RECIPE: Shrimp Creole makes for quick Cajun comfort food
I’m a proud Georgia native, but I spent my elementary school years in Louisiana. My young mother did not know anyone when she moved from the Southeast and chose to learn her new home and its people by cooking their food from Junior League cookbooks. Consequently, I grew up with crawfish boils, etouffee, jambalaya and many other Creole and Cajun dishes.
The food of the port city of New Orleans is a proverbial melting pot of many cultures. The terms Creole and Cajun are often used interchangeably, but there are small differences — which no one seems to agree on! Broadly speaking from a culinary perspective, Creole is considered more “city cooking.” It is often more refined with strong French influences. Cajun dishes typically reflect simple home-style country cooking. Cajun recipes are often one-pot dishes, such as rich, thick gumbo or meaty jambalaya.
Both Creole and Cajun cuisines can be considered comfort food with a kick! One of the quickest and easiest dishes is Shrimp Creole, essentially shrimp simmered in a spiced tomato gravy. I prefer to use no-salt Creole spices and add my own salt. Since shrimp is so quick cooking, this tasty supper can be on the table in minutes.
Shrimp Creole
Many grocery stores offer pre-chopped vegetables in the produce department. While they are more expensive than purchasing and prepping your own, they are a definite time saver. Traditionally, most Creole and Cajun dishes are based on a trio of vegetables known as “The Holy Trinity,” a combination of onion, celery and bell pepper. In an effort to streamline the preparation and limit the number of ingredients, I’m using a pre-chopped soup base comprised of onion, carrot and celery. If you want to prep your own, you will need 1 onion, 2 medium carrots and 2 stalks of celery chopped into a medium dice no larger than 1/2-inch. And, if you want to be more authentic, you can add a cored, seeded and diced bell pepper, too.
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon no-salt Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
- 1 (12-ounce) prepared Fresh Cut Mixed Vegetable Soup Base
- 2 (8-ounce) cans low-sodium tomato sauce
- 3 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
- Hot sauce, for serving
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and season with no-salt Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine; set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook, stirring constantly, an additional 5 minutes. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook until just pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice with optional hot sauce.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, with brown rice: 234 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 18 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 143 milligrams cholesterol, 677 milligrams sodium.
