Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French and is known in countries other than France and the United States as Carnival. What began as a pagan fertility celebration to ward off evil for the new year became a time of fun and merrymaking before abstaining from meat and making other sacrifices during Lent to honor Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness.
Cities worldwide host festivals with elaborate parades, colorful face masks, parties, balls, and feasts. You can have a little fun with your family by creating your face masks and enjoying this New Orleans inspired Mardi Gras menu
- Jambalaya*
- Fluffy rice
- Crusty bread
- Green Salad
- *Pecan tarts
Jambalaya is a Cajun dish originating around the bayou, combining the French word for ham and the African word for rice. You can mix and match a variety of seafood and meats, depending on what you have available. In other parts of the world, Fat Tuesday might be called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, and crepes’ will be served with superfine sugar and fresh lemon juice, delicious! Another idea is to hide a coin (for wealth), ring (for marriage), or thimble (for becoming a tailor or seamstress) in the dessert and could be easily baked into the delicious southern Pecan Tarts recipe I’ve included here.
Jambalaya w/ Rice
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 chicken legs cut in half
Combine flour & spices in a plastic bag and coat the chicken
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb. pork sausage cut in half
Brown coated chicken in oil for 20 min. Remove.
Brown sausage for 10 min, remove.
2 medium onions chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
Save 2 Tbsp fat
Add onion, pepper, garlic, celery, cover, cook, and stir for 30 min.
1 can (16 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 cup water, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, spices. Return chicken and sausage to pan, cover, simmer, stir 20 minutes.
1/2 lb. frozen shrimp
1/2 lb cubed ham
Add shrimp and ham to jambalaya.
Cover, simmer 15 minutes.
Serve w/ rice.
3 cups of water
1 1/2 cup rice
Cook rice in water for 20 minutes
Pecan Tarts
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Crust
2 1/4 cup flour
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
8 oz cream cheese
Blend and divide into 12 equal parts and press dough into bottom and sides of muffin pan cups
Filling
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
Whisk until blended
2 cups chopped pecans
Stir in to filling mix and divide among the 12 mini tarts.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and enjoy!
