Creamy Crawfish Pasta

 Creamy Crawfish Pasta

We had been craving crawfish since we watched an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats the other night. This dish satisfied our yearning!
We love Alton Brown and always learn so much from his shows! On his crawfish episode, this brainy Marietta, Georgia resident gave validity to our calling this little crustacean - "craw" fish and not "cray" fish, as some would have us believe it should be called. We all know it's "craw"fish, right?!  
Alton's Wikipedia bio says he's a Christian! I thought some of you might be interested in that! He genuinely seems like a really nice guy!
I picked up a package of frozen, fully-cooked crawfish tails the other day and just sort of just threw this pasta dish together with things I had on hand. I thought it turned out really well. The family all raved, which is always a good sign! I didn't have any parsley in the fridge, but it would surely have added a nice touch of color to our plates. You could also saute a chopped green pepper along with the onions and sausage. Shrimp could be used instead of crawfish in this dish. Better yet - use shrimp and crawfish!  
Now that would be some kind of good!

Creamy Crawfish Pasta

1 pound dried pasta of choice, prepared according to package directions
1 pound frozen, fully-cooked crawfish tails, thawed
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 pound Cajun sausage, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 - 4 cups sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups cream, half-and-half, or milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cajun seasoning, to taste
Chopped parsley

Put pasta on to cook.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet.
Add onions and sausage. Sauté until onions are tender and sausage is browned.
Add mushrooms and sauté until tender.
Add garlic and sauté a minute or two more.
Sprinkle in flour, stirring until smooth. You can a bit more butter here, if you like.
Gradually add cream into flour mixture, stirring until thickened.
Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese
Add salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to taste. 
Drain pasta and return to pot.
Pour sauce over pasta.
Toss until pasta is well-coated with sauce. 
Gently fold in fully-cooked crawfish tails.
Let pasta simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Plate and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Garnished with chopped parsley, if you like.

More great recipes at Tasty Tuesday!

Shrimp Fettuccine Casserole and Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread

 Shrimp Fettuccine Casserole

This was really good - a big hit with everyone! 

Logan said it was as good as a dish from Macaroni Grill!  

I’ll definitely make it again! 

This made just about the right amount for the four of us. The guys did have seconds. 

You'll want to double it for a larger group and bake it in a 9x13-inch dish.

Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread

I had picked up a package of ciabatta rolls today to go with the casserole, but when I opened the bag tonight, they were molded. Don't you just hate it when that happens?! Of course I didn't discover the problem until I was ready to bake them. I grabbed a can of pizza dough from the fridge, whisked together a bit of olive oil, a couple of crushed garlic cloves and some dried parsley. I slathered this over the dough, which I had pressed onto a cookie sheet. I sprinkled the whole thing down with a handful of Asiago and Parmesan cheese. Presto - quick and easy focaccia bread!

Shrimp Fettuccine Casserole

1 (8-ounce) package fettuccine
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
salt, white pepper and Cajun seasoning, to taste
2 cups sliced mushrooms, sauteed (You could use canned.)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and cooked (I used the frozen, fully cooked kind in a bag. I just barely let them thaw, since they were going to be baked. Shrimp gets really tough when it's over cooked. Letting the shrimp just thaw worked perfectly! The shrimp were really tender and juicy!)
1/2 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook noodles and drain.
While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Blend in broth and cream. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly.
Add cheese, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Heat and stir until cheese is melted.
Add mushrooms and remove sauce from heat.
Add shrimp to sauce. Then add noodles. Toss gently until noodles are coated with sauce.
Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
Sprinkle with Asiago and/or Parmesan cheese and slivered almonds.
Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Broil for a few minutes to brown.

Find more great recipes today at Tempt My Tummy!

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

This was quick, easy and tasty! I left out the butter, so this dish was almost fat-free! This recipe inspired by one in Quick and Easy Weeknight Favorites, one of the cookbooks in our September Giveaways. Be sure to register to win our October Giveaways! Details HERE!

2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped green pepper
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ½ ounce) can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound peeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
Hot cooked rice

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add green pepper, green onions, and garlic. Cook stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and red pepper; cook about 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, and cook about 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Serve over rice.

Since we're all trying to shed a few pounds, I just made some garlic bread, using low-fat spread instead of making the dipping oil.

Copycat Hard Rock Café Shrimp Fajitas and Easy Mexican Rice

We all really liked our supper tonight!
It was simple and quick, fairly inexpensive and healthy, and pretty tasty!! A winning combination around here!!

Copycat Hard Rock Café Shrimp Fajitas and Easy Mexican Rice

Copycat Hard Rock Café Shrimp Fajitas

Copycat Hard Rock Café Shrimp Fajitas

2 lbs medium shrimp, shelled (I used a one pound bag of frozen shrimp.)
1 cup chopped cilantro (I used about a tablespoon of dried cilantro.)
3 minced garlic cloves (I used two.)
1/2 cup lime juice (I used the juice of one lime.)
8 (9 inch) flour tortillas (I used the 96% fat-free version.)
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used one.)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
sour cream (I used fat-free.)

Stir together shrimp, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven that has been preheated to 250 degrees.

Heat oil in a wide nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. A cast iron Dutch oven works great for this!

Add peppers and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until limp (about 10 minutes). Remove vegetables and keep warm in the oven where the tortillas are heating.

Add shrimp mixture to pan, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are done, usually about 3 - 5 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Return vegetables to pan with shrimp. Mix well.

Spoon shrimp mixture into tortillas, top with sour cream, and roll up.

Easy Mexican Rice recipe posted below!

Shrimp and Grits Casserole, Quick Caesar Coleslaw, and Hush Puppies

Shrimp and Grits Casserole, Quick Caesar Coleslaw, and Hush Puppies

Larry and I were the only two who ate this tonight, but we both like the casserole and the slaw.

