Steamed shrimp with veggies (and, uh, fungus)

This is another quick fix that people seem to love :)

Ingredients:
Peeled shrimp (I use about 2-3 lbs. for the three of us and we always have plenty for leftovers)
Potatoes, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced or whole
2-3 bell peppers in strips
Old Bay seasoning

Directions:
In a steaming device of your choice, throw in the ingredients and apply Old Bay liberally.  Add water to the bottom of said steaming mechanism (duh) and cook until shrimp is pink and veggies are cooked, stirring occasionally.

Notes:
You can add pretty much any veggies you like to this recipe, this is just what we prefer.  You can also take away whatever you like - initially this started with just shrimp and potatoes.  Some good veggies to add:  corn on the cob, spicy peppers, squash, zucchini, etc.

Cat's Cajun pan-fried chicken nuggets

This is a nice recipe that goes with a wide variety of sides.  It's a bit hands on, but completely worth the effort.

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
Cornmeal
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Oil or butter for the pan

Directions:
1.  In a flat dish with edges (I use pie dishes), pour a bit of cornmeal mixed with Tony's to taste.
2.  Coat the chicken pieces in the mixture.
3.  After coating, throw the pieces into the pan (which should have oil or butter to keep things from burning).
4.  Turn the pieces over occasionally and put on a plate covered in a paper towel once they're nicely browned and cooked through.

For such an easy dish, these are surprisingly tasty.  Then again, Tony's is one of those seasonings that just seems to improve almost anything.  The cornmeal and Tony's give them a nice flavor without them being too weighed down.

Crazy Cajun cabbage

I know what you're thinking.  It's something like "Ew, cabbage."  That's what I thought for a long time.  But after seeing how cheap it is to get a head of cabbage at the store, I thought "Let's figure out a way to make this crap edible."  So, that's how this recipe was born.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage (chopped)
1 can Rotel
4 strips of bacon

Directions:
1.  In a large pot (stock pots work well), add the cabbage, Rotel, and bacon.  Fill up to about 2-3 inches below the top of the ingredients.
2.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 hours or until cabbage is the consistency of Southern collard greens.
3.  Drain if it seems too watery to you.
4.  Pig out.

This is a super simple recipe.  It WILL make your house smell funny, but it's totally worth it.  Most people who have tried this can't believe it's really cabbage and ALL of them ask for second helpings, including my selectively picky toddler.
I often serve these with Cajun fried chicken (I'll post the recipe later) and my Mexican cornbread.

Spaghetti sauce with a kick

I love my spaghetti sauce to have lots of flavor to it.  No bland food in this house!  This recipe is easy, but tastes like it's truly made from scratch.  Enjoy!


Ingredients:

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (you can also use Rotel if you want more of a Tex-Mex flavor)
1 jar meat or chunky veggie spaghetti sauce (do NOT use it if there's cheese - it never comes out right)
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves fresh garlic
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Dried oregano
Crushed red pepper
Salt

Directions:
1.  Chop or press the garlic and throw it in the pan while browning the meat.  Add a little Tony's while browning.  Do not drain the meat unless there's a TON to drain - it helps give it a more legitimate flavor.
2.  Add the tomatoes and spaghetti sauce to the pan and stir.  Use the rest of the seasoning to taste.
3.  Serve over pasta.

Seriously.  It's that easy.  But I get ridiculous compliments on it.  Crazy, eh?

Notes:
The reason I don't use cheese spaghetti sauce is because I feel that it tastes dark and unnatural - like goblin meat.
This, like most spaghetti sauce recipes, can be pretty easily changed to tastes.  Don't like spicy food?  Ditch the Tony's and red pepper and focus on more Italian seasonings.