Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Salad

Wayne and his wife once again loaded me up with fresh produce from their farm at the Ruston Farmer's Market, so I had some green tomatoes and peppers to play with . . . and shrimp, of course.

Ingredients:
1 green tomato
8 jumbo shrimp
2 peppers
greens
2 eggs
milk
flour
creole seasoning
garlic powder
salt and pepper
olive oil

Instructions:
1.  Peel and devein shrimp, julianne peppers, and slice green tomatoes.

2.  Make seasoned egg wash (with milk and eggs) and seasoned flour.

3.  Dip green tomatoes in egg wash and dust with flour. Repeat with shrimp.

4.  Heat up olive oil in large skillet, fry tomatoes first, then shrimp.

5.  Plate lettuce and peppers and add fried tomatoes and shrimp.

6.  Drizzle with remoulade sauce.

Remoulade Sauce:
olive oil
tarragon vinegar
horseradish mustard
paprika
garlic
chopped green onions
cayenne pepper
minced garlic
mayo
salt and pepper

*Use your judgment and taste to mix the above ingredients .

Cloud Shrimp and Crawfish Fettuccine

I'm ashamed to say I haven't cooked any exciting seafood dishes lately. Luckily for me, my customers have picked up my slack.

Here is a Shrimp and Crawfish Fettuccine from Debbie Cloud via her daughter Tiffany Cloud.

Ingredients:
1 lg onion chopped
1 stick butter
1 qt. half & half
1 lb shrimp
1 lb crawfish
1 bell pepper chopped
1 lb mushrooms sliced
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Black pepper to taste
Tony's to taste
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1 lb fettuccine

Instructions:
Melt butter in lg pan.  Add onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook until wilted.  Mix well.  Add half of the half and half.  Stir to blend.  Add shrimp and crawfish.  Gradually add 1/3 more of half and half while shrimp are cooking.  Stir constantly to prevent burning.  Add green onion and parsley.  Add remaining half and half and Parmesan cheese.  Add pepper and Tony's. Cook sauce until shrimp and crawfish are fully cooked.  Serve over fettuccine noodles.

Please feel free to pass your seafood recipes my way.  Now if I could only get y'all to come over to my house and cook!

Tis the Season

Bring on the "R" months baby, we are ready for some shuckin. I'm talking about Oyster Season!

Gotta love the Oyster Festival in Violet, La. I love how the "Living" section is peeking out from under the raw oysters. How poetic?

Lunch

Also, gotta love a dad you sends you off with freshly shucked oysters.

Dinner

If you are lucky enough to get some fresh oysters this season, throw your diet out the window, grab some butter, garlic, parmesan cheese and parsley and toss those suckers in the oven! Serve with french bread and lemon.  Man, it sure is good to live in Louisiana!

Shrimp Salad

I'm not talking about a green salad with shrimp on top.  I'm always surprised at how many people don't make shrimp salad.  I remember bringing a shrimp salad sandwich to lunch in high school (and stinking up my entire lunch table) and all of my friends asking, "What is that?"  I went to high school in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.  I guess for my family, shrimp was as easy to come by as tuna fish in a can and when you have the option, well . . . who wouldn't choose shrimp?

In classic salad-making fashion, chop up and mix the following:

1.  2 hard-boiled eggs

2.  1/3 cup green onions

3.  1/3 cup celery

4.  1/8 cup flat parsley

5.  1 lb boiled shrimp

6.  2 tbs mayo

7.  1 tbs spicy mustard

8.  garlic powder and salt to taste

Serve with crackers or bread. Or eat with a spoon, or chopsticks, or your fingers . . . this stuff is good!

Hard to Celebrate

I was born 28 years ago today. My hometown was destroyed 6 years ago today.  I will forever share my birthday with the darkest day in St. Bernard’s recent history. 2005 was certainly a year of endings and new beginnings. I thought graduating undergrad and embarking on a journey at UNC law school would be the hallmarks of 2005. I wish I had been right.  Instead, I watched under a Carolina Blue sky as Hurricane Katrina stole our city. She mercilessly flooded our homes, killed our citizens, and took our sanity. She tried to take our spirits, and in some cases, she succeeded.  I never thought I’d say this, but I miss St. Bernard Parish, the way it was.

When people die, survivors try to focus on celebrating their life.  It’s hard to celebrate the life of a place. Quite frankly, it’s hard to celebrate anything at all.  My plan was to end this post with something uplifting, something encouraging, and a bit of hope, but I’m just not feeling it. Fuck you Katrina for stealing my birthday!

Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients:
1 lb peeled deveined shrimp
2 tbsp. olive oil
fresh rosemary to taste
creole seasoning to taste
1/8 c. fresh squeezed lime juice
corn tortillas
coleslaw mix
salsa

Instructions:

1.  Sautee shrimp in olive oil, rosemary, creole seasoning, and lime juice.

2.  Fill corn tortillas with shrimp, coleslaw mix, and salsa.

Shrimp Bruschetta

This one was inspired by my dear friend Meredith, who made a delicious avocado bruschetta during my visit to Shreveport.

Ingredients:

1 lb of peeled deveined shrimp
1 half avocado chopped up
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of sesame oil
1 baguette sliced
1 clove of fresh garlic
butter
creole seasoning to taste

Instructions:

1. Slice Baguette, spread with butter, and toast in oven.

2. Sautee shrimp in olive oil and creole seasoning.

3.  Chop shrimp and mix with chopped avocado, basil, cilantro, tomatoes and sesame oil.

4.  Remove bread from oven and rub fresh cut clove of garlic on bread while bread is still hot.

5.  Spoon shrimp mixture onto bread and serve.