Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday

 Color, music, and joy collide on Mardi Gras.

Celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) with Jambalaya, a Creole dish of Spanish and French influence that originated in the Caribbean. Finish the meal with a delicious Bananas Foster, a dessert created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. It was named after Richard Foster, a civic leader and frequent patron. It consists of sliced bananas topped with rum sauce and served over vanilla ice cream. It is often served tableside in restaurants as a flambé (a cooking technique in which alcohol is added to a hot pan, creating flames). Some suggested sides include: corn muffins and a classic dish Red Beans and Rice.

Jambalya served with Red Beans and Rice 

and a corn muffin. The photo below shows Jambalya with shrimp as another option. 

Jambalaya

Cook’s notes: Marinating the chicken in buttermilk helps make the meat more tender. You will need to add more chicken broth on the second day to serve the dish as the rice absorbs the liquid. The recipe makes six servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 box  Zatarains's New Orleans style Jambalaya Mix (available locally at grocery store)
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in chunks or 2 -3 cups of meat from a rotisserie chicken 
• 1/ 2 teaspoon each of Cajun seasoning and oregano (for baking chicken)
• 2-1/2 cups diced Andouille sausage, small pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz.)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.)  diced tomatoes (basil, oregano, garlic)
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• 1 cup of water
• ¾ cup diced onion
• 1 small green pepper, diced or 1 cup mini yellow and red peppers, diced
• 4 celery ribs (stalks) diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½  teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: substitute cooked shrimp for chicken and add in last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Directions:

• Marinate chicken in 1 cup of buttermilk for one hour. Drain well and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with a mixture of dry oregano and Cajun seasoning. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35- 40 minutes. Use a thermometer to check for doneness. Turn once during baking time. The sausage can be cooked on the same baking sheet for the last 20 minutes of chicken baking time.
• Cool and dice both meats-set aside,
• In a large skillet, sauté onions,  celery, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil.
• Add in water, broth, spices, jambalaya rice mixture, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, and diced meats. Simmer 45 minutes on low heat, covered. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Easy Bananas Foster for Two

Cook's Notes: Choose bananas that are ripe but still firm. Overripe bananas will break down too much in the sauce, while under-ripe bananas won’t develop the right sweetness. While vanilla ice cream is the classic pairing, Bananas Foster can also be served in other ways. Spoon the sauce with bananas over pound cake, waffles, or French toast for a decadent brunch option. It also makes a wonderful topping for crepes or even oatmeal when you want something indulgent but comforting.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 ½ tablespoons of rum
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 small bananas or 2 large bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions:

• Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon; bring to a low boil.
• Place bananas and nuts in the skillet. Cook until bananas have softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve the sauce with bananas over vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!