Many years ago, while living in Rochester, Michigan, I lived in an apartment complex in an upscale neighborhood. I made the acquantince of my next door neighbor, Judy Crane, and we became friends. She was married to a doctor from India, and shared this fabulous recipe with me. It was one of her husband’s favorite, and has continued to be one of my most very favorite dishes.

Simple to make, this combination of beef, eggplant and tomatoes is sure to please even the most discriminating palate.

Enjoy…

Eggplant Stew

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
1 large eggplant
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
(1) 1 lb, 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided into 2 portions
2 quarts water
Cooked rice for number of servings

Dust stew meat with flour. Shake off excess.
Brown in 2 Tbs of olive oil.
Remove from skillet, and place in 8 quart stock pot with 2 quarts water.
Simmer until tender.

Peel eggplant and cut into 1 inch cubes. Salt eggplant and let stand about 10 minutes to remove bitterness.
Rinse thoroughly in cold water and place on paper towel to dry. (Pat cubes with paper towel to remove excess water.)
Fry eggplant in oil seasoned with chopped garlic and salt & pepper to taste until tender and translucent.
Drain water from meat and return to stock pot.
Add can of tomatoes, egg plant, and juice of lime.
Add Parmesan cheese.
Cook for one half hour.
Serve over rice.

Peace,

Charlie~

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Here is a great recipe from the land of the Acadians. It was sent to my by my compatriot Janice Duplantis, after much coercion to supply me with a recipe for the Mardi Gras season. (Just kidding - Janice is most helpful and a very good resource!)

The recipe is one of her husband Joseph’s, and I doubt you will find it in any recipe book. I am hesitant to present it here, wishing to keep it a Coon family secret! But I have not been good about posting lately, what will all the excitement of opening Rosie’s store.

Thank Janice by signing up for her great ezine Lagniappe Recipes. You won’t ever regret it. I look forward to the issues with my mouth watering each issue!

Crawfish Etouffee

1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen crawfish tails with fat*
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
3/4 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
1/4 c. diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 (10.75-oz.) cans condensed golden mushroom soup
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes (do not drain liquid)
1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and chilies (do not drain)
1/2 c. dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
6 c. cooked long grain white rice

Just prior to preparing etouffee, remove crawfish tails from freezer and let thaw at room temperature – do not remove from package.
Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add diced onion, bell pepper, celery and minced garlic; saute for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add salt, cayenne pepper, undiluted golden mushroom, cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups, stewed tomatoes and diced tomatoes and chilies.
Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, lower heat and simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes.
Cut open package of thawed crawfish tails and add directly from package to sauce.
Stir in wine and continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Stir in green onions and parsley.
Remove from heat.
Divide cooked rice among 6 bowls or soup plates. Ladle etouffee over rice.
Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
Yields 6 servings as an entree.
(Remaining sauce freezes beautifully.)

Recipe Note: Crawfish may be replaced with 1 pound of peeled raw shrimp when preparing this recipe.

There is is folks - a wonderful Cajun recipe that is sure to please any palate. I’m making this great Crawfish Etouffe this weekend for family and friends.
We continue work on Rosie’s store, and hope to be able to open April 1st. I seriously put myself in a world of hurt this weekend, hauling sheets of plywoord, 2 X 4’s, and sheets of paneling. And manages to bark shy shins on Perry’s pickup twice in the process. Rosie, feeling sorry for the old Coon, soothed my ruffled feathers with a few cold Rolling Rocks and a nice meal. Life is good…

About the Author: Janice Faulk Duplantis, author and publisher, currently maintains a web site that focuses on Easy Gourmet and French/Cajun Cuisine. (Visit Bedrock Press at target=_blank>www.bedrockpress.com) Janice also publishes 2 monthly complementary ezines: ‘Gourmet BytesÂ’ and ‘Lagniappe Recipe’ www.bedrockpress.com/subscribe.html

Peace,

Charlie~

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