Saturday, August 17, 2013

Weekend Cooking...Bayou Birthday

Ok, it did not actually happen in the bayou.
It took place in NJ.
But it was a dish one might eat in the bayou, so close enough!

The Bro, the birthday boy, got to request what he wanted for his birthday dinner.
Seems he would have preferred a vanilla cake and got chocolate.
But it was delicious.


And somehow, something was lost in translation and his requested jambalaya turned into a creole.
Shrimp...rice...close enough!!
Once again, like a recent post, those tasty Rotel tomatoes with peppers came into play.
They were not in any recipe I saw, but I thought they would be a fine addition.
I scoured a lot of recipes and settled on one from Southern Food About.com with a touch of Emeril Lagasse thrown in for good measure.




Shrimp Creole
  • 4 lbs medium-size shrimp, peeled, deveined
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 large green pepper, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 can Rotel tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • hot pepper sauce to taste
  • salt to taste
  • serve with hot cooked rice
Heat oil in Dutch oven and add onion, celery, green onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, 15 minutes or more until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, salt, black and red pepper, bay leaves, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil. Mix the flour with the water to make a slurry and add, stirring well. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 
Add shrimp and simmer for about 10 minutes more, or until the shrimp turn pink. 
Remove the bay leaves. 
Stir in parsley and serve over rice. Serves 8. 


It seems like a lot of ingredients, but is really just a fair bit of chopping and prep. Then they almost all go in together, and except for some stirring, it is good to go.
And as with many dishes with a sauce like this, even better the next day when all the flavors have 'married'. 

 



This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.


19 comments:

  1. OMG, The Bro is my soul mate! I want what he wants! LOL

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    1. I would not mind having it either! maybe he will cook it for me..lol

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  2. I love Cajun / Creole -- and the Rotel tomatoes sounds like a good addition to me. Now I'm kind of sad that I don't have any shrimp in the house.

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    1. I should always have a bag of shrimp in the freezer.

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  3. I just got back from the Jersey shore (Stone Harbor-Stronger than the Storm!) and still want lots of seafood and this looks delicious. I love creole food. Thanks for sharing this (I am saving it for the next time I plan shrimp for dinner)

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  4. I hope the Bro had a happy birthday and enjoyed his shrimp creole. Rotel belongs in just about everything, by the way.

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    1. yes, you are a fan, aren't you. well, I will say it DID belong in this dish.

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  5. Happy Birthday to the Bro and I bet you didn't get many complaints on that dish! We have been off the shrimp kick for awhile...I think I burned everyone out on my shrimp cakes. But this could get us back into the swing. Yum!

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  6. Lovely - I need to get me some shrimp to try this!

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  7. Oh boy, Justin Wilson...a blast from the past!

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  8. Happy birthday to Bro! That is a fine birthday feast. Love me some shrimp, mmmmm

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  9. Happy Birthday to your Bro- I'm sure he enjoyed his delicious dinner.

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  10. Yes, very tasty, even though not what I had very specifically and very explicitly requested for my birthday. Even though Sis explained that she had never made shrimp jambalaya, I had every confidence in her ability for adaptation and innovation in cooking and I'm sure that she could have made a truly excellent version of jambalaya which would have made her proud. Nevertheless, I have to admit that the shrimp creole was excellent, much enjoyed and much appreciated. Jambalaya? Well maybe, next year. In any event, I hope that my request is now on record early enough to avoid any possible claim of misunderstanding or confusion.

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    1. a "claim of misunderstanding"? talk about being a lawyer...

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  11. Happy Birthday to your Bro. I like how he chooses to celebrate!

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  12. Caite, this looks and sounds delicious. My mother many years ago made a shrimp creole and I loved it. This sounds similar and I will have to try it out. Happy Birthday to your Bro!

    Enjoy your week ahead,Eileen

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please speak up, I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!