How to Cook Fresh Spinach

Fresh Baby Spinach is so tasty and absolutely good for you.  Fresh vegetables just take so much better than out of the can.  My godchild told me she wanted Spinach with supper.  I said okay we’ll cook some.  Little did I know she only likes Popeye spinach out of a can.  Wow kids!  What can I say?  At least she eats spinach, and fresh broccoli and cauliflower.

The best thing is, cooking fresh vegetables is really easy, the Cajun cooking way! So let’s show you how to cook spinach today.

Ingredients for Fresh Steamed Spinach

1 bag of fresh baby spinach leaves (serves 2)
or 1 large container of fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons butter
small amount of water; maybe 2 tablespoons
dash of salt

Melt butter and add small amount of water on medium heat.

Add spinach and cover to allow steam to build up and actually cook the spinach.

Should only take a few minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Steamed Spinach

Stir and serve with Steak, chicken, pork or anything you like.

Green Beans and New Potatoes

Cajun Green Beans and New Potatoes are a modern twist of the traditional holiday green bean casserole – without the mushroom soup.

We recommend using fresh or frozen green beans in this recipe.

You won’t get a good taste effect using salty canned green beans.

Give it a Cajun Recipe try – it’s a sure bet you’ll like it.

Ingredients for Cajun Green Beans and New Potatoes

2 (10-ounce) packages whole green beans (or fresh green beans if available)
10 small red new potatoes
4   cups water
4-6 slices bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 small sweet onion (diced)
1 small red bell pepper (cut into strips)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Dash of Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil

Taking several slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces.

On medium heat, fry in a skillet until brown.

Remove bacon to a separate bowl.

Carefully pour the hot bacon drippings in a large 6 quart pot.

Sauté the diced sweet onion until translucent and tender.

To the pot, add 4-5 cups water, red new potatoes, sea salt, Tony’s Creole Seasoning, garlic, and a dash of Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil.

Boil for about 10 minutes until potatoes can break with a fork.

Add green beans and bell pepper.

Stir and lower the heat to medium-low (#3 or #4).

Simmer 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Cajun Green Beans and New Potatoes

To serve at the table, transfer green beans and new potatoes to a casserole dish.

Top with crunchy French fried onions or chopped nuts for a tasty holiday fare.

Serves 6-8.

Don’t forget to make some corn bread muffins for dipping in the pot liquor.

Options:  Mix in a can of mushroom soup for an old fashioned green bean casserole and then, we top with a generous portion of shredded cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

How to Cook Fresh Asparagus

Fresh Asparagus is so much better than those served out of the can.

Asparagus is a tall plant with feathery foliage best known for its long edible shoots.

Often referred to as a delicacy, we enjoy fresh steamed asparagus with grilled steaks and grill pork tenderloins.

Asparagus comes in a variety of colors such as green, white and purple.

When purchasing asparagus, look for them to be displayed standing up in shallow water.

The stems should be moist and firm.

Ingredients Needed to Cook Fresh Asparagus

1-2 clusters of fresh asparagus
Butter
Sea salt (ordinary table salt is fine also)
Tony’s Creole Seasoning (optional)
1 cup water

Thoroughly rinse fresh asparagus in cold water leaving the bottom rubber band on.

(Asparagus can be sandy or gritty, so important to carefully rinse.)

On a cutting board, cut the bottom 2-3 inches off the asparagus.

(Keeping the rubber band on helps to keep the ends from flying all over the place when you cut them off.)

You can steam your asparagus if you have a steamer, or if you don’t have a steamer, you can cook them in a skillet.

Since a lot of folks don’t have or use a steamer, this recipe will assume you’re using a skillet.

In a deep skillet, pour in one cup water and bring to a boil.

Place the asparagus in the skillet – spread out all in the same direction.

Place a few pats of butter over the shoots.

Sprinkle a dash of salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning.

Lower the heat to medium-low (#3 or #4).

Cook about 5-7 minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Fresh Asparagus

Carefully serve using a large serving fork or spatula.

Um Um it’s so good! We usually end up eating the asparagus before the steak.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach and Artichoke Dip or Spinach Dip are often referred to as Spinach Madeline in Cajun cuisine.

We make Spinach Artichoke Dip around the holidays.  It’s a family favorite.

I even have a special small crock pot to keep it warm when I’m expecting a crowd.

This recipe will serve about six guests.  For more, just double the recipe.

Ingredients for Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (16-ounce) package of frozen spinach (cut spinach is best, but not chopped)
1 can quartered artichokes (I actually prefer just the hearts)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chopped Cajun Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (5-ounce) can PET milk or evaporated milk
6 ounces of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 ounces of shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Seasoning to taste with salt, white pepper, and Tony’s Creole Seasoning

Begin by cooking the spinach according to package directions.

Then, using two mixing bowls and a mesh strainer – begin to separate the spinach from the liquid.

Press out the excess well.  Reserve the liquid for use in the sauce.  Set aside.

