Cajun Turnovers

FILLING:

1/2 cup onion -- chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1/4 cup celery -- chopped
2 tablespoons i Can't Believe It's Not Butter Fat Free
3/4 cup mushroom -- chopped
1 package wild rice -- packaged
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt -- to taste

DOUGH:

16 ounces crescent rolls
1 egg -- beaten

For filling:

Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms in butter until
tender and mushrooms have released some liquid.
Add rice and water. Stir. Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce,
garlic powder, cayenne, and salt. Mix well.
Bring to a boil, cover tightly, simmer for 10 minutes.

For dough:

While rice is simmering, preheat oven to 3750. Separate crescent
rolls into rectangles.
Seal the seams in each rectangle by pressing the dough together.
Place rice mixture (turnovers are easier to shape if rice is
chilled) in the center of each rectangle.
Fold dough over and press with a fork to seal the edges. Brush
the tops of turnovers with beaten egg.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-13 minutes

Cajun Shrimp



1/2 of a lemon

1/3 cup water

1 small onion, chopped (1/3 cup)

2 TB lemon juice

1 TB cooking oil

2  cloves garlic, minced

1 TB Cajun seasoning

1/4  tsp. salt

1-1/2  lb. fresh or frozen peeled medium shrimp (about 2 lb. in the shell)

1/2  cup chopped green or red sweet pepper

Lettuce leaves

 

1. Carefully remove peel from the lemon half, being careful not to include

the white portion. Cut t

he lemon peel into very thin strips.



2. Combine lemon peel, water, onion, lemon juice, cooking oil, garlic, Cajun

seasoning, and salt in a

large skillet; heat to boiling. Add shrimp stirring to coat. Return to

boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,

covered, about 4 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring twice. Stir in

green or red pepper. Transfer

mixture to a glass bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours,

stirring the mixture occasionally.



3. At serving time, drain mixture well. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl with

serving picks.



Makes 12 servings.



Nutrition Information:

Per serving = calories 71, total fat 2 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 86

mg, 

sodium 149 mg , carbohydrate 2 g , fiber 0 g , protein 12 g, 

vitamin A 4%, vitamin C 12%, calcium 3%, iron 8%.

Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans



This spicy casserole, an old New Orleans favorite, traditionally

features chicken livers and gizzards. This version substitutes juicy

chicken thighs. Brown rice adds a nutty, earthy taste.

Ingredients



1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice

2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.



Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell pepper, red

onion, and celery to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are

tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until

lightly browned. Stir in rice; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and

remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer. Cover and bake at 350° for 1

hour and 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Yield



6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information



CALORIES 250(22% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 3g,poly 1.3g);

PROTEIN 13.5g; CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 741mg; FIBER

4.8g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.9g



Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Crockpot Cajun Pot Roast with Maque Choux



Ingredients



1 2- to 2-1/2 pound boneless beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn

1 large green sweet pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained



Directions



1. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning evenly over all sides of

the meat; rub in with your fingers. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a

3-1/2 to 4-1/2 quart crockpot.

2. Place meat in the crockpot. Add frozen corn, sweet pepper, onion,

sugar, hot pepper sauce, and black pepper. Pour tomatoes over mixture in

cooker.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat

setting for 4 to 5 hours.

4. Remove meat from cooker. Drain vegetables, discarding cooking liquid.

Serve meat with vegetables.



Makes: 6 servings



Nutrition facts per serving:



Calories 255 Total Fat (g) 5 Saturated Fat (g) 2

Monounsaturated Fat (g) 2 Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0

Cholesterol (mg) 90 Sodium (mg) 311Carbohydrate (g) 17

Fiber (g) 2 Protein (g) 34