My son Nate and I pulled off a great grilling project this weekend. What we decided to try to accomplish was a Cajun style "surf 'n turf." We started with my Creole seasoning mix. I always make a pretty large batch, because I use it in all kinds of recipes! I use it on fish, on chicken, in my jambalaya, on pork... Our final presentation of this great combination was accompanied by some Zatarain's New Orleans Style Dirty Rice Mix. This turned out to be one of the best cookouts we've ever done! Here are the recipes for the seasoning mix, the steak and the shrimp:

CREOLE SEASONING MIX

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. white pepper

1 tbsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

1 tbsp. celery seed

1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp. dried basil leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic food storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. (For best results, use fresh spices!)

CAJUN GRILLED STEAK

Ingredients:

4 nice, thick steaks (1/2 to 1 lb. each)

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp. butter

4 tsp. Creole seasoning mix (See recipe above)

1 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. coarse, ground pepper

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, gently heat the butter over low to medium heat. Add all other ingredients except for the steak and the Creole seasoning mix. Sauté over low heat, stirring often, until peppers, onions and celery are tender. Grill the steaks (preferably on a charcoal grill). While grilling, evenly sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of Creole seasoning mix on each side of each steak. When steaks are finished, apply the pepper-onion-celery mixture on top of each steak and serve.

CAJUN SHRIMP KABOBS

Ingredients:

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup canola oil

1 green bell pepper, cut into squares between 1" and 1.5"

1 cup red onion, cut into squares between 1" and 1.5"

1 cup celery, cut into 1" long pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. Creole seasoning mix (See recipe above)

1 tsp. dry, ground mustard

1/4 tsp. celery salt

Instructions:

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the oil and all of the ingredients except for the shrimp, the bell pepper, the onion and the tomatoes. Place shrimp in another bowl. Pour the liquid mixture over the shrimp, cover and marinate in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Alternately place the shrimp, bell pepper, onion and tomatoes on thin, wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for a couple of hours. With a basting brush, apply canola oil over the entire surface of everything on the skewers and grill over hot coals just until the meat turns opaque. Serves 4 to 6.

This combination of Cajun style foods is not only incredibly tasty, but it also makes a very colorful presentation. Check out Nate's photos of our grilling endeavor at:

http://recipereport.blogspot.com/2007/10/csnt.html

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.