Cajun Shrimp Pastalaya

Prep        15 Minutes     Total       45 Minutes     Serves  6
What’s pastalaya? It’s everything you love about classic Cajun jambalaya—Andouille sausage, fresh shrimp, the kick of Cajun seasoning—with a hearty pasta twist. If you’ve made one-pot spaghetti so many times you can’t see straight, this perfectly spicy one-pot pasta is here to get you out of that shrimp pasta rut

1          tablespoon olive oil
1/2      pound  Andouille sausage, sliced
1/2      white onion, diced 
1/2      cup diced celery
1         can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ Organic Diced Tomatoes or tomatoes of you choice)
1         pound  penne pasta
1         tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3         cups chicken stock
1         pound  large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, for garnish

1          Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced sausage, white onion and celery to pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes until veggies soften.

2        Meanwhile, peel and devein the shrimp. Tip: use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to cut down the back of the shrimp and wash out the vein. Leave tails on and set aside.

3        Add tomatoes, penne pasta, Cajun seasoning and chicken stock to the Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes.
4         Stir well, then replace lid and cook for another 4 minutes. At this point, the pasta will be mostly cooked and most of the liquid absorbed.
5       Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and cook 3 minutes more.

6       Remove lid and give everything a good stir. Taste the pastalaya and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Garnish with fresh parsley.

If at any point the dish looks dry, add more water or stock to the pot. The pot should never be completely dry.
 Tip :

There are many Cajun seasonings in most stores these days. You can use any that you like for this dish. Some have more salt than others, so be sure to taste the pasta after it cooks and only season with salt before serving.

Oven-Braised Short Ribs with Pasilla-Tomato Mole

Total  Time       4 HOURS          Serves : 6

1/4        pound pasilla chiles—stemmed, seeded and rinsed
 Boiling water 
2            unripe medium green tomatoes, cored 
1/2        cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1           onion, finely chopped
 5          garlic cloves, minced 
1           tablespoon minced oregano 
1/2        cinnamon stick (1-1/2 inches) 
5           allspice berries
 3          whole cloves
 Kosher salt 
Pepper 
1-1/2       tablespoons white vinegar 
8          10-ounce English-cut beef short ribs (cut between the ribs) 
1-1/2     cups beef stock or low-sodium broth

 1    In a heatproof bowl, cover the chiles with boiling water and let stand until softened, 20 minutes.

 2    Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes directly over an open flame or under a broiler, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and just starting to soften, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
 3    In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the oil until shimmering. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and saucy, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard the cinnamon.
 4    Drain the chiles, reserving 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Add them to a blender along with the tomato mixture and puree until the mole sauce is smooth. In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the oil. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season the mole with salt and pepper. 
 5    Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Cook half of the ribs over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small roasting pan. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and repeat with the remaining ribs. 
6    Spread 2 tablespoons of the mole on each rib and arrange bone side up in the roasting pan. Add the stock to the roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Braise the ribs in the oven for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, until very tender. Transfer the ribs to a platter and serve, passing the remaining mole at the table. Make Ahead
TIP:
The ribs can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving. The mole sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Serve With Quinoa pilaf and roasted squash and root vegetables.
Suggested Pairing
Argentinean Malbecs with generous berry fruit are terrific with juicy, slow-cooked meat dishes like these ribs.

 

 

 

 

I did not really forget your birthday. But as you know, there are no card shops in the Equatorial Rain Forest, where 

I have been for months, attempting to save the

Monarch Butterfly from extinction.

All the best 

Love Jeannie

 

 



 

 

 

 

For a Young lady who has the courage to stand up for her beliefs 

From someone who admires her very much

With love

 

Aunt Jeannie