I lightened the casserole a bit by sauteing the onions and garlic with butter-flavored cooking spray instead of the butter. I used 2 tablespoons of whipped cream cheese instead of the 3 oz. package called for in the recipe. The three ounce package had 30 grams of fat - no wonder it's so good!! The whipped had about 12, so around half the amount of fat. I used 2% cheddar cheese for the topping, too. It was still very good! I will definitely make both of these again! This is a great way to stretch the shrimp! I used a bag of frozen, fully cooked shrimp. This meal is quick, too! It can be on the table in 45 minutes. Although I really like the green onions and minced garlic, for a quicker version, you could substitute a bit of onion and garlic powder.


Thursday - Shrimp and Grits Casserole, Quick Caesar Coleslaw, and Hush Puppies

Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Shrimp and Grits Casserole

2 cups milk
3/4 cup chicken broth (can make with bouillon)
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
2 -3 chopped green onions
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 -2 cups cheddar cheese
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Saute onions in butter until soft; add garlic and saute a minute longer. Set aside.

Combine milk and broth in a medium heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.

Stir in Parmesan cheese, green onions and garlic, cream cheese, lemon juice, egg and shrimp. Spoon mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until set. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.


Quick Caesar Coleslaw posted below.

I baked frozen some of the frozen hush puppies from Wal-mart. The bag just says Hush Puppies. On the back it says they are distributed by Wal-mart.

Pasta with White Sauce and Shrimp

Quick and Easy White Sauce Pasta with Shrimp

This probably our favorite quick and easy "go to" meal. I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and it can be varied in several ways.

The last time I made it, I used fully cooked frozen shrimp. You can use chicken, too. It's great with no meat at all!!

If using, allow fully cooked shrimp to thaw. If you spread them out on a plate, this doesn't very take long at all. Remember to always follow the safe-handling instructions on the bag!

Cook pasta of your choice according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, melt 3 tablespoons of butter or pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a sauce pan*. Mince a clove or two of garlic into the sauce pan, too**. Saute the garlic about a minute. Add a bit of dried parsley flakes and the thawed shrimp. Continue to saute these ingredients for about two minutes, just until the pre-cooked shrimp are heated through. Remove the shrimp and set them aside. Keep warm. Add three tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the liquid/butter/garlic in the sauce pan where you sauteed the shrimp. Add enough milk, cream or fat-free half-and-half to form a paste. Once the paste was smooth, add a cup of the milk, cream or fat-free half-and-half. Stir constantly until sauce is thickened. Add 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until cheese is melted. Add salt, to taste. Drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce pan with the white sauce, tossing well to coat the noodles. Spoon onto plates. Top each serving with shrimp, chicken and/or more Parmesan cheese. This dish takes 30 minutes or less, even if your thawing your shrimp.

*For a super low-fat version of this dish, spray the sauce pan with olive oil instead of using the butter or olive oil. Continue recipe as directed. There will be liquid in the pan from the shrimp for making the paste.

**Garlic can be omitted, if you like. Sometimes I add it, and sometimes I don't.

For a complete meal, add a green salad and garlic bread.

Shrimp and Grits, Easy Mandarin Orange Salad and Hush Puppies

Shrimp and Grits, Easy Mandarin Orange Salad and Hush Puppies

Many thanks again to my friend, Roan, at Joyful Always for this delicious recipe. It’s definitely a keeper! This would make a great “date-night-at-home” meal!

We bought some shrimp while we were in Destin and froze them when we got home. I thawed some of these to use for tonight’s supper. They were very tasty!

I love Shrimp and Grits! My favorite restaurant version (to date is the one served at Boure in Oxford.

Leigh and Brendan were in Destin for a conference a couple of the days we were there. They treated us to supper one night at Graffiti’s, located in the Baytown area. Larry and I both ordered the Shrimp and Grits dish, which was delicious! The restaurant’s artwork was neat, too!

The Easy Mandarin Orange Salad was inspired by a salad I ate at Harbor Docks, while we were on vacation. The crisp lettuce, crunchy almonds, sweet oranges and tangy Italian salad dressing all contrast each other nicely. It goes really well with seafood.

I've had two people mention that they have tried the Hush Puppies from Wal-mart, and they like them really well, too! They are pretty good!


Thursday - Shrimp and Grits, Easy Mandarin Orange Salad and Hush Puppies OR *”Leftover Buffet”

*If you have enough leftovers from the week’s previous meals, heat everything and serve it to your family buffet-style.

Shrimp and Grits

This recipe is courtesy of Roan at Joyful Always. Thanks, Roan!!

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices of bacon
2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced (I use the kind in the jar already chopped)

Bring chicken broth to boil. Stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt, pepper, butter, and cheese. Set aside and keep warm.
Cook bacon until crisp, set aside to cool then crumble. Cook shrimp in the same pan over medium heat 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4 ingredients and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon. Spoon grits onto individual plates. Top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6

Easy Mandarin Orange Salad

1 bag Romaine OR spring mix lettuce
*½ cup toasted slivered almonds
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 bottle Italian salad dressing

Place lettuce on salad plates. Top with drained oranges and toasted almonds. Drizzle with salad dressing.

*To toast almonds, place slivered almonds and 1 tablespoon butter in a microwave-safe pie plate. Microwave on high, stirring every minute until brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Hush Puppies

We really like Hush Puppies from Wal-mart. The bag doesn’t have a brand name, not even Great Value. It simply says - Hush Puppies. On the back of the bag, it says they are distributed by Wal-mart. They are really good and a hit with all of us. As Larry says, they are better than many restaurant hush puppies. I just follow the directions on the bag for baking them.