Hi everyone! My life has gotten so hectic, than I've been struggling with keeping up with posts lately. So I reached out to my fellow Foodies on Facebook and several of them have offered to step in with some Guest Posts. Today's Guest Post comes from Nicky, from I Kiss Better Than I Cook.
My name is Nicky A. Shelley, I am 37 years old and I have been cooking for probably 28 years. My love for cooking started at a very young age. The first meal I ever made was Jelly Toast for my momma at the age of 3. The toast was "Yummy" my mom said, the mess I left.. not so much! It started from there.
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My name is Nicky A. Shelley, I am 37 years old and I have been cooking for probably 28 years. My love for cooking started at a very young age. The first meal I ever made was Jelly Toast for my momma at the age of 3. The toast was "Yummy" my mom said, the mess I left.. not so much! It started from there.
I
remember starting at age 5 watching cooking shows. My first idol was
of course "Julia Child" and then it was "Justin Wilson". I come from a
Cajun back ground, my momma for one was a very strong independent woman. She was a single mom of 2 girls and a very good cook. My maw-maw and my Mee-Mee and my nanny were also very strong cajun women and they showed me the ropes. My the age of 10 years old, I was cooking full meals for my family and I loved every minute of it.
Everything
I ever did always returned to food and then at age 34 quit my job with
my husband's support and went to culinary school! The rest is pure
deliciousness!!!
My favorite recipes are Cajun Recipes. The way I grew up, it was always rice and gravy, stews, wild game. Gumbo's, Sauce Picquant's and Ettoufe's were a way of life.
Here are some of my favorite recipes from home. Please come and check out my FB page
CATFISH COURTBOUILLON
4 lbs Catfish Nuggets
1 small can of tomato paste
1 8oz can tomato sauce.
1 bell pepper
2 onions
1- 8 ounce can whole tomatoes (ROTEL)
3 cloves of garlic
Chop the onions and bellpepper finely. Mince garlic. Saute onion and bellpepper
until onions look almost clear. Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, and
paste. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer on low heat 2
to 3 hours or until sauce has "flavored" taste. Add catfish and simmer
for 20 minutes. Don't stir catfish because it will break apart. Twist
pot by handle to stir.
Crawfish Ettouffe
I Kiss Better Than I Cook
1/2 cup roux *
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 small can diced rotel tomatoes
2 cups water
3 lbs of cleaned crawfish meat
1 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic powder
dash of cayenne
1 cup finely chopped green onion tops for garnish
Make a roux by browning "slowly" in a small iron skillet ...1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup flour until it is dark brown. Do not rush this. Add chopped white onions and bell pepper. Next add rotel tomatoes, water and seasoning. Stir very well over medium high heat. Cover and reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add crawfish tail meat.... and raise heat to a slow boil. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Take off the heat , Cover and let set while you cook a pot of white rice. (About 3 cups of raw rice, 6 cups water, salt, and butter )Serve over the 'cooked' white rice and garnish each bowl with green onion. This is so good with garlic bread and potato salad or cole slaw. I like to offer hush puppies also. A lemon pie makes a good desert with this dish.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 small can diced rotel tomatoes
2 cups water
3 lbs of cleaned crawfish meat
1 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic powder
dash of cayenne
1 cup finely chopped green onion tops for garnish
Make a roux by browning "slowly" in a small iron skillet ...1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup flour until it is dark brown. Do not rush this. Add chopped white onions and bell pepper. Next add rotel tomatoes, water and seasoning. Stir very well over medium high heat. Cover and reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add crawfish tail meat.... and raise heat to a slow boil. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Take off the heat , Cover and let set while you cook a pot of white rice. (About 3 cups of raw rice, 6 cups water, salt, and butter )Serve over the 'cooked' white rice and garnish each bowl with green onion. This is so good with garlic bread and potato salad or cole slaw. I like to offer hush puppies also. A lemon pie makes a good desert with this dish.
