. Makes 12 servings.