Next, with one tablespoon butter, sauté the Cajun Trinity until translucent.  Add minced garlic toward the end.

Blend in the 3 tablespoons of flour to make a white roux.

Pour in the PET milk and stir constantly for about 3 minutes.  Be sure there are no lumps.

Add in the 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce.  Stir well.

Turn off heat and stir in the 1 cup of each cheese.  Stir well to melt.

Sauce will be thick, so add by spoonfuls the reserved spinach liquid and stir in well.

Sauce should still be creamy, but not too watery.

Fold in the spinach and artichokes.

Pour into a casserole dish.

Cover with more shredded cheeses and/or breadcrumbs.

Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or enough to melt the cheeses.

Serving Suggestions for Spinach Artichoke Dip

Serve with crackers of your choice or petite toasts.

Other serving suggestions: spoon into prepared phyllo dough or mini pie shells.  We often make it for topping on baked potatoes with steak.  Enjoy this holiday favorite and be creative.

How to Cook a Baked Potato

A Baked Potato is a traditional side item for steaks – you know the saying: “I’m a steak and potatoes man”.

The potato referred to as a tuber plant that grows underground.  Potatoes were first cultivated in the Andes over 1800 years ago and later introduced in Europe in the 16th century.

Baked Potatoes are easy to prepare, but do take some time.

There is sometimes a misconception that a real Baked Potato can be achieved in the microwave.  This is simply not true. You bake a real baked potato in a real oven.

Give these Cajun Cookin’ baked potatoes a try and you will be eating the skins too.

Ingredients for a Skin Eatin’ Good Baked Potato

Large Idaho potato (one per person)
Canola or olive oil spray
Sea salt (plain table salt is fine)
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Aluminum Foil

Prepping and Baking the Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare – thoroughly wash the potatoes and scrub the skin with a vegetable brush.  Do not dry off. 

Place each potato on an ample piece of aluminum foil at an angle.

Spray the potatoes thoroughly with spray oil. (You can also just rub the potatoes with oil instead.)

Sprinkle with sea salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning.  Add any other seasonings you might like.

Wrap each of the potatoes and seal tightly.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet (starch may leak out while baking).

Bake for 40 minutes.  Turn potatoes over and bake another 40 minutes.

With a pot holder, test the potatoes for doneness by squeezing.  They should easily be squeezed.

Carefully remove from oven and unwrap from foil.

Serving Suggestions for a Skin Eatin’ Good Baked Potato

Slice down the middle with a knife.

With pot holders grasp each end of the potato and squeeze toward the middle and push down to open up.  This is how they do it in the restaurants.

Fill with your favorite potato toppings: butter, sour cream, bacon bits, chopped green onions and shredded cheddar cheese.

Don’t forget to eat the skin too!

P.S. – For a really special baked potato, try our Twice Baked Potatoes recipe…

Twice Baked Potatoes

Cajun Green Beans

Cajun Green Beans and New Potatoes are a modern twist of the traditional holiday green bean casserole – without the mushroom soup.

We recommend using fresh or frozen green beans in this recipe.

You will not get a respectable taste effect using salty canned green beans.

Give it a Cajun Recipe try – a sure bet you’ll like it.

Ingredients for Cajun Green Beans

2 (10-ounce) packages whole green beans (use fresh green beans if available)
10 small red new potatoes
4 cups water
4-6 slices bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 small sweet onion (diced)
1 small red bell pepper (cut into strips)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Tony’s Creole Seasoning
Dash of Liquid Shrimp and Crab Boil

Taking several slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces.

On medium heat, fry in a skillet until brown.

Remove bacon to a separate bowl.

Carefully pour the hot bacon drippings in a large 6 quart pot.

Sauté the diced sweet onion until translucent and tender.

To the pot, add 4-5 cups water, red new potatoes, sea salt, Tony’s, garlic, and a dash of Liquid Shrimp and Crab Boil.

Boil for about 10 minutes until potatoes can break with a fork.

Add frozen green beans and bell pepper.

Stir and lower the heat to medium-low (#3 or #4).

Simmer 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Cajun Green Beans

To serve at the table, transfer green beans and new potatoes to a casserole dish.

Top with crunchy French fried onions or chopped nuts for a tasty holiday fare.

Serves 6-8.

Don’t forget to make some corn bread muffins for dipping in the pot liquor.

Options: mix in a can of mushroom soup for an old fashioned green bean casserole and then, we top with a generous portion of shredded cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Mashed Potatoes, or what I like to call REAL mashed potatoes, are made with real white potatoes, butter, milk and sour cream.

Real home made mashed potatoes are extremely tastier than your run of the mill mashed potato flakes that come in a box.

For just a little bit of effort, you can make this mashed potatoes recipe for your family and they will rave about it!

Serve this wonderful Cajun comfort food with stews and gravy and meat loaf and all sorts of things.

