Tag: shrimp

Seafood Gumbo

Seafood Gumbo

The cold weather in Georgia lately has me craving big bowls of soup, chili, and chowder. One of my favorite meals is seafood gumbo. My mother made a killer gumbo, and what I wouldn’t give for a big bowl at her house.

This gumbo contains succulent shrimp, oysters, crab, and crawfish. Fortunately, I had plenty in my freezer to make a big pot. Serve gumbo over steamed rice with plenty of garlic bread. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop for best results. Use the bits of goodness and add to a quesadilla or nachos the next day. Pick out the seafood and vegetables only, avoiding any extra soupy mixture. You will appreciate having leftovers when you bite into these wonderfully delicious treats!

This gumbo has a slight kick. If you are sensitive to heat, you can adjust the seasonings to your taste. I like my gumbo slightly thick and usually have extra filé on hand, just in case I need it. It is best to add the seafood about 20 minutes before serving to avoid overcooking.

Seafood Gumbo
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Seafood Gumbo

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped green onions, divided
  • 1 1/2 gallons water
  • 1/2 pound fresh or frozen okra
  • 1 (10-ounce can) Rotel
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
  • Louisiana hot sauce to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 2 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (70 to 90 ct.)
  • 1 pound crab meat
  • 1 pint fresh oysters
  • 2 to 3 ounces Pure Ground Gumbo File

Instructions

  • Make a roux in a large heavy pot over medium heat: Add oil to pot and heat over medium heat, add flour, it will sizzle when it's at the correct temperature. Use a whisk and stir constantly. Stir until it reaches the color of peanut butter. DO NOT BURN!!
  • Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 c. green onions. Cook until ingredients are cooked down.
  • Add water, okra, Rotel, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 1 hour. Add seafood and continue to cook on medium for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Taste for seasoning. Add file to thicken.
  • Stir in remaining green onions and simmer a few more minutes. Serve over rice in bowls.

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

 shrimp-and-andouille-sausage-jambalaya

Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes. My time in the kitchen is relaxing and therapeutic, and I enjoy making people happy with the food I prepare. However, sometimes writing about food does not come easy. Sometimes there is so much going on in the world around me that writing about food seems trivial.

Currently, Covid is touching so many lives around me that it’s hard to focus on anything else. Even though I had a very mild case, it’s just not that way for everyone.

Currently, I still have no taste or smell. It’s pointless to try new recipes right now. My son made this amazing jambalaya for me over the weekend. I could actually taste it, somewhat.

This is one of my old recipes. Wes changed it up a bit by using chicken and spicy deer sausage. In my world, where everything is tasteless, this was so enjoyable!

This jambalaya recipe is super easy and comes together fast. I used a spice blend from Legion of Spice called Bayou Blue, but any cajun seasoning will work. If you do not use Legion of Spice, I would recommend that you add the seasonings a little at a time. Sometimes the salt content can be high, and you do not want to ruin the pot by getting it too salty.

Hillshire Farms has a Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage that tastes great and works well in this recipe. I typically use shrimp, but as Wes did, you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes if desired.

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya
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Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound andouille sausage cut into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper seeded and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 large fresh tomatoes chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bunch green onions green part only, chopped
  • 1 bunch chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
  • Add a drizzle of olive oilin the pan, if needed. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
  • Add shrimp, sausage, tomatoes, garlic, seasoning, rice, and chicken broth to the pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer until rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Stir in parsley and green onion just before serving.

Notes

To use chicken instead of shrimp:  Add1 pound chicken that has been cut into 1-inch cubes, to the Dutch oven with the sausage.  Cook until lightly browned.  Chicken does not have to be cooked through, it will continue to cook in the last 20 minutes or cooking.  

Shrimp Verde Flatbread

Shrimp Verde Flatbread

Today’s recipe comes straight from Weight Watchers.  I was quite shocked when I first tried it. Who knew Weight Watchers had such awesome recipes?

I want to tell you a little story just as a testament to just how good this Shrimp Verde Flatbread is. Greg was out of town on business the night I made this for myself. Wes lives at the house, works during the day and works on his masters online at night. He is not the most daring person when it comes to his food. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, and he is perfectly happy that way. Many times when Greg is traveling, Wes and I do our own thing for dinner. He will grill up something for himself while I make my own meal. Wes was in the kitchen when I took this flatbread out of the oven, so I asked him to try it. About the only thing he gets excited about it football, hunting, and fishing, so he didn’t say too much other than it was “pretty good.” Pretty good in this house means just okay. However, he went about his business and came up to me a little later wanting to know if I had the ingredients to make another Shrimp Verde Flatbread. I don’t know if I have described him well enough for you to know just how huge this was, but that speaks volumes!

