Mardi Gras 2023

 

We always have King Cake for our Mardi Gras party, but added a few other things to table this year too. 

I used pineapple juice, tropical fruit V8 juice, orange juice, and Sprite to make some non-alcoholic hurricane drinks. I added orange slices and cherries and mask picks to make the drinks look more festive. We had Instant Pot Dirty Rice (recipe on another post), Cajun chicken tenders, Jambalaya, and Air Fryer Hush Puppies.

Hush Puppies Ingredients: 

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 egg

1 Tbsp honey

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, honey buttermilk, and olive oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold in the peppers and onions. 

Preheat the air fryer to 375. Put a parchment paper liner in the air fryer. Using an ice cream scoop, place the dough balls in the air fryer. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and then flip the dough balls. Cook another 3-4 minutes. 

Jambalaya Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 celery ribs diced

2 bell peppers, diced

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

6 oz andouille sausage

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

1 tsp cajun seasoning

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cook the olive oil, onion, celery, and peppers in a large pot for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper and garlic. 

Stir in the chicken, paprika, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. (about 5 minutes)

Stir in the sausage and tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. 

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, and cajun seasoning. 

Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat. 

Cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. 

Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes. 

I also used this recipe: https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/polish-paczki-donuts-recipe/ to make homemade paczkis. 

I filled them with homemade custard.