I’m on a bit of a no refined white sugar kick. That certainly doesn’t mean that I’m not eating anything sweet! I’ve been substituting maple syrup and honey whenever I can. Using maple syrup is not a free license to scarf the whole batch. Each candy contains about 65 calories, so don’t go overboard like I did. I made a batch to send to my sister-in-law for her birthday. After I got through my “quality control” tasting, I realized there wasn’t much left! Oops.

The New Orleans style pralines are made with pecans, but substitute other nuts if you like. You’ll need a candy thermometer for this. You can pick up one at a kitchen supply store or, if your grocery store has a kitchen tool section, you can often find them there. I saw one the other day for $7.

Ingredients
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup of pecans, chopped
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Method

• Combine the cream, butter and maple syrup in the saucepan. Stir until well mixed.
• Cook over medium heat. You may gently swish sauce, but don’t stir. Heat until temperature reaches 240º F 245° F, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
• Remove saucepan from the heat and let the mixture stand for a couple of minutes. Stir in pecans.
• Drop small spoonfuls of mixture onto parchment. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cool. Eat, yum!

Makes 18.

I also found out that the only different between my maple turtles and my maple pralines, is in the stirring. When you stir caramel, it crystallizes and changes the texture. If you don’t stir, it remains smooth.

You’ll need a candy thermometer for this.

Ingredients
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup of pecans or walnuts
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Method

• Combine the cream, butter and maple syrup in the saucepan. Stir until well mixed.
• Cook over medium heat. You may gently swish sauce, but don’t stir. Heat until temperature reaches 240º F 245° F, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the mixture is heating, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
• Arrange pecans or walnuts in groups of three or four on the lined sheet pan.
• Remove saucepan from the heat.
• Drop small spoonfuls of caramel over the pecans. It will spread, so do a little at a time. You can go back and add more caramel once the first spoonful has set. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cool. Eat, yum!

Makes 18.

Ingredients
4 pork chops, 1 inch thick (I use bone-in but boneless is fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup orange juice
Salt, pepper

Method

• Mix orange juice, minced garlic and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Pour over pork and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add pork chops (reserve marinade), salt and pepper each side.
• Cook for a minute, turn and cook other side for a minute.
• Turn heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes a side until internal temperature reaches 140º to 150º
• Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add marinade to skillet.
• Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
• Heat over medium-high heat until sauce reduces and starts to thicken about 3-4 minutes, stir constantly. It will be a nice dark brown color.
• Pour sauce over pork chops. Serve with a fresh salad or roasted vegetables.

Serves Four.

Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken thighs (skin on/off and boneless choices are up to you)
2 pounds andouille or hot smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup oil (either use the drippings from the sausage or add olive oil)
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
2 large onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Filé powder (dried sassafras) to taste
Cooked rice (enough for 12 servings)

Method

• In a large heavy gauge pot, brown the sausage, drain off most of the drippings and reserve. Keep a little in the pan for the chicken. Set sausage aside.
• In same pot, over medium-high heat, brown chicken thighs for 7 to 8 minutes each side. Set aside.
• For your roux, heat the oil and butter until melted and then slowly add flour. Stir constantly over medium heat, until the roux reaches a dark brown color (this may take 20 to 30 minutes). If it burns even slightly, throw it out and start over again.
• Add the vegetables and stir quickly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
• Add the stock, vinegar, seasonings, chicken (you can either add the chicken thighs whole, or cut them into pieces) and sausage. Simmer for about an hour. Try not to let the gumbo boil, or the roux might break (separate) and nobody wants a broken roux.
• Add the chopped scallions and heat for 5 minutes.
• Serve over rice in large shallow bowls.
• Sprinkle filé powder in each bowl.

Accompany with crusty French bread.

Serves 12.

A good roux is the basis for many Cajun dishes. Ask any Cajun and they will give you a detail description of how they make it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or oil
1/2 cup flour

Method:

• Heat oil (or butter) in a heavy skillet over low heat.
• Slowly sprinkle the flour in a little at a time, stirring constantly.
• Stir constantly until it turns a deep chocolate brown (this may take 20 to 30 minutes). If it burns even slightly, throw it out and start over again.
• Use in dishes that call for basic roux.

