The 2,000 mile trip to Mardi Gras may not be in the budget this year, but you can still celebrate Fat Tuesday with your friends by doing a little Cajun home cookin’.

Cajun dishes are known as the country cooking of Louisiana — dirty rice, gumbos, jambalaya, andouille (a spicy smoked sausage — pronounced ahnd-wee or ahn-do-wee) and simple foods such as fried catfish are some of the most widely recognized dishes.

The Holy Trinity of New Orleans cooking: green peppers, onions and celery and roux (pronounced Roo) are used as the base to many traditional Cajun dishes.

A roux is simply flour cooked in fat; pork fat, butter or oil, until it browns. This adds flavor and thickness to the dish. Slowly cooking the roux to the color of a copper penny is the key to the success of this Gumbo.

At Savory Moment, our customers enjoy several New Orleans’ favorites every February.

Here are three great recipes to create the “party” in the comfort of your home.

Red Beans and Rice – serves 8

½ cup diced onion

1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoons olive oil (or non-stick spray)

1 ½ cups white rice

1 ½ tablespoons Creole seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 ½ cups chicken stock

2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes

One 15 oz can of small red beans or kidney beans – drained and rinsed

2 oz smoked ham – ½ inch cubes

½ teaspoon salt – season to taste

1 ½ tablespoons Tabasco

Directions

1.Sauté onions and garlic in large skillet or pot

2.Add white rice and Creole seasoning – stir until hot and seasonings are fragrant

3.Add bay leaves, chicken stock, tomatoes and beans – bring to a boil

4.Reduce heat to simmer and add ham and ½ of Tabasco

5.Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed

6.Add salt and remaining Tabasco to taste (add more or less depending on preference)

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo serves 8

½ cup flour

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup onions – diced

½ cup green pepper – diced

¾ cup celery – diced

2 tablespoons garlic – minced

1 teaspoon dry thyme

¼ teaspoon cayenne

2 bay leaves

One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 ½ cups clam juice or chicken stock

1 pound Andouille sausage (chicken if you can find it) – sliced ½ inch thick

1 ¼ pound large shrimp

½ tablespoon file

4 cups cooked white rice

Directions

1.Heat oil in large skillet or pot over medium heat

2.Add flour and cook stirring slowly and continually until the color of a copper penny (this will take you awhile but it is VERY important)

3.Add onions, green peppers, celery and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened

4.Add Andouille, thyme and cayenne – stir to heat through

5.Slowly add clam juice or stock in steady stream – stirring constantly to prevent lumping

6.Add bay leaves and canned tomatoes with juices

7.Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes until thickened

8.Add file and shrimp – heat just long enough for shrimp to begin to turn pink

9.Add ½ cup white rice to bowl – top with gumbo

Bread Pudding– serves 8

4 large eggs

4 cups milk

1/2 cup brown sugar – packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (omit if using cinnamon rolls)

1 pound French bread or stale cinnamon rolls, cut into 1-inch pieces and left out overnight to dry out

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup raisins

Directions

1.Whisk together eggs and milk. Add brown sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon – whisk to combine.

2.Toss together bread cubes, pecans and raisins.

3.Add bread mixture to buttered large baking dish.

4.Pour over milk/egg mixture and press bread in to soak

5.Let rest in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes until bread has soaked up liquid.

6.Bake in 325 degree oven for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and puffy.

7.Let cool and serve with warm Bourbon Sauce

Bourbon Sauce

6 tablespoons Bourbon

¼ cup brown sugar – packed

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup apple juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons cold butter (cut into 6 pieces)

Directions

1.Heat bourbon in small saucepan – bring to a boil to burn off alcohol – turn down heat

2.Add sugars, apple juice, vanilla and cinnamon – stir to dissolve

3.Add butter one tablespoon at a time – whisk to melt and thicken sauce

4.Serve warm over bread pudding

Darrell Reeds is the executive chef at Redmond-based Savory Moment.