Cajun Asian Cook up !

1 CAJUN RECIPES

Cook up!

Cooking Made Easy

Blended by a Cajun & Thai in Malaysia

3 CAJUN RECIPES

1

East Meets West From S o u t he r n Lo u i s i a n a to So u th e ast Asia , Ca ju n As i an offe r s a u n i qu e b lend of s e a s o ni ng s us e d i n Caj u n an d As ian c ook in g . Ca ju n an d As i an re ci p e s a re v er y p opu l a r t hro u g h o u t th e wo r ld an d e v en th e cu ltu re s a re s i m i lar i n s o m an y way s.

We br i ng yo u t he o r i gi n a l a n d a u th e ntic Ca j un As i a n s p i ce fa m i ly th a t i s u n i quely form u l a t e d b y a Caj u n an d a Th a i ...!!!

T h i s co o k b o o k w i ll gi ve yo u s o m e i n s pirati on o n Ca ju n a n d As i a n co o k i n g. D i s c ov er h ow s i mp le yo u c an m ake a d e li ci o u s home co o ke d me a l w i th o u r s e a s o n i n gs.

Enj o y Co o k i n g!

0 7 Cajun G umbo

0 9 Caju n Pan Fried Fis h

11 Jambalaya Rice

13 Cajun Butter Prawn

15 Cajun Green Bean s

5 CAJUN RECIPES

CAJUN RECIPES

CAJUN GUMBO Serving: 4-6 Duration: 90 min

INGREDIENTS 4-6 Cups Chicken Stock (water) 2 Cups Chicken Meat

(skinless white or dark) 2 Cups Peeled Shrimp 2 Cups Sausage ¾ Cup Vegetable Oil (Peanut Oil) ¾ Cup All-purpose Flour 2 Cups Yellow or White Onion 1 ½ Cups Green Bell Pepper (capsicum) 1 Cup Celery 1 Cup Green Onion 4-6 Cloves Garlic 2 Whole Bay Leaves 5 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning 1 Tbsp.

Parsley Flakes 1 Tsp. Gumbo File For non-Halal option, chicken can be replaced by pork loin.

DIRECTIONS Preparing the vegetables Chop the yellow onions, capsicum and celery - combine in a bowl to be added once the roux is finished. Also chop the garlic and green onions and keep in separate bowl as will be added towards the end.

Preparing the meat and seafood Chop the chicken, sausage and shrimp in bite size pieces and keep each item in separate bowl, as they will be added to the gumbo at different times. Use 1 Tbsp. of Cajun Blend to season the chicken and shrimp.

Making Roux Now that your vegetables and meat are prepared it is time to make the roux. The most important step in making a good Gumbo is the roux, which is the base.

Pre-heat a soup pot with a thick bottom (to main-

7 CAJUN RECIPES tain consistent heat) on medium heat.

Add the oil to the pot and wait for the oil to heat up. Once the oil is hot, add all the flour and mix the oil and flour together to form a uniform paste.

For the next 30-45 minutes, stir the oil-flour mixture continuously (do not stop stirring) with a wooden spoon. This is a very important 30-45 minute process and continue stirring until the roux has a rich brown color similar to milk chocolate.

Finishing the Gumbo Once the roux is a chocolate color, add the yellow onions, capsicum and celery. Let the vegetables cook in the roux for 5-10 minutes so the vegetables will start to sweat.

Now you are ready to add the 4 cups of chicken stock, sausage, garlic, bay leaves and 3 Tbsp. Cajun Blend.

Bring this mixture to a boil, cover and then simmer for 1 hour checking it regularly to ensure the roux does not stick to the bottom of the pot. You may also need to add more stock if the mixture becomes too thick.

After cooking the mixture for an hour, add the chicken in the mixture until chicken thoroughly cooked. Add the shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn off the fire and add the green onions and parsley. If you are able to find Gumbo file’, you can add this as well at this time.

Taste the gumbo and adjust with salt and spice (couple shakes of Tabasco) for your taste. Your gumbo is now cooked and ready to be served over rice.

