New Orleans Carnival

Shrimp and Grits

Bourbon Street Beef Tenderloin Bites

Spicy Creole Corn Maque Choux

Bread Pudding with Praline sauce

Bourbon Street Steak Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup bourbon whiskey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups tenderloin pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a bowl.

1. Preheat pan on high heat, once hot add 2 tablespoons oil, then add meat. Salt and pepper and cook to desired temperature then remove.  To the same pan deglaze with the bourbon and then add remaining ingredients.  Cook until reduced and somewhat thickened and then add the meat back to the pan.

Cheesy Grits and Shrimp

Grits:

• 1 cupchicken stock
• 1/4cup white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 25 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2cup grits (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 5 tablespoon heavy cream
• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cups smoked gouda cheese (shredded)

Shrimp:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or bacon grease)

         ¼ cup diced red pepper

• 1 diced green onion
• 1/2lb shrimp (shelled and deveined large raw shrimp)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced, should be a heaping teaspoon)
• 1/2tablespoon flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
• 1/2teaspoon smoked paprika
• 5 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dashes hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Heat liquid for grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the stock, white wine, water, and salt to a boil.

2. Cook grits:Whisk in the grits and cook over moderately high heat. Continue to stir periodically until thickened and the grits are tender- about 5-10 minutes total. Add the cream, butter, and cheese and gently stir. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.
3. Cook shrimp: To cook the shrimp, heat oil (or bacon grease if available) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat shrimp with black pepper and cook in skillet until they start to turn golden brown for approximately 3 minutes. Once turned, stir in remaining ingredients to create a sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until they are fully cooked.

To serve, spoon the warm cheesy grits into a bowl and top with shrimp with a bit of sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!

Spicy Creole Corn Maque Choux:

Ingredients:

* 1 ½ cups fresh corn

* 1/4 cup diced onion

* 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

* 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

* 1 clove garlic, minced

* 1/2 small jalapeño, finely chopped (adjust for spice level)

* 1 tbsp unsalted butter

* 1/4 cup heavy cream (or coconut milk for a dairy-free option)

* 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

* 1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (adjust to taste)

* 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for extra heat)

* Salt and black pepper to taste

* Chopped green onions and fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes until tender.
5. Sprinkle in the Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Adjust spices to taste.
6. Pour in the broth and cream, stirring to combine. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
7. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green onions and parsley

Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (1 pound) loaf soft French bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups white sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins, or more to taste (optional)
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with 1/4 cup melted butter.
2. Pour half and half and milk over bread in a large mixing bowl; let soak for 10 minutes before gently stirring. Stir eggs into the bread mixture until incorporated. Add sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and raisins respectively, stirring each addition into the mixture before adding the next. Spoon bread mixture into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until bread mixture is firm and pudding-like, about 50 minutes.
4. Stir 1/2 pound unsalted butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar together in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir pecans into the cream mixture, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; pour over bread pudding to serve.