Broccoli & Cheese Soup suggested by Nichole Barrios & Michele Dufour

Here is another popular soup from the closed Cannon's Restaurant. In the beginning, all of Cannon's soups were made in house. Only towards the end did Cannon's use a premade Gumbo. The Broccoli and Cheese soup was easy to make and probably the most popular soup. The cheese used in the soup is Velveeta because it is an easily melted cheese. It even gets better the colder it is outside.

 Broccoli & Cheese Soup

1/2  Quart Minced Broccoli (Buds and Stems)

1/4  Quart Chopped Onions

1/4  Pound Margarine

½  Cup Flour

¾  Quart Chicken Stock or Broth

¾  Quart Half and Half

1 Tablespoon Parsley Flakes

1 ½  Pounds Velveeta Cheese

Melt margarine. Saute onions and broccoli until soft. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add chicken stock stirring with a wire whisk. On a low fire, cook out the flour taste for approximately 5 minutes. Pour in half and half with a steady flow, stirring continuously. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add Velveeta slowly. Cook approximately 10 minutes.

Enjoy

Crab Bisque

So much for an early spring. After a beautiful weekend on March 19-20, Mother Nature thought Arkansas could use a few more cold days. With highs in the mid 50's, I still feel like it is soup weather. So I thought, one more soup recipe before it gets to warm for soup. This Crab Bisque is made along the lines of Lobster Bisque. It is a very rich and creamy soup. Enjoy it while it is cool.

Crab Bisque

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Teaspoon minced Onion

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley

1 ½ cups Crabmeat, cleaned

2 Teaspoons Flour

2 cups Crab Stock or Chicken Broth

2 cups Heavy Cream

Pinch Ground White Pepper

Salt

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add the onion and cook until golden. Add crabmeat and parsley: cook over low heat stirring consistently (about 4 minutes). Add flour, stir to blend and cook for three minutes. Stir in crab stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Keep pan partially covered. Add the cream and white pepper. Heat and add salt to taste.

Enjoy

Pasta Garaud suggested by Michele Champlin Lepine

Pasta Garaud was the most popular pasta dish at Cannon's. It had a great flavor that was different from Alfredo sauce, which you find at most restaurants. Over the years, it was enhanced with the addition of a spice mixture named appropriately Garaud Seasoning. It was definately not a sauce you would find anywhere else. The only problem I had with this dish was the size of the shrimp. Cannon's used a 150-250 count cooked shrimp. Shrimp are sized by the number of shrimp in a pound. So the small the number, the larger the shrimp. Some people thought the shrimp included in the dish were a joke. I think that a 51-60 shrimp would work well. But you can use any size you want.

Pasta Garaud

1 Qt. Heavy Cream

½ can Beef Broth

¼ cup Extra Dry Vermouth

1 ½ teaspoon Salt

1 ½ teaspoon White Pepper

1 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic

1 ½ Tablespoon Garaud Seasoning

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

½ pound Cooked Shrimp

Cooked Fettuccine

Warm heavy cream. When warm, add beef broth and vermouth. Reduce for five minutes. Add salt, white pepper, granulated garlic, Garaud seasoning, and Nutmeg. Cook over low fire until mixture thickens to a medium white sauce consistency. Add shrimp and fettuccini and cook until desired consistency.

Garaud Seasoning

12oz. Salt

4oz. Granulated Garlic

4oz. Black Pepper

1 1/2oz. Cayenne Pepper

2oz. White Pepper

1 1/2oz. Thyme

1 1/2oz. Oregano

4oz. Paprika

2 1/2oz. Onion Powder

Measure all ingredients on a food scale.

Place all ingredients in a large dry mixing bowl.

Mix Well.

Store in labeled covered container.

Enjoy

Mona's Cheesecake

Yesterday would have been my parents anniversary. Today is one of my brother's birthday. So I thought I would post a recipe to honor both. Mona was my mom. She was a wonderful cook. I only hope I can cook as well as she did. I know that this recipe is a favorite of my brother Ken. His wife, Edna, has been known to make multiple cheesecakes for holidays. It is a wonderful dessert on a warm evening.

Crust

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 Stick Margarine, melted

½ cup sugar

Filling

2 8oz Cream Cheese

2 Eggs

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Topping

1 8oz Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs, margarine and sugar. Press into 9”pie pan

Filling: Blend all ingredients for filling in blender until smooth. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 Minutes. Cool for 15 minutes

Topping: Mix topping and smooth over cooled cheesecake

Bake again at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Cool before putting in the refrigerator.

Enjoy

BBQ Shrimp and Grits suggested by Caro Ferguson

I recently asked friends on Facebook for recipe suggestions. My neighbor Caro Ferguson asked if I has a recipe for Shrimp and Grits. I told her that I had one with a New Orleans twist. I had never made Shrimp & Grits. So to get my wife to try it, I made it with my BBQ Shrimp recipe. I don't ever remember seeing it made that way anywhere. Not long after, this dish started showing up on New Orleans restaurant menus. I guess I was a little before my time.

