New Orleans Favorites}

RED BEANS & RICE
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried red beans or kidney beans
1 large hamhock from left over ham, or sausage
2 tablespoons margarine or ham fat
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 small piece bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon oregano powder
2 large ripe tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
Pick and wash red beans.
In a large sauce pan boil 1-1/2 quarts water, drop in the beans, boil 1 minute. Set aside until they cool.
Cook onion in fat until tender. Add to beans, with garlic, hamhock, tomatoes, bayleaf, salt, and pepper. Cook over high heat, then reduce to simmer until tender, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Take out hamhock, cut meat away from bone and add to pot of beans. Add oregano. Discard the bone.
Serve in soup plates over rice. Chopped scallions over this is delicious.
COOKING TIP: If using sausage, do not cook them longer than 1 hour. If there are left over beans, chill in individual servings and freeze.

RED BEANS & RICE...NEW ORLEANS STYLE!
Ingredients:
2 lb dry red kidney beans
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 cup celery (finely chopped)
6 green onions (chopped)
1 lb sausage (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
cajun seasoning to taste
1 Green bell pepper chopped (optional)

Wash and soak beans overnight.
Drain and put into large pot.
Cover with water and bring to boil over high heat.
Stir well and let beans settle.
Add sausage, onions, celery, garlic, and seasoning.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for two to three hours until beans are tender.
For a thicker gravy, remove one cup of beans and mash thru strainer.
Add back to pot and stir.
Serve over hot rice.

SEAFOOD & OKRA GUMBO
1 qt. okra, cut into 1/2 in. peices
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbls. oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 qts. water
1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2-3 lbs shrimp
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup oil
2 Tbls. Worcestershire
1/2 cup flour
2 small boiled crabs
2 medium onions, chopped
Salt to taste
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. Black pepper
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Peel and devein shrimp. Set aside in refrigerator. Boil shrimp shells in 2 qts. water for several hours to make a stock. Set aside. In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tblsp. oil and saute the okra until all the ripeness is gone, about 1/2 hour. Set aside.

In a large (6-8 qt.) heavy Dutch Oven make a dark brown roux with the oil and flour. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic and parsley and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and cook 15 minutes. Add sauteed okra, shrimp stock, crabs (broken into quarters), bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a slow boil and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add salte to taste. Add the peeled shrimp and continue cooking until the shrimp are done.

Serve over steamed rice. This dish is best if cooked a day in advance and refrigerated overnight.

CHICKEN ANDOUILLE GUMBO
1 Chicken 2 1/2 LBS.
1LB. Andouille sausage, sliced
3 qts. water
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs. fresh okra
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. basil
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. file

Cut chicken into eight pieces; cover with water and simmer approximately 1 hour until chicken is tender and easily removed from the bones. Pour off stock and set aside. Allow chicken to cool; remove from bones and set aside.

Meanwhile, slice the okra and saute in about 2 tbsps. of oil until all ripeness is gone (about 1/2 hour.)

In heavy Dutch Oven, combime 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to make a dark brown roux. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender. Add sauteed okra, tomatoes and sliced sausage. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme, basil, pepper and salt. Add the chicken stock, mix well and bring to a slow boil. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours with the pot loosely covered, stirring occasionaly. Add cooked chicken and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat, skim off excess fat. Slowly stir in file. Do not reboil after adding file as this tends to make the gumbo stringy. Serve over steamed rice.

JAMBALAYA
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 1/2 cups stock or water
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 tsp. thyme
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup converted rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 16 oz can tomatoes, drained
2 lbs. peeled shrimp reserving liquid
1/2 lb. boneless cooked chicken, cubed

In heavy Dutch Oven, saute sausage until lightly browned. Remove from pot. Sautee onions bell pepper, green onions, celery and garlic in meat drippings until tender. Add tomatoes, thyme, pepper and salt. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Mix together liquid from tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce to equal 2 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add raw shrimp, chicken and sausage and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 mins. until rice and shrimp are done.

BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 qt.cubed day old French Bread
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup rasins
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread, pineapple and rasins. Add milk and butter. Mix and let stand to let bread absorb liquid.

Combine sugar, salt and spices. Add beaten eggs and vanilla and mix well. Pour over bread and milk mixture and stir well until mixed.

Pour into a well greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish or black iron skillet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm with a whiskey sauce.

WHISKEY SAUCE
1/2 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup bourbon

Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Slowly beat in bourbon.