Welcome to My Kitchen ...

This will be a sampling of Cajun and Creole recipes that will be as authentic as can be. You will find no "blackened" recipes here ... do you normally eat burnt food? Well , neither do Cajuns. We like our food to have flavor , so we use a lot of seasonings in our food. But that does not necessarily mean that the food will cauterize your taste buds whenever you take a bite.

So ... enjoy them and hopefully you will get an accurate idea of what true Louisiana cuisine is like.

Crawfish Fettucini

3 cloves garlic (optional)

3lbs. Crawfish tails

3 sticks oleo

3 onions

1 lb. Jalapeno cheese

3 stalks celery

4 tbs. dehydrated parsley

1/4 cup flour

1 pint half & half

1 lb egg noodles

2 bell peppers

Be warned ... this recipe yields a tremendous amount of food!!!

Saute onions, bell peppers, celery, and oleo. Add parsley, garlic, and crawfish. Cook 10 minutes. Add flour, half & half, and cheese. Simmer 30 minutes.

Boil and drain noodles and add to mixture. Pour into LARGE casserole dish; top with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

For a delicious variation, substitute 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup for the half & half.

Seafood Stuffed Potato

4 large white potatoes

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup whipping cream

Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste

6 tsp. grated onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped onion tops

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1&1/2 cup grated sharp yellow cheese

1 lb. or 2 cup shrimp, crabmeat or crawfish

Paprika to garnish

Scrub potatoes and dry. Bake at 325 degrees F until done ( can microwave ).

Cut lengthwise and scrape out insides, leaving enough potato to hold skins together. Whip potato with all other ingredients but add seafood last. Refill skins and sprinkle with paprika. Reheat at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

When using shrimp, saute the shrimp on stovetop beforehand and chop. Can be done beforehand

Serves 8.

Crawfish Jalapeno Cornbread

1 cup corn meal

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

3-5 jalapeno peppers

1 can corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb crawfish tails

Mix well. Pour into greased 9x11 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Crawfish Stuffed Peppers

1 & 1/2 sticks butter or margarine

2 large onions , minced

1 bell pepper, minced

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp parsley

1 lb crawfish tails

1/2 loaf stale french bread

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 egg

5 medium bell peppers , halved

Step 1 :

Saute onions , minced bell peppers , celery & garlic in butter or margarine until light brown. Add parsley , crawfish tails & french bread that has been soaked in water & squeezed out. Add salt , Tabasco , & blend thoroughly.

Step 2 :

Remove from heat ; add egg & blend. Remove seeds & membrane from bell pepper halves and cook in boiling , salted water for 5 minutes. Drain.

Step 3 :

Pile crawfish mixture into pepper halves. Bake in 350 degrees F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 10 stuffed pepper halves ; 5 servings.

Crabmeat Dip

1/2 sick margarine

3 small onions , chopped

1 stalk celery

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 lb. crabmeat

2 tbps. Lea & Perrins sauce

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Cook onion & celery in margarine in a covered pan until they are clear. Add soup , crabmeat ( which was handsifted ) , Lea & Perrins , parsley , salt & pepper. Combine well and heat to a complete boil , stirring continuouslly. Serve warm .

Optional: Can add small amount of water if too thick. Also , can add Louisiana Hot Sauce ( any brand ) , and red pepper to taste.

Dove Etouffee and Rice

5 doves and giblets , seasoned to taste

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chopped onions

3 tablespoons chopped celery

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons chopped bell peppers

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon onion tops

2 tablespoons oil

1 small can whole mushrooms

2 cups water

2 cups cooked rice

Brown doves well. Add onions and cook until wilted. Add 2 cups water. Add remaining seasonings,. Cover and cook until doves are tender. Add onion tops , parsley , and mushrooms ... cook for 5 or 10 minutes. Serve piping hot with gravy poured over cooked rice and well mixed.