BBQ Shrimp & Grits

BBQ Shrimp

1 pounds 15-20 or larger Wild American Shrimp Head & Tail on

3/4 pound Butter (3 sticks)

3/4 cup Olive Oil

2 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic, Chopped

2 teaspoons Basil Leaves (Dry)

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoons Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Black Pepper

3/4 teaspoon Oregano (Dry)

3/4 teaspoon Thyme (Dry)

3/4 teaspoon BBQ Seasoning

1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning

Melt butter in Olive Oil in a large pot.  Combine all other ingredients, adding shrimp last.  Cook on Medium High Heat for 10 minutes.

Grits

¾ cup Quick Grits

3 cups Water

¼ teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add the grits and salt. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Put grits in 4 bowls. Place shrimp on top and pour a little of the shrimp sauce on top of grits.

Enjoy

Artichoke Soup

This is a reworking of Cannon's Artichoke Soup. Most Artichoke Soups you find in New Orleans have Oysters in them. I also happened to work at the first restaurant to serve Oyster and Artichoke Soup, LeRuth's. Warren Leruth was the best chef from the New Orleans area. He started his career developing recipes for Proctor and Gamble. He developed Green Goddess dressing for Wishbone. After 20 years of the best restaurant in New Orleans, he ended his career doing consulting work for many restaurant chains, like Popeye's and Outback.

Artichoke Soup

6 cups Quartered Artichoke Hearts (Reserve Liquid)

½ gal Chicken Stock or Broth

¾ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

½ Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

½ Teaspoon Hot Sauce

1 cup Diced Onions

1 Cup Chopped Green Onions

½ Tablespoon Oregano

½ Teaspoon Thyme

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Tablespoon White Pepper

1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic

2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar

3 Sticks Butter

¾ cup Flour

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Melt butter and sauté onions until transparent. Add green onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Mix chicken stock and artichoke juice. Add flour to onions and stir with a wire whisk. Cook for 2 miuntes. Add stock mixture and stir.  Add artichokes, lemon juice and Parmesan Cheese and stir. Add Worcestershire Sauce, hot sauce, oregano, thyme, salt, white pepper, granulated garlic, and brown sugar, sprinkling all of the ingredients over the entire area of soup to avoid clumping.  Cook for 10 minutes on low temperature. You can add 3 pints of oysters during the last five minutes.

Enjoy

Cajun Fried Pickles suggested by Bill Bernard

Fried pickles has become the one of the most added appetizer to menus in the south.  Of course, people in Louisiana like their food with added spice. So here is a spicy batter for this sour pickle.

Cajun Fried Pickles

Dill Pickle Slices

1 Egg, beaten

1 cup Milk

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

6 Drops Crystal Hot Sauce

2 cups + 1 Tablespoon Flour

Creole Seasoning

Heat Fryer to 350 degrees

Mix egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon flour in a bowl.

Mix 2 cups flour and Creole Seasoning to taste in a bowl.

Dip pickles in milk mixture, then flour, then mixture, then flour, and fry until golden brown.

Enjoy

Chicken & Mushroon Soup Suggested by Kristie Berggren

This is a soup that a lot of people have asked me about since the closing of Cannon's Restaurant. This popular soup was served on Thursdays. Many customers would come in only on Thursdays because of the soup. This is a close copy of that soup.

Chicken & Mushroom Soup

½ pound Butter (2 sticks)

1 cup Chopped Onions

4 Tablespoons Margarine

1 quart Fresh Mushrooms cut stems & buttons

1 quart Chopped Cooked Chicken Breast, small dice

¾ cup Flour

¼ Teaspoon Ground White Pepper

½ Teaspoon Thyme

1 Teaspoon Tarragon Leaves

1 ½ cups Heavy Cream

1 ¾ cups Chicken Stock or Broth

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Pinch Nutmeg

Sauté mushrooms in margarine. Remove from heat and save mushrooms, discard margarine. Melt butter and sauté onions over medium heat. Do not brown onions. Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock slowly, mixing with a wire whisk to keep flour from lumping.  Cook flour taste out and let thicken until it resembles creamy mashed potatoes in consistency. Add chicken and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice. Stir in heavy cream and cook for 10 minutes. Add white pepper, thyme, tarragon, and nutmeg. Pull off heat and serve.

Enjoy

Stuffed Bell Peppers suggested by Kathy Frisella

Stuffed Bell Peppers is a dish you would be hard to find on a New Orleans restaurant menu. I am sure that a few of the neighborhood restaurants offer this dish as a daily special. However, many great cooks make this dish at home for their families. It's a wonderful dish that can be used to stretch one's budget. With a little money, you can have a fantastic restaurant quality home meal.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice

8 ounces tomato sauce

Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.
In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving

Enjoy