Final addition of Cajun Blend seasoning, salt and Tabasco.

CAJUN PAN FRIED FISH

Serving: 2 Duration: 20 min

INGREDIENTS 2-4 Fillets of Fish Local white meat fish (Snapper, Tilapia or Sole) 2-4 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning 1 Lemon or Lime Cut into thin slices with one slice through the skin 1 Tbsp.

Parsley Âź Cup Olive Oil

9 CAJUN RECIPES DIRECTIONS Once the fish fillets are cleaned, dry them off with paper towel - it is important the fillets are dry to make sure the spices stick and to avoid the oil from popping.

Sprinkle all of the Cajun Blend Seasoning on the fillets and pat the seasoning on the fillets to make it stick – be sure to coat the fillets generously (you can adjust per your preference).

Now that the fillets are prepared, pre-heat a skillet on medium heat, preferably a non-stick skillet or wok with thick bottom to maintain heat.

Add the olive into the skillet (covering bottom of skillet) and heat the oil until the oil just starts to smoke.

Once smoke appears, immediately put the fillets in the skillet and they will start to sear and smoke, which is normal.

Pending on the thickness of the fillets, let the fillets cook on one side for a minute (or until golden brown).

Flip over the fillets and cook for 1 minute (or until golden brown) - do not overcook the fish.

Once cooked, remove the fillets and put on dry sheet, paper towel or rack to remove any residual oil. While the fillets are still hot, you can sprinkle some more Cajun Blend and salt to taste.

Finally sprinkle the fillets with parsley and top each fillet with a lemon slice. This is a quick, healthy way to eat fish and you can compliment this dish with your favorite vegetables with the same recipe.

JAMBALAYA RICE Serving: 6 Duration: 60 min

INGREDIENTS 4 Cups Chicken Stock (water) 2 Cups Chicken meat

(skinless white or dark) 2 Cups Rice (un-cooked) 2 Cups Peeled Shrimp 2 Cups Sausage 2 Cups Yellow or White Onion 1 ½ Cups Green Bell Pepper (capsicum) 1 Cup Celery 1 Cup Green Onion 6 Cloves Garlic ¼ Cup Olive Oil (corn or vegetable oil) 5 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning 1 Tbsp.

Parsley Flakes For non-Halal option, chicken can be replaced by pork belly without skin.

DIRECTIONS Preparing the vegetables for the Jambalaya Chop the yellow onions, capsicum and celery - combine in a bowl. Also chop the garlic and green onions and keep in separate bowl as will be added separately.

Preparing the meat and seafood for the Jambalaya Chop the chicken, sausage and shrimp in bite size pieces and keep each item in separate bowl, as they will be added at different times. Use 1 Tbsp. of Cajun Blend to season the chicken and shrimp.

Browning Sausage Now that your vegetables and meat are prepared, it is time to brown the sausage, which will give the jambalaya its brown color.

Pre-heat a pot with a thick bottom on high heat – add the oil to the pot and wait for the oil to slightly smoke.

Add the sausage to hot oil and continue to stir and brown the sausage. It is important to cook

11 CAJUN RECIPES the sausage on high heat so the sausage will brown in the pot – the browning of the sausage will give the jambalaya a nice brown color.

Cooking the Jambalaya After the sausage is browned, add the yellow onions, capsicum and celery. Let the vegetables cook in the mixture on high heat for 10 minutes and make sure to stir the bottom of the pot to get any brown pieces of sausage that may have stuck to the pot.

Now you are ready to add the chicken and 3 Tbsp. Cajun Blend to the mixture and cook for another 10 minutes on high heat (in the event the mixture becomes too dry during this process, you can add a ½ cup chicken stock or water). Ensure there is very little water in the mixture and now add the rice and shrimp to the mixture - cook on high heat for another 5 minutes.

Now you are ready to add the 4 cups of chicken stock and garlic to the mixture. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring continuously.

