One of the main things south Louisiana is famous for is the excellent Cajun food. I have put together some of my favorite recipes I have collected over the years as well as my own home cooking. Not all recipes are Cajun because I am opening this page to anyone who would like to share their own favorite recipes. If you have a recipe you would like to share in Cajunland please feel free to Email me and I will gladly post it for you. If you have any questions about any of the recipes that are posted, I will be glad to answer as best as I know how. Some of these recipes are from family and friends, some from accumulated cookbooks, and some of my own home cooking. I will add recipes as I get them.  I pray you enjoy browsing through my little page of home Cajun cooking. May the Lord richly bless you!



         


      MY PERSONAL HOME COOKIN'



       CAJUN GUMBO



4-5 gallon pot
2 large onions
1 large bell pepper
2 cups chopped green onions
parsley or parsley flakes (desired amount)
1 jar Savoie's roux or 1 lb. homemade roux *
5 lbs. cajun smoked sausage
6-8 packages pork tasso
1 -6lb. or more cut hen or rooster
salt
garlic powder
McCormick Season All
rice

Cut onions, bell pepper, green onions, and parsley in small pieces. Cut tasso in 1-1 1/2 inch portions. Cut sausage in 2-inch pieces.  Season hen equally with seasonings. Fill pot with water a little less than halfway. Put on high heat and let it come to a boil. When water starts to boil, add roux. After roux begins to melt, add onions, peppers and parsley. Bring to another boil, then add remaining ingredients. When gumbo starts to boil again, lower fire and simmer moderately for 2 1/2 - 4 hours. After gumbo simmers for one hour, taste juice. If needed, add desired amount of seasoning. Cook uncovered until hen and tasso are tender. May need to add water periodically if level of gumbo evaporates too rapidly. Serve over rice. Cajuns eat gumbo like soup rather than like rice and gravy. To get the full effect of flavor and smoke taste, use less rice to more gumbo. Real juicy! *See recipe to make homemade roux below.

***TIP*** If you live in the Lafayette area of south Louisiana, I use the smoke mix sausage at a little country store in Scott, La. called "Best Stop". I find this is the absolute best sausage for a good cajun gumbo, but any cajun sausage will still make a great cajun gumbo.



      HOMEMADE ROUX


Need a pot that will brown flour. (I use either a magnalite pot or a cast iron pot which is the best.) Put oil in bottom of pot; enough to cover bottom of pot. Put enough flour to saturate in oil. Cook on medium or low heat stirring constantly until mixture is dark brown. Be prepared to stir constantly for 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much roux you choose to make.  Roux will burn if you stop stirring.



          CAJUN CHICKEN STEW


6-7 quart pot
1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetable
1 chicken cut-up
1 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
1 small bunch green onions
parsley or parsley flakes (desired amount)
1/2 lb. jar store Savoie's roux or 1/2 lb. homemade roux*
1 med. bowl of cut-up, peeled potatoes
cornstarch (if needed)
rice
salt
garlic powder
McCormick Season All
red pepper (if desired)

Cut up onions, parsley, and peppers. Season chicken equally with all seasonings. Fill pot a little less than half with water. Bring to a boil. Add roux. After roux melts, add onions, parsley, and peppers. Bring to another boil. Add remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered on medium heat, simmering moderately until chicken is cooked and gravy is thickened. Gravy should not be too thin of too thick and should be brown in color. If gravy is too thin, add a mixture of cornstarch and water to thicken. Use a little at a time until gravy reaches desired consistency. Should cook in 1- 1 1/2 hours. Taste gravy after about a half hour or so and add seasoning if needed to your satisfaction. Serve over rice.

***TIP*** May cook stew without potatoes and vegetables.



     STEAK AND GRAVY


***Must have pot that will brown meat to make gravy. I use a 5-7 quart pot to feed a family of 5.

1 pkg. McCormick Onion Gravy Mix (optional) (use this to enhance gravy if steak does not make much gravy)
1 large round steak
1 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
green onions and parsley (optional)
salt
garlic powder              
McCormick Season All
black or red pepper (if desired)
rice

Chop onions and bell peppers. Cut steak in about 4-5 inch x 2 1/2 inch sections. Season evenly. Put enough oil in bottom of pot to cover bottom. Brown meat on both sides a few pieces at a  time. Brown on medium high heat. When all the meat is brown, remove from heat. (Meat should be medium color brown.) Add onions and bell peppers. Saute' (soften) onions and bell pepper. (Add a little water at a time to prevent scorching.) Add meat. Add enough water to cover meat. Bring to a boil on high heat. After it starts boiling, turn down heat to medium or low. Should simmer moderately. Mix one package of McCormick Onion Gravy Mix to enough water in a cup to dissolve. Add to pot. (This is optional. Gravy can be made without mix, but makes a lot less gravy.) Add mixture to pot. Cook until meat breaks up with the twist of a fork. May need to add water periodically or add seasoning to desired taste. Serve over rice. Gravy should be medium to dark color.

