Cajunmartini Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes and Cajun seasoning. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions, using 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in beef mixture; cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Steps:

• First, make the jalapeno vodka: cut the whole pepper lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Drop pepper slices and seeds into vodka bottle and replace cap. Let stand at least 1 hour, but flavor will be strongest after 6 hours. Keep refrigerate, if desired, for future use.
• Once jalapeno vodka is ready, place 1/2 cup jalapeno vodka and remaining ingredients (except for garnish) in pitcher or cocktail shaker. Stir or shake gently, then strain into 2 martini glasses. Garnish with sliced jalapeno.

Steps:

• Add jalapeno to gin bottle, fill gin bottle up to lip with vermouth. Refrigerate 8 to 16 hours (but no longer). Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth in a funnel into a clean bottle. Pour into chilled glass. Garnish with pickled green tomato.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Make the Cajun spice mix: In a small bowl or resealable container, mix together the paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme until well combined. The spice mix will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
• Make the pasta: Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, then drain the noodles.
• While the pasta cooks, toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of Cajun spice mix. Toss the scallops in a separate medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun spice mix as well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, flipping once until they just turn pink, 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook. Transfer the shrimp back to the bowl and wipe the pan clean.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan until nearly smoking. Add the scallops to the pan and sear on each side for about 2 minutes, until they are easy to flip without resistance. Transfer the scallops to the bowl with the shrimp. Wipe out the pan.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the yellow and orange bell peppers, season with 1 tablespoon of Cajun spice mix, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the peppers are soft and tender. Add the red bell peppers and scallions and cook for another 5 minutes, until warmed through. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the shrimp and scallops.
• In the same pan (do not wipe out!), combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons Cajun spice mix, and the heavy cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until reduced by at least half, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the cooked linguine, sautéed vegetables, shrimp, and scallops and toss to coat in the sauce, adding 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Garnish with the parsley.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Mix vodkas, vermouth, and olive juice with ice into cocktail shaker and blend for 15 seconds.
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with jalapeño stuffed olive.
• Note: I've been unable to locate peppar voda lately so have been using Recipe #272674 to make my own. Instead of habenero chili's I've used jalapenos.