Turn the heat to lowest setting, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (do not open the cover for 20 minutes) After simmering for 20 minutes, open the cover and add the green onions, parsley, salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste – stir/mix the Jambalaya. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes and then turn off the fire.

Let the pot sit for 10-15 minutes. Your Jambalaya is now cooked and ready to be served.

Final addition of Cajun Blend seasoning, salt and Tabasco for your taste and spice preference.

CAJUN BUTTER PRAWN Serving: 2-4 Duration: 30 min INGREDIENTS 1 Kg Large Prawns / Shrimp

(un-peeled with heads on) 6 Cloves Garlic (crushed) 4-6 Sticks Butter (un-melted) ¼ Cup Olive Oil 2 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 6 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning 3 Tbsp.

Black Pepper 4 Whole Bay Leaves 2 Tbsp.

Parsley Flakes 1 Loaf Baguette Bread DIRECTIONS Preparing the Prawns It is important to leave the head on - trim the whiskers with scissors, then use the scissors to make a cut on top through the shell from head to tail. After all the prawns are prepared, dry them off to remove any access water.

Cooking the Prawns Pre-heat your oven or barbecue pit (the barbecue pit is preferred method). Prepare a baking pan or a disposable aluminum foil pan that is large enough to hold the prawns.

Add the ½ cup olive oil to the pan and make sure the bottom is coated with the oil. You can now place the pawns in the pan ensuring they are spread out evenly covering the bottom of the pan.

Add all of the Cajun Blend Seasoning and black pepper at this time – the prawns should be coated generously with the seasoning.

After the prawns are coated with the seasoning, add the crushed garlic, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce.

Now you are ready to add the butter and parsley flakes on top of the prawns. It is important to have enough butter for the prawns to cook in.

Place the pan in oven (or BBQ pit) and cook on

13 CAJUN RECIPES high heat until all the butter is thoroughly melted. After the butter is melted, take a spoon and stir the prawns and butter mixture – cook for another 5 minutes.

Depending on the size of your prawns, the prawns should be nearly cooked once the butter has melted so important not to overcook the prawns. Once cooked, remove from the heat and now ready to serve.

Cut the bread in bite size slices and you can use the bread to dip in the butter mixture.

The prawns will be hot in the butter mixture so you can dip your bread while waiting for the prawns to cool… very tasty….!!!

This is a great recipe to serve as an appetizer for your family or guests – get extra bread, as the butter sauce is very popular…

CAJUN GREEN BEANS

Serving: 2-3 Duration: 15 min

INGREDIENTS 1 Kg Fresh Green Beans

(or canned beans) ¼ Cup Grape seed Oil (Olive Oil) 2-4 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning ¼ Cup Water

15 CAJUN RECIPES DIRECTIONS Preparing the Vegetables Once the green beans are cleaned, dry them off with paper towel - it is important to remove the access water to avoid the oil from popping.

Stir Fried the Vegetables Pre-heat a skillet on medium heat, preferably a non-stick skillet or wok with thick bottom to maintain heat.

Add the olive into the skillet (covering bottom of skillet) and heat the oil until the oil just starts to smoke.

Once smoke appears, immediately put the beans in the skillet.

Sprinkle all of the Cajun Blend Seasoning on the green beans and stir fry (sauté’) the vegetable for 5-10 minutes until they are slightly tender (in the event the mixture becomes too dry during this process, you can add a ¼ cup of water).

Once cooked, remove the green beans and you can sprinkle some more Cajun Blend seasoning and salt to taste.

This is a quick, healthy way to eat vegetables and this same recipe can be used with other fresh vegetables.

19 S t ir Fried Tiger Prawn

21 Tomyam Kun g

2 3 Th ai Fis h Cakes

25 T hai Steamed Fish

2 7 Th ai Omelette

17 CAJUN RECIPES

THAI RECIPES

STIR FRIED TIGER PRAWN

Serving: 2-3 Duration: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 1 Kg Tiger Prawns/Large Shrimp

(un-peeled with heads on) 12 Cloves Fresh Garlic ½ Cup Coriander (Cilantro) Stalk/Root ½ Cup Coriander (Cilantro) Leaves 7 Whole Thai Chili’s (or local Chili) ½ Cup Vegetable Oil 3 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning 1 Tbsp.

