Cajun Kabobs and More

Hey there – how’s life? Time finally seems to be moving again – sort of and just a little too fast to suit me. I don’t mean life is returning to normal, because in California it is anything but. Yet time still flies. We’re now a whole three weeks beyond half way through the year, on the backside.

As long as we’ve got some summer left to enjoy, let’s talk easy Kabobs for a moment. My original intent was to share a Cajun Kabob recipe that looked too easy and delicious to believe. But then I realized I was on the cusp of a whole wonderful New Orleans Supper. Add a little traditional dirty rice, some warm crusty bread and sweet butter. Maybe a nice bread pudding to end this delicious meal.

Yeah, it’s amazing how one simple recipe can grown into an entire meal.

Cajun Sausage Shrimp Kabobs
12 oz Smoked or Cajun Sausage
12 oz Jumbo Shrimp
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun Seasoning

Soak 6 Bamboo Skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to 350 degrees. Make sure grill grates are clean. Lightly oil grate to prevent food from sticking.

Cut sausage into about 1-inch thick round slices, using a shrimp as a guide. The sausage rounds and the shrimp should be the same thickness. Set sausage aside.

Rinse, peel and devein the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Place shrimp in bowl. Add sausage rounds, olive oil and Cajun Seasoning, toss to combine.

Working with one shrimp at a time, tuck the sausage slices in the “C” curve of the shrimp and then thread them together onto skewers. Three or four Sausage-Shrimp should fit on each skewer.

Grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, flip and grill until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Serve immediately.

Spice Dirty Rice
2 Jalapenos Pepper, chopped
1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Celery Rib, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
10 oz Ground Pork
1/2 cup Chicken Livers, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups White Rice, uncooked
3 cups Chicken Stock
2 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
1 Bay Leaf
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
Pinch Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper to taste
Green Onions, as desired for garnish
Italian Parsley, as desired garnish

Stem peppers, split and remove most of the seeds. Dice and set aside. Peel and chop the onion, set aside. Trim ends from the celery rib, chop celery into small pieces and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion and celery. Cook down about 5 minutes to soften.

Add the ground pork and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook about 5 minutes to brown, as needed.

While the pork mixture cools, finely chop the chicken livers. Add livers to the pork. Continue to cook down 5 minutes longer..

Add the rice, chicken stock, Cajun seasonings, bay leaf and dried thyme. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through. All that flavorful liquid will be absorbed.

While the dirty rice cooks, chop garnishings of green onions and parsley, set aside.

When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf. Scatter green onions and parsley over the rice and serve directly from the skillet.

French Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
Bread Pudding
6 slices day old French Bread
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup Golden Raisins
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
4 Eggs
1/2 cup additional Sugar
2 cups Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Break bread in small pieces in a 2-quart baking dish. In a small bowl mix together cinnamon with 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the over bread. Scatter raisins over the bread as desired. Melt butter and drizzle over the bread.

Lightly toast bread mixture the heated over, maybe 5 minutes. While the bread toasts, whisk together the eggs, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour custard mixture over the toasted bread. Bake about 30 minutes in the oven or until set.

While the bread pudding bakes, make the rum sauce.

Golden Rum Sauce
2 cups Milk
4 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoon Flour
1 tablespoon Nutmeg
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Rum to taste

Place milk, butter and sugar in saucepan, let come to a boil.

In a small skillet, create a roux with 1 tablespoons butter and flour over medium-low heat. Cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk roux into the sauce.

Remove from heat, add nutmeg, vanilla and rum to taste.

Spoon servings of pudding into shallow bowls. Ladle sauce over the bread pudding and enjoy.