I’ve had a few moments to sort through my New Orleans menus and have pulled out just a few of my fave recipes. Enjoy!
Oven Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd
This is such an easy way to make scrambled eggs when you don’t want to spend precious morning minutes stirring at the stovetop.
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 24 eggs, beaten
- 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour melted butter into a 9×13 baking dish. Add salt and milk to beaten eggs. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir. Bake 15-20 minutes more, until eggs are set. Serve immediately.
Shrimp & Grits
This was the biggest hit of the bunch. Serves 5-6.
- 6 cups water
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 3 eggs, separated
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 cup grits
- 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or other spice blend (including salt, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and pepper)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2-quart soufflé dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to water and bring to a boil. Add grits in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure that the grits don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and mix in two tablespoons of butter.
Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add yolks to grits, one at a time, stirring to combine. Add 1 ¾ cups cheese and 1 teaspoon salt. Fold in egg whites. Pour into soufflé dish and top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make sure shrimp are clean and then pat dry. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon sugar (to help the shrimp crisp around the edges in the hot pan). Heat oil in 12-inch pan and cook shrimp in batches, 45 seconds-1 minute per side until opaque. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add wine and stock to deglaze. Add seasoning and 1 tablespoon butter, stirring. Simmer for 15 minutes, partially covered (mixture will reduce a bit). Return shrimp to sauce and serve with grits casserole.
Frances’ Pound Cake
A coworker provide this recipe for a decadent yellow pound cake. We served ours with ice cream, chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries.
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup Crisco
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Cream the butter, Crisco and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for about five minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, extracts and nutmeg. Add the flour and milk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cakes cool for 10 minutes, take them out of pans and place on baking rack to cool.
I was fortunate enough to gain 10 pounds eating all of these dishes while in New Orleans with Miss Menu. They are all delicious!!
Actually, I really lost 2 pounds…just want to clarify for those who know me.
Way to go Miss Menu….cooking with butter and making it into diet food!