February Recipes, just 'cuz you asked!

CROCK POT BREAD PUDDING

8 cups cubed day-old cinnamon or white bread
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar, brown or white or a little of both
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cinnamon to taste
2 apples cored, peeled & chopped (more or less!)
Optional -- Bananas work really good in this, too!
1 cup raisins - optional
Nuts -- walnuts, pecans, your choice, optional

Place cubed bread in crock pot with apples mixed in. In a mixing bowl, combine the next 7 ingredients; beat until smooth. Stir in raisins. Pour over bread; stir gently. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours

RUM SAUCE
For Bread Pudding
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons white or dark rum

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and stir into the butter. Pour milk in gradually, stirring constantly. Cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Serve warm over bread pudding.

BANANA BREAD

3 large ripe bananas
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
Dash of vanilla

Mash bananas with a fork. Stir the flour and sugar together and mix with bananas, oil and eggs. Fold in the nuts, if desired. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour at 325F, until golden brown and tested done with a straw.
Optional – press some chopped nuts on top of the batter before baking.

SELF RISING FLOUR

Measure the desired amount of flour into a bowl.
For each cup of all-purpose flour,
add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Mix to combine.

CRAWFISH FRIED RICE
(can use any seafood or fish in this recipe)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups cooked, cold rice
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup green peas
2 tablespoons seasoning mix (any Cajun or seafood seasoning)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 scrambled eggs, cooked and chopped
2 cups cooked crawfish tails

Precook crawfish tails in microwave for 5 minutes. Pre-heat wok or frying pan on high. Add oil. Add cooked rice, mix well. Stir-fry until hot. Add carrots, onions, and bell pepper, green onions peas, stir fry for several minutes. Blend in seasoning mix and soy sauce. Add scrambled eggs and cooked crawfish tails. Blend well, cover and turn heat setting on wok to low and stir fry for 5 minutes.


CREOLE DIRTY RICE

1 lb. Chicken livers, chopped fine
4 tbs. Vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tsp. Chopped garlic
1/4 cup green onions tops chopped
1/4 cup parsley (optional)
1/2 tsp. Creole Spices
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Black pepper

8 cups cooked rice

Sauté chicken livers, onions, celery, green peppers, and garlic with vegetable oil until lightly browned. Add Creole Spices, salt, and pepper, then combine liver mixture with cooked rice in a bowl. Add green onion tops, toss with a fork. Place rice in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until heated

CRAWFISH AND/OR SHRIMP CHOWDER

3 slices diced sautéed ham or cooked crumbled bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons celery, chopped
2 cups peeled diced raw potatoes
1 1/2 cups fish or shrimp stock (if you don’t have fish stock, use chicken broth or vegetable stock)
2 cups heavy cream, milk or condensed milk
1 pound cooked crawfish tails or 1 -1/2 pounds shelled cooked shrimp (I often use both)
Seasoning – your preference. I use milk Cajun premixed spices. Any fish, shrimp or seafood seasoning works well.

Put butter or margarine to pan, add onions, bell peppers and celery. Saute until wilted. Add stock and potatoes, (if shrimp are used add shrimp), and meat. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add crawfish.
About 10 minutes before serving add cream and seasoning. Cook over a low fire until flavors come together. Do not let cream curdle.
I often don’t use milk at all – just extra stock or broth.