’tis the Season(ing)!

And no, I’m not talking about Christmas (‘though it is now just a bit less than 6 months away! 😉 ), I’m talking about Cajun Cuisine, peoples. 🙂

I’ve written posts about Cajun food before, namely Gumbo, Jambalaya, and King Cake. Last year, when my mom was in the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit) after her heart attacks, hubby (who was still in his back brace) espied a new (to us!) restaurant in Tyler while we were out driving around town, passing time until we could get back into the CICU.

The restaurant is a Cajun place (a chain) called Razoo’s. Fun atmosphere and tasty food — and as physically and emotionally exhausted as hubby and I were by that point in our year, we were in desperate need of any bit of fun or humor we could find and for any yummy food that we could find, especially if it saved me the time and labor of preparing it (because yes, peoples, I was so worn out and strung out that even I, who loves cooking and baking and can be quite organized about it, did not have the energy or wherewithal to keep us fed regularly after hubby’s accident, what with caring for my beloved in his back brace; the stress of the remodel in Operation Laundry Room; the additional physical chores I had to do, such as mowing, which would take me two days; having to put down our poor Ally; and then Mom’s heart attacks and caring for her…this is why it’s a common social convention and simple, caring kindness to bring meals to people who are ill, have had a death in the family, and/or are otherwise going through a stressful time).

Hubby was so enamored of the place and the food, he asked me why I didn’t cook more Cajun dishes.

Well, why not, indeed?

So, I started studying Razzoo’s menu and also Googling, and I’ve since added a few more Cajun dishes to my repertoire.

Two seasoning bases for Cajun cooking are Cajun Seasoning and Blackened Seasoning. You can, of course, purchase Cajun Seasoning in most stores — myself, I’m partial to Tony Chacere’s Creole Seasoning — but as part of my Googling, I came across recipes for making one’s own Cajun seasoning. Making your own seasoning has the benefits of not only being more affordable, but also of being made to suit your tastes (such as being hotter or milder, lower in sodium, reduced in sugar or sugar-free, and so forth).

Using Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for inspiration, I whipped up my own version of Cajun Seasoning to suit our tastes.  I just mix it up in a Ziploc baggie and keep it in my pantry.

And although I’ve shared my Blackened Seasoning before, I’ll include it here again, as well just for convenience’s sake.

These seasonings smell — and taste! — so yummy, that when you use them in your Cajun dishes (I’ll be sharing a couple more recipes in future posts), you’ll want to put on Zydeco music and dance around your kitchen!

 

Cajun Seasoning (Adjust to suit your own tastes)

Don’t fret over exact measurements; rounded spoonfuls are fine.
Note that 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
• 2 teaspoons thyme (dried or powdered)
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used reduced sodium)
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Mix all ingredients together. (I like to put them all in a Ziploc bag, close it, and shake it together to mix them.)
2. Store in a sealed container (I use a Ziploc bag).

 

Blackened Seasoning (Adjust to suit your own tastes)

Don’t fret over exact measurements; rounded spoonfuls are fine.
Note that 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

• 2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (red pepper)
• 1 teaspoon thyme (dried leaves or ground)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I use reduced sodium)
• Garlic powder to taste (I give it a healthy sprinkling, probably 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

1. Mix all ingredients together. (I like to put them all in a Ziploc bag, close it, and shake it together to mix them.)
2. Store in a sealed container (I use a Ziploc bag).

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