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Pull out your purple, green, and gold because it’s time for Mardi Gras! There’s nothing quite as festive as this fun celebration with its bright colors, beads, masks, parades and of course, the amazing food. Spicy Cajun cooking makes the perfect bold flavor centerpiece for your boisterous Fat Tuesday Event.
We’ve pulled a sampling of savory Cajun-inspired dishes from our own ‘What’s Cookin’ at First Security Cookbook’. You’ll find these taste-bud-tempting dishes and many more within the ‘Main Dishes’, ‘Soups & Salads’, and ‘Tasty Traditions’ sections.
CAJUN JAMBALAYA
Prep Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces kielbasa, diced
1 onion, diced
½ cup celery, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken breast and kielbasa and sauté’ until lightly browned, or about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic.
4. Stir in cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper.
5. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
6. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves.
7. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
8. Remove bay leaves.
9. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.
10. Serve with cornbread or baguettes.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 466
Calories from Fat: 144
Sodium: 1334 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 54.9 grams
Protein: 23.2 grams
SHRIMP GUMBO
Prep Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup fresh okra, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 smoked sausage, sliced and browned
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 bay leaves
2 cans chopped tomatoes with juice
One (8) ounce can clam juice
4 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
2 pounds peeled shrimp, seasoned with Tony’s seasoning
Instructions:
1. In large pot, melt butter and add flour.
2. Create a roux, stirring constantly with a whisk for about 30 minutes on medium high until dark brown.
3. Add onion, celery, okra, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté until soft.
4. Add sausage, basil, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, clam juice, hot sauce and shrimp.
5. Simmer over low heat for one hour.
6. Remove bay leaves.
7. Serve over hot rice.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 748
Calories from Fat: 475
Sodium: 1412 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 26.8 grams
Protein: 43.4 grams
J. CURTNER’S RED BEANS AND RICE
Prep Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package Polish sausage, sliced
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
1 package onion soup mix
1 can Rotel
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
1 cup uncooked rice
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add sausage and garlic. Brown, stirring constantly.
3. Add onion soup mix, Rotel, chicken broth, water and rice.
4. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rice is done.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 464
Calories from Fat: 263
Sodium: 1404 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 29.3 grams
Protein: 19.4
Employees and customers of First Security Bank have contributed their favorite recipes to What’s Cookin’ at First Security, a cookbook that benefits Arkansas Foodbank. They are available at any First Security Bank location for $20.
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