Cooking Tip of the Day: Celebrate Mardi Gras!

It’s Mardi Gras time again!… and that means lots of great food… and with Fat Tuesday tomorrow.. time to indulge that sweet tooth!

Here are some terrific recipes perfect for any Mardi Gras celebration!

Start the day off with these ...

Quick Mardi Gras King Cake - a quick and easy recipe for this traditional Mardi Gras Cake... perfect for breakfast or a dessert.. after all.. why not? It is Fat Tuesday!

Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast

Bananas Foster Waffles -perfect for waffle lovers!

Celebrate All Day Long....here are other menu favorites ...

For starters...

Boudin Balls - Pronounced boo-dan... this Cajun sausage is often made as a pork rice stuffing and put into casings.… to make the Boudin Balls, you can take the fully cooked sausage and rice mixture out of the casing and roll it into balls and …. roll the balls in bread crumbs and deep fry them… served with a Served with a Spicy Cajun Garlic Mayo or an Aioli…. just heavenly!

Crab Cakes - serve them with a Spicy Remoulade Sauce... make them small for an appetizer .. or larger for a main dish.

Great Main Dishes to Try...

Shrimp and Grits - a true Southern favorite... Garlic Cheese Grits makes this dish fabulous!

Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage - this recipe is a spin on the traditional one... minus the chicken livers or giblets... but it's loaded with all the fabulous flavors just the same... a perfect side to salmon or a meal by itself.

Shrimp Etouffee - pronounced ay-2-fay... is a Cajun dish of shellfish served over rice (sometimes grits)... usually made of shrimp... and sometimes crawfish... it's easy to make... and delicious with its bit of zip.

Gumbo - it’s not Gumbo unless you have meat (chicken), sausage, fish (usually shrimp)and okra…. along with, in my opinion, tomato, onions, and garlic … they are the “must haves” of Gumbo.. the combination is divine!

Red Beans and Rice - is a Southern tradition… and New Orleans does it best… this dish ranks right up there on top of the best loved Cajun dishes. Try this great recipe.. you won't be sorry!

Spicy Cajun Seafood Pasta -Seafood always makes a great combination with pasta… this recipe is gloriously rich and with the cheeses, has a beautiful smooth flavor… the heat from the paprika, black or white pepper and the red pepper flakes makes a wonderful contrast in flavors.

Jambalaya - a crock pot version to help make this classic easier to make... let the pot do the cooking while you celebrate!

TIP.... keep this jar of Cajun Seasoning handy..

Cajun Seasoning - a delicious blend of seasonings to make your Cajun dishes perfect

Try These Fabulous Desserts...what's Mardi Gras without desserts?