by Lynn Greene
Mardi Gras delights
Festive feasts are one way to celebrate
Mardi
Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday, is the day before
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent — a time of fasting.
The day is spent fattening yourself up for the coming lean
days.
Whether you observe the religious aspect of these events
or the fattening-up aspect, it can be fun to at least mark
the day with a festive feast.
In this country, Mardi Gras is associated with New Orleans,
and to a lesser extent Mobile, Ala., and the surrounding
Gulf Coast area of the South. Recipes that reflect this
region’s natural cuisine often are associated with Mardi
Gras. For decorating, use the traditional Mardi Gras colors:
purple (justice), green (faith) and gold (power).
If you’re in a hurry, the one-pot dish called jambalaya
is easy to make. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but
it can be put together quickly and it only uses one pot,
which means there’s less to clean up. You also could make
this in a crockpot and let it cook on low for up to eight
hours. Follow the recipe up to adding the water, then transfer
everything to the crockpot. It makes great leftovers, and
only tastes better the second day.
Classic jambalaya
Serves 6
1 pound medium shrimp
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. andouille, 1/4-inch slices
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried leaf thyme
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1-1/2 cups rice
Clean, peel and devein the shrimp and set aside. In a
large stockpot, heat the olive oil, add the chicken, onion,
celery and garlic. Saute while stirring until the chicken
is almost cooked, then add the shrimp and continue sauteing
until the shrimp is pink all the way through.
Add 3 cups of water and the remaining ingredients. Stir
to combine. Turn heat down to low and cover tightly. Stir
once or twice in the next 20 minutes and cook until the
rice absorbs the liquid and is tender.
If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped green onion
before serving.
Pralines
Makes 18 pralines
3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbsps. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 cups pecan halves
Combine sugar, cream of tarter, salt and milk. Stir over
low heat until sugar dissolves. Cook to 236 F-238 F or
soft-ball stage. Cool to 220 F.
Add butter or margarine, vanilla flavoring and pecans.
Beat until creamy. Drop from large spoon onto buttered
surface or wax paper. Let cool. Store in a tightly covered
container at room temperature.
Lynn Greene is senior editor for Community Shoppers Inc., which publishes the Stateline News. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com. |