Oyster Sauce ½ Tbsp.

Soy Sauce ½ Tbsp.

Sugar 1 Cup Water DIRECTIONS Preparing the vegetables Chop the garlic, Thai chili’s and coriander stalk/ root. Also chop some coriander leaves and keep in separate bowl as will be added towards the end.

Preparing the Prawns It is important to leave the heads on - trim the whiskers with scissors, then use the scissors to make a cut on top through the shell from head to tail.

After all the prawns are prepared, dry them off to remove any access water.

Cooking the Prawns Pre-heat a deep skillet (wok) on medium heat, preferably a non-stick with thick bottom to maintain heat.

Once the oil is hot, pre-cook the prawns in the hot oil until they turn red, then flip to other side.

Once pre-cooked 1 minute on each side, remove the prawns and put on dry sheet, paper towel or rack to remove any residual oil.

19 THAI RECIPES Stir Frying the Prawns Remove the excess oil after pre-cooking the prawns and leave enough oil in the wok to cook the vegetables.

Put the fire on high heat and add the vegetables and cook the vegetables for 1 minute.

Add the water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and Thai Blend Seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil for 30 seconds and then add the prawns into the mixture. Just mix the prawns in mixture to make sure the prawns are coated with the sauce.

This process will only take a minute since the prawns are already pre-cooked.

Turn off the heat and serve the prawns on a platter and garnish with the coriander leaves.

TOMYAM KUNG Serving: 4-6 Duration: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 10 Cups Water ¾ Cup Carnation Milk 1 Whole Lemon Juice 1 Kg Shrimp, Squid and Fish

(your preference) 7 Tbsp.

Fish sauce 2 Large Tomatoes 3-5 Tbsp.

Thai Chili’s (or local Chili) 1 Tbsp.

Salt 2 ½ Tbsp.

Sugar 4 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning 2 Cups Mushrooms (your preference) 3 Slices Galangal 3-4 Whole Lime Leaves 1 Piece Lemon Grass 4 Small Red Onions ½ Cup Coriander (Cilantro) ½ Cup Green Onion

21 THAI RECIPES DIRECTIONS Add the water, red onions, galangal, lemon grass and lime leaves to a small soup pot and bring to a boil.

Add the chili’s, mushrooms, tomatoes, Thai Blend, fish sauce, lemon, salt, sugar and boil for another 3-5 minutes.

Add seafood (don’t stir) and let it boil for 3 minutes until seafood is cooked.

Turn off the fire - add coriander, green onion and carnation milk.

Let it sit for 2-3 minutes then ready to serve.

Final addition of Thai Blend seasoning, salt and chili’s for your taste and spice preference.

This is an easy recipe once you have cooked it a few times and can be adjusted per your preference in seafood. You can also eat this over rice.

THAI FISH CAKES

Serving: 2-3 Duration: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 3-4 cups Ground Fish

(you can add ground shrimp) 1 Whole Egg 3-4 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning 1 Tbsp.

Cayenne Pepper 1 Tsp. Sugar 1 ½ Cups Vegetable Oil 1 Cup Fresh Green Beans ½ Cup Basil Leaf

23 THAI RECIPES DIRECTIONS Preparing the ingredients Grind the fish (shrimp) into a paste.

Slice the green bean as thin as possible.

Cut the basil leaf into long/slender pieces.

Making the Fish Cakes Mix the fish (shrimp), egg, sugar, Thai Blend, cayenne pepper, green beans and basil in a bowl – use your hands and mix it thoroughly for 3-5 minutes.

Pre-heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.

Take the paste and make small round cakes (like small hamburger patties) to ensure they will cook quickly.

After the cakes are made, place in the oil until one side is golden brown, and then flip over for the other side to get golden brown.

