Last Tuesday we celebrated our recent successes, NOLA style. If you missed that post, you can read it here. I had a blast shopping for Mardi Gras decor, mixing up Hurricane mocktails, and feeding my guests with the great food provided by Zatarain’s.
Zatarains’ Care Package
How great was it of them to send me a box full of their rice mixes and seasonings? I chose to make the Brown Rice Jambalaya, Garden Vegetable Rice, and my salmon with the Blackened Seasonings mix.
What I love love love about Zatarain’s:
- They make everything easy. You can prepare foods per package instructions, or embellish with add-ins of your own. Either way, it’s a complete dish.
- Their dishes can be served on the side or as a main course. There’s no wrong way to Zat!
- Let’s be real: It’s authentic New Orleans food. I mean, the shipping label said, New Orleans. Now that just makes This Girl far too food happy.
- The flavors are more than your regular from-the-box fixings. They know how to package the seasonings, spices, and everything else that goes into a good Jambalaya.
- Their products work well on a time schedule. I had four food preparations going at the same time, and didn’t sweat a drop.
Zatarain’s Big Easy Garden Vegetable Brown Rice Mix
This pouch cooked start to finish in ninety seconds. Ninety seconds! I barely had time to grab the serving bowl before it was ready. Just knead the bag first, microwave for a minutes and a half, let stand one minute, then open and serve a hot, delicious mix of brown rice and vegetables. We ate this as a stand-alone side dish, but I’m already salivating for another pouch so I can toss in some andouille sausage and make it a meal.
Before I popped that in the microwave, however, I started the Brown Rice Jambalaya mix. I simply mixed water and the rice mix in my rice cooker. This one took 45 minutes according to package directions. I did not like smelling that goodness without being able to indulge, but it was worth the wait. Twenty minutes before it was ready, I sautéed a pound of garlic and herb shrimp on the stove-top, and when the rice mix was done I combined the two.
Next was the grilled blackened salmon. A light coating of melted butter on each side and a good sprinkling of seasonings was all it took to have a knock-your-socks-off main course. I love blackened anything, so I made sure to double-coat my filet.
With the abundance of food on the table, we had ourselves a small feast, Zatarain’s style.
NOLA Party, Zatarain’s Style
I served mayonnaise biscuits, another NOLA-based recipe from my friend, Lindsay Reine’s cookbook. A mixture of fruit juices gave my guests a Hurricane Mocktail, and dessert was this Easy King Cake recipe I found online.
Celebrate with King Cake
Are you salivating yet? Then check out the Zatarain’s website. It’s more than just rice product. I can’t wait to get my hands on their root beer concentrate, a frozen pasta dinner, breading mix, some Creole mustard, and even their olives.
There’s a great section to teach you how to speak like a New Orleanian. Words like lagniappe, etouffee, and maque choux.
Zatarain’s. How deliciously simple is that?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Five Years and a Party
My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta and Sauce
My Interview with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine
I am Defined. And I am a Mystery.
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: The Big Easy
Garden vegetable rice sounds good right about now.
William Kendall recently posted..Autumn View At The West Gate
It was really flavorful, William. And contrary to what the pictures show, a little goes a long way.