The fresh sauce is really what makes this flatbread so wonderful. When making your flatbread, I have one little tip for you. If you have lime juice that separates from the sauce as you spoon it on your flatbread just leave it in the food processor. I made the mistake of pouring the juice left in the bottom of the food processor bowl onto mine, and it made those areas of the flatbread soggy. I did not do that to Wesley’s and his stayed crispy and delicious!

Shrimp Verde Flatbread
 
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Serves: 1
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Ingredients
  • 1 Flatout Light Original flatbread
  • 3 oz. cooked shrimp, peeled
  • ¼ c. part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • ¾ c. cilantro
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place flat-out on parchment and bake for two minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor combine cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and lime juice. Process until well blended and spreadable. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Spread the green sauce over the flatbread. Arrange cooked shrimp over the sauce and scatter with cheese.
  4. Bake at 375℉ for 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
  5. WW Freestyle Points = 4

 

Low Country Boil

low-country-boil

 

You have heard about how I grew up on a dirt road in North Georgia surrounded by family. My grandfather originally owned the land, and as each of his children married, he gave them a piece of property to build on. It turned out pretty good for my brother, my cousins and me because we had instant friends and playmates. Our favorite thing to do was to play outside. We would ride bikes and play in the woods around our houses from dusk until after dark if our mamas would let us. It didn’t matter how mad we got at each other we had no choice but to make amends. It was like having extra brothers and sisters. We were kin, and we were stuck with each other. Only looking back, being stuck with each other was a blessing. They say it takes a village to raise a child and that is exactly what we had on our little dirt road. A “village” of relatives keeping all of us kids in line.

Being outside is still one of my favorite places to be. These days I’m usually working, though. It’s been quite a while since I’ve romped through the woods without a care in the world. Still, my family enjoys a nice bonfire, cookout, or low country boil, especially during the spring and fall. This low country boil recipe is Greg’s perfected recipe. We like to use fresh Georgia shrimp or Florida Gulf Coast shrimp when available. Also, fresh Silver Queen corn is the best and Conecuh sausage is our choice. Conecuh sausage is available in several varieties in most of our local grocery stores, but if you have a problem finding it in your area, it is available online.

 

Low Country Boil
 
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Serves: 10 to 12
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Ingredients
  • 5 lb. shell-on shrimp (16 - 20 count)
  • 5 lb. sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths (we like Conecuh brand sausage)
  • 6 ears corn, shucked and cut into thirds
  • 5 lb. small red potatoes
  • 1 to 2 pkg. shrimp boil seasoning, depending on taste
  • 2 lemons, sliced
Instructions
  1. In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil with seasoning, and lemons.
  2. When the water is boiling add the potatoes and sausage and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the corn and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Drain and serve with cocktail sauce, butter, and sour cream.

 

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Slaw and Sweet Chili Lime Sauce

shrimp tacos

Here is a perfect summertime meal, shrimp tacos.  They are light and flavorful, and one of my family’s favorite meals.  The mango slaw is a great addition to these or any fish tacos.  The seasoning blend adds the perfect spice to the shrimp, and the sweet chili lime sauce is delicious with the blackened shrimp.  Every bite is a flavor explosion in your mouth!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Shrimp Tacos with Mango Slaw and Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
 
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Serves: 4
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Ingredients
  • 3 tsp. dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1½ tsp. onion powder
  • 1½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground red pepper
  • 2 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
  • canola oil, divided
  • Mango-Lime Slaw
  • 1 (16-oz.) pkg. coleslaw mix
  • 2 mangoes peeled and chopped
  • 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 6 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • pinch sugar
  • Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
  • 1 c. plain yogurt
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • zest of 1 lime
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 4 tbsp. sweet chili sauce (Asian aisle of supermarket)
  • Lime wedges
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
  1. To make slaw, in a large bowl combine the coleslaw mix, chopped mangoes, lime juice, cilantro, salt and sugar. Toss to combine.
  2. To make sweet chili lime sauce, in a medium bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime zest and lime juice, and sweet chili sauce. Whisk to combine.
  3. Combine brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and red pepper in a medium bowl. Sprinkle over shrimp and toss.
  4. Cook shrimp in batches by heating 2 tbsp. of canola oil at at time in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes, or until shrimp are done. Remove from skillet. Add more oil between batches.
  5. If you are using flour tortilla, warm before serving. If using corn tortilla; heat a small amount of canola oil in a skillet. Place corn tortilla in hot oil and fry for a few seconds on each side. Drain well.
  6. To assemble, top tortillas with shrimp, slaw, and sweet chili lime sauce. Serve with lime wedges and jalapeño slices.