After golden brown on both sides, remove from the oil and place on dry sheet, paper towel or rack to remove any residual oil.

The fish cakes are now ready to eat and go well with a Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping the fish cakes.

This is a great authentic Thai recipe to serve as an appetizer for your family or guests.

THAI STEAMED FISH Serving: 2 Duration: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 1 Whole White Meat Fish

(Snapper, Grouper or Pomfret) 1-2 Tbsp.

Thai Chili’s (or local Chili) ¼ Cup Garlic 2 ½ Tbsp.

Lime Juice ½ Cup Coriander (Cilantro) 3 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning

(for making the sauce) 2 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning

(for marinading the fish) 2 Tbsp.

Sugar 2 ½ Tbsp.

Fish Sauce ½ Cup Warm Water

25 THAI RECIPES DIRECTIONS Preparing the sauce Chop the chili, garlic and coriander.

Mix warm water, lime juice, fish sauce, Thai Blend, sugar in a bowl and add the chopped chili, garlic and cilantro.

Preparing the fish Clean the fish leaving the head on. After fish is cleaned and dried, cut slices on both sides and rub both sides with Thai Blend to marinade.

Steaming the fish After the fish has marinated for at least 15 minutes, steam the fish for about 12-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

Remove the fish from the steamer and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.

Add the sauce that you made before and put on top of the fish.

Final addition of Thai Blend seasoning and lime garnish for your taste preference.

This is a quick, healthy way to eat fish and you can eat this over rice.

THAI OMELETTE Serving: 2 Duration: 15 min

INGREDIENTS 3 Whole Eggs ½ Cup Tomato 2 Tbsp.

Green Onion 1 Tbsp.

Coriander (Cilantro) 1 Tbsp.

Thai Blend Seasoning 2 Tbsp.

Olive Oil 1 Tsp. Water 2 Tsp. Oyster Sauce 1 Dash Salt and Black Pepper

27 THAI RECIPES DIRECTIONS Preparing the vegetables and egg mixtures Chop the tomatoes, green onions and coriander into small pieces.

Whisk the eggs, water, oyster sauce and Thai Blend in a bowl.

Add the chopped vegetables once eggs whisked and combine in a bowl.

Cooking the Omelette Pre-heat a skillet on medium heat, preferably a non-stick skillet or wok with thick bottom to maintain heat.

Add the Olive oil into the skillet (covering bottom of skillet) and heat the oil until the oil just starts to smoke.

Once smoke appears, immediately put the egg mixture in the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium after 30 seconds to prevent the eggs from browning too quickly.

The omelette is best cooked on one side first then carefully flipped to the other side for final cooking.

Once cooked, remove the omelette and you can sprinkle some more Thai Blend seasoning and salt to taste.

This is an authentic Thai omelette recipe and can be adjusted per your preference with vegetables, meats and seafood.

3 1 Boile d Prawn s / Sh rimp

33 Boiled Craw f ish

29 CAJUN RECIPES

SEAFOOD BOIL RECIPES

BOILED PRAWNS/ SHRIMP Serving: 2 Duration: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 2 Liters Water 1 kg Prawns / Shrimp

(un-peeled with heads on) 1 Whole Lemon (halved) 1 Whole Onion (halved) 5 Cloves Garlic (un-peeled) 125 gm Seafood Boil Seasoning

(you can add more for more spice) Dipping Sauce: 1 Cup Mayonnaise ½ Cup Ketchup 1 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning

31 Place the prawns (shrimp) in the water and cover the pot until the water is boiling again.

Boil the prawns (shrimp) for 2 minutes and be careful not to overcook the prawns (shrimp).

After 2 minutes, remove from the fire and also remove the lid from the pot to prevent the prawns (shrimp) from over cooking.

Let the prawns (shrimp) soak in the water so they can absorb more flavor and spice. You can also add salt at this time if you prefer more salt – the salt will also act as a carrier to increase the spice level. Add 1 tablespoon of salt at a time until you reach your desired salt level.