Homemade Mashed Potatoes: Ingredients

8 medium size white potatoes (2 medium potatoes per person)
¼ teaspoon Shrimp & Crab Boil (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sour cream
½ cup milk or cream
Sea Salt (or plain salt)
Tony’s Creole Seasoning

Homemade Mashed Potatoes Are Simple to Make

Prepare a large pot of water. Add dash of sea salt.

Bring to a boil.

Peel potatoes. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Rinse in a colander.

Place in boiling water. Cook for 10-15 minutes until potatoes break apart with a fork.

Carefully drain in the sink in a colander. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add butter, sour cream and milk.

With an electric mixer, mix on high until creamy smooth.

Voila and Bon Appétit!

Serves 4 – 6

Beryl

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/

The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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How to Make Cajun Rice Dressing

Cajun Rice Dressing, Rice Stuffing, or Cajun Dirty Rice – whatever you call it – this dish is a staple of Cajun Holiday traditions.

In this episode, we made Cajun Rice Dressing in a matter of three basic steps. It’s really easy and sure to be a hit at your dinner table.

Ingredients for Cajun Rice Dressing

1 pound ground round beef
1 pound lean ground pork
2 links of fresh pork sausage (we used a spicy Andouille sausage)
4 cups Cajun Trinity
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 stick of butter
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups rice
6 cups water
Tony’s Creole Seasoning and salt to taste
Chopped green onions for garnish
½ cup chopped pecans for garnish

Making Cajun Rice Dressing

Step One: Make rice according to package directions.

Step Two: Melt butter in a deep skillet. Slice into the casing on the sausage and remove the meat inside. Place all meat in the skillet. On medium high heat, cook the meats by chopping to a fine ground meat mixture. It should take about 10 minutes. Add the Cajun Trinity, minced garlic and ½ cup chicken stock. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and clumping.

Step Three: Using a large mixing bowl, blend together meat mixture and rice. It should be a good 50/50 mix. Season to taste and stir well. Pour into a casserole dish or 13 x 9 baking pan. Garnish with chopped green onions and pecans. Serve hot.

Notes: May be used as a stuffing for turkey, chicken, or a pork roast. Rice dressing, or rice stuffing, is also a great side dish. When served as a side item, we call it Dirty Rice.

Many Cajun recipes also call for the use of poached chicken livers and giblets. Certainly add if you want. We chose not to.

Beryl

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin, or scalloped potatoes, is a wonderful warm and cozy comfort casserole.

I love to serve this with a steak or grilled chicken. It takes a little time, but it’s oh so good.

Potatoes Au Gratin are definitely a Cajun Cooking TV favorite.

NOTE: YouTube removed our audio because we were playing a radio in the background. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ingredients for Potatoes Au Gratin

6-8 white potatoes
3 cups milk or whipping cream
1 T (tablespoon) butter
1 T (tablespoon) Flour
8 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (we like white pepper in this dish)
Canola spray

Bowl of ice cold water
Colander
Cutting board
Vegetable peeler
Knife

Casserole dish with cover

How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin

You need to start preparation 2 hours before you are ready to serve dinner.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First start by peeling the potatoes.

Use approximately 2 per person depending on the size of the potatoes.

Slice in half on a cutting board. Then slice in 1/8-inch slices.

Set in ice cold water.

Warm the milk or whipping cream in the microwave for 1:30 minutes.

Make a white roux by melting 1 tablespoon butter and mixing in 1 tablespoon flour.

Add in warm milk and whisk constantly for 10 minutes until a thickened white sauce.

Turn off the heat.

Add in 4 cups of cheese and stir well.

The cheese will melt under the heat of the white sauce.

Add salt and white pepper to taste – a little Tony’s Creole Seasoning for a Cajun flavor.

Spray casserole dish with canola spray oil.

Drain the potatoes using a colander.

Pour potatoes into the casserole dish.

Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes.

Stir and blend in the cheese sauce with the potatoes.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Next, take off the cover and bake another 40 minutes.

Take out of the oven and top with remaining grated cheddar cheese.

The cheese will melt under the heat of the dish.

Let rest 5-10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin serves (also called scalloped potatoes) well as a side item to most meats and a side of steamed broccoli or asparagus.

Stove Top Baked Beans

Stove Top Baked Beans are sure to be served with our grilled hamburgers.  Baked beans don’t necessarily mean they have to be baked in the oven to be good either.  There are probably hundreds of ways to cook baked beans.  This is how we do it.

Ingredients for Stove Top Baked Beans

1-2 cans of baked beans
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup brown sugar
Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce (or whatever your favorite BBQ sauce is)
Small amount chopped sweet onion
Optional:  sliced bacon or seasoning ham cut into small pieces

Sauté the chopped onions and bacon in small amount of oil or cooking spray.

Add beans, brown sugar, maple syrup, and BBQ sauce.  Mix well.

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Stove Top Baked Beans

Serve in a bowl with a soup spoon.  You don’t want to leave a drop behind.  I like to dip my hamburger in the sauce.

Beryl

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Please Follow Us On Facebook for Daily Updates and New Recipes:
https://www.facebook.com/CajunCookingTV/

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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