*VARIATION*
       Can do this recipe with chicken.  The only thing you do different is after you season meat, sprinkle meat with sugar to enhance browning.



      CHICKEN IN TOMATO GRAVY


1 Chicken (cut)
1 medium onion
1 small bell pepper
green onions
parsley
salt
garlic powder
McCormick Season All
6-7 quart pot
2or 3  (14-16 oz.) cans tomato sauce
rice

Cut up seasonings. Season chicken. Fill pot half with water. Add tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Add all ingredients. Cook until chicken is tender. Gravy should not be too thin. Serve over rice.

*VARIATION*
       Can do this recipe with Cajun smoke sausage. Cut sausage in 2 inch sections and brown in oil first. Makes a great tasting smoke-flavored tomato gravy.



      CROCK POT RED BEANS AND RICE


1 large crock pot
1 lb. red beans
2 lb. Cajun smoke sausage
2 pkgs. McCormick Onion Gravy Mix
1 large onion
1 small bell pepper
salt
garlic powder
pepper (optional)
rice

Soak red beans overnight in water. Cut sausage in 1/4 inch pieces. Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cover beans with water. Water should be 1/2 to 1 inch over beans. Cook until tender. Serve over rice. (I cook this recipe on high setting on my crock pot for 5-6 hours.)



       SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN


1 chicken (cut)
salt
garlic powder
pepper (optional)
McCormick Season All
flour
Crisco butter flavor oil

*I use a non-stick skillet.*

Season chicken. Roll pieces in flour. Fry in Butter Crisco Oil. (Oil should not cover chicken)



      ROAST


Any kind of roast
salt
garlic powder
McCormick Season All
onions
garlic
toothpicks
oil
roaster (one that browns)
rice

Cut seasoning in small pieces. Season with salt, garlic powder, and McCormick Season All. Make 1-inch slits throughout roast and fill each slit with seasonings. Close slits with toothpicks. Season roast evenly with salt, garlic powder, and McCormick Season All. Put oil in roaster to cover bottom. Place roast in roaster and cook on 400 degrees until tender. (about 2-4 hours,depending on size of roast.) Add water every hour and baste roast with drippings. Serve over rice. (If gravy is not brown enough or is scanty, after roast is cooked, you may remove roast and cook gravy over stove top adding 1 pkg. McCormick onion gravy mix.)



              



Here are recipes I have collected over the years from various resources. Some are Cajun; some are not. I thought I would open this section of my recipe page to anyone that would like to share their favorite recipes. I will add to this section as I receive new recipes. Because this can get rather lengthy, I have categorized the recipes with subtitles. Just click on your area of interest and you will be directed to the page you are looking for. Please check back often as I will continually be adding new categories with new recipes. Happy Eating and God Bless You!



BEVERAGES

BREAKFAST

CAJUN

CASSEROLES

DESSERTS

DIPS

SANDWICHES

SIDE DISHES








     




Now we have come to the most special part of this recipe page. I wanted to save the best for last. One of the most important things in life is having a close-knit family. I am very blessed to be a part of a close-knit Christian family. What has been very special to me throughout the years is good ole' Pop and Mom's Cajun home cooking. I have gathered together some of the family favorites that are being passed down to us younger folk. Family gatherings are so special to us and what a joy it is to sit down together as a family and enjoy Pop and Mom's good ole' Cajun cookin'! They have allowed me to share some of their best recipes and of all the recipes I have posted so far, the family favorites from Pop and Mom are truly the best. I pray these recipes will be a blessing to you as they have been for our family. Just click on the text below and it will take you to the best Cajun recipes around!



                         



POP AND MOM'S FAMILY FAVORITES



      



Thank you so much for visiting my little country kitchen on the web! I hope you enjoyed your visit and please come back soon as I will continually be adding recipes as I get them. 




                                           



But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19