Shrimp, Crab & Sausage Ettouffe

This is my new favorite main dish! Cajun cuisine is so yummy. But I always use much less salt, if any, than is called for in traditional recipes. There is already salt in the sausage, and shrimp are naturally high in sodium. So I say, don't add any salt and enjoy the richness of this fantastic food.

Sorry, my photos didn't come out so well!

SHRIMP, CRAB & SAUSAGE ETTOUFFE

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups shrimp stock

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

1/2 pound Andouille sausage (I used a chicken based Andouille sausage from Trader Joe’s)

1/3 cup butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2/3 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 lb. lump crab meat

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)

METHOD:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.

Slice sausage into bite-size pieces. Cook in a separate small pan over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in sausage drippings in the same saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour to pan; cook 8 minutes or until light brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup broth mixture to pan; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups broth mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell peppers to pan; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper to onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add reserved broth-flour mixture and Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring well to combine; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add green onions, 1/4 cup parsley, sausage, crab and shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Discard bay leaf. Serve over Creole boiled rice or with garlic French bread.

I merged this recipe from two sources: GumboPages.com and I can't remember the other one.

Cool & Creamy Cucumber Avocado Soup

We have a nice supply of English Cucumbers from our garden this summer. They're so mild and delicious, with itty bitty seeds that aren't bitter or chewy!

I've been making appetizers with them lately, but Ron suggested a cucumber soup.

So I searched the internet and found several different recipes that sounded good.

But because of my creative nature, I just can't help but make my own concoction out of the recipes I read!

So let's get on with it.

Here is the recipe and a few photos (the one below is topped with chopped cilantro):

COOL & CREAMY CUCUMBER AVOCADO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup White Wine

1 medium Onion, diced

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 large Cucumbers, peeled, chopped (I prefer English Cucumbers)

1-1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

1/2 cup Soy Sour Cream

1 Avocado

1/4 teaspoon Chipotle Powder (optional?!)

METHOD:

Saute onion in white wine for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cucumbers and heat for another 3 minutes.

Stir in vegetable broth and lime juice; bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

This could take 15-30 minutes.

Depending on the capacity of your particular appliance (did that sound right?!), you may need to do the following step, blending, in batches.

Place mixture in a blender or food processor, leaving at least 1/3 of the cup unfilled, as the whirling action causes food to move upward and potentially spill out of the cap... making an unnecessary mess!

Then add soy sour cream. Peel avocado and discard seed, then add to blender. Add chipotle powder.

Puree until smooth.

I usually emply the "PULSE" mode. Here's how I do it:

Turn the unit on. Engage the PULSE mode, then push the PUREE button every second, three or four times, to get the process started gradually.

After that, just PUREE until you think it's the right smooth and creamy consistency!

Chill in a covered bowl (I prefer glass or ceramic) at least 4 hours; overnight is even better. Serve cold!

VARIATIONS:

Add a pinch of cayenne, a tablespoon of chopped dill or cilantro, or a few teaspoons of seeded jalapeno peppers before blending. No soy sour cream available in your small town? Omit it completely, or add another half of an avocado! FINALLY, if you can't stand the heat, don't get out of the kitchen! Simply minimize or omit the chipotle powder.

CHEF'S NOTE:

I top each bowlful with a heaping tablespoon of my fresh salsa. Yum!