Soaking time should be at least 20-30 minutes and longer soak times will make the prawns (shrimp) and vegetables more spicy.

Extra During step 1, you can also add potatoes, corn, mushrooms and sausage – they will be seasoned nicely to go with the prawns (shrimp).

Preparing the dipping sauce Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. This dip is excellent for dipping the prawns (shrimp) and all the vegetables from the boil.

SEAFOOD BOIL RECIPES

DIRECTIONS Preparing the prawns (shrimp) Bring the water to a boil and add the Seafood Boil Seasoning, lemon, onion and garlic in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

BOILED CRAWFISH Serving: 3-4 Duration: 60 min

INGREDIENTS 4 Liters Water 2 Kg Crawfish (or Crabs) 2 Whole Lemon (halved) 2 Whole Onion 10 Cloves Garlic 1 Bunch Celery 250 grams Seafood Boil Seasoning

(you can add more for more spice) Dipping Sauce: 1 Cup Mayonnaise ½ Cup Ketchup 1 Tbsp.

Cajun Blend Seasoning

33 Place the crawfish (crabs) in the water and cover the pot until the water is boiling again.

Boil the crawfish (crabs) for 5 minutes and be careful not to overcook the crawfish (crabs).

After 5 minutes of boiling, remove from the fire and also remove the lid from the pot to prevent the crawfish (crabs) from over cooking.

Let the crawfish (crabs) soak in the water so they can absorb more flavor and spice. You can also add salt at this time if you prefer more salt – the salt will also act as a carrier to increase the spice level. Add ½ cup of salt and let soak for 10 minutes - keep tasting the crawfish every 5 minutes until you reach your desired salt and spice level.

Soaking time should be at least 20-30 minutes and longer soak times will make the crawfish (crabs) and vegetables more spicy.

Extra During step 1, you can also add potatoes, corn, mushrooms and sausage – they will be seasoned nicely to go with the crawfish (crabs).

Preparing the dipping sauce Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. This dip is excellent for dipping the crawfish (crabs) and all the vegetables from the boil.

SEAFOOD BOIL RECIPES

DIRECTIONS Preparing the crawfish (or crabs) Bring the water to a boil and add the Seafood Boil Seasoning, lemon, onion, celery and garlic in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

Cajun Asian Family T h e Ca j u n B le n d s e a s o ning c an b e a d d e d to a ll typ es of fo o d to a d d flavo r a nd s p i ce . Th e s e as o n i ng e n h a n ce s th e flavo r of p i zza , s e afo o d , ch i cke n, pasta, s o u p s , s a lad s , ve ge ta b le , e tc. Th e s eas o n i n g ca n a ls o b e used fo r m ar i n ati n g s e a fo o d a nd m e a ts fo r co o k i n g or g ri lli n g.

T h e Th ai B le n d s e a s o n i ng c an b e a d d e d to a ll typ es of fo o d to a d d flavo r a nd s p i ce . Th e s e as o n i ng e n h a n ce s th e flavo r of s eafo o d , ch i cke n , r i ce d i s h e s , s o u p s , s a lad s , ve ge ta b le , e tc. Th e s eas o n i n g ca n a ls o b e used fo r m ar i n ati n g s e a fo o d a nd m e a ts fo r co o k i n g or g ri lli n g.

T h e Se a fo o d B o i l s e a s o ning i s s p e ci ally fo r m u la te d fo r b o i li n g o r ste a m i n g all t y p e s of s e a fo o d . B o i li ng s eafo o d i s a ve r y h e althy m e th o d of co o k i n g a n d the S ea fo o d B o i l w i ll e n h anc e t he n atu ra l flavo r s of t he s eafo o d . Pra w n s , cra b s , s hr i m p, cra w fi s h (yab b ies) , l o b ste r o r a n y typ e of s he ll fi s h ca n b e b o i le d w ith th e Se a fo o d B o i l. The S ea fo o d B o i l ca n a ls o be u s e d to a d d s o m e ze st to s ou p s , pa sta d i s h e s an d m a r i n ad e s .