Making a Culinary comeback in New Orleans

I have been to New Orleans several times for conferences, NASA educational training and eating! This nice article focuses on how life and culinary ways have helped revive New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Featuring John Besh (finalist for Iron Chef American, restaurant owner in the City and more), other chefs, people, recipes and more.

http://www.kansascity.com/living/food/story/1545393.html

Recipe Finds : Cajun monkfish jambalaya

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You can cook Cajun in Kansas City or anywhere but you have to find the recipes first. I have many in my cookbooks , on my computer and been to New Orleans but way before Katrina hit . So cooking Cajun brings me a little closer now to New Orleans. But I saw this jambalaya recipe and wanted to find it. I swear AOl and other websites are making it more difficult to find the recipes and information that supposedly it is said on their pages. I saw a title for Deep south jambalaya with Monkfish but could not find it among all the clutter , the slide show features and more . Where was the recipe? Why do they do this? To keep you on the page longer to look at their ads, so they can get more money or tell their ad people how long they were on the pages so as to get more money. I don't have time for this foolishness. I am pretty good at "googling" and I found a recipe quickly. Here is one like. If you are kosher, don't like shellfish/ shrimp cut it out and make it. Monkfish is a very ugly fish but it is sure tasty. I love Cajun and Creole cooking and recipes (no they are not too spicy) and this one should be real good. If you try it before it email me along with your take on Cajun or Creole food. I will have to post my Acadian Pepper Chicken which was in the Kansas City Star awhile back and was published in several Bon Appetite books.

The spicy tomato flavour and aroma of this easy-going rice dish make it really appealing. Tender monkfish, juicy prawns and plenty of vegetables all combine to make a well-balanced, complete meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ head of celery, finely diced and leaves reserved for garnish
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• ½ tsp chilli powder, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 225g long-grain rice
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 300g skinned monkfish fillet, cut into 4 pieces
• 8 peeled, raw tiger prawns, about 75g in total (optional)
  
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• TO SERVE 1 lemon, cut lengthways into 4 wedges

Preparation method

1. Put the oil in a large, deep frying pan and heat gently. Add the onion, garlic, celery, red pepper, chilli and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes until softened. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
2. Drain the tomatoes in a sieve over a measuring jug or bowl. Reserve the juice, then add the tomatoes to the rice. Sprinkle over the thyme, stir well and reduce the heat a little.
3. Make up the tomato juice to 1 litre with boiling water, pour into the pan and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4. Season the rice to taste, then place the pieces of monkfish on top. Continue cooking, partly covered as before, for 5 minutes. Stir the rice carefully and turn the monkfish over, then add the prawns. Partly cover the pan again and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns have turned pink, the monkfish pieces are cooked, and the rice is tender. The dish should be moist, not dry.
5. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes. Scatter the celery leaves and parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Copyright

Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 2006

cook's tip

If you can't find raw tiger prawns, you can use cooked peeled prawns. Add them at the very end of cooking just to warm through, before you leave the dish to stand before serving.

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Nutrition

• Calories 400kcal
• Protein 22g
• Fat 9g
• saturates 1g
• Carbohydrate 62g
• sugars 12g
• Fibre 4g
• Sodium 189mg
• Vegetables 360g

Related categorie

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http://www.restaurantcuvee.com/cuvee_rest.html

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http://www.creolecreamery.com/menu.php

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