Create a Cajun feast

Want to create your own Cajun feast? Try these recipes.

Crawfish Fettuccine

6 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 pound peeled crawfish tails

1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food

1 cup half-and-half cream

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 pound dry fettuccine pasta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in crawfish. Cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the processed cheese, half-and-half, Cajun seasonings and cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stir noodles into crawfish mixture; pour into prepared dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Shrimp Creole

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups julienne celery

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 bay leaf, crushed

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

2 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined

Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Saute celery, onions, and garlic in the Dutch oven until the onions are pearly white and the celery has begun to soften.

Mix sugar, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper into the Dutch oven. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, both pieces of bay leaf, and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to low.

Let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

About 15 minutes before serving, add shrimp to the pot and stir well. If necessary, raise the temperature to medium-low to ensure the Creole is bubbling but not burning.

Scoop out the bay leaf halves before serving. Serve when the shrimp is pink and thoroughly cooked.

Hush Puppies

2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon minced onion

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

In a deep fryer, heat 1 inch of fat or oil to 365 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine all other ingredients, blend well and let stand for 10 minutes.

Use a serving spoon to scoop up tablespoon size pieces of batter and gently drop them into the oil. Rise the spoon as needed to keep the batter from sticking.

Cook the hush puppies, 8 or 10 at a time, until brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and roll on paper towels to briefly drain. Serve hot.