Rox and I stay incredibly busy most all week long, and now and then we enjoy just kicking our feet up and relaxing with a bottle of wine and a no-fuss dinner. It is those kinds of evenings that I stumble upon dishes and recipes like this simple Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad that otherwise would…
Herbed Potato Salad
Fresh herbs from my garden shine in this creative take on a popular summertime side dish–my Herbed Potato Salad. And from my trial-and-error experience, marinating overnight is essential for deep flavors to penetrate the potatoes. Granted, I love a traditional Southern potato salad with its creamy mayonnaise base. Everyone has a favorite recipe that’s a…
Kale Salad with Sweet Dijon Vinaigrette
Beautifully bitter kale takes on a bright sweetness with an overnight marination in my flavor-infused vinaigrette. And when dressed with fruit, cheese, and nuts, this Kale Salad with Sweet Dijon Vinaigrette could be the perfect summertime salad. “Too tough, too bitter, overbearing,” these are the complaints I often hear about this sometimes maligned green. But…
Orzo, Shrimp and Kale Salad
More and more, I see orzo pasta showing up on the Acadiana table of folks who didn’t even know it existed a few years ago. Cajun and Creole home cooks are a stubborn bunch who hold to Cajun recipe tradition more so than most cultures. But in my Orzo, Shrimp and Kale Salad recipe, this ingredient…
Louisiana Seafood Salad with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette
It’s Memorial Day and time to dine on the water, and it doesn’t get any fresher than this: Gulf shrimp and lump crabmeat combine with a zesty Creole dressing in this light Louisiana Seafood Salad with fresh coastal flavors. And it’s easy with this simple recipe. With the summer vacation season here, most of Acadiana…
Tomato Cheese Tart
One bite of the flaky piecrust infused with herbs and cheeses and topped deliciously with ripe heirloom tomatoes will unlock your taste buds and send them to that delicious culinary hiding place in your brain. You know where I mean, and you know that you don’t visit that place as often as you like, or…
Summer Shrimp Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
With a bed of just-picked greens, the crunch of farm-fresh vegetables, and the brininess of Gulf shrimp, this Summer Shrimp Salad takes off with a Creole mustard-infused Citrus Vinaigrette. These are the flavors of Louisiana. Summer in the South is glorious. Relaxing by the pool, basking in the sun, and dining on light coastal fare…
Chilled Seafood Salad with Two Dressings
Ice-cold shrimp and chilled lump crabmeat need nothing more than a tasty dressing or two to complete a casual springtime meal. And my recipe for Chilled Seafood Salad with Two Dressings keeps it simple and light—two ingredients for an easy dinner. Anytime Roxanne and I visit Biloxi, Mississippi, we make a beeline to our favorite…
Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette
Salty, acidic, peppery and sweet are the defining taste elements of my Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette and taking a few tricks from my Cajun playbook of culinary techniques, I think we might have just elevated this French classic to another level. During past travels in southern France, Roxanne and I recall…
Crabmeat-Stuffed Artichoke
When I saw the large artichokes stacked high at the produce stand, I knew in an instant that crabmeat-stuffed artichoke would be the perfect dish for a summertime appetizer. It was time to get stuffing. Though hardly Cajun, globe artichokes are actually a cultivated variety of thistle. But, in the hands of an adventurous cook, the…