These make great hors d’ouves.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon (about 1/2 small preserved lemon)
2 cup grated cheddar or crumbled blue cheese
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the chopped preserved lemon pieces in a mesh strainer, and rinse. Be sure to remove seeds.
• Mix together the lemon pieces, cheese, and parsley. Knead until it forms a well-mixed dough ball.
• Break off small pieces (about a teaspoon) and roll into bite-size balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press down on each ball slightly.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
• Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 16 mini biscuits.

This recipe is modified from Epicurious.com

Ingredients
5 organic lemons (use myers lemons if you can find them)
1/4 -1/2 cup salt
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (you may need a little extra)

1-quart mason jar

Method

• Cut 1/4 inch off the tip of each lemon. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom (keep the lemon attached at the base). Sprinkle salt inside the lemon.
• Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar. Add a couple of lemons and pack down. Sprinkle with salt, then add more lemons. Press the lemons down to release their juices. Once all the lemons are added and pressed, if there isn’t enough lemon juice to completely cover the lemons. Add more.
• Set the lemons in a warm place and shake the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice.
• Let stand for 30 days, yep, one month. Remember, patience is a virtue.
• Rinse each lemon before use.
• Preserved lemons will keep for up to a year. I keep mine in the fridge but apparently they are fine at room temperature.

First, they don’t serve ginger ale in bars, though I did have a fine southern gentleman, Grayson, do his darndest to try and replicate it for me (7-Up with a dash of Coca-Cola). Second, Cajun men are serious about their cooking. I’m sure that Cajun women are, too, but I seemed to only have met Cajun male foodies (though I’m quiet certain they would frown at such a label).

Case in point, my husband has a friend name John. He is a rather solid, gruff guy, usually with a cigarette in one hand and a whiskey in the other. We had joined him for a drink in a bar before he and some other friends were heading to a late night party. John was getting a little agitated.

Someone asked him what he was worried about. He said, “May y’all, we got to go. The locks broke on my truck and I got some shrimp stew in der. May that’s a good pot of stew, someone might steal it.”

I like this for a many reasons. One, I love the fact that John was bringing shrimp stew to a party. This wasn’t a dinner party; this was your average party where most people bring beer. Cajuns apparently bring food. Two, John wasn’t concerned that someone might steal his radio, or make off with his truck; he was concerned about his shrimp stew.

When I first heard of shrimp stew, I pictured a beef stew with carrots, onions and potatoes made with shrimp instead of beef. That thought really didn’t excite me too much. This spicy, peppery stew does excite me!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
1 cup shrimp or seafood stock
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/4 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/3 cup chopped scallions
Cooked rice (enough for 4 servings)

Method

• Make a light roux by stirring together oil (or butter) and flour in a heavy skillet. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until roux is the color of light milk chocolate, 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t let it burn, or you’ll have to start over again.
• Add onion, celery and bell peppers and cook. Keep stirring, until bell peppers are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in stock, water, salt, pepper and cayenne and simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add shrimp and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is bright pink and cooked through, only about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Top with scallions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. Serves four.

Ingredients:
2 pounds shrimp in shells
2 cups water (for stock)
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (or a mixture of salt and cayenne)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 ounces good beer
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced (or as much as you like)
1 medium onion, very finely minced
2 rib stalks of celery, very finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Tabasco, salt, pepper to taste
French bread, cut into 6-inch sections (or 6-inch sub rolls)

Method:

• Shell and devein shrimp. Set shrimp aside. Add shells to sauce pan and cover with 2 cups of water. Cook over medium high heat for at least 10 minutes. Drain and reserve stock, discard shells.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt butter in a skillet. Over medium heat, sauté garlic, onions, celery, parsley, rosemary and seasoning for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add one cup of the shrimp stock and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
• Place shrimp into a 9×13-inch baking dish and pour the sauce over it, stirring well.
• Cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once.
• Hollow out the bread from one of the ends, not from the side. You want to make a deep pocket for holding the shrimp.
• Remove shrimp from the oven. Spoon shrimp with sauce into individual bread boats.

Serves six.