"Carnival" theme church pot luck dinner

[duh]

It's time for our churches "linger longer" pot luck dinner the Sunday after next.  I get really excited about these. 

Our theme for this one is "Carnival" with a mix of Brazilian and Cajun recipes.

Now so far most of the recipes that I've found are Cajun such as:

Blackened Chicken
Jambayla
Corn Bread
Beignoit

If you have any Cajun or Brazilian Recipes you are willing to share I'd love to have them.

[Tina]

Gumbo or beans and rice. These are two of my favorites. Ill have to research some Brazilian things.

[patches]

Oh Tina, Beignets are awesome!!!  My Mom used to love them, but she always loved her sweets.  The funny thing is she barely tipped the scales at 104 lbs.    Actually, she had a recipe from Cafe Du Monde, so I'll have to see if I can find it for you.     It's wonderful!!!   

Here's my recipe for Dirty Rice!

Louisiana Dirty Rice
 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 0 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound ground meat browned
1 cup raw rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can onion with beef stock soup
1 bell pepper chopped   

Directions
Mix together in greased 8x8 casserole dish. Add 2 cans water (soup size) to the mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour -- do not take lid off.

Makes: 4 servings

[patches]

Tina, I'm still looking for the biegnet recipe, but I found my one for Red Kidney Beans and Sausage. 

Red Beans and Sausage

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 0 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours, 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound red kidney beans
1 large onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 pound smoked sausage cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 hambone (optional)
1 bay leaf red pepper to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
water to cover beans

Directions
Wash beans. In a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot, cover in cold water and soak overnight. When ready to cook, add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf and hambone 9optional). Then add enough additional water to cover the beans at least 3 inches above their marker. Cook slowly stirring occasionally until beans are tender. The time will vary from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking time mash some of the beans to thicken the gravy. Add the smoked sausage and season to taste with salt and pepper. The heat may be increased to evaporate excess water if the beans have a too watery gravy or water added to make more gravy. Stir to prevent sticking. Serve over steamed rice.

Makes: 10 servings

[Tina]

Thank you, Patti. It was Duh that wanted ideas/recipes. My beans and rice are almost identical to your red beans and sausage.  You just add cooked rice the the mix. Only you can do them with or without the sausage.

[patches]

Sorry, Tina, I guess I was focused on you because you mentioned Gumbo, and I kept thinking about it. Geesh, I haven't had that in ages and almost forgot about it until you said something. I used to love the shrimp gumbo and chicken gumbo.

[duh]

Chicken Gumbo recipe anyone?

You know I thought I'd be safe looking at these post since it's first thing in the morning and I've just had breakfast but no joy.  You all have me drueling over the recipes. 

[Tina]

I don't know anyone who uses a real recipe for gumbo. Basically you stew a chicken until it is falling off of the bone. De-bone the chicken and remove the fat from the broth. Add veggies  (below)and rice to the broth and either hot or mild Louisiana sausage pieces or shrimp or both. It isn't gumbo without the sausage in my mind.
Vegetables:
onions (a must have)
tomatoes (either skinned and cut or stewed)(a must)
a little corn (optional)
okra (optional- depending on taste)
Peppers (Taste)

Toss the chicken meat back in after the veggies are done or it will become stringy.

It is really a chicken rice soup. You may thicken with filet or anything you would like but I really like mine thin. I also like my rice on the side and you put some rice in a bowl and pour the soup over. But for a potluck it is much easier to put the rice in.
Seasonings:
salt to taste ( for potlucks I don't for the people with dietary restrictions)
Red pepper flakes (go easy-they multiply like rabbits)
A touch of tobasco is nice too.
I like mine mild and not too hot. And it is usually thick with meats and  some  veggies with enough broth to cover.
I hope this helps.
Now I'm needing some for myself. I really like to do the chicken the day before so I can really cool the broth to skim the fat off.

[patches]

I kinda agree, Tina!  I think most people start with some type of Gumbo recipe and then adapt it to suit their tastes.   

[duh]

Well it sounds wonderful to me and I plan on trying it out on Sunday.  Now I just have to figure out what to take it in lol. 

[Triss]

I cannot wait to try both the rice and beans recipes.  Thanks for them both.

[patches]

Triss, let me know what you think of them.  I don't think you will be disappointed in 
either of them.  I love the "Dirty Rice" because it reminds me of Stuffed Peppers with a little less of the green pepper.  Actually, that part is fine with me since I usually don't eat all of the green pepper when I make the stuffed ones, so it just goes to waste.    I love them but in moderation, since a little for flavor goes a long way for me. 

[duh]

Your Dirty Rice recipe is in the oven right now.  And I'm so hungry I can't wait. 

So is there a Seafood Bisque in the Cajun reportie anywhere? 
And what kind of bread would you serve with the Gumbo? 

[patches]

So is there a Seafood Bisque in the Cajun reportie anywhere?

  Geesh, I'm sorry, Duh, but I have no idea what that is.     I've never heard of it before, but I don't get out much!    

I always serve crackers with Gumbo, but I guess that's just what I'm used to doing.  I'm sure any type of bread would do, but french bread might be good too, because I love that with my onion soup.  I use cream bread from the bakery shop whenever I make my homemade vegetable soup.  

[duh]

Seafood Bisque is just a Seafood Soup using a white sauce for a base.  I just wondered if there was a cajun equivalent.

I was thinking french bread might be really good with the gumbo.

What is cream bread?  Do you have a recipe?

BTW the dirty rice was wonderful.  I had to make myself stop eating so I'd have some for today.  I'm going to do a double recipe for Sunday.  It's so easy and so good yummy!

[patches]

I thought you would really like it, Duh!  "Cream" bread is just the crusty, white loaf of bread that they make at most Bakery Shops.  The Polish Bakery we used to go to called it "cream" bread because it was made with cream.  I don't know if they still use cream, but the name has stuck.  Sorry no recipe for this one!!!      

[duh]

That's for explaining it to me patches. 

The Pot Luck was fantastic.  We have some really great cooks in our ward. 

I messed up when I doubled the dirty rice recipe and it because to salty but everything else was good.

[patches]

Duh, I'm glad your "Carnival" Pot Luck dinner turned out well.  It's always fun to try the things other people cook.   

Geesh, I'm trying to undertand how the Dirty Rice turned out too salty because my recipe doesn't have any salt in it.   

[duh]

the broth.  I didn't use a low sodium kind.  And it was just to strong.

[patches]

Well, I guess that could do it, but I've never used the low sodium kind either.  I don't think doubling the recipe could cause that, but maybe it did.   

[duh]

I might have messed up the ratios in some other way too.  My mind wanders and sometimes that can really cause a problem when I'm cooking.

[patches]

BTW the dirty rice was wonderful.  I had to make myself stop eating so I'd have some for today. 

I just saw this so apparently when you made the single recipe it was fine.  Well, Duh, I'm wondering if maybe you used a different brand of stock when you doubled it.  I know there is a world of difference in the different brands of both beef and chicken stocks.  Some of them are very salty and others are really bland.

[duh]

I'm sure you are right.  I sometimes try the generic brands but I'm finding that more and more of them aren't as good as the name brands anymore. 

[patches]

Sometimes, Duh, I think it just depends on what it is you're buying.  I believe the taste or flavor you're accustomed to eating is a factor too.  If I'm making Mac & Cheese from a box, it has to be Kraft because none of the other brands taste right to me.      

[Tina]

It is Kraft for me, also, Patti. I love the stuff. Too bad it is kind of expensive most of the time.